Notes: In case it has been unclear. Kagome doesn't remember the feudal era at all atm - which means she doesn't remember having powers or being a reincarnation. As a result of the spell that was cast. Only the girl that cast it and anyone superior to her, Naraku, and his varied incarnations have any memory of Kagome or her involvement. Sesshomaru remembers because he's stronger than the girl that cast the spell but Jaken doesn't because he is not. Hope this helps people be less confused.

Chapter Nine: Arrivals and 2nd Counterpoint

Here's magic to love... Millions of years ago we evolved three basic drives: the sex love, romantic love, and attachment to a long-term partner. These circuits are deeply embedded in the human brain. They're going to survive as long as our species survive on what Shakespeare called, this "mortal coil."

-Helen Fisher

Lezard Valeth

The shower's wall was cold, more so than it might have been on average given the chilled water flowing from the pipes. There was a bit of physical pain involved in letting the frigid water cascade over his shoulders and river between his shoulder blades making varied courses along his naked form.

He needed the pain, the cold, the physical distraction that left him with much less desire to hunt out his goddess and finish what they had started earlier. Not that he could quell the craving completely...which was why his head was still tucked into his arm leaning on the icy surface of the marble-like porcelain tile.

The entire room was expensive beneath the dust that seemed to cover nearly every non-commonly used surface. There was a notable difference on the floor of the paths not commonly used in the immense bath. He was actually standing in a converted hot tub/steam room/separated bath but he was leaning underneath one of the three shower-heads absorbing the cold in hopes it would numb the burning thirst for Kagome.

If she hadn't been the one that pulled away, he definitely wouldn't have. It was a task just stopping when she had wanted to do so but he needed to be careful. Her new body wasn't prepared just yet and it was difficult to get test subjects beneath the watchful eyes of the 'hunting' group he'd been assigned too.

Too many extra disappearances would make the Professor's suspicious so he had to measure his steps and bide his time. Not that she'd made it any easier when her body had been so compliant...

He growled a little at the thought, turning the heat off from the water completely. As if he could freeze out the lustful urges...

Albel Nox

3:04

Sleep was something he normally had no issues with whatsoever. The things he did, the way he precisely cut up man or monster alike...he never lost sleep over these things.

Yet he was laying on the single mattress his apartment possessed with an arm over his forehead as he stared at his ceiling.

"Promises are weak, like people." He decided with a frown curling the edges of his lips. He could have gone to help the girl but she likely would have just yelled at him for being there. "Something isn't right though...I can sense it."

Though he remained unable to put his finger on it.

"Or I'm just frustrated cause a weak shivering girl has me losing sleep over not going out to help her. Curtiss would have called if something had happened though...well probably not...the worm. I can't possibly call him, too obvious." He gritted his teeth, turning on his side and staring at the black void of a wall. His room was almost completely black with only a sliver of light from under his doorframe and his alarm clock to show that he was still connected to the world at all.

Usually that was something he enjoyed, but he kept glancing to the pale red numbers on his clock waiting for time to pass.

3:06

He grumbled again.

Seto Kaiba

The C.E.O. was pacing in his office, continuing to glance from the skyscrapers view over the city toward the general area he knew Kagome to be. Mokuba was staring from one of the chairs as his brother made the same line in the carpet for what had to have been the hundredth time. He wondered if it would really start to wear down soon like in cartoons.

"Seto." He finally spoke up as his brother started to turn around and take the walk again. "It's not your fault...and she was okay. You said so yourself."

Kaiba paused to look at his younger sibling, shaking his head once. "Isn't it about time you should be in bed?"

Mokuba pouted a little in mock hurt, he knew his brother got like this when he was angry at himself...but it was the worst he'd seen him sense he'd lost to Yugi back in battle city. He sighed and got down from his chair, running over to hug his distressed older brother and then leaving him to fume alone.

Kaiba frowned more after Mokuba left. It bothered him whenever he was short with his brother, especially in the cases when Mokuba was simply trying to help. But it was hard to get over he'd left Kagome there and then she could have been attacked by the shark someone spotted on the shoreline or worse drown unable to climb back up to safety.

It irritated him further that he felt so guilty when it wasn't even really his fault. The girl had put herself out there saying she wanted to be left alone and he'd just respected her wishes. The words were hollow though, the image of her shivering and half-drown she was so wet continued to haunt him.

He returned to pacing.

Ghaleon and Jade Curtiss

"Lezard reported in that the girl was fine." Jade repeated, not bothering to hold a sigh in check for his fellow Professor. "There was no need to inform you until this morning. Next time anything occurs I'll be certain to wake you in the middle of the night."

"It's not anything." Ghaleon replied, though he was cool on the surface he was frustrated as he continued to discuss the previous nights events over morning coffee with the other person of his own general rank in the company. "If it was another student perhaps but she has all the signs of having some sort of power of her own. It is very likely she was targeted specifically."

"That is true." Jade admitted, considering as he sipped at his cappuccino, the caffeine doing him some good. "Though there was little you could have done. They were all the way out at that beach. It was just good that Edward and Lezard were there."

"Indeed." The paler man agreed. "Except I don't trust whatever Lezard is up to...there is something about him that isn't right."

"If that's all I have some things I need to get done." Jade commented and got up from his seat as if not expecting anything else. "I have to finish a general report soon and this will need to be on it. Rufus wanted to let us know that another team will be sent in if we don't organize better soon."

"Hmm, as if the boy even knows the sorts of assets he possesses. Just because his father passed on hardly gives him qualifications to run anything, unless it's possibly into the ground." Ghaleon just nodded with the noncommittal sound, sipping at his own black coffee and shifting a little to enjoy more of the shade the umbrella on the table where they were offered him from the sun.

Jade smirked a bit again as he got up. "Between him and the rest of the siblings, it could be worse. We could have been assigned to Peony and have to deal with his obsession with pigs."

"I think I'd retire."

Ishida Uryu

Ishida was perhaps the most cheerful of the many men in Kagome's life that were interested in her. He was enjoying a beautiful morning as he walked toward her home to help her with her studies, completely unaware of the attack that had taken place the night prior.

Though Ishida being cheerful was perhaps just another anomaly in the abstract painting the lives around Kagome were starting to form.

He was glad to be able to help, and while it was a little strange that he was attracted to an underclassman it was almost a relief to be less concerned with Orihime. Not that he wouldn't have to get to know her better but it had to be worth some points to help her with a subject she was so concerned with in school.

"There's also the energy around her." He thought. That was a bit sobering to his good mood. "She has a lot of untapped spiritual power. It's a matter of time before hollows begin to take an interest in her."

That just gave him another reason to be near her, to keep her from harm of the evil spirits, but he knew it would eventually draw the attention of Ichigo and perhaps even other soul reapers.

The bad points were there but he still smiled to himself as he rounded the corner and saw the stairs leading up to her shrine.

Sesshomaru

He had been watching one of the old clearings near the tree where Inuyasha had been trapped like the worthless weakling he was for so long. The well within seemed fairly nondescript. No water ran through it anymore and instead it had become a discarding grounds for the bones of lesser creatures.

"What the hell are you doing here Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha growled as he landed in the clearing, hand on his sword and perfectly ready to draw it. "You can't have my sword! I told you that already!"

The demon lord had known he was coming, could pick up the scents of two of the humans and the child fox that had traveled with his group waiting further in the forest. He offered him a small glance, noting he seemed much more drawn than when he'd last come across him. As if he hadn't eaten in weeks. It was curious that he wouldn't remember this girl even though she had done so much with him. He couldn't recall a time she wasn't being pesky nearby in the last year when he'd witnessed his brother.

"The girl always with you, Kagome, where do I find her?" Sesshomaru figured it couldn't hurt to ask, if he was spared the loss of memory there was a small chance his brother would have gained immunity as well.

"Who is that? Do you mean Sango?" Inuyasha frowned, pulling his sword out. "Get the hell away from here already."

"Should have known his mind was too undisciplined." The demon lord thought vaguely, turning golden eyes away from the half-breed once it was obvious he would be useless. The girls scent clung in several layers to the well. They were all fairly old, but it was definitely her and she had climbed in and out of the well often. "But to what purpose?"
"Maybe it would be wise to leave him alone if he's not hurting anything Inuyasha." Miroku spoke up from the forest around the clearing, he often was a voice of reason.

"Feh! He's always up to something." Inuyasha retorted. "What the hell you want with the bone eaters well Sesshomaru? Come to ask me to bury you in it?"

He was more interested in the well than his brother's poor attempts at threats, it was harder to pick up but Inuyasha had climbed in and out of the well often himself. "Perhaps a hidden passage? Not a common place for such but certainly one I would never think to look in."

"Answer me!" Inuyasha yelled in frustration, drawing the sword back a little and then blinking in shock when his brother hopped inside the well followed by a flash of blue light. "...the hell?"

The entire group had expressions that matched his final statement nicely as Shippou ran over and called back that he was gone.

End Chapter

Yeah it's a lot shorter than some of the others but I figure the counterpoint things might end up that way until there are some more men involved. I almost /cry at the idea of more people involved as it's like punishing myself...but it's a fun punishment. I tossed in a few little things maybe some folks will pick up on. Maybe not. Either way I'm enjoying blending lots of other characters into Kagome's world.

-Aura

To my reviewers:

Shiroi - Hehe, I usually don't do lemon stuff but in this fiction it sorta makes sense

Ayjah - Heh, you might yet get to find out what he thinks.

Kage Otome - That's actually pretty funny. And yeah, I think I'd walk into a door if I had all the men following Kagome around to look at. They're all so smexy!

Veil - A little more of Sesshy this chapter and he'll be in again soon. Next few chapters for sure.

MoonlitCries - She doesn't recall. Hope my comments at the beginning of the chapter help resolve things for you. :)