A/N: I'm going to try my hardest to type up these chapters the second I'm done with the ones before them. That should help me update faster. Yup, that's right; I'm taking my would-be twin's advice. For now. Lol. But, yeah, a little bit each day ought to help me get the job done. I hope.

Zippy: No, it will work! If you know what's good for you, D-chan. :: insert sinister smile and gleaming-anime-eyes here::

Sesshomaru: Would you like me to escort this brute off the premises?

Zippy: If you do, I'll get you in your sleep, with no one to help you… right D-chan? I love you!

SQ: (muffled) No you don't, you vicious liar! (Out loud) I love you, too, Zippy! :: Nervously smiling with anime sweat drops pouring down side of face. Leans towards Sesshomaru and whispers:: Please, please. NOW!

Sesshomaru: Wait a moment. I have now become intrigued. I wish to see how this plays out. :: somehow finds a way to grin both sinisterly and serenely, severely pissing off SQ in the process::

SQ: Bad Guard Dog.

:: Sesshomaru turns an attractive shade of red in anger and tries to promptly control his sudden burst of indignation.::

Zippy: You don't want to kick me out D-chan, besides if you don't type these chapters with my method your fans will notice and I'm not going to be the only one who wants you dead.

SQ: O.o . . . Ooookay, then. On with the fanfic!

Chapter Twelve:

Further Into the Villain's Mind Pt. 1

*****

' . . . that cut straight through him in one swing! Just think; if this axe can cut through Caleb of all people, think of what it could do to the army of Super-Vamps the First has under its belt. I could just see the look on its face. Lol. It'll feel like it just got b***h-slapped in the face!"

Sesshomaru chuckled. Buffy had a . . .. interesting (to say the least) perspective on things. Throughout the course of a few hours, he had passed the time reading seven years worth of history through the eyes of the Blonde Slayer [Sesshomaru is awesome at many things, but (especially) at reading very fast he is an undefeatable beast. 'Nough said. XD]. He recounted stories of vampires attempting to brake from the prison of the sacred underground to vampires regaining their souls and losing them again to mutes stealing the hearts of innocents and so on.

'Her life hasn't had a single peaceful moment since her mother relocated her." Sesshomaru, with one last sweeping glance around the room, left to reenter the confines of his own guest room. He sprawled out on his king-sized bed and sifting through the new information he'd just acquired.

'So, this new Slayer Academy has separated this group both physically and emotionally. Giles, Faith and Kennedy moved to England to help out with the Academy, while Dawn was forced to send tips from afar. Buffy's father is now aware of Buffy's job and is sending financial help to the school.'

Sesshomaru unbuttoned his over shirt and opened the window to let some fresh air in. He sat back down and pulled his hair into a high ponytail. He sighed and opened the laptop he bought while they were still in Japan.

'This is the music section. People record their songs on compact discs, also called cds, and sell them to their loyal fans.'

Kagome was at the Best Buy in Akihabara, Tokyo. Kagome thought it was necessary to get everyone cell phones so they could easily contact each other if needed. Sesshomaru saw the laptops out of the corner of his eyes, and, as usual, let his curiosity get the better of him. (A/N: Curiosity killed the Inu, Sesshy!)

'What are these contraptions?' Sesshomaru read the banner above the isle. 'Computers? I do not compute.'

Kagome smacked her hand against her head. 'What am I going to do with this guy?' she thought. Walking up to him, she explained, 'And this is the computer section. Computers are devices that allow for easy communication and access to information previously unavailable. You can also save documents on them and store them for later. They can locate, store and play music, videos and games as well.'

'And how do they retrieve this information that is so forbidden and desirable?'

'They enter what's called the 'World Wide Web.''

'YOU MEAN SOME SPIDER ACTUALLY SPUN A WEB AROUND THE ENTIRE FREAKING WORLD?'

Kagome jumped and Sesshomaru managed to raise his eyebrow and shake his head and still look serious.

'No, InuYasha,' Kagome chided after she calmed her rampaging heart. 'It's a metaphor. The 'Web' is a web connecting different computer networks together so that people can contact others and find the information they need. Most people just call it the 'Internet.''

InuYasha, Sango, Rin, Shippo, and Jaken all looked at each other with the same confused look on their faces. Shippo and Rin even tipped their heads in the most adorable ways! But, Miroku and Sesshomaru both seemed to get it easily; they looked at each other with looks that combined mild bemusement, understanding, and awe.

'So, all computers are connected to each other by this 'Internet?'' Miroku confirmed.

'Yup.'

'Intriguing.' Sesshomaru stepped up to the laptops and studied the two of them closely. 'One of these calls itself a 'Mac Book,' and the other calls itself a 'PC.' What may I ask is the difference?'

'A PC's older than a Mac. It's mostly used for business and basic functions, like music, video, pictures and written documents. And, it has Internet access. A Mac, however, is newer, faster, and more popular. It does all the same things that a PC does, but its graphics are a lot better than a PC's. A lot of artists who use computers for their work choose Macs. But, Macs cost a lot more money.'

Sesshomaru waved his hand in dismissal. 'Money is no object here.' He pulled out his newly acquired wallet and pulled out 350,000 yen (about $3,500). 'Will this cover the Mac Book and my cell phone bill?'

Before they all left the past after getting all their supplies and clothes, Sesshomaru flew back to the Western Lands to get some of his money. When they went to the bank to convert the old coins into yen to be spent, the lady behind the counter almost had a heart attack. The gold that the beautiful man had given her was easily worth 10,000 times the amount it would've been worth in that era! Sesshomaru left with a new bank account filled with enough yen to feed South Africa and a smug grin on his face.

Kagome looked at the money with longing. 'That ought to do it.'

Sesshomaru bought his shiny new Mac, Palm Pilot, and everyone else's supplies (including a few video games for Shippo and Rin) in a rare show of pride and kindness.

He powered up his Mac Book and connected it to the Web. He visited and requested that a book he'd been looking at for the past couple of days be delivered to him.

A knock shocked him slightly out of his thoughts.

"Lord Sesshomaru? We're back!" came the childlike voice of his adopted daughter.

"I will only be but a moment, Rin. There is some business of which I wish to complete first."

*****

"Hey, sis! How've you been?" Buffy couldn't believe how nervous she was seeing her sister for the first time in three months. She thought Dawn would never forgive her for trying to keep her safe instead of letting her join the staff for the Slayer Academy. However, here Dawn was, waiting anxiously for her sister with open arms and a wide, Cheshire-Cat-smile.

"Buffy! I missed you so much!" Dawn hopped up from the couch she was watching Code Geass on. She gave her sister a Big Ole Bear Hug that, had Buffy not been a Slayer, would have given her older sister tons of bruises the next morning. Kagome and Willow snuck knowing glances at each other.

Dawn had grown subtly in the last few months. Her hair had grown slightly longer and Dawn died the ends of her hair navy, a feat her older sister wouldn't have allowed had she been there. She was less pale than she was at the beginning of the summer; she probably went to the beach with Oz and Cordelia a lot. Buffy also noticed that her baby sister's lips were more shiny and red than they should have been.

"Dawn, have you been wearing make-up? You know what happened last time!"

Dawn's eyes went wide as she wiped the lip-gloss off her face. She didn't need a reminder of four years ago. A Chameleon Demon named Akina had been attracted to her because her made-up lips reminded him of his deceased girlfriend's own berry-red ones. He didn't leave her alone for a whole week until Willow performed a spell that acted as a magical restaining order.

"It's just a little lip-gloss! I'm 19; I think I can handle the repercussions. But, it's great that you still feel the need to be a Hover-Sis. I think I miss that the most."

Kagome tried to smother her snickers behind her hand. Dawn heard the sound and turned her head to welcome the newcomer.

"Hi. You must be Kagome. When Willow told us she had a cousin who was a priestess from Japan, I pictured you a little differently. You know: the white and red outfit with the hair tied back and a bow and arrow in hand. So on and so on."

Kagome pictured the undead priestess, Kikyo, with Dawn's vivid imagery. Said priestess was now back in her grave where she was laid to rest a second time, her mission fulfilled. Willow's response brought her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, Kagome sure breaks that mold, doesn't she?"

As Willow and Dawn shared a quick laugh (Buffy tried to be more subtle by turning her head and snickering at the doorway), Kagome looked down at her ensemble. Today, she was wearing black skinny jeans, a white tank top with ruffles leading from under the bust to the bottom (form-fitting, might I add) , and a pinstripe, menswear vest worn open. From her neck hung two necklaces, one golden with a cross pendant and the other a silver chain with a colorful Hello Kitty pendant. She looked back up and blinked twice in confusion.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Nothing."

Because they answered simultaneously and with mock-innocence smiles on their faces, this reaction stimulated Kagome's transition from confusion to suspicious.

"Anyway, Dawn, are you ready to go?"

"Totally! Let me just grab my bags."

As Dawn scrambled to get her bags from her guest room, Angel got up from the couch. It was the first time in a long while that Buffy'd seen him in person. He was still the pale, polished-yet-casual guy she remembered, and he still sent butterflies amok in her stomach when he was near. However, her heart belonged to someone else.

This morning, the lines in his forehead were creased in a worrisome way. There was info to be conveyed, yet he didn't know how to convey it.

"Spit it out," she said, impatient already.

"I got a message from Giles at the Academy last night. You're not going to believe this."

A/N: I know, I know. I haven't updated in months, and now I've updated twice in one night? OMG! Lol. Well, I'm going to start mapping out my next chapter right after this, so hopefully I'll update within the next two weeks (I have to practice for the SATs in October. And the ACT. And get a summer job.)