A/N: Because I don't like Kikyou, that's why!

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to 'Rumour Has It' lyrics by Adele.

Human Like Me
Rumour Has It

Bless your soul, you got your head in the clouds.
She made a fool of you and, boy, she's bringing you down.
She made your heart melt but you're cold to the core.
Now rumour has it, she ain't got your love anymore.

"So you guys actually have history together?" Kagome repeated, struggling to remain in her awkward position while fits of laughter threatened to topple her over. He never joked, so that meant he was serious, right? For some reason this posed an even bigger problem for the awkwardly balanced miko.

"Indeed." The taiyoukai pursed his lips, as if he tasted something bitter. He hadn't counted on Kagome to find his past... entertaining. He wasn't sure how to handle that.

"What did you do to make her hate you so much?" she questioned, noting that it had taken over an hour to finally feel the blood rush to her head, making her dizzy and faint. She would have to put a halt to this ridiculous training means soon enough, but first she needed to reveal the secret relationship between Azara and Sesshoumaru. She felt a stab of melancholy when she thought of sharing this juicy tidbit with Sango, only to realize the taijiya was centuries away.

Her recent attempts at entering the well had been, sadly, unsuccessfull. Kagome had even tried shoving Sesshoumaru down, in hopes that maybe it would respond. Unfortunately, the miko had to bury all of the sadness within herself at being unable to connect with her friends. She highly doubted Sesshoumaru would sympathize with her.

"I believe rejecting her suit in front of hundreds of family members is a suitable reason to want a feud between myself. Though I do not know why it has escalated to her using the Shikon no Tama."

"Wait a minute!" interrupted Kagome hastily, precariously angled, and close to tipping over. "She proposed to you? And you rejected her?" the laughter that bubbled to her lips was hardly stifled. The demon lord quirked his brow. He certainly did not find anything humourous, as Azara had been quite dejected and hurt. Not that he cared particularly then, nor now.

"I did."

She had to ask. "What was wrong with her?"

From upside-down, his frown looked like a smile. "She is a zealot, meaning to only purchase my property and wealth for selfish means. And she had this strange foot fetish." That last part was almost to himself, Kagome guessed as he probably forgotten her enhanced hearing. He continued, "If I wish to mate, it shall not be over land treaties or money arrangements."

"What a selfish bitch."

His eyes twinkled minutely. "Yes, I suppose that is accurate enough."

"I think I would seek revenge against you if you made fun of me like that," Kagome teased. His face softened but in seconds the expression was replaced once again with indifference.

"Yes, perhaps it is not such a wild excuse for rendering me in such a state." His hand gestured to himself.

For reasons unknown, his admission sent a flurry of butterflies to her stomach. Her mouth reacted before her brain had a chance to filter. "Is it because of what happened between your parents?" whispered the miko, hesitantly, gauging his reaction. Shit! she cursed her loose tongue. Wasn't that subject a bit too intimate to be imploring in?

There was only a sharp intake of breath which gave away his surprise.

"I have never given it much thought," he said carefully, "but I believe that is partially the reason."

Kagome wanted to seize her opportunity to ask him, now that he was in conversational mode. But she didn't want to ask him while standing on her head. She would feel foolish enough as it was. Why all of a sudden this urge to get this over with nagged her, Kagome was certain she'd never really know, so ploughing forward and not hitting the breaks seemed a fool-proof enough strategy. Her friend's beseeching echoes wrung through her ears, reminding her that she would never know until she asked.

"May I sit upright? I'm starting to see stars," she lied convincingly enough.

Sesshoumaru had the gall to look her over, deaming her suitably discomforted, before waving his hand, granting her permission. She would still never understand how standing on her head would enable her to control the flow of youki coursing through her system, but he had been adamant it had been the same training he had received when he had been much younger. He probably just wanted to see her make a fool of herself at any means possible, even to resort to old training methods. Inside, she bristled.

Finally righting herself, she heaved a sigh of relief. She had been holding that pose for far too long. The sinister stir of the youki beneath her flesh continued festering like it normally did, though lately it had begun to feel less overwhelming. Maybe these ridiculous training sessions did mean something?

"You wish to ask me something." Stated the demon lord coolly, regarding her with arresting dark eyes.

Swallowing thickly, Kagome fidgeted in place. "Uh, yes. So, I was talking with my friends this morning, and they seemed to, uh, think that... well, that is, if you want to. I mean, it's not something you'd usually do, and it's not even my idea in the first place…"

"Please spit it out," groaned the taiyoukai. He wished she would mitigate her ramblings more often and get to the point.

Colouring, Kagome plowed ahead. "Well... if you'd like, next Friday if we're still here, would you go to the festival with me?"

Sesshoumaru blinked. Kagome held her breath.

"You wish me to attend a banquet with you? After I had just told you the story of how we have ended up here?"

She squirmed. "Um... yes." Was that a little too weird? Why'd she choose now to spring that question?

The demon lord eyed the miko speculatively. No thanks to his human nose, he had to rely on her subtle facial gestures to gauge her mood. From all her squirming and thumb-twiddling, he had to guess she was... nervous? He never was a great face-reader, and normally relied on a person's scent to help him out. Bereft of such gift, Sesshoumaru began to slowly piece together the complicated puzzle that was Higurashi Kagome.

But really, what could it hurt?

"I shall consider."

The miko's head snapped up. Her eyes found Sesshoumaru's. "What?" she asked succinctly, wanting to kick herself.

Canting his head in annoyance, he sniffed. "I shall consider your offer. But as I have understood," Sesshoumaru continued on, his fist at his side clenching and relaxing rhythmically, "isn't it normal for the male to be asking the female to these activities?"

Kagome smiled sweetly. "Yes, but our situation isn't exactly normal, is it?"

Sesshoumaru paused minutely in thought. "I shall consider." He reiterated, and he strode off in the opposite direction of her.

xXx

Inuyasha was proving to be quite a pill, Miroku mused disdainfully as the hanyou unleashed Tetsusaiga from its sheath and successfully cleared the forest in front of him. Without Kagome to keep him in check, he tended to overreact, lash out, and just act stupid. It wasn't as if the hanyou was keen on listening to him, anyways; Miroku might as well have been a flee on his back. He noticed that Kikyou did nothing to intervene; her impassive, clay face never changed. Kagome would've had Inuyasha sit over a hundred times by now for the stunts he'd gotten away with.

Unfortunately, Inuyasha was not the only one in the group suffering from heart-break. Shippou refused to incorporate himself into much of anything; his worry for his adoptive mother was palpable, even when his face did not betray such raw disparity. Sango often left his cot to weep outside of the hut, quietly, mournfully, though Inuyasha had confided in Miroku that he heard her do this for hours on end. Miroku, himself, longed for the miko's company and unconditional love that brought about the goodness of all their companions. And, if to be a tad truthful, he resented the undead priestess' company with a smidgen of repugnance. She was just... not what they needed, simply put.

But how could this houshi justify to them all that Kagome would surely return to them, though even he himself began to disbelieve his own hope? Through the past thirteen days of her disappearance with the demon lord, his optimism waned; did it really matter if she had, truly, swapped powers with Sesshoumaru?

That was the crux of it—could they take Kikyou's word for it? How were they to know if she were lying? Inuyasha himself had admitted to smelling Sesshoumaru with Kagome at the well before each had involuntarily departed, said that they had passed through. Though the oddest thing was, their scents had changed, altered, taking on a whole new complexity Inuyasha could not quite discern with his half-youkai nose. Shippou had confirmed this notion with a somber nod. Miroku could not rule out the possibility that the demoness who had targeted Kagome had done something else to her. Why would she want to change Kagome into a taiyoukai, anyways?

Heaving a sigh that sapped out the remainder of his patience, Miroku leaned back onto the tree and gazed into the flickering fire.

Sango was bathing alone out in the hot springs nearby with Shippou, as Kikyou remained by the fire, awaiting her turn. It did nothing to soothe the awkwardness festering inside of Inuyasha's gut; it just showed how much everyone resented Kikyou, and accepted Kagome. It hurt him in more ways than one. He had chosen Kikyou, clearly in front of his companions as Naraku had been slain. Inuyasha had not looked at Kagome once declaring his intended betrothal with the undead priestess, who in turn did little to exude happiness, anxiousness, or even a hint of emotion at all. He knew what he would see there in Kagome, the look upon her face that would inevitably unravel him and make him shake off this decision.

Inuyasha had been a deluded; he had looked forward, never checking his peripheral vision, where Kagome had dwelled and waited. He resented himself for that. Why couldn't he right that wrong, though, now that he was looking back on it? Obviously he cared for Kagome a great deal more than he had ever thought he would. Was Sesshoumaru hurting her? Killing her, even? Or was she already dead, cold, lifeless, in her own era, and he had not been there to help, all because he had chosen Kikyou?

As Inyuasha continued his internal discussion with himself, Miroku broke the silence. "How do you believe Sesshoumaru was able to pass through the well?"

The question startled the hanyou minutely. "I dunno."

"I may have an explanation," opined Kikyou, stoic as ever. Miroku pursed his lips, gestured for her to continue. "I believe that Sesshoumaru, in his own right, is a powerful demon that is able to pass through. Inuyasha is but a half-demon, yet he can pass through, as well. Have any other demons actually ever attempted to gain passage down the well?"

A taut silence fell over them, before both males shook their heads. As far as any of them were concerned, the only reason demons were sent down the well was for post-battle clean up.

"Precisely," Kikyou affirmed.

"Though, if what you're saying is true," mulled Miroku, marshalling his thoughts properly, "he would have been human when they fell through, correct? What say you to that, Kikyou?"

The priestess allowed a fleeting trace of emotion to cross her features; puzzlement twisted her pale lips into a grimace, and her chocolate eyes tersely flickered. Then, as if nothing had occurred, her face smoothed back into its usual complacent mask. "Fair point well made houshi-san."

"We have already been through the reason as to why he wouldn't have gained Kagome's miko powers," Inuyasha muttered from the corner, eager to put some input into the conversation.

"Yes, because we think that she is not able to transfer powers reincarnated to her. Sesshoumaru would have to be another reincarnation for that to happen. And even then we're not entirely sure that is what's happened." Miroku relayed to the elder priestess. Kikyou nodded her head. "So that means he wouldn't be a priestess—or priest." He remained tight-lipped for another minute before plunging ahead. "Would it be a safe assumption to make to believe that, possibly, they share some sort of link?"

"A link?" scoffed the hanyou.

"Not impossible," intoned Kikyou.

"It would make sense; the demoness couldn't possibly have intended for Sesshoumaru's youkai powers to end up with Kagome. Perhaps not all of it has transferred to her?"

"What basis has you to state that claim, monk?"

Miroku eyed Kikyou, not taking particular liking to the undertones in her seemingly harmless question. "It's just a speculation, Kikyou-san. Many instances have transpired that have yet to make sense. I am merely ruling out aspects of these events, as to limit the amount of surprise we will face when they return."

"You do not question that they will possibly not return?"

"I fully believe they will come back."

Kikyou alarmed them by actually guffawing. "Your hope is foolish."

"How could you say that, Kikyou?"

The miko slanted her gaze to her future husband. How could he so dense at times?

"Do you truly wish to know my thoughts, Inuyasha?" This was his chance to accept her taunt and ask, though he was silent, unable to articulate the proper words in his mind. The elder miko took his nonresponsive as a yes. "I believe Sesshoumaru-sama has already killed her, and that—"

"How could you say that?"

Shippou and Sango, who had been returning from their bath, froze in place. The air seemed to have lost its warmth; Miroku felt a chill slowly run down the length of his spine. Inuyasha was the pinnacle of rage, simmering beside the fire and emitting his own type of heat from bristling. Kikyou remained unaffected by the hanyou's display of anger; she seemed almost amused.

"Very easily," she replied smoothly, never taking her eyes off of his quivering form, which had begun to slowly relax. His eyes were obscured from view, though Sango would guarantee that they shined a bloodthirsty red.

Inuyasha abruptly stood and turned, briskly walking away into the woods, where he launched himself onto the nearest branch. A taut silence hung over the remaining, broken only by Shippou's soft keening, which he failed to hide.

The houshi settled himself beside his fiancée and coolly glanced at Kikyou, wondering what was going through her head, if anything at all. How she could be so distant when she knew that her future hung in the balance with Inuyasha? Did she truly not wish to fulfill the one thing both had been hoping for, for over fifty years?

Sango shifted in her place, alerting the houshi and priestess. Clearing her throat, the taijiya began, "I've been thinking a little, and... it's about the demoness reasoning for turning Sesshoumaru human." Now she had their full attention, though it hardly did anything to quash the nervous flutter in her stomach. "Maybe Sesshoumaru wronged her before? And the only way she thought she could make any revenge was through the Jewel. That would explain how she found Kagome."

"But what of the wish?" Kikyou was regarding her closely now. Sango felt unnerved.

"I was thinking of that, too... maybe she wished for something, and worded it wrong?"

"Or," Miroku supplied, "maybe she never got to complete her wish."

Another silent moment hung between them. Shippou spoke up, weary of the priestess who was now watching him, "Like... she was going to make a wish, but got cut off? So the Jewel thought it was her actual wish?"

"Precisely," Miroku affirmed.

"You sound quite sure of this notion as well." Kikyou broke in again.

"I am merely following less outrageous routes, and finding the one that proves feasible."

"Even if what you say is true; there still is no guarantee that Kagome is alive."

"Oh, there isn't?" challenged the monk, feeling emboldened by his pent-up hatred of the dead priestess. He had enough of her as it was lately, and the fact that she had sent even Inuyasha running with his tail between his legs did little to help reign in his amounting petulance. "I figure that if Kagome were killed by Sesshoumaru's hand, the power would not return to him; in fact, it would travel to the demoness who originally made the wish. I'm sure we would have heard of any activity by her hand if the case was true, Kikyou-san. Not to mention I am quite certain that her death would ripple through to this timeline and effect Inuyasha." And with a flourish he rose from his spot and brought Sango along, giving Shippou a beckoning glance before the trio left the fire and the miko who glared at them hatefully from narrowed eyes.

xXx

Inuyasha returned that night after sorting through his thoughts, which contained more of Sesshoumaru than he cared to have. Kikyou was among those thoughts, a dying brightness in his mind's eye. Would he ever accept that she was, in fact, just a replica of her old self? That many things had not been passed through to this life, things that Kagome's soul could not have held? Inuyasha didn't know; he was too malaise for any more deep, soul-searching thinking.

He found the camp-site in which he had left his friends, coming across only Kikyou, who appeared piqued and trembling with anger. Where had the others gone? Should he even ask what had transpired since he had taken off?

Suddenly, the hanyou felt ashamed and embarrassed in her presence; he had, after all, left quite rudely. It wasn't as if he'd said anything spiteful, though it was, in fact, the opposite of what had happened. He still could not wrap his head around how... unemotional she had been while stating in which state Kagome might be found in. Though he had time to think things through, and he had drawn upon the same conclusion as Miroku had in regards to Kagome's health. If she had died, he would have bet his entire life that the power would return to the demoness, and not Sesshoumaru. He would find out later that their stories corresponded, and that there must be some truth to it, but then he had to deal with Kikyou.

Perhaps he should confront the dispute they had when he returned. Kikyou might have a reason as to why she was so blunt about her opinions, maybe something neither of them had considered. Deep down the hanyou knew that he was trying to cover for her. He understood her resentment toward Kagome would probably never be resigned. This brought a swell of pain beneath his chest as he approached the elder miko.

"Hey," he muttered, sitting beside her, poking at the fire idly.

"Your friends have given me much to think about."

Inuyasha's ears flattened on his head. "They could be your friends, too." His eyes met hers, so dark, cold... void. How could someone be so bleak, so expressionless?

True, he had many troubles with making friends who actually cared about him, but Kikyou didn't even seem to be trying to make peace with Sango, Miroku, and Shippou. Kagome had been the deciding factor in his life, the one who opened up those doors to others that eventually he came around to accepting. Why couldn't Kikyou take the opportunity he was trying to give her?

Inuyasha felt his heart give a lurch in his chest. Was he rethinking his proposal? They were already half-way through it, to back out now... he swallowed uneasily, waiting for her reply.

Kikyou was also studying her soon-to-be mate. She deduced that something was troubling her hanyou, and she had a suspicion that it revolved around her. What on earth had upset him? "I do not wish for friends." She said, looking away from him. "I have you, and that is all I need."

Inuyasha squirmed, shocked and a little embarrassed by her outright claim. At least he knew what she thought of him, of them. "That's fine by me. What did they tell you?"

"The houshi believes that the demon responsible had made an unfinished wish."

"What?" he could not mask the surprise on his face. "You mean... that was an accident?"

Kikyou shrugged. "It appears as such. It would not make sense for the youkai to not make a selfish wish on herself."

"Yeah."

Inuyasha's mouth opened to finally ask what had been hanging in his mind for hours, when a sinister energy crossed overhead, causing his flesh to break out in goose bumps. Youki, he thought bitterly, standing to his full height and thumbing Tetsusaiga at his side. And not just any youki—it's Azara.

"Inuyasha." Kikyou gathered her bow and arrows and prepared to retrieve her companions, while the hanyou attempted to locate the source of the niggling energy in the air. They summoned their friends quickly, each of them rushing toward the outskirts of the village.

An influx of youki inundated their camping space, so pungent that it held them down with its power. Inuyasha wiped the grit off his hands and scanned the area, locating the source of the youki easily enough. The pillar of the shining manifestation was pretty difficult to miss, and within its pinnacle stood the demoness that they were searching for. Her hair, fiery and swirling in a deadly tempest, shrouded a partial amount of her face that was set in a snarl.

It took a moment for the gang to realize that her target was not them; they had been placed within the center of a battle. To their right a stout demon with an imp face charged at the demoness almost in frenzy. Her hand batted the inferior youkai deftly with a rush of her youki, hurtling its body to the other side of the clearing in one swipe.

Her gaze fixed upon the Jewel hunters. Her nose scented the air, picking up the trace of the hanyou who had pursued him some days ago while she battled with Sesshoumaru and the fumbling younger miko. Azara had not hoped to have another run in with him, but as it seemed she might require his assistance after all.

Her claws flexed experimentally at her side, testing the tell-tale power that lingered beneath her skin. She had been given a fraction of Sesshoumaru's awesome power when it had split and embodied the miko, and never had she felt anything quite like its raw fury. It was only a marginal amount, but it empowered her very being and granted her a new advantage. Now it was time to test this new power against someone who would not die easily enough. And why not have a bit of fun with it as well?

"What're you doing here?" brayed the hanyou, deftly removing his sword from its scabbard. He aimed the tip straight for Azara's head. The wind whipped around in his direction, casting down two semi-familiar scents. His nose twitched. "What're you doing with Rin and Jaken?"

Azara canted her head in amusement. "So you've finally noticed? Well, I figured that if Sesshoumaru were to return at all, I'd want to keep his wards as part of my plan. The kappa thought summoning a weak imp demon would hold me at bay, but they have no idea what has happened."

While Inuyasha continued to chew the demoness out, Sango and Miroku hustled around him and into the forest, following the scant trail of youki emanating from behind Azara, where she was undoubtedly holding Rin and Jaken hostage. Their movements ceased when they came upon Sesshoumaru's wards, encased in a strong barrier and comatose.

"I'll try to dispel the barrier, cover for me, Sango."

"Right."

Azara regarded Inuyasha intently. He was but a hanyou, though with her enhanced senses she could tell that brimming underneath of his human nature waited a beast much like Sesshoumaru's. How would she unleash this beast, though? Was there even a way? Waving his sword about on the ground, Inuyasha looked like a fool to Azara, who did not so much as flinch. She recognized the legends of the sword that brought down over a hundred demons in a single stroke. What did it matter, when she wielded a portion of his brother's destructive power, which had been able to stop Tetsusaiga in the past? There wasn't a chance that it would hurt her.

Gnashing his fangs together while trying to distract the demoness from Sango and Miroku's mission, the hanyou brandished Tetsusaiga threateningly, allowing his pent-up, turbulent emotions from days of thinking of Kagome's situation govern his mind and steer his movements. With a forward leap, he brought the sword high above his head with one hand and sent a massive lightning chain undulating toward Azara, arcing upwards into the sky.

Swiftly she avoided, parried with her battle axe, while channeling Sesshoumaru's coveted power into her core, up through the muscles and nerves in her arms to the pique of the blade. A stronger, more frenzied attack unleashed, seemingly faster than sound, that ripped chasms into the earth. Inuyasha dodged out of the way with much difficulty. As the earth sifted and slid, he struggled for purchase. A clawed hand caught a large rock, he pushed himself up, smelt the tingle of power coming from the demoness, pushed -

Kirara caught him by his kimono sleeve while launching into the air, narrowly escaping the bolt of power striking the spot Inuyasha had been not five seconds ago. The hanyou released a tense breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, his claws finding the fire-cat's coarse fur and stroking it.

"Thank you, Kirara," he said, gasping. The fire-cat growled in response whilst banking in the air sharply to the left and ploughing straight for the demoness.

Smelling the wind flowing and gyrating against his blade, Inuyasha found the vortex and struck. Azara, who had not anticipated the quick retaliation from the hanyou, brought the flat surface of her axe in front of her body as a shield, enduring the attack while summoning her youki to create a barrier to cushion the impact. Too late, her shield rose while traces of the Wind Scar bit through her skin and singed her hair, filling the atmosphere with the stench of charred hair and burnt flesh.

As flashing crimson, Azara intended to use the full litany of her powers.

Miroku stabbed, and stabbed, and stabbed, but the barrier refused to dwindle even a touch. Why isn't my staff working? he thought, chagrined as Sango tried not to show the worry through her hazel eyes.

"Is it not made of shouki?" the taijiya implored, eyes trained on the battle Inuyasha and her fire-cat were engaging in. Her brows drew together as her lips pursed, worry marring her features. If Kagome were here she could have easily defeated Azara with Sesshoumaru's power, Sango thought, finding that her chest ached in a queer way. If Kagome were still a priestess the barrier would've been dispelled, too. She wished her friend was battling beside them, not trapped in a foreign world, far out of their reach.

Miroku concentrated, honing in on his holy powers and channeling it at the top of his staff until it threatened to explode. He brought it down once more in hacking motion toward the barrier, barely grazing the surface, once more sending a small jolt of electric current through his nerves and muscles. Dammit, I can't break through!

"Houshi-san,"

Said houshi's head swiveled ninety degrees to find where the source of the detached greeting came from. Kikyou hovered at the tree line, appearing slightly perturbed, if he was guessing correctly. "Let me assist." She offered, gliding toward where he perched on the grass and to the barrier, where Rin and Jaken remained untouched and not bothered by the world.

Raising her pale hands before her, the sparkle of purity flickered and caught like a red flame. The moment her fingers probed the barrier it dissipated, falling around the victims like a curtain of evil energy. A sigh escaped both Miroku and Sango's lips; they moved into action, retrieving the kappa and child to bring them to a safe location.

Kikyou rose regally from her spot, interested to discover that her agitation had yet to abate. She'd been closely monitoring Azara from afar as Inuyasha battled, wondering when she would reveal the Shikon no Tama as expected. To Kikyou's confusion she did not possess it, which lead the undead priestess to ponder where, exactly, it could be.

As Kikyou had made her way toward the demon slayer and monk, a thought occurred to her; Azara could very well have been bargaining for the Jewel in the first place, taking hostage Sesshoumaru's retainers in exchange, only to be distracted of her purpose of Inuyasha. Perhaps the demoness believed it to be in their possession. She made the decision to wait until the fight subsided long enough to interrogate the demoness of her intentions, and confirm her suspicions.

What a surprise Azara will be in when she realizes the Shikon no Tama is not in our hands, she thought, stepping out of the forest and into the clearing, where she noticed Sango and Miroku fighting alongside Inuyasha as they overwhelmed Azara. She had to put a stop to this and find out what the demoness knew before they drove her off.

Sango had instructed Kirara to watch over Sesshoumaru's wards as she rejoined the fight with Inuyasha, Miroku shortly behind. Inuyasha seemed to be the only one able to inflict a measured amount of damage upon the demoness compared to the rest of them, but their combined strength aided in Azara's defeat as she had to keep tabs on not one, but three adversaries.

Sango's Hiraikotsu swung out of her hand and flew through the air, clipping Azara's shoulder and sending her plummeting down to the earth, where the Wind Scar swallowed a partial amount of her lower body, singing her flesh down through the muscle tissue. A strangled cry escaped her throat.

"I'm gonna give the final blow!" roared Inuyasha, prepping Tetsusaiga behind him for another lightning attack. His feet dug into the soft earth, anchoring, his shoulder muscles bunching as he raised his sword high in the air. The smell of the clashing winds reached his nostrils and that was all the readying he needed; a powerful bellow from his diaphragm pierced the air, but was prematurely stopped when his golden eyes caught sight of Kikyou standing before Azara's supine body. He fumbled to redirect his attack, narrowly missing the two women as it barrelled past them and desecrating the forest behind them.

Inuyasha's tongue felt like lead. "K-Kik...you?"

"Enough, Inuyasha." The priestess ordered.

The silence was deafening. Why? Inuyasha queried. Why was Kikyou halting their battle? Didn't she realize that Azara was an enemy needed to be eliminated?

Sango's eyes slanted toward her hanyou companion. If he decided to warrant Kikyou's attention there was a possibility the demoness could escape. What were her motives? Swivelling her head she caught Miroku's steady gaze already locked onto hers, telepathically allowing her to know he was curious, too. The demon slayer and monk lowered their weapons, giving Inuyasha the benefit of the doubt.

Kikyou spoke. "Do not be brash and mete out the problem," she allayed, hinting at Azara. "She does not possess the Jewel. As well, you may harm Kagome."

Why the sudden concern? Miroku wished to ask, though he developed a sudden case of cotton-mouth.

"You don't have it?" cried Azara, struggling to remain upright despite the severe burns all through her lower body.

"No," Kikyou stared blandly at her.

Azara moaned. "Then-where?"

Kikyou approached her future mate with almost smug amusement, which he observed carefully. "Let her go. Her wounds are severe enough that she should not trouble us for a time. Now is not the time to eliminate her."

Bristling, Inuyasha re-sheathed Tetsusaiga, baring his fangs toward his enemy. "We can't just let her go!"

"What do you propose, then, Inuyasha? Should we truss her up and keep her captive?"

"M-maybe!" he barked, finding his argument crumbling beneath his feet.

Miroku stepped up beside them. "She has a point-keeping her with us would prove risky. Allowing her to flee so that we may convene and think of other options is more important." He turned to Azara. "We will allow you this pardon, only once." And like a green mist, Azara dissolved and faded into the air, taking her vile energy with her.

Like a tightly coiled rope, the cord snapped and recoiled through the group, causing their anxious emotions to turn tumultuous.

"Fuck!" raged Inuyasha, stabbing his talons into the palms of his hands until blood was drawn, where he violently lashed out to turn his Iron-revear Soul Stealer attack into crimson half-moon blades. The effect skimmed the tops of several trees in the forest, and several more, as he continued his outrageous assault, decimating the forest.

Miroku's heart leapt in his throat as his eyes wantonly searched for the priestess. Kikyou stood passively to the side, watching with neither a look of intrigue or worry, at her distressed hanyou. This was also noted by the demon slayer, who fought to find her voice and confront the undead miko so that she may intercede their friend's violent actions.

It was Miroku who found himself first. Approaching the miko with both confidence and a slight smidgen of fear (to which he was resigned to admit) he began talking. "He's just going to keep going-you should seek him out and control him before he hurts more than just the forestry and wildlife." His tongue felt like a leaden weight in his mouth; his hands were clammy, his muscles twitching. Why was it such a huge deal to talk to Kikyou this way?

Dead, opaque eyes slowly shifted his way, and he found himself oddly trapped in their void, only to shake off the intensity in less than a second later. "I do not control him, and neither he controls me. If he wishes to use his anger in this destructive manner, it is none of my consequence."

"You're disgusting," whispered the monk so that only he could hear. This time his voice was easily carried on the stirring winds. "You can't just let Inuyasha rage like this. It's detrimental to his health. If Kagome was—"

"If she what?" snapped the undead priestess, unleashing the full litany of her emotionless glare unto the monk. "If Kagome was here she'd cajole him, coddle him, and thus make a thicker layer of weakness.

"Demons are different than humans. Giving him the same treatment will have wayward consequences. The best way for him to cope is to let him do as comes naturally of his heritage."

Sango stepped up beside her fiancée, not oblivious to the noises of thunder that was caused by Inuyasha's anger. "You can't just do nothing," she reasoned through gritted teeth. "Come on, Miroku, we'll go knock sense into him."

"I'd advise otherwise." She hummed into the wind, which ultimately fell on deaf ears as Miroku and Sango sprang into action to aid their troubled friend.

Just remember—he's more afraid of me than I am of him.

Thought absolutely no one ever when faced with the reality of having to battle Sesshoumaru, the Prince of the Western Lands, the most powerful demon in all of Sengoku Jidai. Kagome could hardly believe her stroke of misfortune.

Her day had begun discovering that the hot water to her lovely morning shower had run out due to its previous occupant, Sesshoumaru, who indulgently spent over twenty minutes doing Kagome only knew what. All in all, that hadn't been too bad.

Getting to school late was another problem—resorting to flying high above the streets of Tokyo with Sesshoumaru in tow was simply humiliating. What assuaged Kagome's worry about being in the air during the daylight was the notion that humans rarely ever tended to look above these days, having no desire to see any higher than the top of their heads. Kagome knew for a fact the same principles did not apply in the Sengoku Jidai, as most things that flew in that era were blood-sucking demons. So she thanked humanity's ignorance, just this once.

Kagome had found a hair in her apple pie that afternoon. Her hopes for the rest of the day to be unproblematic plummeted steeply.

Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi pestered her more about the festival and her impending date with the demon lord also; the fire brimming beneath Kagome's skin festered and grew, seemingly in response to her ever-growing stress levels. It took a considerable length of time to finally shove those worries away after getting harassed, though the feeling would be short lived.

To add injury to insult, her kendo class demanded to be tested. They had been in the practice of basic katas along with the same five attack postures and defense postures for weeks, which fuelled the students' frustration over the repetitiveness. They wanted an actual challenge, a test—not every teenager willingly requested for a test, and Kagome thought them all nuts. Who would want to spar against Sesshoumaru?

But here she was, standing uneasily in the short line of her peers who stepped up to the demon lord, trying to convince him that their skills were far superior than the others, only to land square on their rump not moments later. Her hands trembled as they wrung themselves until her knuckles cracked.

Hoishimaru had just been knocked out of the sparring square and almost into the wooden bleachers, nearly taking out some of the other students. Sesshoumaru poised regally in the middle of the sparring square, bamboo sword casually resting on the crest of his hip with an expression of smugness—or as close as he could get to looking smug.

He had not refused them this test. Oddly enough, seemed encouraging of it, that tipped Kagome off that he was planning something. As to what that something was she'd never fully be sure until their test was over, though she continued to be wary and observing of his behaviour from henceforth.

Another suicidal contestant stepped up to the plate, boldly ending the bow that should have lasted until the kendo instructor rose first. Sesshoumaru's eyes slanted narrowly into tiny slits, worrying Kagome who noticed the slight shift in his scent that meant he was certainly not impressed, and would not deem himself satisfied until the problem was quashed. She felt sorry for the student.

Unfortunately for the student, who the miko recalled to be Yaganami, he would learn very quickly not to cross Sesshoumaru.

"I'll prove that I'm much stronger!" cried Yaganami, brandishing his sword in what he thought to be intimidating.

The demon prince barely batted an eyelash. He'd heard the same dumb thing uttered from the majority of his students so far, and it displeased him to see that neither had grasped the first lesson he had taught. Sesshoumaru did not like it when he was displeased; in fact, he enjoyed being pleased. Under normal circumstances he fashioned his life around things that pleased him, and eliminated things that did not. If he were nothing but a man who kept his honour and dealt punishment to those who opposed and/or disrespected him, he would have turned tail and left the hopeless pupils of his long ago.

Inuyasha was the perfect example when Sesshoumaru thought of disappointment. His little brother sullied their father's impressive reputation, which in turn soiled the demon prince's status. He would ensure, if he were to stay longer in this time as planned, that none of these students would grow to disrespect their family's honour in such a way.

Yaganami was flat on his back in less than ten seconds, staggering first to the perimeter of the square, only to lose his balance and crumple to the ground, clutching in agony at his abdomen. Sesshoumaru had been swift and merciful; dealing only a quick and true strike to the boy's stomach, he effectively dispatched of his arrogance without dealing severe damage.

His burnished brown eyes, set alight with the notion of a challenge when spotting Kagome, the last in his line of students, worrying the hem of her clothes in her talons and glancing everywhere but at himself. She witnessed as Yaganami was escorted to the nurse, though she felt a strange sense of detachment toward it. Challenging Sesshoumaru openly had its consequences, and if anyone understood more of the actual gravity he possessed when in battle, it was Kagome.

Swallowing a thick lump in her throat, she accepted her light armour and bamboo sword, entering the arena with an unsteady gait. All of her peers entered, and none of them had been victorious in passing his test. All that was required was that they demonstrated the basic skills of kendo through a small fight with their instructor, though that had quickly been misconstrued as a popularity and strength contest. She would not rise to that behaviour; in all honesty, she wanted nothing more than to not fight him.

Her hands wrung the material of her fake sword. Sesshoumaru was looking at her like a cat would a mouse, which unnerved her. She had fought him before in the courtyard of her home; they had trained together, so she knew that he was as good as his reputation, though it still struck her as wrong.

Each time, through and through, he knew she was progressing and learning. Why did she have to fight him? It made no sense. Though everyone else had done it, she would look wimpy if she simply brushed it off.

When he spoke, she visibly started, eyes finding his. "Are you prepared?"

"I don't want to fight," the words left her mouth before she could reconsider them. Damn, she sounded like a pansy!

His head tilt caused a small amount of his hair to fall across his brow. "Why not?" he queried, honestly curious. This miko continued to surprise him.

"Because I'm not ready!" she said sternly, glad that her voice was steady and sure despite her being unresolved.

Sesshoumaru somewhat failed to grasp her understanding. She clearly understood her basic kendo principles and had even used them against him in countless practices, why was she deciding now that she was not prepared for such a test? The others clearly deemed themselves far past the point of what he had taught, why hadn't she fallen for that deception?

"You are not ready?" he echoed, finding that his lips upturned at the corners slightly. He was amused. Which certainly felt better than being displeased. "Why will you not fight me, Kagome-san?" he questioned, attempting to convey as much curiosity through his stare as possible.

The miko fumbled and lowered her sword, eyes downcast in embarrassment. "I know I've learnt the basics," she said. "But I'm not ready to be tested, because there's still so much more to know than what we've been taught already. I... I sort of think that it was unprecedented." She mostly whispered the last part to him, though the rest of her statement had been heard.

The demon and the miko held each other's gaze for a beat, before Sesshoumaru spoke again. "What is it you're trying to tell me exactly?" he coerced softly, hoping to emit the answer he hoped she'd give him.

Her shoulders slumped, her topaz eyes downcast. "I can't fight you. I won't win. I'm not ready."

And that was it; Sesshoumaru shrugged out of his armour and placed his sword in the rack, gesturing for everyone to meet in a group before the bleachers. Kagome huddled close to the back, embarrassed to have the eyes of her peers on her as she knew what she'd see there—bewilderment, confusion, maybe even a bit of revulsion because she had refused to fight, because she was cowardly, because no matter how many times she tried she could never save her friends on her own—

Sesshoumaru's voice broke through the cacophony of voices, silencing them instantly. Each student was geared up to know whether or not they had passed the test, so the next few words had one or two kneeling from the enormity.

"You have all failed."

Kagome felt his words like ice running down her spine.

"All except one of you,"

Which did not fail to make the group gasp, and Kagome to look expectantly within the taiyoukai's mischievous eyes. What was he doing?

"Only one has managed to remember my lessons. Higurashi Kagome," she took an enormous breath of air, releasing it fully when he continued, "you have passed."