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DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the gang. I put Sesshoumaru on my Christmas list EVERY FREAKING YEAR… but I still don't own him. I need better friends.

"I need you… to teach me. Teach me how to kill. To get revenge."

He had not anticipated such a request. His always-expressive brows shot up practically past his hairline.

It seems that the miko has well and truly lost her mind.

"Your request comes as quite a surprise to this Sesshoumaru."

She shifted nervously, waiting for him to continue. When she was done fidgeting, she realized that was all she was going to get in the way of response.

"Please, Sesshoumaru." Kagome was begging now. Her voice was almost a whisper. She lowered her head, trying to fight back the tears. She felt defeated. It was almost as if he had already answered in the negative.

"Please. There's nothing else I can do. You know that you're the only one that can really teach me what I need to know. I just… I need to do this one thing. Please. Naraku, he… he took away my life. Please, don't say no."

He was awed by her emotion. He could smell her tears, the sadness pouring off of her. If he said no, she would go out and get herself killed.

But what did it matter to him? So her tears made him uncomfortable. That was no reason to invest time and effort into training a little miko to be something she wasn't supposed to. Miko were supposed to be kind and gentle – not ruthless killers.

She's Inuyasha's wench. I can't just let her run off to her death. To do so would be unacceptable.

He really didn't want to, but his honor was getting in the way again. She was now his charge. What he wanted didn't matter. If protecting her meant teaching her how to kill Naraku, then he had no choice.

Damn half-breed. The whelp is dead. I should no longer be affected by his antics.

"You will cease crying, miko. You lower yourself with these foolish tears." Please just stop crying already.

She sniffled and looked up at him. Into his eyes. Eyes that were so like Inuyasha's, yet so different. She could see so many things written in his eyes, but she couldn't decipher the words. It was as if his soul was written in a different language that she could never comprehend in a million years. Even though she didn't understand it, she thought she could almost see a bit of warmth sparkling in his golden pools.

Then it was gone. The glacial indifference was once again spread all across his face, and she began to doubt that she ever actually saw anything else.

"I have come to a decision."

Her breath caught in her throat as she waited for him to continue. Kagome could feel the knot in her stomach tighten, as if to cushion the blow of defeat that would come when he denied her request.

"I set you this challenge: arrive at the Western Palace within three days time. Your friends may not accompany you. If this Sesshoumaru deems you strong enough, I shall train you. Show any weakness, and my offer is no longer valid.

Your time begins tomorrow at dawn."

With that, he stood and swept out of the clearing, mokomoko trailing behind him. His silver hair gleamed one last time before he was enveloped completely by the darkness of the forest. The demon lord's aura slowly dissipated as he traveled on, away from the stunned miko.

He really just said that. He really, really did.

Kagome had no idea how long she had been sitting there, repeating those words to herself. In her completely gobsmacked state, she had failed to notice her back begin to ache and her joints go stiff. The night grew cold even as the little miko began to cry.

She cried for many reasons. She felt happier than she had since Inuyasha passed.

No. He was murdered. And I finally – finally! – have the means to get my revenge. Maybe Inuyasha will be able to rest in peace. Maybe he'll be able to move on.

Maybe I will too.

There was more than that. In part, she wept for her lost innocence. Kagome knew that she would never be the same. Never before had the pure young woman felt hatred. The hatred she felt for the dark hanyou was staggering, the sheer power of her loathing so immense that at times she felt she would drown in it.

Even still, there was more behind her tears. There was relief. Relief in knowing that, perhaps, things might be okay. Her life wasn't perfect and nothing could make it so, but still, she now had some control and it felt good. It was nice to think that maybe her life might start to go her way. Kagome's fate was no longer wind in the buffalo grass of time. Something had gone right. She had gained an ally and a teacher, in addition to hope – hope that her life could go on after this. She would always miss Inuyasha, but the pain would ease with time.

The miko knew that allowing her hatred to affect her life like this was unwise, but she didn't care. She had to do what she had to do, and once Naraku died at her hands, she could devote her life to, well... something. Something other than grieving for Inuyasha and plotting to rid the earth of a despicable murderer.

This is my one shot. I can do what Sesshoumaru has put out for me to do, and soon I will be done with all of this.

But there was an emotion in her heart that she hadn't anticipated. Alongside Kagome's happiness, relief, and that bit of sadness, was something that she knew she should have expected, yet hadn't.

I'm scared.