Chapter Nine:

"Kikyo and I met at school one day in eighth grade. We hung out for a while, just as friends, and then it started becoming something more. We went out, and then we were officially a couple--"

Miroku coughed, interrupting Inuyasha. "No offence, Inuyasha, but I really don't think we need to hear about your love life."

Inuyasha glared at him, a low warning growl issued in his throat. "Just shut up and listen," he muttered through clenched teeth. Miroku's mouth snapped shut in an instant.

"Anyway, we were together. But then one day, she started hanging around with this friend of hers, and old guy named Naraku,"

"An old guy? What kind of friends does Kikyo have?" It was Sango this time.

"Will you two just let me finish?!?!" They nodded, but their eyes were narrowed at him.

"Naraku wasn't very old, but he was like, an adult." The two seemed to understand that, at least. "But then one day, she didn't come to meet me like we planned. After thirty minutes I called her on her cellphone and homephone, but no one answered. So I panicked, and went to find her.

"I found her over at Naraku's place, and he was trying to rape her. So... I saved her, and all, but when I did, she didn't thank me or nothin'. She called me a monster. A mother-fucking monster."

Miroku and Sango looked rather startled, so Inuyasha was convinced they were on the same page as him.

"She went back to school like normal. We both did. But she avoided me completely. And after a while, I realized I really didn't want to see her anyway." He took a breath, and looked over at Miroku and Sango. They were just staring.

"Then she moved away. When she did, I was... well... I was glad she did. And then... came Kagome. It was so weird, after Kikyou had been gone for years... Kagome looked so much like her, and-..." He stopped short.

Inuyasha huffed, turning away from their intense gazes, clearly saying 'Go ahead, finish what you were gonna say' and said, "Now Kagome's been captured by Naraku... I think... And they're both gone."

Sango's eyes bulged. "C-Captured?! Why?!?!" Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. "I don't know, okay?!?! That's what I'm trying to figure out myself!"

Miroku was unnaturally calm about all this. "Well, it seems like we're not going to find them today, so we should head back. It's no use waiting around for hours when nothing's coming to us."

"We?!" Inuyasha exclaimed, "us?! There is no us. It's just me. I don't know what went in my head to get you guys in this, but this is my fight. Goddamn it." He cursed angrily and stomped away.

Sango seemed like she was going to go and protest, but Miroku held her back. "What?!" She snapped at him. "Let him go, Sango. He'll take care of this, because obviously he doesn't need our help." He said the last few words loudly enough for Inuyasha to hear, and earned a loud "Keh!" in response.

"Well, I know Kagome! You don't!" Sango cried, trying to break free of Miroku's grasp on her arm. Said boy only gripped tighter. "I saw her once, remember? At the bar?"

"Yeah, well, all you did was look at her! You don't know her!"

"Might I say that neither of you know her." Miroku and Sango's heads snapped up. Inuyasha glared before continuing, "we've all only known her for like, what, a couple weeks?"

"Then why are you going after her?!?!"

"Because," Inuyasha growled, "it is Naraku who has her."

The girl tapped her foot impatiently. This was so getting annoying. Damn it, why wasn't he answering the fucking door?! She rang his doorbell again, hoping that this time, he would answer.

And he did.

Those eyes. How could she forget those eyes? The same eyes that had caused her nightmares every night nonstop, the eyes that made her cry and want to tear her hair out, the eyes that... she loved.

Said golden eyes stared down at her, boring into her very soul.

"Sesshomaru..."

She wanted to smack herself in the face for the way she said his name. So pleading, so soft... Over the years, she had learned that he did not find interest in gentle women.

His eyebrows went up, seeming surprised to see her standing there.

"What is it, Kagura?"

His voice. Ah, she loved the sound of his voice. Like a perfectly tuned piano playing your favorite song.

"I thought you'd want to hear something," she began, already caculating his reaction to what she would say next. 'oh, Naraku has captured your brother's nextdoor neighbor and he currently is searching for her,' seemed like a good thing to say.

When he didn't respond, she took that as a clue to keep going. So she began, "Naraku has captured your-..."

'WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!?!' Kagura thought in outraged disbelief as a young woman, no older than 21, stood next to Sesshomaru.

He did not seem to notice her displeasure.

"Captured my what?"

"Um, your, um, your brother's nextdoor neighbor."

Sesshomaru stared at her silently for a moment. "And why should this Sesshomaru care?"

Kagura blinked stupidly. "B-Because Inuyasha is currently searching for Naraku to-"

"What?"

She froze as the little tiny bit of kindness in his voice disappeared.

"That half-breed is looking for Naraku?" Kagura nodded, unable to speak as she watched his golden eyes flicker red.

Sesshomaru snarled angrily, and the woman quickly took his hand, trying to reassure him. This made Kagura's eyes narrow.

"Stupid boy. He already had his chance to destory Naraku, and he failed. Naraku is mine."

He began muttering to himself under his breath, and was snapped out of his trance when Kagura cleared her throat. "And who... Is that?" She asked, gesturing to the woman.

Sesshomaru blinked, then a smug smile graced his lips as he glanced down at the lithe figure beside him.

"This is Rin, my mate. Rin, this is Kagura, the wind demon." Rin smiled at Kagura, who just stared blankly back at her.

'M-Mate?? But that... that's not fair!' Sesshomaru's smirk turned into a full-out grin as he watched Kagura's face. She looked like she was going to throw up.

"Nice to meet you, Kagura." Rin said, holding out her hand. Kagura took it, and replied stiffly, "Nice to meet you too." and then dropped the human's hand.

"So!" Rin said, clapping her hands together, "you're welcome to come inside. I'm sure Sesshomaru wouldn't mind if I showed you around." She glanced up meaningfully at Sesshomaru, who was still grinning like a maniac.

"Go right ahead." He chuckled. Rin nodded and grabbed Kagura's hand, dragging her inside the house. Together they went, Rin pointing out ancient treasures around the house, completely oblivious to the is-looks-could-kill-glare on her back.

A/N: OMG, I'm so sorry for how long I was gone! -Hits self on head- Bad Katie, bad. I'll try not to do that again... But with high school stuff and everything, you never know. So don't hurt meee! -Ducks for cover-

Review, pleasee!