A/N: Sorry for the late update--last two months of summer was pretty busy for a person like me who has no life. Thanks to InuToshKibaLover11 for always making sure that I was alive and working! She even helped me making sacrifices to the God of Anti-Writer's Block! THANK YOU!

This chappie is not beta read because I'm really, really sick and I wont be able to use the computer for a while, so be thankful that I'm updating without her, even though it hurts me to do so...*sniff sniff*

Well, enjoy the chapter, and just a note, pay very close attention to every single word I wrote! It might give you clues about the future of this story...:-D


Oh My Gods! 12


Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha stared at each other for a total of ten minutes with neither one of them uttering a single word. No, they were not having a glaring contest--no need to have another damn fly intruding on them--but the expressions on their handsome faces were completely serious. It was not something that the abrasive hanyou did often, though not even in the unbearable silence did he make a move to disrupt it.

Class had finally ended for both high school and college students, and it was currently close to dinner time--if the brothers were looking out the small window of the kitchen instead of at each other, they would have noted that the sky was dark. Their fiancées were no where in sight, nor were they in the apartment in the first place; the two teens had decided to 'bond' while studying for their upcoming Anatomy test at the academy's library.

So obviously, it was the perfect time for Sesshoumaru to 'chit-chat' with his brother.

"As you know," the silver-haired immortal began without notice, surprising Inuyasha out of his stupor, "Meimori has been a threat to us for a long time. He is not a trustworthy member of our family...and he is as ambitious as he is unbridled."

"Keh, that's a given--the asshole never listens to anyone but himself. I kinda feel bad for Uncle and Kizurei." Inuyasha sighed and shook his head. "Yeah, I do know all that. What's up with him that has you so uptight?"

"I had...a...a rather...a..." The hanyou watched with a cocked head as his brother fumbled with the right words to express what he was trying to say. He had never seen Prince Stick-Up-Ass struggle when it came to anything, much less this.

Something must be going on...and if it involves Meimori...it can't be good. The thought upset him more than what he would ever show. His cousin was dangerous; not many people actually knew what the dark-haired demon god was capable of, even himself... Especially when for some reason he and Sesshoumaru want to slit each other's throats... Yeah, nothing involving Meimori was good.

After a few seconds of attempting to assemble his confused thoughts, the dog demon exhaled deeply and just plainly said, "I had a dream."

Inuyasha blinked dumbly. "Wow...so did I...aint that amazing? Can it be the end of the world? Because apparently, dreams aren't normal..."

"Dammit, half-breed! I had a dream that seemed more like a memory!" The half-immortal's golden eyes widened in response to his brother's uncharacteristic outburst, remembering his own dream that he swore had to be a memory, yet was still skeptical about it. Was it a coincidence that Sesshoumaru felt the same way?

"And it dealt with Meimori?" What does this all mean, then?

Sesshoumaru raked a clawed hand through his tenuous silver bangs, an act he usually did when he was frustrated or something was bothering him. "Not entirely. Father and I were standing by the sea...I think I was eleven at the time. He was speaking to me about protecting my pack and how I had to beware of Meimori...as if he knew something that I didn't, something about my future...no, our future."

"Gods...not you too..." Inuyasha stared down at the kitchen counter in front of him, seeing past his blurry reflection on the beige table. His mind wandered to snippets of the 'dream' he had, to specific parts dealing with his father's foreboding...

The silver-haired immortal narrowed his eyes, noting the hanyou's abrupt pensiveness. "Explain yourself."

"I had a dream last night, about Dad and I, too. He was telling me about the Tetsusaiga, though, warning me about a third form of it that was dangerous. But...it seemed like he was holding something back...he even cried...and then, in the end, he said he had lied. Not only to me, but to the both of us..."

"And he told me about the Tenseiga...he said that he was going to talk to you about the Tetsusaiga the next day..." The dog demon saw his brother's eyes suddenly enlarge. "What is it now?"

"H-He...he told me he had that conversation with you the day before...which means we had consecutive dreams!" But that was impossible! How the hell did such a thing even occur?! It was too strange that both brothers had a dream about speaking with their father, one after the other...and both about nearly the same topic.

If they both felt like it was a forgotten memory...then perhaps it truly was a forgotten memory...

Sesshoumaru let this information sink in, and he tried to rationalize it. Why would he and Inuyasha unexpectedly have consecutive dreams to begin with? It made absolutely no sense--it wasn't like they had some sort of supernatural connection with each other that made them share dreams! Heck, if that were true, would the half-breed still be alive? Obviously not--he wasn't going to suffer through his inferior's worthless dreams.

Maybe he wouldn't be so incredulous if they had their dreams on different nights, but on the same one...it was...it just appeared like it was no mere coincidence. The foreshadowing in his dream...the denotation of the same occurance in his brother's dream--yes, it wasn't a coincidence.

Their future...was at stake.

"Something strange is happening, not only to us, but to the girls, as well. Have you noticed your miko's increase in power? I'm sure you've had." Inuyasha sighed and nodded, subconciously placing his hand over the fading burn on his forearm as he frequently did when he thought back to that incident. By tomorrow, the scar would be gone, and it wasn't sore anymore, that was a relief, but...

...it was strange, right? A miko spent a lot of time harnessing their spiritual powers until they could use them freely; it was rare for a priestess to pop out and say, 'oh look my hands are glowing! I can suddenly purify demons!' He had known that his fiancée was a miko, but he hadn't actually thought...from what he had observed, she hardly knew how to summon the energy she possessed because she never practiced becoming a miko--her power was innate, that's it.

All of a sudden...this morning Kagome called upon her spiritual energy...Inuyasha was sure that it had been her first time doing such a thing. But why today? Why not yesterday? Or when her life had been in danger that time Meimori and Kizurei showed up? Her emotions could have triggered something then--what occured this morning wasn't actually more horrifying then being stabbed.

Sesshoumaru was right--Kagome was beginning to show some signs of change...but what about Rin? What the fuck is happening to us?! Why now of all times?!

"Keh...duh, I noticed." Inuyasha shook his head to wear off his abrupt meloncholiness. "Ok, so we had dreams...that were like memories. No big deal--it should be a good thing that we're finally remembering our past." He glanced up at his older brother, and he noticed how solemn his face was. "What's up, bastard?"

"Half-breed..." Sesshoumaru began in a deep whisper, seemingly overwhelmed by an unknown emotion that had his inferior baffled as well as apprehensive--when that bastard actually showed emotion, everyone had to worry, "...in our dreams, I was eleven, and you were eight."

What did their ages have to do with anything? "So what?"

"Father...father was there...but he had died two years earlier."

"W-What?" Time stopped for Inuyasha as the new information attempted to process through his frenzied mind. A large lump formed in his throat, rendering his speech useless while his trembling hands held his weightless head up--he was in shock.

He swore his dream was a memory...yet...yes, he remembered now. There were two ways that an immortal can be killed or disposed of: one was by sealing him or her, and most of the time, the sealer destroyed the object. Another...was by using a dimension weapon crafted by Chronos, an immortal god of time and realms. It was the only thing that erode the barrier around an immortal preventing any kind of death caused by an fatal wound; such a weapon scared many, hell even himself...not that he couldn't already die from a mortal wound...

However...his father was killed by a dimension blade.

He had been six when that happened.

And in his dream...his father had spoken to him...had lectured him...when he was eight.

"What does it mean? That our dreams really are just...dreams? Meaningless images that our minds just randomly drew up? Or...or..." He couldn't even think of an alternate explanation in his frazzled state. Besides, there had yet to be a logical justification as to why their dreams were subseqeunt to the other.

But...he then recalled the events of the past few days and growled low in his throat. Adding the unanticipated visit of his dear cousins and their quest for blood, not just his and his brother's blood, but their fiancée's as well, sent Inuyasha deeper into a black abyss. His family was more or less estranged--it was also not a mere conicidence that out of nowhere his uncle desired blood...their blood. Something weird is going on and I don't like it one bit.

Why did he get the abrupt ill feeling that they all knew something he was missing?

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru felt like tearing apart the kitchen in search of answers, if that was seemingly possible. He was beyond frustrated--he had been reasoning his 'dream' the entire day and he came up with nothing! If it was just his mind creating drabble, then why did the information related to him seem so important? How could his brain conjure up such a vivid, detailed image of his father warning him of what was to come with realistic dialogue as well?

Why can't there be at least one lucid fact in all this madness?! He loathed not knowing something! I will not be toyed with. Forget the fallaciousness of the dreams--if I'm being warned of danger, then it's best that I regard it. Which was more important: his and his pack's safety, or wasting valuable time finding sense in the virtually unknown?

Thence...his mind drifted back to a specific part of his dream...the part that struck him the most...the part that screamed his father's presentiment. He needed to know what he was being warned of...what his father hadn't wanted him to know...

...what was coming after him in the near future...

...Flashback to Last Night's Dream...

"Father, what is it that you wish to speak with me about? My lessons are in an hour."

The eleven-year old immortal boy quirked his dark eye brow at his tall father's back, clad in only a simple white and blue haori with no bulky black armor in sight. He distracted himself by watching his father's long silver tresses dancing along with the wind, vying to be released from the purple ribbon sweeping them upward in a high pony tail. Soon enough, he became bored and payed attention to his surroundings.

He was ontop of a high cliff overseeing the ocean not too far from the grand palace he resided in, and to top it all off, he was more or less re-enacting a statue since his father had yet to acknowledge him. The salty scent of marine water from the wide, open sea far to his right bit at his sensitive nostrils, causing his nose to twitch uncomfortably from time to time--and curse those giant seagulls!

They stink worse than Inuyasha. He inwardly smirked at that. Either way, his father, King of Makai, had dragged him out here in the early hours of the morning and had yet to say a word to him; the sun was only beginning to peek from behind the broad horizon, though here he was...standing around. Did father forget that I have lessons today again?

He sighed in dismay. Is he ever going to remember? Probably not.

"Sesshoumaru." The younger dog demon perked up at his name being called, though his expression remained collected and...rather stoic--it just came natural to him, even at his young age of eleven. "Do you have something to protect?"

"Something to protect?" He echoed, wondering what nonsense was spewing out of his father's mouth. "Why should I waste my time protecting when I can be conquering?"

InuTaishou exhaled deeply, but he still kept his back to his eldest son. "And your pack? Would you not give your life to salvage your comrads, your people?"

"Of course, father," Sesshoumaru answered without hesitation, his golden honey eyes taking on a fierce, determined glint, "I would gladly die for my pack. It is the duty of an inuyoukai."

"Forget duty--is it what you desire?" He was met with utter silence. "If someone in your pack was threatened, would you rise and defend him or her? Would you die for your pack in thoughts of glory, or that you had saved your loved ones?"

What was with all the questions? Was he brought out here as a test of his faith and ability to one day take the king's place? If that was the case, then he would pass with no effort. "Yes, father, I would defend my pack's honor no matter the cost."

"You did not answer my question." InuTaishou alas slightly tilted his head so that he was glancing down at his son from out of the corners of his eyes. Even though he could only see half his face, the younger demon knew that his father was not taking this conversation lightly. "Tell me, son, who is in your pack?"

He blinked multiple times. What kind of absurd prompt was that?! "There's you...and my mother," thinking of her caused a bitter growl to rumble his chest that did not go unnoticed by his father, but he suppressed it in order to continue, "I suppose since Izayoi is your mate, then she has to be in my pack..."

After that, the boy was at loss for what to say next. He just couldn't bring himself to add on to his list of pack members...and his father knew exactly why.

"And your brother? His best friend, Kagome?" The ruler of the Western Lands now completely turned around and stared his son down with serious golden amber eyes. Sesshoumaru gazed back in slight confusion and disgruntlement at having to admit that his brother--heck, even his sometimes annoying friend--was in his pack. But, what he said next blew his apathetic expression away.

"Is Rin in your pack, Sesshoumaru?"

"Of course she is! If anything happened to her, I'd--" He stopped himself in mid sentence, realizing that he had been tricked into submission--his father was clever! The immortal boy scowled and regained his impassive composure, crossing his arms defiantly. "I mean, she isn't really an important member. What can an eight-year old human do for me?"

"That, I leave up to you." InuTaishou hid a secret smile, knowing just how much he was irking his pup. "So then, if I tell you that those closest to you will be threatened, will you react?"

"Yes." His steady gaze didn't waver one bit. Though, what was his father alluding to?

"If I tell you that someone will cause harm upon you, will you react?"

What was that? Who would be so foolish? "Yes."

"If I tell you that Meimori will take what is yours, will you react?"

"Ye--wait, what?!" Sesshoumaru was once again baffled at what his father had uttered with such gravity that for one second, he expected the king to erupt into a fit of laughter like the last time he played a joke on his 'all-too-serious' son. But, ke kept on waiting...and waiting...patiently waiting for something that would not occur. Then...was what he was saying....true?

"My son, how do you feel about your cousin Meimori?" InuTaishou asked in a voice much deeper than his own, husky in a way that had his whelp too dazed for words.

After a minute, the immortal boy replied, "I detest his existence."

"For what reason?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and nearly bared his fangs at his father--his father! He had to control his anger if he wanted to escape punishment. "He hates me because I'm the crown prince. He thinks that it should've been his birthright, not mine..."

There was something else that he was not saying... "And what else?" The eleven-year old sighed at having been caught.

"He likes Rin."

"How do you know?" That was a little tid bit the king hadn't known...no, that was a lie.

"He's always staring at her with a weird look on his face, and when I'm not there, he shows up out of nowhere and starts talking to her. I confronted him about this--Rin's just too nice to make him leave her alone, and she's too young for him, anyway."

"All right..." InuTaishou was struggling to understand how his son's angry mind was working. "So, you feel that he shouldn't be near her without you present..."

"Exactly. Who knows what a twelve-year old immortal could want with an eight-year old little human girl?" Sesshoumaru found it absurd that his older cousin liked his friend. He rather swallow a ball of flame than allow Meimori any where near Rin!

"True...you said you confronted him, what did he say?"

"That he is able to do as he pleases and I can't keep her just for myself. The nerve of him! I was Rin's friend first and it's going to stay that way!" When did he become so possessive of her? He had only known her for a year... "I think he's just trying to get revenge on me because he likes Kagura but she likes me. Not that I care anyway..."

Spectuacular--his eleven-year old son was already involved in a love triangle...or love square. "If you say that's he's merely using Rin for revenge, then are you willing to protect her from your own cousin?"

His son's anger subsided with the question as he asked himself over and over again. Would he truly protect her? Was he going to admit that he actually...for once in his life...he could care about someone other than himself? That he was finally letting go...letting go of all his neglect by someone he had dearly loved only to be backstabbed?

Perhaps. "I bring her here for a reason that only I will ever know. My efforts would be wasted if I let Meimori get too close." He nodded encouragingly in tune with his words.

His father sighed, temporarily satisfied with his son's answer, albeit the fact that he did know why he brought Rin to the immortal realm from time to time...and why he disappeared to the mortal realm to visit the girl. It was an odd friendship, however, that he probably would never completely comprehend. "Now, would you also protect your brother?"

Why did the hanyou have to be involved in this? What did he have to do with Meimori? "Yes, since he's incapable of doing it himself." It nearly killed him to say it, but oh well.

"Then I ask you again, pup. Do you have something to protect?"

Sesshoumaru smirked. "No, father." The king visibly stiffened. Then their entire conversation was all for nil?! But, his son elabortated. "I have someone to protect. Or rather, some people."

Finally they were getting somewhere! "Protect what is yours for as long as you live, my son. Always be on your guard and follow your instincts--they perceive details that you do not. If you do not like Meimori's closeness with Rin, then by all means forbid it. However..."

"However, what?"

"However...beware of Meimori." His silver-haired son furrowed his eye brows in confusion. Hadn't he managed that already? "He is an ambitious pup...when he sees something he desires, he will not hesitate to seize it."

Sesshoumaru realized that he meant Rin. "I won't allow it. He would never win against me if I challenge him."

"Yes, I'm aware of your growing strength. Though, we both know Meimori will not simply yield to your command. Instead, he will create alliances for his own personal gain, with or without his father's approval. Alliances...with evil people."

The younger demon refrained from cocking his head like an adorable, baffled puppy. "I don't understand."

"All you need to know...is that if he is so fearless, Meimori will bring forth a great evil--an immense danger to the lives of all those in the immortal realm. Sesshoumaru, that evil is one that will come after not only you, but your brother and those you acknowledge as your pack. This great evil brings us into our next topic, the Tenseiga."

The younger remembered that his father had briefly mentioned the use of the Tenseiga--it was to destroy this evil. Then...there was no uncertainty that Meimori would turn against his father and awaken this adversary; it truly was going to happen. And he would be prepared. "Have no worries, father. Nothing and no one can defeat this Sesshoumaru. And he will defend his pack to the very end, even if it costs him his life."

His father...just stood in front of him, appearing regal as always...an imposing figure honored by all. This was his idol, his role model--he wanted to be as strong as his father one day; no, he wanted to surpass him. He wanted to take control of the Western Lands, he wanted to make demons all around the region cower in fear--Sesshoumaru wanted to live for centuries to create a prosperous empire he could call his own.

And the current King of Makai was aware of it.

Therefore, when he answered his son, he was also igniting the pup's dreams. "Yes, my son, you will fight to the very end...and do not think that it will cost you your life...I trust, that you will be the most supereminent ruler of my lands."

The proud eleven-year old boy...never noticed...that he had just been lied to.

...End Flashback...

After that, his father had explained, in depth, the importance of his 'heavenly' sword, the Tenseiga, and he also mentioned a second form of it--not that he had payed much attention. Yet...the presentiment that had rolled off of the elder demon in waves never ceased--his son took notice throughout the entire lecture. The deceased King of Makai had kept a deep, dark secret.

He just didn't understand it. Not one bit. What was this evil that Meimori would awaken? And if what Inuyasha had said was true, then his father had lied to him...he hadn't believed that he would survive fighting against this foe. Sesshoumaru was certain that no one could be more powerful than him; he was a complete demon, the strongest of the strongest, a crown prince, a demon god, a dexterous immortal--did he need to add on?

Why would his father think such a foolish thing?! As if he was ever going to lose a battle! That would be the day he declared his undying love for his brother!

...hopefully that would never happen...

Either way, Sesshoumaru thought, recalling his recent meeting with Meimori and how the bastard...treatedRin, father's warning will not be forgotten. Even though I now live in this realm, I must always be on my guard...especially since Meimori knows where I reside. Imagining what his cousin was able to do with that kind of knowledge unnerved him.

"Hey, bastard..." The dog demon raised his head, peering at his younger brother with half-lidded honey eyes, "...do you remember what happened to me a year ago? Did I go into battle or something?"

What is he mumbling about? "Why do you ask?" The question was sudden--why would his brother want such irrelevant information? Besides, when did he pay attention to what battles that nitwit fought? Though, it was peciluar for the hanyou to look so distraught over it, as though he absolutely needed to know or else it would kill him. That was the only reason why he decided to listen closely.

Inuyasha sighed. He knew that it was abrupt...the urge to find some confirmation to what he had been told...however, if someone knew about his memory loss... "You know my retainer, Myouga, right? The helluva annoying flea?" Sesshoumaru nodded stiffly. "Well, at some point, I couldn't remember some things, like what happened the day before, or where I was--you know, stuff like that. I just...I just woke up one morning and I couldn't remember anything. That was about one year ago."

The dog demon moved his gaze back to the kitchen table, also acknowledging the fact that a strong sense of dejavu was overwhelming him as Inuyasha spoke. Why did his brother's tale sound like...hell, that was the same thing that happened to him one day...exactly one year ago... "Continue."

Reassured that his brother was paying attention, the hanyou abided and proceeded, growing even more skeptical of his own story with each word he uttered. "Myouga told me that I suffered a concussion during a battle, and as a result, I got amnesia. But...I asked around, and no one knew of a battle. Was I the only one who fought it? Or did...did something else happen?" Had Myouga lied to me for the first time in his life?

Sesshoumaru responded with silence as his mind diligently worked to run through his current memories. Now he knew why his brother had inquired about a battle; he, as future Lord of the Western Lands, should know of any skirmishes in his kingdom, even if it was merely a small dispute. However...that hardly concerned him. What made him anxious now, what had his pale skin growing colder with each passing second...was the fact that the same thing that had happened to Inuyasha...

...happened to him, too.

He remembered not being able to recall anything of the day prior, or who he even was. It took a while, but soon enough, his memories began to come to him...which was why he thought little of not being able to remember Rin. Though, once more...it wasn't a coincidence that the same thing yet again happened to both himself and his younger brother! It was not plausible that they would exclaim 'oh my gods, what a coincidence! I supposedly got amensia from a battle I don't even remember, too! Let's sit down and talk about it over tea!'

So...there must have been some kind of conspiracy against them...and he somehow felt that his uncle was involved in it...

After a few minutes of complete silence, Inuyasha twitched his perk ears in annoyance. Was there a reason why his bastard of a brother was not answering his simple question?! If he was as omniscient as he goaded to be, then he should know of a battle between him...and um...whoever else fought him! "Five years later and I'm still waiting here, asshole..."

The immortal decided to ignore that comment. "Unless we both fought a battle we don't remember, I do not recall anything of the sort occuring to you."

"Huh?" What was he getting at?

"I mean, little brother, that I also suffered amnesia...or am suffering amnesia."

"What?! Bullshit!" Inuyasha couldn't believe this was happening! "You're not giving me some half-ass excuse for not wanting to tell me, right?"

"Why would I waste my time forming excuses that you'd believe regardlessly?" He rolled his golden honey eyes, wondering for the millionth time why he was related to such an imbecile. They were not alike in any way, shape or form. He swore it.

"Fuck you! I aint believing for the umpteenth time that we have yet another fucking coincidence! First we're engaged to mortals, then we have consecutive dreams, and after that we both have amnesia--what next? Oh, what a coincidence! We both have silver hair!"

"Half-breed, listening to you rant is deteriorating my assiduous brain cells. Spare me the pain and shut up."

"Keh! I hope they all die, you damn bastardous moron!"

"I thought I told you to stop talking about yourself--don't you ever get embarrassed?"

"Dammit, I'm going to shave off all that hair of yours and make myself a coat!"

"Ah, of course you'd want my impeccable hair; yours has fleas wandering in it...I actually pity you for envying me so much..."

"Ok, fine! I'm shutting up now! Evidently you're too stupid to understand that I hate everything about you..." Inuyasha's eye ticced sporadically as he tried to recover from mental images of actually being like the older immortal...gods, it was such a terrible thought! No need to think about it anymore...

Sesshoumaru only shrugged, unfazed at how his brother had easily admitted defeat. "Back to the matter at hand. A year ago, I fought a similar 'battle' you had described and sustained a head injury, or so Jaken had explained my amnesia. I find it ironic that I remembered everything else except for Rin and that particular battle..."

"Yeah..." The hanyou sitting across from him muttered as if in a daze, "Do you think it's all connected? Our memory loss, this 'battle', the dreams...do you think...Jaken and Myouga were...were lying to us?" Then, what really happened to us that made us forget our lives?

But, wouldn't they have been able to tell if it was a fib or not? And what motive did their retainers have for lying to their masters, knowing that if they were caught, they wouldn't exactly receive a benign punishment? This was all strange and sudden--it was only a few days ago that both brother's lives changed according to their alleged arranged marriages...

Now that they thought about it...were their marriages all a part of this, as well?

For the love of--! Nothing made sense!

"I do not know..." Sesshoumaru finally said, rationalizing their situation, though once again accomplishing nothing, "...however, I have a feeling that all these mysteries are beginning to unravel themselves. Soon enough...we will know the answers."

Inuyasha nodded. "Soon enough..." Silence ensued...again. It was becoming common place between the two immortals. Yet, this time, the hanyou was the one who disrupted it. For once...

"Sooo...which one of us is making dinner?"

Sesshoumaru slowly blinked...twice.


Rin smiled in an evil way that instantly forced her fiancé's malicious smile on the road to shame. She observed the two demon gods lined up in front of her with keen cinnamon eyes nearly flaming with diablerie--but, it wasn't like she was thinking of innocent things to do to them, anyway. Nope, not at all.

Too bad for a gulping Inuyasha and a leery Sesshoumaru.

"All right, cadets, listen up closely for I will only say this once. It's time for a little...um, Fall Cleaning, I guess. This place is absolutely filthy." The teen shook her head in mild disgust as she swiftly took a look around the living room, which, after a very long while, was finally filled with furniture that made it seem livable. Though, no one said it was all dust-free furniture...

She swept a finger across a cherry wooden coffee table sitting directly in the middle of two hunter green couches, and she raised the digit for the insepction of the two brothers still in front of her. The tip of her finger was completely covered in gray dust. Ah, the joy of neglecting their apartment...

"I want our apartment to be sparkling clean when Kagome and I get back, ya hear? If I see so much as one more dust bunny, I will go psychotic on all of you and perhaps finally act on my murder plans. Understood?" It was unbelievable that her fiancé was actually following her orders, but after a month living with her...he began to realize that when she meant business...well...they were two of a kind.

Not that he knew what the hell a dust bunny was, though...

Rin received two simultaneous nods, and she also nodded in satisfaction. She then paced before the line of men each dressed in a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt, evaluating who was to do what. If she left them to their own arrangement...hmph, the apartment would have to suddenly develop ancient powers that allowed it to magically clean itself. Those brothers argued way too much for their own good...

"Ok, this is your job that is to be completed by...I'd say three hours, right, Kagome?" The miko waiting by the apartment entrance merely nodded from behind her friend, not wanting to disagree with the teen who was currently in army commander mode. "Yeah, so...hmm...Sesshoumaru!"

The bored dog demon instantly payed attention. Hey, his life was at stake! "Yes?"

His fiancée grinned devishly. "You're too sexy to clean--you get kitchen duty."

"WHAT?! I'm so NOT gonna clean everything by my fucking self!!" Inuyasha exclaimed, incredulous that Rin was being so cruel to him of all people! And that bastard ain't sexy! Sheesh, women and their damn hormones!

She only shrugged, not really caring either way. "Tough luck. Or...would you rather that I just throw a random object at you? The only thing near me happens to be my purse, and trust me, it's heavy..." That effectively quieted the grumbling hanyou, and he obediantly stood back in line. In the past few weeks, he had learned not to cross Rin...ever. If she said she was going to throw something, she actually would throw something.

"Rin, it's getting late..." Kagome muttered, glancing at her silver wristwatch. It was only four in the afternoon, yet, when it came to girls close to a shopping spree...even that may be a little too late...

"Ok, ok! So, Sessh, you're making dinner...and I want a gourmet dinner, not just ramen! And Inuyasha, make sure to vacum under the beds--I swear there's an army of dust bunnies under mine that are just itching for world domination..." The teen then smiled as if she wasn't a tyrant and happily turned to her raven haired friend. "I'm ready, Kagome!"

"Finally! See you later, guys!" And just like that, the two human girls practically flew out the door and towards their destination: the mall. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru stared blankly at the door that was in their line of sight, not knowing how to proceed with their tasks. Hell, the hanyou hardly knew what Rin was talking about when she explained how to operate the damn cleaning thing he was supposed to use.

"I still don't know what in the seven blazing hells is a dust bunny! Are they maldeformed demons or something?" He was so confused that his ears twitched in rhythm with the annoyed growl vibrating his chest. Hmph, if there's a dust demon hiding among us... A smirk curved his lips, then I'll be sure to vanquish it...heheheh... Did a dust demon even exist?

His older brother glanced at him with something akin to condolence in his honey eyes. "don't go on one of your rampages searching for an imaginary demon, half-breed. Your task is to clean, not wager war." At least Rin gave him the more demeaning task...

"Yeah, yeah, cook boy. Why is it that you always cook, anyway?"

"Because my fiancée happened to have adopted my sadism. And my culinary skill is superior to your...ramen fest." The half-immortal rolled his eyes in response before Sesshoumaru sighed, shaking his head as he made his way to the kitchen. "Oh, in case you hadn't known, the vacum is in the closet."

Now completely alone in the living room, Inuyasha pondered exactly what he was supposed to be doing...obviously, he was getting nowhere. "The...vacum, eh? That sounds like a demon..." He remembered reading about it in the dictionary he had been forced to allegedly browse a month ago; however, he had never actually seen one.

What if the dictionary included some rare species of demons that thrived only in the mortal realm?

Perhaps this 'vacum' also needed to be vanquished....


A/N: END! SHORTENED!