Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Summary:

The funny thing about falling in love is that it's always with someone you least expect and at the most complicated times. Kagome saves Sesshoumaru's life and he feels honour bound to return the debt but it's hard to save someone who doesn't need his help, at least not help in the way he planned.

Sess/Kag

Dedicated to BlackDog616 who wrote a really helpful review. So there is now a Sesshoumaru point of view included in this chapter.

Chapter 3:

Sesshoumaru frowned as the human miko fainted in front of him before she answered his question with a decent answer.

'Pathetic' he thought scathingly. It only took him a second to decide it wouldn't do for him to be caught with this human so he turned to leave. Unfortunately a disturbing image of the dagger about to pierce him in the back but was halted in its movements as the wielder of the dagger was blasted with the miko's purification powers.

Sesshoumaru uncharacteristically cursed and faced the miko again. All he wanted to do was leave this place and recover in peace but his honour demanded he repay the miko who had… saved his life. He bared his fangs at the prone miko. What was it about this meddlesome miko that went entirely against nature? Humans, especially miko's, weren't supposed to aid youkai yet she had travelled with some of them for years and even befriended them. Now she had intruded on a battle among demons he could have easily fought by himself and now he was indebted to her. Curse her. She should have stayed away.

It was true though that he hadn't realized they were duplicated hebi youkai until he felt the miko's aura but noticed he hadn't felt any other change in the auras of the youkai even though anther wave of youkai came through the clearing. No matter, what bothered him more was the fact that the miko's distraction had caused him a shallow cut from the youkai he was fighting. If he were less honourable that miko would no longer be breathing in penance.

Sesshoumaru stood scowling for a moment until he finally masked his emotions. He finally noticed the smell of her blood and roused himself to do something. He approached the miko but only managed a few steps before a barrier repelled him. He narrowed his eyes at the sleeping miko.

'How dare she repel this Sesshoumaru' he seethed. He sharply turned around and stode over to a tree where sat down with one knee raised and glowered at the miko from there. He was going to return the debt quickly and then never see the miko again. A smirk broke through his mask before he suppressed it as he eyed her frail form.

'Repaying the debt with this miko should not be difficult'

The morning sunlight flicked across Kagome's eyelids. Her throat was parched and he body was still very weak. Groaning she sat up and waited for the earth to stop spinning.

'What the hell happened?' she mentally whimpered. Her mind instantly displayed flashbacks of last night as if she were watching a movie.

'That is what happened' another sarcastic voice in her head spoke up.

'Oh no…' Kagome groaned again. That there was one of the main reasons she chose isolation therapy. If she were in her own time she would have checked herself into a mental institution long ago but she didn't dare mention anything in this age. They treated insanity much different and she wanted to keep her head thankyou. Her other 'self' was just another quirk that merging of the Shikon Jewel did to her body. It was by far the most annoying too she usually could use her reiryoku to suppress it but her strength was still coming back to her.

'I don't want to talk to you!'

'I can help you if you'd just listen!'

Kagome shook her head and used some of her reserve energy to block the voice. She was terrified of it. Once she listened to it and let it help, big mistake, she blacked out only to wake up in the middle of nowhere surrounded by youkai corpses slashed to smithereens. She still had nightmares about it.

Groaning again as she stood to her feet she took down the barrier surrounding her to preserve energy. Thank goodness she had learnt how keep a small stash of energy within her to erect barriers in emergency situations. Anyone could've taken advantage of her incapacity if she didn't. Youkai especially were attracted to battlefields… come to think of it there was a severe lack of youkai youki around, usually they're swarming.

Kagome was suspicious there was something not right here. She managed to stumble to a tree and erected a smaller barrier around herself as she closed her eyes.

Meditation was one of the hardest things she had to learn. Not because it was particularly straining at all but she was far to distracted by her own thoughts to actually concentrate. It took her several moments to finally focus and scanned her surroundings with greater power. It was fruitless until she came across something confusing. It was a blank spot in her vision. It wasn't an aura perse it was more like an... anti-aura?

'What on earth?' Kagome scanned that area intently and jumped as she felt it move. It was the most oddest thing ever. It didn't seem threatening towards her though, but just in case she decided just to lock onto it so she could tell where it was within a certain radius. Just to be safe of course… not curiosity as all.

She healed herself slowly with her reiryoku and reclined against the tree trying hard not to move as she recovered. A piece of white caught her vision and she glanced beside her. There alongside of her was a scrap of white material half soaked in blood. Wincing she picked it up and studied it. It was silk and had the faint pattern of a red embroided sakura blossom. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was.

'Hey isn't this part of Sesshoumaru's sleeve?' she thought surprised. She rose frantically and gazed out onto the clearing. The ground was still blood-soaked from the battle but the defeated youkai had disappeared with the controlling hebi youkai girl. There was absolutely nothing alive in the clearing. Sesshoumaru was gone. That didn't sit well with her though.

'That pompous youkai! He just left me!' she huffed. Granted she was pretty safe with the barrier and all he still could have waited and thanked her for helping him.

'Oh yeah… he's Sesshoumaru' she remembered rolling her eyes. Of course he wouldn't have thanked her. No matter she went into the battle to help not to seek praise. She stood up and scouted around for her bow and maybe some loose arrows. She found around five before she gave up.

Suddenly she shivered. The anti-aura was moving again. She hoped that it lost interest in her and decided to move on. It was unnerving to have someone watch her.

She was going to leave when another much different shiver went down her spine. Another aura was coming, a demonic one. She sighed wearily and turned to face the oncoming demon bow in hand with an arrow locked in place. What she wouldn't give for just one day without an attack.

The demon burst into the clearing and scanned the area. Its red eyes rested on her and its large canine fangs were bared. It was covered in bloodied greyish fur and had two black horns protruding from its head.

"Give me your power wench!" it growled threateningly.

"Like hell youkai!" she yelled back, "I suggest you move on before I release this arrow."

"Submit bitch!" it snarled as it moved forward with deadly intent.

"Never!" was Kagome's sharp reply before she released her arrow and it arched through the air to hit the demon straight on the forehead. It was purified instantly. The battle hardly took a minute. It was so... time-wasting having to rid of these youkai. Didn't they realize attacking her was futile?

"What a bother" she sighed as she went to go retrieve her arrow. She shivered again as the anti-aura twitched. She sighed.

'Why me?' She whimpered pitifully. It just wasn't fair.

She was snapped out of her pity party though when sensed some agitation from its general direction before it was suddenly cut off. How curious?

'It must be a living creature then, an unhelpful one too...' she mused. The creature hardly even shifted when that demon attacked. It obviously didn't care much for her. She felt slightly miffed. What did she ever do to it? Kagome raised her nose and stalked off away from the clearing and scowled as she felt the presence trailing behind her. Annoyed she considered yelling at it but decided on a better punishment. She would simply ignore it and be as boring as she possibly could and just maybe it would go away. She smiled evilly. To be extra cruel she might take to singing. Oh yes this thing was going to regret following her.

"I know a song that gets on your nerves, get on your nerves, gets on your nerves…"

Translations:

Youkai- Demon

Hanyou- Half-Demon

Miko- Priestess

Shikon no Tama- Jewel of Four Souls

Reiryoku- Spiritual Power

Youki- Demon Power

Haori- Traditional Japanese shirts

Hakama- Traditional Japanese pants

Sakura- Cherry Blossom

Taijiya- Demon Slayer

Houshi- Monk

Hebi- Snake

Dokuhebi- Poisonous snake

Karasuhebi- Black snake


Thankyou for reading and I hoped you liked it.

Sorry for any spelling mistakes and I hope you review.

Advice welcome.

-Evyira