A/N: 'ELLO! I'm not gonna rant a lot because I have to eat two hot dogs, drink pomegranate juice, and study for an AP Chem test! :-D Damn, when is this story going to end? LOL! Me don't know!

ATTENTION! Sesshoumaru and Rin are in a different time zone than Inuyasha and Kagome and Yuka. This is due to the fact that the rainforest in the immortal realm is considered its own little dimension. Just so that you won't be confused!

ENJOY THE CHAPPIE!


Oh My Gods! 40


Boring.

The gala was boring.

Boring. Boring. Boring.

One more time: boring.

He could say it a thousand times and it still undermined how much he was truly suffering from ennui. It wasn't difficult for something to cause him to lose interest quickly, but gods, this was extreme! Never before had he realized to what extent he detested social gatherings until tonight. Yup. The Prince of Makai was clearly unsatisfied.

So, no one bothered to stop him from leaving the large, overly lavished ballroom in his grand palace. His intimidating strides brought him to a private, solitary room situated behind the center of merriment and dancing that was the bane of his existence. Good, only silence accompanied him. Sweet, amiable, uncomplicated silence welcomed him with open arms.

A smile touched his lips, melted his expression of pure ice.

Soon enough, however, his fiancée's guaranteed arrival would disperse the silence.

Heh...he was ready to face her furious tirade—he did purposely leave her in the mortal realm by stating he was going to use the restroom...sure. Well, it wasn't his fault she was as oblivious and gullible as she was psychotic and murderous! But he accepted her faults, though only because she accepted his own.

He accepted her merely because she exerted the strength and willpower to stand by his side, claimed him as her own, and still smiled brighter than the sun, rendering him breathless and speechless. Of course, she beamed as if it wasn't the greatest feat in history.

Sesshoumaru leaned his back against an intricately painted wall a shade lighter than his eyes, and he sighed, glancing up at the ceiling where another mural met his eyes. The murals in his palace depicted important times in the history of his family—his ancestors. At the moment, he was gazing at one of his great-grandfathers transformed into his original canine form.

The beast was enormous and occupied more than half of the ceiling, which possessed a diameter of at least twenty-feet. His cerulean blue pupils were encompassed by feral crimson red as a long, jagged hunter green stripe adorned each corner of his powerful jaws. His great-grandfather was a venerated ruler of the Western Lands, and InuTaishou was the sole demon god to be his predecessor in fame.

In a few hours, Sesshoumaru would also be put to the ultimate test; he would also become Lord of the Western Lands.

Yet, he was prepared to meet the challenges awaiting him: Naraku's demand of war, the increasing death toll in his kingdom and neighboring lands, and his rampant older cousin. There was no fear or doubt clouding his mind since Sesshoumaru was certain of his power and ability to exorcise control over his people. He was a born leader, and to fear his birthright like a certain brother of his was foolish as well as inane.

Then again, Inuyasha was just a half-breed whelp, a rank eight demon god.

He wasn't ready to attain his respective throne...at least not yet.

She's late. Sesshoumaru's eyelids briefly closed as he pondered the whereabouts of his fiancée. Surely she should have already arrived in the immortal realm; he was confident of this. Rin is a force to be reckoned with. She will stop at nothing to ascertain my safety, even if it means fighting by my side.

That was why he left the mortal realm without her. Heck, he wasn't stupid! As if he could really leave the pesky human behind and forget about her when they were bonded in every single way except carnally!

And like hell she was ever going to allow another bastard to roam her curves where he hadn't dared to touch... Just thinking about the imaginary offending male set his possessive instincts haywire.

So, the insensitive dog demon deceived his fiancée and left without her notice. If he knew her well enough, she probably ranted and cried and screamed once she discovered his cryptic departure... But he merely smirked in response. Yup, he hardly cared.

Yet, the cinnamon-eyed mortal wouldn't have given up so facilely...she wasn't as weak as others; her relentless determination was what aided her ambition in academics. Therefore, Sesshoumaru was certain Jaken and Myouga allowed Rin to tag along with them on their way home...

...but then, where were they?

My kingdom is at war; Naraku isn't an honorable opponent like others were led to believe. Sesshoumaru narrowed his golden honey eyes at the opposite wall, suppressing the urge to growl in annoyance. People should value honor during war rather than increase their enemy's casualties! What a nuisance! I'll enjoy coating my claws in his blood.

Alas, patience was a virtue. He first needed to arise to the title of a king...

Hmph, he could hardly wait for his ascension ceremony, and Sesshoumaru was about to ponder later events, but hurried footsteps approaching the room he ensconced himself in soon reached his sensitive ear drums. With his back still leaned comfortably against the wall, the demon god immediately descried the hallway close by in search of the intruder.

It only took a second to discover that his fiancée was definitely late.

SLAM!

Wow...he might have descried the area prior to her hasty arrival, but nothing could have prepared his eyes to what they were currently witnessing...

"S-Sesshoumaru!" Rin was breathless; that much her fiancé discerned by her rapidly heaving chest and flushed cheeks. However...

...she was also injured.

Blood, both hers and from a foreign source, marred her faded jeans and bright yellow T-shirt while gushing wounds covered her arms and legs. A thin, shallow cut sat on her right cheek, as though it was placed there by a sharp object, a knife or blade... Her thick locks of obsidian hair, which had been tied neatly behind her head in a high pony tail the last time he saw her, was flurrying at her waist unbound and untamed.

All in all, the human teen was a sore sight, yet Sesshoumaru couldn't help feeling the urge to take her in his arms and render her lips as red as the blood caked on her skin.

For the millionth time that night, he arrogantly smirked. Indeed, his mate was injured and all he could muster was a smirk induced by lecherous thoughts.

Her cinnamon eyes analyzed the change in his expression from solemn to amused, and Rin treaded deeper into the room, radiating annoyance despite her conspicuous limp. Hmph, her fiancé had the audacity to widen his smirk! "GRR!!! I'm gonna kill you! You're laughing at me!"

In his own way, he truly was laughing...

What an asshole! If it was in his nature, he'd be guffawing on the floor! Hm, guffawing was a new word in her vocabulary and it was the total opposite of Sesshoumaru.

Rin came within strangling distance of the dog demon, and he only shrugged, not fearing his impending assassination. "Hn, it seems like you need a new wardrobe. Blood red is an unsightly color for a wedding, my dearest."

"GAH! Don't mock me!" She swung her arms above her head in an exasperated motion, but winced once the gashes on her appendages protested her impulsive action. Her teeth chewed on her bottom lip when a tendril of pain shot up her arms and spine, but she noticed her fiancé's lingering gaze on her mouth, so she instantly stopped. "Can't you at least act like you care and ask me why I'm covered in blood?"

And she didn't really tolerate pain well, either!

"Fine. Why are you covered in blood, my dearest? Because, of course, I care."

"Grr...stop calling me 'dearest'!" Sarcasm wasn't what Rin needed right now when she could barely stand on her own two feet and a certain demon god was entertained by it. Recalling recent events, however, eradicated the barrier of her emotions and she bellowed, "A FREAKIN' ARMY OF DEMON PUPPETS ATTACKED ME!!!"

"You didn't have to scream, my dearest..." Sesshoumaru shook his head to shake off the ringing in his ears, but then mulled over the teen's furious words after meeting her glare. Meanwhile, she stared up at him with hell brimming in her eyes, waiting for the moment to slit his throat with her puny human nails.

Gods, such a torment was unmentionable... "What's this about demon puppets?" Finally, his demeanor froze into calm, somber ice as he digested the information made known to him. Certainly Naraku couldn't be so despicable as to attack me in my own home? Bastard!

"There are about a hundred demon puppets as tall as you are standing outside your palace's gates," Rin said in a steady voice, but her adrenaline rush soon vanished and she fell against her fiancé for support. He wasted no time in lifting her in his arms and settling her in a nearby chair; all the while, his expression was its normal cold and calculating.

The dog demon then placed his right hand over her skin and concentrated on speeding her healing rate. His fiancée watched in awe as she was encased in a thin sheet of blue light, as though she was undergoing a metamorphosis into an alien. Cool...

Gradually, her wounds started to heal and close; Rin reveled in the warmth sheathing her aching muscles and was now able to focus on narrating her tale while Sesshoumaru diligently sealed her injuries. "Your guards are fighting them, but sadly we're losing, even with Kizurei already there. I came here as fast as I could to warn you about a possible takeover."

"If they wish to takeover my palace, those vermin might as well demand that I roll over," the silver-haired dog demon growled, still incredulous that someone, a ruler to boot, would stoop so low as to disregard the art of war and try to seize his palace. And no, he wasn't rolling over. "Where are Jaken and Myouga?"

"Ha! When we arrived outside the palace grounds, Myouga took one look at the demon puppets and fled. Jaken is still trying to help the guards using his weird-looking staff, but it's futile." Heh, her misery was all due to a barrier guarding the palace from intruders who might transport themselves inside in order to attack the residents.

So she had been stuck outside with a hundred demon puppets attempting to slice her head off.

Yup, fun.

A few minutes later, Rin was all healed, and she marveled at her sealed wounds, quirking an eyebrow at her fiancé in question. He met her stare and simply stated, "My energy sped your rate of healing. It's nothing like your healing abilities, however." She nodded.

"It was terrible, Sesshoumaru!" The obsidian-haired teen abruptly gasped, standing from her seat to fist her hands in the dog demon's pristine white silk shirt. He had removed his matching platinum-trimmed doublet earlier and wished he hadn't. "T-Those things...they moved so fast! Oh gods... Do you know what they did?"

"What?" Somehow, he knew it wasn't something important.

Rin's eyes widened in terror as her mind replayed the event before her horrified gaze. With dilated pupils and parted lips, she replied in a tremulous whisper, "The demon puppets ate it."

"...?" What was this 'it'? Her pony tail holder? She whispered it as though it was a secret and feared that a secret organization of cult members would kidnap her if she spoke beyond a mumbling voice.

Yet, at long last she reiterated... "They...they ate my Skillet of Doom! THEY ATE IT!"

"You actually brought that thing here?" Shouldn't she have focused on bringing along a useful weapon, like her Kimera for instance, instead of a skillet? Then again, when it involved Rin, a skillet was as good as any bladed weapon.

"I was going to beat you up with it! But it's gone—absorbed into the depths of demon puppet goo!" The eighteen-year-old choked back a sob and wrapped her arms around herself, slowly rocking on the heels of her feet. She shook her head from side to side like an insane old woman sitting on her rocking chair after seeing the Boogeyman...

...but that made no sense in Sesshoumaru's eyes.

Ah, he hated all movies whatsoever.

"Rin, listen closely," Sesshoumaru began in a low voice, moving to grasp the shaking girl's shoulders. He forced her to look at him before continuing. "The Skillet of Doom was too dangerous for you. It was cursed and possibly possessed by an evil spirit."

"NO! It was my best friend! It promised me it'd teach you a lesson you'd never forget—I'll NEVER let you go to the bathroom by yourself AGAIN!"

Heheh, his mistake. "I won't bother to apologize since you won't listen to reason."

"Like hell I will! Do you know what I suffered because of you?! HA! You're marrying me whether you like it or not! TOUGH LUCK! Now go find a priest guy or whatever makes marriages legal here!" She didn't care about those demon puppets that crawled out of Naraku's ass! They could be witnesses to her forced wedding!

There was no need to rave like a mad woman, but Rin ignored the memo, apparently. "I'm not denying your proposal any longer—calm down." Sesshoumaru wasn't about to admit how he deliberately planned this situation and already ensured their wedding. Adding to Rin's list of stressors meant unnecessary pain for him. "I will marry you. But you're not marrying me wearing a bloody shirt and torn jeans."

"Oh. Okay, I guess." How simple... Rin felt like she was just conned into something. If he can provide clothes for me to wear, then I don't care.

She shrugged it off and beamed at her fiancé, finally dispersing her anger and allowing joy to consume her. The next thing Sesshoumaru knew, a certain human mortal glomped him, and he stared down at the obsidian head attempting to burrow into his chest.

But it was okay; her antics no longer bothered him. Hmph, she was about to become his wife after all. Too bad their wedding night had to wait since he needed to ascend to his throne and obliterate the demon puppets attempting to destroy his palace. Ha, with Rin by his side, no one would dare to wrong Sesshoumaru again.

Hopefully.

Before the couple could gather their senses and actually leave to prepare for their pending wedding...

SLAM!

"Cousin!"

...the door to the room slammed opened, revealing a greatly disheveled Kizurei.

Sesshoumaru furrowed his eyebrows at the bloody state his cousin was in; his left arm dangled uselessly against his side, perhaps dislocated, while blood oozed into his eye sockets from a deep gash on his forehead. Kizurei gasped and panted, clearly unable to settle his breathing, but weakly stopped Rin from coming forward to heal him.

"Don't be an idiot! You're really hurt!" The young woman protested, yet when she noticed that her fiancé and the injured demon god were sharing an intense stare, she gulped and backed away.

Something bad is happening... And with those demon puppets wandering about... Please tell me their side isn't winning the battle. What would become of Makai should such a calamity befall its ruler's home?

"Cousin." Kizurei had to pause to cough erratically, and he fell onto his knees with the ferocity of his coughing spasm. He desired no aid, however, albeit the blood dribbling down his chin. It was only now that the other occupants of the room noticed a dark stain rapidly increasing in radius on the torn clothing covering his torso. "There's no time to waste—if you plan on marrying Rin, you must do it now!"

Once more he coughed to rid the blood clogging his airways, and Rin bit her lip, frowning in deep concern. She didn't know why Sesshoumaru wasn't making a move to help his cousin despite his wishes—Kizurei was obviously dying! Her heart clenched at the thought, and the urge to heal him swept over her, drowning her to the point where she could barely think coherently.

Why the hell was no one assisting him?!

A firm grip on her shoulder revived Rin from her trance and she glanced up at her fiancé, whose icy yet irrefutably angry honey eyes stared down at her in warning. He knew she was dying to bolt over and help Kizurei no matter what he said, and he was actually stopping her?! Fury rekindled in her heart, but it died once the silver-haired dog demon explained himself.

"This isn't Kizurei, Rin," Sesshoumaru said in his normal intimidating voice, smooth and baritone. His older cousin by a year merely chuckled from across the room. "It's an illusion—a spell he casted on the battlefield."

"W-What...?" Her eyelids fluttered in rapid blinks as she tried to process the new tidbit of information. "So, you're saying Kizurei is talking to us from outside and this is like a hologram thing?" He merely inclined his head even though he didn't know what a hologram was. "And I can't help him if he's not physically in front of me, right?" Another nod. "Oh no..."

Kizurei was gravely wounded—he was literally bleeding from every pore of his skin! He looked worse than she had earlier... The pain he was in had to be unbearable... Rin bit her lip again, a gesture of frustration and/or worry, refraining from voicing her immense disappointment. It wasn't like she could run out to the battlefield and start singing with hundreds of demon puppets itching to slice her head off, anyway.

But then....their dimension blades would...kill...immortals...oh gods...

"I am fine, my princess," the dark-haired dog demon soothed the teen's worry with a blood-rimmed smirk, "though your concern flatters me. Thank you." His lavender eyes grew somber when he locked eyes with his younger cousin. "The odds are against us—it is true what Sango said about those damn puppets killing skilled immortals in seconds."

Sesshoumaru briefly shut his eyes, yet appeared calm and collected on the outside, as though he was merely thinking of a course of action. Inwardly, however, a savage storm was brewing, thinning his patience and indifference each increasing moment. How dare Naraku play this dirty! A true king takes an oath to obey the postulates of war upon coronation.

Who in the world would be stupid enough to break an important vow? This didn't deal with cheating on a wife after vowing to love her—it was war! Naraku was needlessly wasting lives and demon puppets for a fatuous cause! If he wanted a fight, then he would achieved it, but not a damn second before Sesshoumaru married Rin!

The bastard deserved to die—there was no doubt about it. Now the dog demon had a true, personal reason to wish for Naraku's death: he insulted him. Yes, the asshole insulted him by testing the strength of his stronghold, his palace, and attacking him out of random. Heh, he was attempting to prove that he was the better contender in this petty war.

Not in seven billion years, goddammit! Sesshoumaru hadn't even begun to retaliate!

"We can't just leave you guys to keep fighting in vain!" Rin interrupted the conversation between cousins, glancing from demon god to demon god. Kizurei finally summoned the strength to stand on his two feet, and he did so without falling over; he was quite proud of himself. "Sesshoumaru and I can join in and—"

"No! Go do what you came here for and get married for goodness sake! Stop wasting time!" Rin instantly recoiled and chose to hide behind her fiancé where it was hopefully safe for the remainder of the battle talk. Kizurei sighed and shook his head. "Look, the guards and I are biding time for you two. Cousin, I implore that you initiate the ascension ceremony as soon as you are wedded."

"Agreed."

"And one more thing," Kizurei said as his illusion spell began to disintegrate, causing Rin peek around her hiding spot and ogle the fading silhouette in childish wonder. "The calm before the storm has made its entrance. Please be prompt—I speak for all of the guards when I say we could use the elite army's help."

Sesshoumaru smirked. "I will deal with the storm myself. Stay alive, Kizurei, or I might just wring Meimori's neck when he bawls over your corpse."

A light chuckle resonated throughout the room before the illusion completely faded, and Rin sighed in dismay. I hope you survive, Kizurei. Meimori is a jerk, but he doesn't deserve the pain of losing his only twin brother. No one deserved such a cruel torment despite horrid past deeds.

"Come. It's time for the moment we've been waiting for." Sesshoumaru grabbed the obsidian-haired teen's left hand prior to practically hauling her out of the room and striding down a long corridor. Rin attempted to break out of his iron grip since she was tripping on her own feet, but it was futile. "Stop fumbling and walk properly."

"Fumbling?! I'm sorry I'm being dragged around by you, Mister Smarty Pants!" She huffed, though her little statement was ignored. I think all dog demons are jerks at some point in their lives. It was a disheartening fact. "Am I not getting changed?"

"We can't waste time. I suppose I'll just have to bear your stench," Sesshoumaru replied impassively, keeping his gaze trained on the path in front of him. He abruptly turned right, causing Rin to nearly slam against the opposite wall. I should kill him... She'd at least beat the crap out of him after the demon puppets were turned into dust...

"Hey, what does the calm before the storm mean?" Rin couldn't help that her mind wandered to Kizurei's parting words; though, it sounded like some sort of secret code between cousins. Especially with the way her fiancé had answered, she desired to know what was going on in the battlefield. "If you ignore me one more time, Maebashi Sesshoumaru, I swear I'll—"

"Hush." The silver-haired dog demon arrived at a pair of metal doors leading to unknown territory—at least in the teen's eyes—and he halted his hasty stride before placing his free hand on its silver handle. But prior to pushing open one of the doors, Sesshoumaru slightly turned his head to glance at her with one gleaming honey eye.

Rin gulped. He looked somewhat murderous...scary...yet also delighted at a new challenge. But what challenge?

"Sessh?" They stood in silence for a long while and she was starting to wonder if he was going to stare at her so frighteningly for the rest of her life. Heh, and he had said they shouldn't waste time!

But at long last, Sesshoumaru whispered in his deep, rich voice, "The calm before the storm is the wind. And Kagura is the wind."


"GODS! If I see one more mosquito the size of my fist, I will SCREAM!"

"Technically speaking, you're already screaming."

"Don't get smart with me, missy! Hmph! EEEK!!! IT'S A GARGANTUAN FLY! RUUUN!!!"

"Yuka! Come back! It won't hurt you! And while you're at it, practice shutting UP!"

"Fine, fine! Geez, why the heck do we have to walk to wherever we're going?"

"Because there's no other method to travel by."

"Can't your Inu-freak fly? Or teleport us out of here like his brother did that one time...?"

"What are you talking about? You saw—"

"No! Nothing! Just keep walking, Kagome!"

"Hey! Answer me! Did you already know about—?"

"—about what?"

"Stop playing innocent."

"What are you implying? That I'm a liar?"

Kagome prayed for patience with her alleged best friend. But sometimes, she just couldn't tolerate the slightly older teen—she was too annoying! The miko wasn't even going to begin recounting all the times Yuka had lied in her life; it was self-explanatory that if she did it once, she could do it again. Heh, and acting as though she was the victim wouldn't aid her reputation in her friend's eyes.

Yet, the raven-haired teen dropped the subject altogether, although she knew something was amiss with her edgy friend. She had basically said she witnessed Sesshoumaru using his immortal powers to transport himself to a certain destination—when did that happen? Had the dog demon noticed?

Yuka now knew all about immortals and the immortal realm; it was less disastrous if Kagome, with her fiancé's permission, told her beforehand about all the strange, inhuman concepts she might encounter. However, the oblivious teen shouldn't have known about immortals prior to her mini lesson last night.

Adding the fact that Yuka seemed a little bit too anxious a few minutes ago and was quick to deny the statement she definitely uttered, Kagome was led to believe she was being deceived...

Either way, the miko sighed and shook her head, focusing instead on the long journey ahead of her. It was early in the morning, only about an hour after sunrise, and her group of three was 'avidly' trudging through harsh terrain in an unforgiving rainforest—yeah, as though Yuka was eager to walk miles and miles in mud. Inuyasha walked a few meters ahead, clearing their path free of tangling vines or predatory animals.

He hadn't said one word all morning, however.

After the sun rose and his hanyou powers returned, he quickly awakened the two teens and commenced their journey out of the rainforest...on foot. Kagome could deal with the nature walk; she was a city girl, but she still appreciated the outdoors. Still, she would be more at ease if her fiancé at least glanced at her!

It's because of Yuka, the teen mentally amended, heaving another sigh. He won't come near me as long as she's here. Truthfully, Kagome wished her friend could be suddenly swallowed by a giant pit of quick sand. Afterwards, Inuyasha might just spare her a gracious smile.

Well, she couldn't just leave Yuka to fend for herself in the immortal realm, as much as a certain hanyou loved the idea, and so she ignored her own dark wishes in favor of doing a good deed. Yes, it was at the cost of her fiancé's happiness and comfort—she acknowledged as much.

But what else was she to do in a rainforest? Watch Yuka transform into a super strong Amazon woman and wait for her to fall in love with a tall, good looking tree? If that happened, then there would be no more Yuka for the rest of her life...

Hm...it's not so bad... Err, bad Kagome! Trees aren't good husbands! Then again, what did she know? Perhaps trees were better suitors than humanoid males... Gods, I can't think straight. At this rate I'm gonna turn into Rin and think about eating Winnie the Pooh.

"Ew! Did you see the size of that snake?! It might be a mutated anaconda!" Yuka nearly screeched after catching sight of a green, black-speckled snake coiling around a thick tree trunk. Her expression darkened when the snake darted its tongue out in a hiss, but it just so happen to be in her direction. "Oh my gods..."

A snake was taunting her... A snake of all animals! Snakes were deceptive creatures, silent predators only caring for themselves and their own gratification... They removed anything that stood in their way with one venomous bite... Yuka stopped in mid-thought when guilt chilled her mind. I'm practically describing myself.

At least she admitted it.

Kagome glanced at the aforementioned snake and yawned in boredom. Battling Kikyou was much scarier than staring at a snake—albeit a huge one—slither around all day. "We're in a rainforest, Yuka. You're going to see a lot of freaky things."

Besides, Inuyasha must have thought it wasn't a threat because the animal was still alive after he walked passed it. Therefore, she didn't have to worry over a snake taking her life. Yet, that was only if Inuyasha alerted her to it... If he kept silent, obviously she would never know the dangers surrounding her.

Hm...somehow, the miko realized the latter thought was a double-meaning...but the missing link was no where to be found. Oh well.

Yuka stared at her indifferent best friend for a long while before she rolled her blue-gray eyes and mumbled, "Whatever." She looked down at her knee-high black leather boots caked in mud, and then noticed that her matching trousers were also soiled. "Ugh! Where can I find a Laundromat around here? And why do these outfits have to be black?"

Her favorite color wasn't black! Hmph!

"You can't be serious..." It was plain and clear that Kagome wasn't in the best of moods to deal with annoying people so early in the morning, but apparently, Yuka ignored the warning. "Mud isn't poison—it'll come off with some water when we find a creek. This is my diagnosis: you'll live."

"Thank you very much for saving my life, doctor. Your diagnosis was insightful," Yuka responded just as sarcastically as her best friend. She rolled her eyes again before crossing her arms over her jet black corset top. "What crawled up your ass and died, huh? Normally you're not such a bitch."

"Did you just call me a bitch?" Kagome barely refrained from gaping in shock; usually, the only one who called her a bitch was Inuyasha...or some sort of dog demon! Yes, she was crabby, but no one called her a bitch! "Listen, Yuka, I don't know what—"

"Stop jumping to conclusions! And just because I'm stating a fact doesn't mean it's automatically my fault you're in a bad mood, so don't look like you're going to bitch-slap me, either."

She was going to bitch-slap her anyway! "What crawled up your ass and died, huh?" The miko retorted, using her friend's earlier inquiry. "Normally you're not such a bitch."

"Oh, I see! This is what happens when you spend too much time with Inu-bastard, right?" The gleam in Yuka's stormy eyes was malicious, but Kagome met her glare head-on. She knew the moment in time was the calm before the storm, yet she wasn't running away from this. Nope. "It's only natural for you to copy his bad manners after living with him for six months."

"When did this become all about Inuyasha? I thought this was between you and me." Kagome narrowed her chocolate eyes, neglecting to be nice and kind and compassionate and...and whatever else she usually was. Right now, there was no time to feign consideration for a true, outright bitch. "Let's get one thing straight: I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were."

"No, but you must think I am. Why else would you assume I wouldn't know that you're lying to me and have been lying to me for the past three months?"

The expression on Yuka's face morphed into terror, and the miko wondered why. Her words rang true, yet from her friend's dramatic reaction, was there more than what met her eyes? Just what occurred behind the scenes between her fiancé and her alleged best friend?

Yuka accepted her bait...now it was time to reel the reward in.

"I told you to mind your own business. I'm sorry, Yuka, but you don't live my life and I don't live yours. Of course you wouldn't like the guys I like—we're different! Do you know what that means? Memorize it." Kagome was nice; she gave Yuka a chance.

It wasn't her fault the teen trampled on it and jeopardized their friendship as a result.

At long last, Yuka didn't seem concerned about the miko's enlightenment on a certain matter, and she huffed angrily. "If I was dating a suspicious, uncouth guy who treated my best friend like crap, what would you do, Kagome? I mean, you are my friend, right? What would you do?"

"Like I said, we're different." Heh, the auburn-haired teen was tricky. Truthfully, Kagome sympathized with the stubborn girl and recognized her concern. Yet, when her concern evolved into a smothering fire that constantly spurned her fiancé, it needed to be extinguish. "If you love him, then I'd trust you're making the right decision."

"Do you love Inuyasha?" For once in her life, Yuka referred to the hanyou by his actual name, and Kagome blinked, confused. The teen was completely serious, and her penetrating gaze remained trained on her face for even the slightest reaction to her question. "Answer me. Do you love him?"

How was she supposed to answer a question she asked herself a million times?

She didn't know what love was; there wasn't a simple definition to it. It wasn't as though she ever had strong feelings for another person in her entire life, but how was she supposed to know it meant love? And if she said she loved the hanyou, it might be a lie. If she denied it, she'd end up hurting him and perhaps betraying herself.

"Mind your own business." Kagome wasn't going to fall in the sly teen's trap. Since it didn't affect Yuka's life directly, then there was no point in her knowing, right? Friends or not, the teen wasn't her mother and her concern was unwanted. "Even if I do marry Inuyasha, it won't be until after I graduate."

Shoot...was the hanyou listening to their altercation? Hopefully since it involved his detested enemy, he was turning a blind eye.

"Ha! You can't answer a simple yes or no question. Wow, and I thought you were an overachiever," the auburn-haired eighteen-year-old sneered, but smiled, nonetheless. However, Kagome furrowed her eyebrows in confusion since it was a relieved smile. "You don't love him."

"What?" Don't tell me she's deciding things for me again! She could just shut her big mouth and—GRRRR!!! Too much anger for a miko! "I didn't hear you right."

"You. Don't. Love. Him." Yuka made sure to enunciate every syllable to prove her point.

With every emphasized word, Kagome only felt herself shrinking and shrinking. Was she supposed to fight back and declare her 'undying love' for Inuyasha? This is a trap. I know it. She's trying to force it out of me, make me doubt my feelings.

But gods, the worst thing was that her little backstabbing plan worked. "Yuka...shut up."

"You don't love him. Why? Because you didn't defend him. I talk trash about him all the time and you barely flinch. If someone talked trash about my man, I'd rip her mouth off. Kags, you just don't know what to do with a boyfriend, now do you? Much less a fiancé." She seemed so happy about her latest discovery...she was smiling...beaming...

Was it wrong to feel the urge to slap a friend? A 'best friend'? A friend she basically grew up with and had been there for her when her father abruptly died? Given the situation, it wasn't. "Shut up. If you're really my friend, you'd shut up." I can't take much more of this. I can't!

The calm before the storm...the calm was ebbing away...gradually eroding...

...and the storm was predicted to be intense.

But Yuka continued. She selfishly continued spewing nonsense. "You, my dear friend, do not love—"

"Are you deaf or what? SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!"

Finally...the storm arrived and left destruction in its wake...though, surprisingly, Kagome wasn't at the core of it.

Both Yuka and Kagome turned to the source of the paralyzing shout, and their eyes widened at the sight of Inuyasha nearly shaking in anger. His eyes flashed from deadly crimson to vibrant gold and vice versa every few seconds, which was dangerous since the last time he lost control ended in immense chaos... Kagome gulped and her hope suffered a fatal accident.

He had overheard.

He heard the entire conversation. And so, he also heard how she hardly defended him and his honor, something a true mate would do... He heard how she couldn't even defend her wish to marry him... He heard how she couldn't even defend her hidden feelings for him...

Her heart was inches away from suffering like her hope. It was grasped in a hand so tight, it might burst and bleed her to death. In order to soothe it, her hand crept over her chest, right above her black breast plate. Useless. Any attempts to assuage the storm were useless.

The hanyou glowered at the two reticent teens before a scowl dominated his features. "I'm tired of hearing you two whine back and forth. Let me end this stupid argument once and for all: you're both weak, deceiving bitches. You're lying to each other. And it makes me sick that you still say you're friends."

Silence accompanied the demon god's angry allegation, and he reveled in his audience's shock. "Now shut the fuck up, keep walking, and let me think in peace."

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Yuka finally revived from her state of shock and placed her hands on her hips in a 'who do you think you are' gesture. "Who made you in charge, bastard? Like Kagome said, this is between me and her. Butt out!"

Kagome stood a little ways behind her, not knowing what to say or how to respond to the internal pain her hanyou was feeling, the hand that gripped her heart. She messed up big time...

Inuyasha barely bit back a snarl, yet growled at the wench's impertinence. "Don't lecture me about minding my business because you're a fucking hypocrite! And I made myself in charge—suck it up!"

"Oh yeah? As if I'd allow myself to be governed by an asshole who treats his fiancée like shit. She doesn't love you, Inu-freak! You heard, didn't you? Leave the poor girl alone before you hurt her even more."

"I thought I said to shut the fuck UP!!!"

BOOM!

"AHH!"

"Inuyasha! What the hell?!" Kagome gaped at the hanyou, speechless. He just...he just blasted Yuka thirty feet away! She was slammed against a tree trunk due to one of his powerful orbs crimson red energy—furious energy! A human...he hit a human with an immortal attack! "Yuka! Are you okay?!"

"O-Ow..." Yuka rubbed the back of her head, and when she inspected it, there was a splash of crimson liquid staining it. She blinked, cocking her head despite her aching cranium. "Wha...? I'm...bleeding...cool..." Oh no...she was...she was dying! No!

Wait, it was the tooth fairy! She came to save the day!

The miko, forgetting her earlier argument with the auburn-haired teen, quickly ran towards her and helped her stand on shaky limbs. All the while, Inuyasha glared at them, his back straight and chin held high in a proud stature.

Kagome glowered in return. "Dammit, you could've killed her! Have you gone insane?! What were you thinking?! Say something, you jerk!"

But she knew he didn't regret what he did, or that because of him Yuka was probably seeing the tooth fairy in front of her dazed eyes. Kagome noted this with one questioning glance towards him.

Inuyasha turned without another word and resumed his long trek through the rainforest; he wasn't waiting for Yuka to regain her footing. Kagome couldn't help but absentmindedly stare after his fading silhouette as she allowed her friend to lean on her for support. The teen could barely summon the strength to walk...her head must have suffered a severe concussion.

Is he just leaving us here...? Inuyasha couldn't...he wouldn't do that! Right? But he wasn't waiting. She couldn't even see his silvery white hair anymore! The rainforest was like a jungle; thick trees barred her sight, the sky was only a bunch of azure dots no larger than her pinky's finger nail—and there were dangerous predators lurking around! Yuka and I can't fend for ourselves!

But he wasn't waiting.

Inuyasha...actually left them behind.


He was absolutely perfect in her eyes...the person she strove to become. Somehow, he came to represent the goodness she wished she had...the life she desired aside from her quest for the Shikon no Tama. Yes, he was perfect. He was symbolic of perfect serenity.

Watching him now through her mahogany brown eyes, she arrived at a conclusion. Whatever happened in the near future, whether she survived the war against Naraku this time around or not, she would still protect him...be with him. Was this love? Perhaps. The sweet, welcoming warmth that calmed her nerves and relaxed her muscles enough to allow a smile to form on her lips was probably defined as fickle mortal love.

Well, then love wasn't so fickle, she supposed.

"Kikyou?"

The dark-haired miko blinked out of her reverie and regained her somber composure before glancing at the man who called her. He smiled—it was a soft, knowing smile that caused the warmth of 'love' to control her body again—and nodded towards a jar of herbs to her left. She understood the silent message and handed it to him.

"Thank you," he said, regarding her with his deep gray eyes prior to returning to the concoction of herbs he was grinding. She watched him as he worked on medicine for a bunch of orphan children in a nearby village—they were immortals but human in that they still suffered through sickness.

"Suikotsu." His name escaped her lips before Kikyou could stop them, and when he abandoned his current occupation in order to place all of his attention on her, she felt as though her heart swelled.

Why was this man able to estrange her to her own body? What kind of supernatural powers did he secretly possess? "I will leave to the Western Lands tomorrow; I won't be able to accompany you to the village."

The gray-eyed immortal heaved a solemn sigh, saddened by the news. Usually the miko came along to visit the ill orphan children he had somewhat adopted; she regretted her recent decision to join the battlefront to the west. But she, along with the Band of Seven, was employed by King Kouga as mercenaries; she could not refuse the profit of her makeshift profession.

Then again, the only reason she joined a band of mercenaries was to get close to the Shikon no Tama...

"What a shame, then. The children will miss you," Suikotsu replied, shaking his head. Although he too was a part of the Band of Seven, he preferred to stay away from all the bloodshed whilst he awaken a part of himself he wished to keep dormant. "I hope you return safely, Kikyou. I would not be alive if it hadn't been for you."

Yes, his words rung true. The part of himself, of his mind, that he desired to restrain had once taken over his self-control and initiated a death rampage. It was truly a miracle when a sable-haired miko entered the scene and purified the evil lying within him. Suikotsu was therefore in Kikyou's debt...he owed his life to her...

...but she was selfish and desired more than just his life.

"Hmph, I cannot fall so easily, you should know that." Kikyou closed her eyes, yet reopened them, settling them on the wooden wall opposite her. The hut she was in wasn't lavish or huge in size; it was rather bare and simple. There were only hard wooden floorboards beneath her feet. But she liked it—Doctor Suikotsu's medicinal hut.

It made her feel humble...like a real woman, the wife of a doctor helping him in his daily duties. Only that, obviously, she wasn't his wife. Not yet. She hid a smirk at the thought.

Suikotsu chuckled in response, and Kikyou couldn't help but muse how hearing him laugh made her want to laugh as well. When did she ever show physical signs of amusement of that caliber? Ridiculous! "Your enemies are foolish for thinking of overpowering you! Yet, even so, I still wish you a safe return."

He meant his words...the gleam in his gray eyes was sincere and profound, imbedding itself into her soul, imprinting in her mind for the rest of her life... Kikyou found it difficult to swallow, but grabbed a hold of herself before she lost all self-control. The last thing she needed was to lose her calm, collected composure.

Yet...what if I don't survive this war? There was always the possibility she could lose her life...a second time. Priestesses exerted a vast amount of spiritual energy on the battlefield—a weakly trained one would surely die in a span of ten minutes. I'm a seasoned miko, however; not a whelp. Yup, Kagome was a different story, though...

Well, if Kikyou didn't survive the war, then she would think nothing of it. Only that, she hated leaving behind loose ends. It would be puerile to ignore the sentiments of her human heart, as much as she desired to, and so it was only proper to let the person receiving her silent affections know about her hidden feelings for him.

Suikotsu was kind; he would probably be incapable of rejecting her.

She didn't want his pity—he could shove it where it came from for what she cared. On the other hand, however, she wasn't about to die with regrets. Nope. Her conscience would be clean and her spirit impeccable. And she would perish proudly knowing that she had loved, and therefore had lived.

"Suikotsu, I...I..." Although her thoughts were encouraging and oozing with confidence, they failed to assemble into coherent, comprehensive sentences. The object of her obsessions faced her with bright inquisitive eyes, and the lump lodged in her throat merely increased in diameter. "I..."

Dammit, she couldn't do it! For once, Kikyou was unable to do something simple as say 'I love you!' What harm could there be in confessing her love? A feeling of vulnerability? Knowing that Suikotsu held her fragile heart in her hands to do as he pleased?

"Is something wrong?" Her inability to speak concerned him, apparently. He stopped grinding the herbs altogether and moved to kneel in front of her, his gaze intently bearing into hers. Heh, he even went so far as to cup her frozen hands in his, warming them, smiling when a blush crept on her pale cheeks.

Gods, Kikyou, the almighty miko, was blushing...

"You can tell me anything," Suikotsu began with his disarming smile. "Whatever it is, I will listen. I promise."

Why must you be so kind-hearted? Kikyou lamented in her mind, sighing when she alas failed her mission to speak her mind. You'll be the death of me. It's humiliating, this...this love thing. I'm actually willing to die for a man. When the hell did she evolve from emotionless and cold to hopeless and in love?

"Nothing is wrong." She managed that much—now all she had to do was say the rest! Not happening anytime soon, though... "I-I...I just...wanted to let you know that..." It was coming...she was almost finished! Just a few more words! "...that I...I lo—"

"Hey! Break it up over there!"

I know that annoying voice anywhere. Kikyou inwardly growled and glanced at the entrance to the hut, not the least bit surprised at seeing an arrogant, Arctic silver-eyed dog demon blocking her view. He smirked cockily at her seething glare, and shrugged at the questioning look Suikotsu shot him.

Why was the miko pissed off, no one knew.

"What do you want now, Meimori?" Kikyou said rather bitterly, but bit back her next words. He most likely doesn't know about Kagura yet and how it was completely his fault she was turned into Naraku's slave. Be reasonable, Kikyou. Suikotsu never jumps to conclusions. "I'm busy."

Okay, her alternative wasn't too shabby...

"Geez, don't rip your panties off just 'cause you witnessed my sexiness." The demon god rolled his eyes and stepped further into the hut, staring down at the kneeling pair. "Sorry, I have a tendency to ruin romantic moments—not that I care—but I have things to do so I'm just gonna cut to the chase: I need your help."

"My help?" Kikyou was incredulous! She stood from her kneeling position and glowered at her 'guest', suspicion polishing her eyes until a malicious gleam shown in them. "When do you ever ask for help?"

What is he planning now? Everyone knew that Meimori was dangerous once he actually used his brain to think...

Meimori ran a hand over his face prior to turning to a baffled Suikotsu. "I'm gonna need your help, too. I already got Bankotsu's permission." The human mortal solely nodded in compliance. "Okay peeps, listen up! Mission Save the Day must be carried out—"

"Are you kidding me?" A certain miko was seconds away from laughing her ass off and she never laughed. "You, evil demon god prince, trying to save the day? Ha, I might as well undergo emergency plastic surgery."

"Gods know you need it. Piece of advice: get some ass implants." Suikotsu choked back his laughter with one glare from his companion while Meimori scowled at her lack of support. Modernized immortals, what a drag. Well, she wasn't as bad as Kizurei—now he came up with some weird mortal concepts...like Pokémon... What the hell was that?! "Can you let me finish now?"

"Please go right ahead. I'll make an appointment with my plastic surgeon while you rant like a confused puppy."

"I'm a grown dog demon for your information!"

"You're not even in your prime, little puppy."

"Shut the fuck up!"

"'Shut the fuck up!'"

"What the hell was that?!"

"I was mocking you. Must you always inquire about the obvious?"

"Gods, no wonder you're such a bitch. I thought you were over-fucked and that's why you walk with a stick up your ass, but now I see that you're under-fucked." Meimori shook his head in pity as Kikyou quirked an eyebrow, but she didn't question the demon's lack of cognitive skills.

Poor Suikotsu was too flustered to mutter a word... It wasn't his fault images of the dark-haired, all-too-serious miko in sexual positions while...uh...he... End of sentence.

"Alright, you're wasting my time," Kikyou said, crossing her arms. "What do you want?"

"World domination."

"Answer seriously."

She didn't have a sense of humor! What a horrible woman! "Fine! I need to correct a serious wrong, but I can't do it alone. It involves destroying everything I've worked for, yet the end result will be worth it, I'm sure of it."

"Is that so?" Kikyou couldn't imagine what kind of epiphany Meimori had overnight; she didn't trust his words just yet. Once a conniving dog, always a conniving dog. "Where do I come in?"

The dog demon smirked. "You're going to help me by retrieving the Shikon no Tama."

"Wasn't I already doing that?" Was he stupid or just that ignorant?

No, there's something else he's planning. Kikyou narrowed her gaze and tried to analyze the normal arrogant mask the demon across from her wore on his handsome face. She noted Suikotsu stepping beside her, also cognizant of a mishap in their guest's behavior.

Did Meimori want the Shikon no Tama for himself? Why else would he care if she retrieved it or not? Kikyou was growing wary of him...she had enough of his secret alliances and strong, impulsive actions. Whatever he was planning couldn't be good, especially if he was still Naraku's lap dog.

"No no no, my dear Kikyou!" She glared at him for adding a sarcastic endearment to her name, and he shrugged, ignoring her. "You see, when Inuyasha finds out where the Shikon no Tama is and Kagome hands it to you like a good little girl, you're going to purify it—that's your job, isn't it?"

"Yes," the miko responded apathetically. She couldn't understand where this conversation was leading to. "I must purify it in order for Kagome to be able to use Midoriko's full power."

"And there lies the problem. I don't want you to purify it." The smirk on Meimori's face was devious—not evil, just devious. It was like the expression of a mischievous pup purposely rebelling against his father's orders, delighting in the consequences, in the thrill of the moment... "Why? Because I need to use it."

A demon couldn't use a purified Shikon no Tama...it would purify him as a result.

"And you expect me to allow this?" Kikyou turned to Suikotsu and smiled sarcastically. He met her smile with analytic eyes. "Do you hear this? A demon is asking me, a miko, for the Shikon no Tama as though I'll be glad to hand it to a damned soul working for Naraku."

"It is quite troublesome..." The dark-haired doctor rubbed his chin in thought as Meimori seethed in the background. Why must everyone think the worst of him?! Sheesh! "Listen to him, Kikyou. I think he has no reason to use the jewel for evil."

"How can you say that?" The miko was once again incredulous. "This is a demon! Demon plus Shikon no Tama equals chaos! My task is to prevent the jewel from being tempered with! It's to—"

"Kikyou," Suikotsu interrupted the beginnings of her uncharacteristic tirade before it was too late, "look at him. Meimori radiates confidence and arrogance. He will not use the Shikon no Tama for himself because he does not need power. He desires something completely different."

She contemplated his sagacious words and shifted her gaze to the smug dog demon, who was pleased with Suikotsu's comments. At least one person in this realm believed in him! "Just tell me why you need the jewel, Meimori, and I may rethink my words."

The answer came simply to the demon god and he was glad to reply, along with his trademark smirk, "Well, let's just say that I plan on ending two wars with one jewel and taking the calm before the storm back home with me..."


A/N: END! I got one more hot dog to go! :-D YAY! Meimori wants to save the day! WOOT!

Next chapter: Merf, I still don't know. Sesshoumaru and Rin will get married, Sessh will go through the ascension ceremony, Inu will spill the beans... But what beans? O.O

Sooo...What does Meimori plan to do with the Shikon no Tama? When is Inu gonna be a man and tell Kagome about Yuka's deceivement? Well, did he really leave Yuka and Kags alone in a rainforest? How will Sessh nad Rin's wedding turn out? Will the demon puppets be killed by my dead fish? Where's Papa Seiryuu?

And don't forget about the blood Seiryuu collected from the four soul keepers! DON'T FORGET! I keep telling you guys but the blood daggers haven't been mentioned since chapter eight... :-D

Anyway, REVIEW! THE SPIDER MONKEYS WILL LOVE YOU! :-D