I Will Find You Again
An InuYasha fanwork by Wolfye Productions.

All InuYasha characters are ©Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Communications, inc., Shonen Sunday, Sunrise and Nihon TV. Characters are used without the express prior permission of the aforementioned. Story concept, other characters and original situations are ©Wolfye Productions; this fanfic is written for entertainment purposes only...

A/N: Hello all. I am truly sorry for taking so long to publish this next chapter. Many events occurred in my life since my last posting, most of which were not pleasant in the least (just this past Thanksgiving/Xmas, I lost 3 close family members, and 3 more got laid off the day after Xmas). When people say that everything comes in 3's, never doubt it.

As you will be able to attest, my muses left me completely, and I was left for the longest time floudering on how to finish this chapter. This was a tough one for me to do, as it kind of connects one part of my story with the other. Figuring out the transition brought me to my knees. For the first time ever, I am publishing this chapter without doing any real proofreading beforehand. You will see that the latter part of this chapter is rather choppy in how I wrote it, which will vouch for my trouble with writing this piece.

I plan on starting the next one rather soon. For those of you who are waiting for Courtship Blues, I have decided to put that one on hiatus until I have made significant progress with this story. I apologize. Also, after much debate on my part, I have finally decided to also post this fic on A Single Spark. This action should give the readers some hint as to which direction I may be headed with the bizarre love quadrangle; although, remember that not everything ends up peaches and cream.

Part 08: Illusions of a Daiyoukai

The first thing that she registered when she regained consciousness was that she was lying on something that was warm and soft. Really warm; really soft. And the second thing she registered was that her right cheek was stinging. Reflexively, she reached up to smack whatever it was that was disturbing her much-needed cat nap, and immediately started awake when she head someone moan in pain. There was someone in her room!

Kagome slowly cracked open her eyes, hoping against hope that the intruder wouldn't notice that she was awake. But what she saw when she did, told her that she was definitely not in her cramped dorm room like she had thought.

The last vestiges of the afternoon sun drifted lazily through one of the largest windows she had ever seen in her life. The spotless glass spanned the width of the entire wall, and it stretched completely from floor to ceiling. From the other side, one could clearly see the multi-colored neon lights of the world famous Tokyo skyline, signaling the beginning of the city's busy nightlife.

Kagome's eyes continued to drift around the room, taking in the immense size of it. This room alone had to be at least five times the size of her dorm room, if not more. Aside from the amazingly huge bed she was lying in, she could also make out a sitting area on the other side of the room from where her head was turned. She was too afraid to turn the other way lest she alert anyone else who might be in the room that she couldn't see.

Something about the room irked her; it was like she had been there before, but she couldn't figure out when or where. But before she could really think on it, she felt something scratching at the palm of her hand.

Lifting the offending appendage to her face, she gasped as something small, flat and decidedly familiar slowly floated down when she opened her hand. The tiny thing lay on the bed sheet next to her for a few seconds before miraculously popping back into shape.

"My Lady Kagome, it is so good to see you alive and well after all these years!"

"Grandpa Myouga?" Kagome said, almost not believing what she was seeing. Myouga, the ancient flea demon, in modern Tokyo? She glanced back at the window to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, and then back at him. Nope, still there.

"What are you doing here, Grandpa Myouga? And on that note, just where is 'here'?"

Kagome finally allowed herself to sit up, feeling a little more at ease with the flea youkai next to her. At the very least, she wasn't in any immediate danger. Scanning the rest of the large room, she could now see that there was a moderate-sized writing desk and chair next to the sitting area that had previously been out of her field of vision, a matching armoire, and two doors - one open and one closed. The open door seemed to lead out to some sort of hallway.

She reached behind her to pull herself back against the headboard when her fingers collided with something soft and fluffy. Looking back to see what it was she came face to face with Sesshoumaru's pelt. Curiosity and wonder overcame her, and she moved to pick up the massive fur, which she soon found had been wrapped around her body. She had always wanted to touch the fur before, and to her surprise, she found that it was incredibly heavy. But even more amazing was the fact that it was warm, way more so than a fur coat would be. It was about as warm as a second body, almost as though it was actually radiating the warmth that she felt. But before she could contemplate further over the mysteries of Sesshoumaru's fur, Myouga spoke up.

"You must be hungry, my Lady," Myouga said in a quipped, formal tone as he bowed, something Kagome wasn't at all expecting from her old friend. "If you'll follow me, I will show you to the dining room. My Lord is expecting you."

"Lord?" Kagome repeated as she pushed back the covers and got out of bed. Oddly enough, there was a pair of fuzzy white slippers placed strategically on the floor next to the bed that her feet automatically slipped into them as she slid out of the huge bed. She turned back to pick up the massive pelt to take with her, but found that it had mysteriously disappeared.

"Grandpa Myouga? What's going on? Where am I?" she repeated as she followed the eerily unresponsive flea out of the bedroom and down the hall.

Along the way, they passed two more doors, both of which were closed, so she could only assume that they led to additional bedrooms. As she glanced back over her shoulder, she saw that the hallway extended past the room she had just exited from and continued around a bend to the right. The hall itself was decorated very modestly with a few pieces of wall art depicting varying landscapes, intermittently separated by dimly lit wall sconces every ten feet of so. The floor was covered in polished oak paneling, topped with a runner that ran the length of the corridor, patterned in gold and several geometric shapes of varying colours. She couldn't help but notice how nicely the rug complimented the faux-finished walls that had been painted in an antique cream colour.

At long last, they reached the end of the corridor, which then descended in a curving staircase. The room, however, opened up into a loft-style front room below, with floor-to-ceiling windows all along the right side. Below, Kagome could make out an open island kitchen, sitting area, and dining table, upon which glorious amounts of food were displayed, as well as something else.

Kagome gasped when her gaze fell upon the singular object placed strategically in the center of the long dining table. it couldn't be, she thought as she raced down the rest of the steps to the table, not even noticing the tall, silent figure that stood at the foot of the staircase. Her hands nearly trembled as she reached out to grasp the aged leather straps of her old backpack. Very carefully, as though it were made of the most delicate porcelain, she lifted the bag from the table and brought it closer to her scrutinizing gaze. Though the leather was worn and a bit cracked in some places, it was most definitely her favourite pack that she had used to haul around with in Sengoku Jidai. And it was still heavy.

Plopping the yellow monstrosity on a nearby chair, Kagome flipped open the top and peered inside. Soft brown eyes widened to an impossible degree when she started pulling out ramen containers, old water bottles, notebooks, and a couple of her old textbooks from junior high.

"But, how..." she breathed out in wonder as she stared at her old geometry book, its binding nearly falling apart at the seams.

"I had found it by the ancient well on the day the first evil was vanquished," rumbled a deep voice very close to her ear.

Not really expecting an answer to her query, not to mention in such close proximity to her either, Kagome naturally freaked out by immediately screaming at the top of her lungs as she whipped around, only to stop abruptly when she came face to face with the most well-toned chest she had ever had the pleasure of seeing in her entire life, the utter magnificence of it partially obscured by a white wife-beater T-shirt.

Blood instantly shot up into her face, painting her cheeks a brilliant red, as her eyes slowly travelled up hard chiseled pecs that led to broad, perfectly defined shoulders, a slim throat, strong jaw line, lush lips, an utterly perfect nose, and finally to two very amused golden eyes. Letting out a startled gasp when she became aware of just how close he was, she immediately backpedaled and ended up tripping over the chair with her backpack on it. Before she could fall, however, a hand shot out and grasped her by the arm faster than she could blink.

"Ah, t-thank you... Sesshoumaru," she stuttered as she regained her balance with his help. She got a bit nervous when she saw that the hand holding her was his poison hand, but the odd thing about it was that there were no stripes adorning the appendage any longer. Come to think of it...

Her eyes flickered back up to his face, searching for any trace of his unique demonic markings, but there were none. In fact, it appeared as though they had never existed at all. Even his ears weren't pointed anymore. Sesshoumaru, the most dangerous and feared youkai in all of Sengoku Jidai, now looked just so... human. It was weird!

"Are you so taken with my appearance?" Sesshoumaru drawled, one corner of his mouth angled up in a sexy smirk. Oh my god! Kagome mentally screamed. Did she just think Sesshoumaru, the demon that wouldn't even bat an eye while killing you, was sexy?! Was the world coming to an end?! And why was he still holding her?

"Uhh..." she stuttered, totally unsure of how to answer that question. She attempted to discretely disengage herself from the daiyoukai, but instead of letting her go like she thought he would when he realized he was still touching her, he instead propelled her towards a chair at one end of the long table.

"You are hungry," Sesshoumaru stated in that oh-so-familiar authoritative tone of his, which was now really starting to irk her.

"No I'm not!" she insisted, jerking her arm out of his iron grip and whirling about to face him again, making sure this time to look up. It was at this very moment that her traitorous stomach decided to betray her allegiance.

At the sound of the loud grumble, Sesshoumaru's smirk widened into a full-blown grin, and he again gestured to the chair. This time, she sat down in said chair like an obedient child, eyes fully captivated by his gleaming white teeth. It suddenly occurred to her as he began filling her plate with various delicatessens that he no longer had any fangs. They, too, as the rest of his features, were completely normal looking.

"I was unsure of which foods you would have preferred," Sesshoumaru stated, oddly enough, with an air of familiarity. "As such, I requested that the concierge have brought up the finest of what the restaurants had to offer."

"Ah, thank you," she simply replied, not really sure of what else to say. She peeked curiously up at him through the fringe of her bangs as he began to cut up her fillet mignon, wondering about his totally out-of-place character. Even during her last days in Sengoku Jidai when they had approached him for help to beat Naraku (well, when she had approached him after sitting InuYasha into oblivion), he had never acted so casually with them. She studied his face for a long moment, thoroughly noting the rather serene expression he now possessed. Every now and then, his nostrils would flare just a fraction, as though he were taking in deep breaths of something, much like what InuYasha used to do.

Her eyes travelled down to her plate where he was nearly done cutting up the slab of meat when she noticed something else that was out-of-place.

"Your arm!" she squeaked out in a startled gasp, not noticing how he flinched at her rather loud outburst. Without thought, she automatically reached out to touch his left arm, amazement showing clearly in her eyes when she confirmed that what she saw was not an illusion.

Her tiny fingers slid up and down on the rejuvenated arm, pausing here and there to massage small circles into the skin, marveling at the soft texture. For a man (demon) who had done as much killing in his time, he sure had really soft skin. She idly wondered what moisturizers he used to keep it so soft. She abruptly pulled away; however, when she heard a growling sound coming from the owner, shock and embarrassment flooding through her when she remembered just who exactly it was she was with. But when she looking back up at him, she found that his eyes were closed and a ghost of a smile graced his lips.

Kagome, she thought as she watched him open his eyes again and stare at her with an unreadable expression, you have just entered the Twilight Zone®.

"Uh," she said intelligently. "How did you get your arm back?" she asked, attempting to break the awkward silence that had settled over them.

Sesshoumaru blinked lazily at her, and then turned back to the filet mignon, which he finished cutting in just a few seconds. Placing the sharp-edged utensils back onto the table, he reached over to grab a sauce container and began spooning au jus over the meat. More silent moments flew by as Kagome watched him fill up her plate and pour her a glass of wine. He's never looked so... domesticated, she thought to herself. She had to stifle a giggle when a not entirely unbidden image of Sesshoumaru in a pink apron and kerchief came to mind, the sound instead coming out like a harsh cough.

Sesshoumaru glanced curiously over at her as he took his seat at the head of the table to her immediate left.

"Are you feeling unwell?" he asked as he poured himself a glass of wine.

Gods, could she be any more embarrassed? Were the Fates playing some sort of a twisted and cruel joke on her? What did she ever do to deserve this?

"No, I'm fine," she murmured as she quickly dug into her exquisite meal, determinedly avoiding the demon's (or ex-demon's?) gaze. Oh my god, the steak was amazing! A fleeting thought over how much it had cost him drifted haphazardly through her brain.

Sesshoumaru continued to stare blankly at her, seemingly trying to determine what had obviously upset her. Her cheeks were tinted a rosy shade of pink, and he couldn't help but wonder at her apparent state of innocence, even after so long. He knew that she was at least a few years older than the last time he had seen her, and yet she still had remained so pure and untainted, even in this wayward era. She had obviously grown physically, and it was quite a sight to behold, but it seemed she had most definitely failed to mature mentally to go along with it.

He leaned back in his chair, making himself more comfortable, and took a long sip of his wine. The liquid was sweet, aged to perfection, as his taste buds demanded nothing less, and the slight warmth that he gained from the drink helped him to relax; not to mention her scent, which he now drowned his senses in as he once again had it in its purest form.

"My arm," he began, putting his drink aside as he reached for a loaf of bread, "fully regenerated approximately ten years after Sou'unga's demise."

Kagome paused to look at him, wondering about his nonchalant tone regarding the appendage that had apparently taken forever to heal. Considering InuYasha's amazing regenerative abilities, she was surprised that it had taken Sesshoumaru so long to gain his arm back, being that he was a full demon and all.

"Why so long?" she asked simply, unable to keep the question to herself. She watched as he tore off a piece of the bread, plopped it into his mouth, and chewed. Gods, even when he ate he was sexy, she thought, her cheeks once again flushing with her disturbing thoughts. What the heck was wrong with her? It's not like this was her first time around the stoic demon. That's because he'd never been so familiar with you before, a tiny voice in her head whispered. She immediately turned back to her meal, pushing that last thought to the back of her mind. When did it get so hot in here?

Sesshoumaru waited patiently as he watched her reactions. It amused him to see her face distort so much and so quickly with her tumultuous state of emotions, causing him to wonder once more about her. She was like a never-ending kaleidoscope of twists and turns when it came to them.

"When my arm disappeared into hell with the sword and my father," he explained, reaching across the table to place some golden ham and stuffing onto his own plate, knowing that she already knew to which arm he was referring, "what was left began to repair. It would seem that with the other still in existence, whether or not between worlds, what remained could not begin to heal as it was technically not missing anything in its own mind. Besides," he continued, completely missing the strange look from Kagome while he cut up his meat, "bone takes much longer to regenerate than tissue." He finished by forking a piece of ham into his mouth, silently watching for her reaction while he chewed.

Kagome simply watched, completely mesmerized by the simple action of Sesshoumaru eating. It was… bizarre, to say the least. Truth be told, she had never actually seen him ingest anything in the entire time she had known him, even during the time he had spent in their company tracking Naraku. Heck, he didn't even bother to drink any water. Of course, his group had never made camp with their own, choosing instead to remain apart. She had often wondered if it was because of InuYasha's potty mouth, rather than the rest of their company, as the little girl Rin frequented their journeys together. If it were her child, she would most likely have done the same thing, no offense to her favorite hanyou.

The sudden thought of InuYasha made her lose her appetite, and she lowered her eyes to her plate. The food was incredible - the meat soft, tender and juicy; but now she didn't feel like she had the stomach for it. Her eyes started to water, and she quickly berated herself for still crying over the wayward hanyou. It had been nearly four years, and she still hurt from it all. She quickly brought her hands up and squeezed her tear ducts to help prevent any tears from falling. It would not do to break down and cry in front of her host.

Sesshoumaru paused mid-bite when he smelled the scent of tears. He had been watching her the entire time, and curiously she had yet to say a word. As he recalled, she had used to be much more talkative and expressive. Now, she almost seemed like a shell of what she used to be. She reached up and placed her fingers right below her eyes, and he pondered at her strange actions. That was something he had never seen before.

Placing his fork back down onto his plate, he gently reached over and grasped her chin between his fingers, nudging her face up until her eyes met his.

"You are upset," he murmured to her quietly, letting her chin go after she looked up at him.

Kagome sat there in a daze. Just at first, her thoughts had been slowly swirling in a downward spiral of depression as she once again thought about InuYasha and the life she would never have with him, regardless of their situation over Kikyou. She had once thought that they would have still been friends and grown old together; well, at the very least, she would have grown old. She had always had a feeling that he would never follow Kikyou into hell with her final death, no matter what he had promised before. But perhaps that had merely been her own wishful thinking and youthful hope over a love that was truly unrequited. Who knows?

But when Sesshoumaru had grasped her chin and forced her to look at him, she became completely mystified. He had done it so gently, without hurting her whatsoever. Never before had he been so capable of such tenderness; it was baffling, if not somewhat disturbing on some level or another.

The inudaiyoukai, Sesshoumaru – Japan's most powerful and fearsome demon to have ever existed after the death of the Great General – was supposed to be heartless, cold and cruel. Not touching her, a small and insignificant human female, with such care and compassion. Even the concern she could now see swirling in his burnished orbs was highly out of place on the ethereal face before her. She wondered what had happened to him in all this time that could have changed the demon she had known so long ago into what she was looking at today. Her skin tingled slightly where he had touched her, even though he had removed himself from her for awhile now.

She wondered briefly at the sudden expectant look in his eyes when she finally realized that he had just asked her a question. Well, sort of, in the very round-a-bout, Sesshoumaru-like way of asking a question.

"Oh, um..." she stated hesistantly, knowing of his distaste for anything InuYasha. "It was nothing, really."

But he didn't believe her, and she knew that Sesshoumaru was never a fool, even without his insanely accurate canine sense of smell. She knew that domesticated dogs possessed the uncanny ability to sense a person's emotions, and she figured that their youkai counterparts were no different, if not more sensitized.

Sesshoumaru's features darkened slightly when he detected her lie. Her chemical composition had changed and her heartbeat sped up faster than normal, and he wondered to himself as to why she would lie to him, despite how uneasy it made her to commit such an act. But should he know better than to wonder? It was most obviously regarding his half-brother that had likely caused her tears. He had always been brash and careless whenever it came to his emotions and those of others. Coming quickly to his decision, he bypassed any regard for her delicate feelings to uncover the truth.

"InuYasha," he said plainly, without any inflection whatsoever. He watched as she flinched at the mention of his brother's name, and again he wondered why.

Deciding once again to take action, he quickly addressed her to avoid any confusion on his part.

"I did not mention my brother in hopes to make you uncomfortable," he stated evenly. "I merely have observed that he often caused much distress for you in the past."

Unbidden, a wry smirk came to her lips, painting it with irony. Yes, it was true. InuYasha cetainly caused her much "distress" over the short time she had known him, but there had been many more times when she could look past his brazeness and caustic remarks to find the true man she had fallen in love with, and that was was hurt her more than naught. Despite his caring and compassionate side, his sense of honour and duty outweighed any feelings he may have held for her. His responsibility to atone for his past sins had always clouded the hanyou's thinking.

Kagome lifted her gaze to her host once again, taking a moment to clear her thoughts lest she made a fool in front of him. It would not do for her to forget her manners at a time like this.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru," she said quietly, her tone tinged with her gratitude. For unknown reasons, his few simple words had eased some of the ache she had carried in her heart these past four years. "Although InuYasha did many things that I did not agree with in the past, he only acted as only he ever could, and that's why I loved him."

Sesshoumaru paused in his actions, his glass halfway to his lips. Her words caught him off guard. Despite knowing her character and her sense of compassion, it was still troubling to hear those words from her, perhaps even more so now than ever.

"You loved him despite who he was?"

He had to ask. He wanted to know.

Kagome blinked at him. Once. Twice. What kind of question was that? And was it just her, or did she detect some hint of animosity in his tone?

"Well, uh... yeah, I guess so. I loved InuYasha no matter what. But why would you even ask me something like that? What's it to you anyway?"

She didn't know. No, how could she. This was the first time he had seen her in over five centuries, and just a few weeks prior, he had thought her dead.

"It is none of my business," Sesshoumaru said hastily, quickly downing the remainder of his wine. It would not do to say anything now, he thought with a grimace. She still pined over his dead brother. Perhaps it was still too soon for her. After all, it was most likely only a few years since she had last seen him; her wounds may be still fresh. But how long did it take humans to get over a lost love?

Kagome watched the inu lord as he downed his wine in a single gulp, then reached for the bottle for more. Was he a lush? Again, her gaze was drawn to his wrist as he poured himself another glass, reminding her of his missing demonic markings. That's right, she thought, he looks like a human now. Why was that?

"Say, Sesshoumaru," she began hesitantly, wondering which was the best way to bring up a topic that was potentionally endangering to her immediate health. But she really wanted to know, and so she swallowed her fear to ask, "What happened to your markings?"

Again, she would surprise him with her never-ending curiosity. She had not changed that much in the missing years. Taking a moment to assess her mental state of health at the moment after having been plagued with thoughts of his brother, he decided that to tell her of a past that had been left out of history books might just be the distraction she needed to raise herself from her thoughts of the hanyou. Still, he would give her an option.

Taking another sip of wine while he chose his words carefully, his golden eyes roved over the face of one he had thought gone so long ago. Her curiosity shone plainly across her features, and to hide her growing anxiety, she began shoveling the food around her plate with her fork. Setting the glass down, he leaned back in his chair.

"The story is a long one," he began, waiting until her eyes met his again before continuing. "It happened almost three centuries ago with the advancing of humans and their industries. The story is not a pleasant one to tell, but it is your choice should you wish to hear it now."

"Three centuries ago?" Kagome pondered, her mind searching her memories for clues as to the events in her history books.

Almost knowing what she was doing, Sesshoumaru continued.

"You will not find mention of these events in your history books. It was an abomination done to the youkai world, and it is the reason that now humans no longer know of the existence of us except in myths and folklore."

Kagome blinked. What he said sparked an interest in her. She had often wondered why it was that there were no youkai in her time. Why the only mention of them was through stories passed down through generations. Now she would hear the real reason behind it. Although...

"Is that why I can no longer feel any of your youki anymore?" she asked hesitantly.

She watched as his fist curled in anger, and she recoiled in her chair. Even if he didn't seem like the demon he once used to be, she still remembered him as the most dangerous youkai to have ever lived.

Standing up, Sesshoumaru extended his hand out to her. "It is," he began carefully, "and if it is your wish to know, then let us retire to more comfortable arrangements so that I may divulge the reasons."

Taking a moment once again to marvel at the hand that had regenerated over time, she slowly placed her hand in his, noting for the first time how much smaller she was in comparison. It did little to quelch her nerves. Allowing him to pull her up, he escorted her back up the stairs and down the hall around the corner, where they stopped in front of the last door in the hallway. Gracefully opening the door, he led her into a room that was twice the size of the one she had woken up in, complete with a gas fireplace adjacent to a luxurious seating area.

He led her to the sofa and gestured for her to take a seat. While she made herself comfortable, he moved to the fireplace and turned the gas on, deftly igniting the flames with the starter that was perched on the mantletop. After adjusting the flames to a moderate setting, he joined her on the couch opposite her, his eyes searching hers for any hesitation on her part. He would not proceed unless she was ready.

After a bit of fidgeting, Kagome finally relaxed, the warmth from the flames helping her do so. When she finally gave him a hesitant smile to encourage him to speak, he began.

(End of Part 08)