disclaimer- you all get the picture. i say i don't own sesshy, i cry, and then i write. however, the newly introduced characters that show up during the course of this story are mine. so back off!

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Why,

Does any of it matter?

(I cant take it anymore.)

You've got to try,

The inhale that makes,

The exhale,

So much better.

(Stonesour: Inhale)

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Don't Fall Away

Chapter Three: Another New Companion?

"What do you mean, Kagome-chan?" Rin asked. She looked around to emphisize her point.

Kagome channeled her miko energy into her hands, not seeing the need to use her bow and arrows. Her hands glowed bright pink and her eyes changed from deep chocaloate brown to pale pink.

"You can't hide. I know you're there. Show yourself and maybe I won't purify your ass!" Kagome challenged. She heard a growl from inside the bushes and shot a beam of miko energy at it. Before the beam hit, however, a young female inu yokai jumped out and landed a few feet in front of Kagome.

"What business do you have here, miko?" the demoness demanded.

"We are only passing through. Is thare a problem with that?" Kagome retorted. She pushed more of her energy into her hands and prepared herself to defend her life if need be. But, Sesshomaru was getting impatient and cut in himself.

"You have no reason to question my motives." he said coldly.

"I'm not questioning your motives." the demoness stated calmly. "I'm questioning hers."

"Great. Do I really look that suspitious?" Kagome asked. The demoness rolled her eyes.

"Yes, you do. If you haven't noticed, your hands are glowing. Very brightly, for that matter." she said, shielding her eyes.

"Oh, sorry." Kagome said. "Better?" The demoness nodded. "So, what's your name?"

"Yukana."

"Why were you trying to attack us, Yukana?" Kagome asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"I simply thought you were someone else." Yukana explained with a shrug. "My village takes pride in being one of the only villages that hasn't been in some way affected by that hanyou, Naraku. And we intend to keep it that way."

"You mean that Naraku has left entire villages alone?" Kagome said in disbelief. "How do you manage to keep a power crazy freakazoid away from a village. That has to be extreamly hard."

"It's not hard to keep someone away from your village when they don't even know about it." Yukana said shrewdly. "People who just run into it usually just stay there because of the fact that the villagers go on with life as if Naraku never existed. It's paradise, it really is. There's no real problems, and it's just so quiet and...there's really no way to describe it. I love it there, but the threat of an invasion isn't absent. That's why we have scouts watching all of the land within a ten kilometer radius. If something seems off the scouts hurry back to the village and warn the villagers who flee the other way. It does get pretty boring just sitting there all day when there is a slim chance that anything will happen, though."

"Are you a scout, too?" Rin asked. Yukana looked over at Rin in suprise.

"Where did she come from?" Yukana asked.

"Rin has been here the whole time!" Rin answered hapilly. "Are you a scout?"

"No, Rin, I'm not." Yukana said. "My mom doesn't even know I'm here." She patted Rin on the head and turned back to Kagome. "So, what are you doing out here? He patrolled this area this morning."

"I told you, we're only passing by." Kagome insisted. "We're on our way to go kill something."

"What!"

"I was kidding." Kagome giggled. "I'm just taking a short vacation before I go back to my friends. I need some rest before we actually go to defeat Naraku for good."

"You guys are trying to defeat Naraku?" Yukana asked with interest. "It sounds like fun. You should come back and tell us when you succeed."

"I have a better idea. We could come and get you before we set off." Kagome said brightly. "That is, unless Sesshomaru has a problem with you coming now."

"I like that idea!" Rin piped in. "Can Yukana come with us, too? Pretty please? It would make Rin happy!"

"Fine." Sesshomaru said. "She must stay out of the way."

"Sesshomaru!" Yukana said, almost angrily. "What do you have against me? I've never done anything to you! Although, considering our history, you'd deserve it."

"Were you two...mated?" Kagome asked in disbelief. Yukana's jaw droped and Sesshomaru smirked.

"That's gross, Kagome!" Yukana yelled. "Sesshomaru's my cousin!" Kagome slapped her hand over her mouth and tried as hard as she could not to burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry giggle I didn't giggle know." Kagome choked. She took a few moments to compose herself before she said anything else. "So, you guys are cousins? Well, that's a far cry from what I thought was goin' on. Is Sesshomaru older than you, or is it the other way around?"

"Sesshomaru's older than I am. But only by a few years." Yukana said. "We grew up together. When his mother died, I started seeing him less and less. After InuYasha was born I only saw him once, and even then it had been a few years after that last time I had seen him. He never really liked InuYasha and Izayoi, but he was always civil towards them. Then Izayoi died and InuYasha just left. He took his and his mother's stuff and just walked out the door."

"And Sesshomaru didn't try to stop him?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, he tried, but InuYasha is more stubborn than ten of Sesshomaru." Yukana explained.

"Tell me about it." Kagome muttered. "So Sesshomaru hates InuYasha for not listening to him and InuYasha hates Sesshomaru for trying to stop him from leaving? Sounds like a very stupid reason to hate your brother."

"Half-brother." Sesshomaru cut in. "We need to get moving. It's about to storm."

"You act like the water's gonna make you melt." Yukana sighed.

"Yeah, we really should get going. Rin could catch a cold." Kagome pointed out. She looked up and felt a raindrop hit her nose. Then another drop fell and it started pouring. Kagome took off her jacket and gave it to Rin. Kagome was already soaked and the jacket wasn't doing much for Rin, either. Rin sneezed and Kagome picked her up and put her on her back.

After about an hour Kagome and Rin both started sneezing and coughing. Yukana had asked them both multiple times if they wanted to stop and find shelter, but they had refused each time.

"Listen, I really think that you two should let us stop." Yukana said impatiently. "You are going to get really sick. Hey, Sesshomaru! We should find a place to stop!"

"I've already found one." Sesshomaru stated.

"Great!" Yukana exclaimed. "Now we can get these two out of the rain!"

"It doesn't matter!" Kagome said, irritated. "We can keep going! We don't need to stop for a cold!"

"Hey! What happened to ' we should get going. Rin could catch a cold.'?" Yukana snapped. "If we stop now we won't have to take so long to recover later." Kagome crossed her arms and pouted.

The cave was warm, but not so much dry. It had small leaks on the "ceiling" and in the walls.

"This should do." Yukana said, inspecting the cave. "We just have to hope nothing else lives here."

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well, there ya go! didn't expect that, did ya? well, anyways, its 2 in the morning and i'm ready for bed. i want reviews! uhhh...please. till next time. Dasvidanya!