InuYasha had never been more livid.

His feet hit the side of the colossal tree with a deep 'thump' before the satisfying noise of splitting wood filled the air. The thick splinters of wood creaked as the tree descended to the ground, shaking the earth underneath. He roared as he flung himself at the dead tree, tearing huge chucks out of the wood for no reason at all. Breathing heavily, he used his twitching hands and arms to throw the useless bark in whatever direction he chose. After he was satisfied with his destruction of one thing, he moved onto something else. His hands and feet were covered in bloody cuts while his arms and legs were tired and sore. His throat hurt from all the screaming and his heels ached steadily as he ran and ran through the forests he knew so well. He picked up a boulder with his left arm and threw it onto a hill, causing a mini-landslide, then, onto more trees.

Boom

Boom

Boom

They were dropping like flies, and he wasn't anywhere near being calm. He started running, not in any particular direction, and it helped some. The wind beat on his cheeks and weaved into his hair; the never-ending flow of silent tears became ice on his face. A small part of him wanted to fell exhilarated; this was the most demonic he'd ever felt. But the rest of him was overtaken by a powerful mixture of terrible shame and unbearable guilt. He sprinted in all directions, going on and on until he could barely breathe. He eventually came across a tree, a very tall one at that, and he leapt into the air to rest on the tallest branch.

He let the back of his head hit the trunk with a huff. His eyes were shut, his mouth open just slightly to allow him small, quick breaths. A ghastly image of Kagome sobbing his name while she was bleeding - bleeding everywhere, filled his mind. He gasped and opened his eyes; furious, scared, and repulsed all at once. Ever since he had returned to the feudal era, dark flashes of the night before had manifested themselves in his mind, and he gradually was able to remember exactly what he had done to her. He fought back the urge to gag, and rose from his branch to jump to another higher tree, and sat.

He looked out onto the horizon, out onto the beautiful trees and hillside of Japan, remembering all the faraway places he had travelled, Kagome always in tow, either on his back, or right there next to him. He realized that he wouldn't be sitting here if it hadn't been for her. She broke the bondage spell that had him tied to that damned tree. He owed her everything. He owed her his life. And he had almost taken hers away. He sighed, looking out at the beautiful horizon, knowing that none of it was as beautiful as her face. He thought and thought, and then he grasped something.

"I loved her." He breathed after a few minutes, astonished at his own honesty.

"I raped the woman I . . ." He mumbled to himself, his face paling even further. He brought his knees to his chest and tried to breathe normally.

His tears were endless, making his shoulders shake. He knew he couldn't ever see her again. There was no way; it wasn't good for her to come to the feudal era in the first place. She would be safest and happiest in her world, far away from a monster like him. He figured he deserved death, but realized that dying would be much easier than staying alive to suffer, so he remained living. That way he would exist, suffer, and eventually die; all while dreaming of her precious face, he decided. It was what he deserved.

He jumped down from the tree directly onto the ground and into a crouched position. He arose, his brows furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line; his face was stone-cold. His ears twitched to the left as the wind picked up. After sniffing the air, he knew what he was going to do next. It was time to visit the ruler of the Eastern Lands.

He had a few questions for that piece-of-shit brother of his.

Kagome climbed out of the well in a frenzy, nearly tripping herself over the edge as she stepped on the ground. She regained her balance and scanned everywhere around her, looking for any trace of InuYasha at all. She couldn't spot anything that lead to him, so she jogged a little further into the woods, each step nearly killing her leg.

"InuYasha! Where are you?" She called.

No one answered. She grunted in pain, feeling a little bit of blood leak out of the wound and ooze down her leg. She would have to take it easy; there weren't any wheelchairs in the feudal era. She walked further into the forest, stepping over fallen tree trunks and scaring small animals as she went. She searched trees above her head, frowning when she didn't see his red outfit amongst the lush green leaves. Every so often she would call out to him so that he would come back to her. She could feel dread, regret, guilt, all building up inside her as she looked. She walked and walked, taking a short break every time her leg began to ache.

"INUYASHA!"

She screamed, getting more worried every second she couldn't find him. She kept her eyes and ears peeled as she kept walking. Hours passed by, and the noon sun had darkened to a warm evening sun now, and it wasn't nearly as hot as it had been when she had arrived. She slowed to a stop, unable to ignore the aching throb on the inside of her thigh any longer. She sat down on a rock, right leg outstretched. She felt blood flowing out of it, nearly reaching her knee now. She huffed angrily, and pulled up the dress she had put on. She gasped when she looked; the wound was turning colors! She twisted her neck to look closer and sure enough, a bright purple color had formed along the outside edges of the wound. She put her hand over her mouth, staring off into the distance. This wound was strange and very different from any others from the night before. The others had faded into a dull ache that she could push to the back of her mind, but this one . . . this one worried her. She sighed and leaned back onto a tree, pressing her pale fingers to her temples, rubbing slowly. She was more tired than she thought she had been, her eyes closed on their own accord and before she knew it she was sleeping lightly.

She awoke to a strange feeling against her calf. She groggily rubbed at her eyes, looked down at her feet and jumped backwards. There was some gigantic black furry thing brushing past her. She let out a yelp before scooting herself to the top of the rock, her knees almost touching her nose. Once her eyes had adjusted, she realized that it was a dog, and a very pretty one at that. The silly thing was looking up at her with a happy grin, its tongue hanging out of his mouth. She eyed it warily for a minute before deciding that it wasn't rabid. It was a large Labrador, or something along those lines, with very beautiful black fur that curled at the ends. It had nice white teeth and healthy looking eyes and feet. It didn't look like a dog that would live here in the forests; it probably had an owner. She wondered how far away from home it was. She sighed and slid down the rock to scratch its furry head.

"You scared me! You big dummy."

The dog panted happily and closed its brown eyes. She smiled; it certainly reminded her of someone. The only difference was that his white ears perked up, and this dog's hung down. Her smile faded, and she stopped scratching it to stroke the back of its head, while terrible thoughts invaded her own. She shook her head to clear them away. She moved he hand to scratch under the dog's chin, and realized she didn't know if it was a boy or a girl. She craned her neck to see and was happy to find out it was a girl. She smiled at the dog, and it smiled back even bigger. She pulled her dress back down over her thighs then pushed herself up off of the jagged rock. She looked up at the sky and noted that the sun had now made its way behind the trees and was now burning a deep shade of magenta. Here, dusk meant danger, and she knew that without InuYasha or her bow and arrows to protect her - and a bum leg - she may as well have been holding up a sign that said 'eat me'. She looked back at her new friend and decided that she was very fortunate to have her there.

She walked towards an open clearing and felt a refreshing breeze cool the skin on her shoulders as she breathed in the summer air. She could smell smoke from the village close by, and looked in the direction from which she came. She figured the best thing to do right now would be to find Kaede; she would know how to treat a wound like this. She stood up and walked about half a mile to the village she had come across on her very first trip to the feudal era, the dog following her the whole way. She walked past a few familiar huts and villagers, and made her way to the shrine in the very center of the community. When she put her bitten leg on the first step of the stairs the wound began to burn. Wincing, she shoved back the ornamental beads hanging at the entrance and meekly poked her head inside. The dog stayed behind, sniffing around the ground and wagging its tail. The front room was empty except for a small mat and table, so she continued forward to the second set of hanging beads, her leg throbbing worse and worse with every step she took. She shoved them aside and saw Lady Kaede sitting on her knees with her head bowed in front of what looked like a bowl of crushed leaves and petals. Kagome opened her mouth to speak and realized quickly that the priestess was praying very deeply. She began to duck her head back and wait for her to finish before she saw the old woman's eyes snap open. Kagome stopped moving and stared as the old woman's frail hands began to shake. Kaede's eyes darted in Kagome's direction, and the woman was slowly reaching to her left to pick something up off the ground. Kagome gasped when she realized it was a knife. Alarmed, Kagome took a small step towards her.

"Kaed- "

Kagome was unable to utter the old woman's name before she was tackled to the ground. She cried out in pain when her shoulder blades slammed onto the wood flooring, but was cut off by Kaede wrapping her wrinkled hands around her throat.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW OF ME DEMON?" The old woman screeched, obviously horrified out of her mind. She had raised the dagger high above her head, posed to carve Kagome's chest open. Kagome kicked and flailed her legs while pulling at Kaede's hands; she was much stronger than the old priestess and quickly got a hold of her wrists.

"Kaede! Kaede stop! It's me, Kagome! Not a demon – stop Kaede, please!" She insisted, gasping and struggling to dodge the dagger in her hand when it waved dangerously close to her nose. Kaede continued to fight with her, terrified. Kagome screamed when the dagger cut the outside of her forearm and then shoved the woman with all her might. Kaede rolled to the side having had the breath knocked out of her. Kagome stumbled to her feet, grabbing the knife quickly from the old woman and throwing it into the fireplace. Kaede, now defenseless, had just gotten up and was now backed up against the wall, holding out holy beads in front of her. Her terror was making the whole strand shake.

"Stay back! STAY BACK!" She yelled as Kagome took a slow, careful step towards her, extending her arms towards the frightened woman as she moved.

"Kaede please! Listen to me. I am not a demon - it's me, Kagome." She cried, her eyes pleading with the old woman to understand. Kagome felt very confused, but more terrified by the old priestess's behavior. What on earth had caused her to mistake Kagome for a demon? Kagome limped forward, wincing. The two had known each other for at least a year, and during that time had grown surprisingly close. Kagome's eyes began to water due to her fear and frustration and grabbed the old woman's forearms with a surprising amount of strength. Her leg was throbbing pretty badly, and all she wanted was a little help. She took a deep breath and gulped.

"Kaede. I am Kagome, your older sister Kikyo reincarnated. I came here a year ago through the bone-eater's well. I freed InuYasha, remember? Please Kaede, I need you to remember – I need your help." She stated firmly to the old woman, who was visibly shaken by Kagome's words. Kaede didn't answer or move – she only stared at Kagome's tear-filled eyes with a piercing gaze, defensive. Kagome felt herself getting weaker, she was losing blood faster than she realized; it was flowing all the way to her calf now, and it got worse when she moved. Now, instead of holding the old woman's arms to keep Kaede there, she was using them to keep herself up. Her legs were wobbling and her only just cut arm was beginning to drip blood on the floor. She felt AWFUL. Minutes passed by, and the priestess was still staring her down, unconvinced. Then, finally, she spoke.

"What do yee tell InuYasha to do when he misbehaves?" Kaede asked her, still skeptical and a bit frightened. Kagome smiled lightly, knowing that she would finally get some help.

"I tell him to sit, and he listens every time." She replied. Kaede dropped the holy beads and embraced the young girl. Kagome began to cry and hugged her back, thanking the heavens that she hadn't been killed.

"What happened to yee, child?" The old woman asked quietly, supporting the now sobbing Kagome with all her strength, petting the back of her head. She hadn't seen that the girl had been through some trauma; the poor thing could hardly stand. Kagome sobbed harder and buried her face in Kaede's robes, just now facing the sorrowful feelings that she had been keeping inside all day.

"Kaede, I have to find InuYasha, I don't know where he is! He came into my room and we – and he wasn't there this morning! I've been looking for him for hours, Kaede. I don't know what to do – I'm hurt! I don't know what's wrong with me. He's upset, and I don't know what he's going to do next! I think he's going to do something crazy, Kaede; please let's go find him!" She babbled.

"Yee aren't making any sense, child. . . . Just breathe, my dear. . . ." Kaede said, stroking her back. Kagome sank to the ground, still sobbing, pulling the tired old priestess down with her. The woman was relived – a little. When Kagome entered, she brought an ominous, dark, viciously demonic presence in with her; a demonic force that felt stronger than any other she had ever known. Even so, Kaede knew that no matter how strong a demon was, it wasn't possible for any demon to enter her temple. It hadn't ever been done before, and that was why Kagome terrified her so badly when she walked inside. Based on the evil aura alone, Kaede figured that the devil itself had invaded her sanctuary. The priestess had to close her eyes at the sheer thought of such an atrocity. The young miko was still sobbing in her panicked state and the strong presence of a fierce demon surrounding her was thickening the longer she stayed in the temple. It didn't take the priestess long to figure out what had transpired between the two. Kaede felt her calm down little by little, and pried the girl off of her to give her broken body a once over. Kagome sniffled a little, as she watched Kaede's face contort from confusion to grave concern.

"Oh my dear child." the woman whispered, placing her wrinkled hand on her chest. She saw the severe bite and claw markings, and the bruises of all colors and sizes. She noted that the demonic aura she felt was coming from the girl's right side, and she hoped it wasn't what she thought it was. She looked at Kagome's chest and noticed the top of the cut in between her breasts, revealed by the sundress she was wearing. Her neck was covered in black and purple bruises, and the cuts on her face looked red and irritated.

"InuYasha . . . he is responsible for these?" Kaede asked quietly as she looked the young girl up and down. Kagome wiped her face with the back of her hand and nodded solemnly to the priestess. Kaede noticed the fresh cut on her forearm that she had inflicted moments earlier, just now clotting up. The old woman needed decided that she owed the girl not only an apology, but an explanation as well.

"Kagome, has InuYasha bitten yee?" Kaede asked. Kagome looked down sheepishly at her hands before she answered.

"He bit me, yes . . . several times actually. But the worst one is here; it's been bleeding all day." Kagome outstretched her hurt leg, cringing at the movement. She pulled her dress up and showed Kaede the grisly purple area that had seemed to have gotten bigger and sorer as time passed. Kaede gasped before her eyes widened and she muttered a few words of shock that Kagome couldn't really hear. They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Kagome pulled her dress down back over the wound, her cheeks stained red from embarrassment. Kaede had so much to explain to the girl, and some of things she herself didn't understand. The old woman's long braid swayed behind her when she sighed and arose slowly from the ground, bringing Kagome up with her.

"Come. There is much explaining to be done."

Kaede asked for her to stay silent and take off her clothes. Kagome frowned, but obliged, and tied a white robe Kaede gave her around her naked torso. Kaede then lit a lantern and guided her outside of the temple and into the early evening darkness. They followed a small pathway of stones to the back of the temple and then into a small clearing in the woods. Kagome followed the old woman around twisted trails until she had no idea where they were or how far they were from the village. Finally, Kaede stopped in front of a huge section of trees, all of them growing very closely together in a clump.

"How odd." Kagome muttered, noticing that some of the smaller trees roots were being overrun by the larger ones'. It didn't look entirely natural. Kaede walked in between the group of trees and an enormous boulder, motioning for Kagome to follow. The old priestess took a few minutes to make sure they were alone, and then pushed aside some tall grass to reveal a small hidden door. She pulled a few latches and it opened without a sound, revealing a place only very few people knew was there.

"Now, be very quiet child, and remove yee shoes." Kaede said before taking off her own sandals, and taking a step onto the most lusciously soft grass Kagome had ever felt.

Kagome's jaw dropped and her eyes widened, it was gorgeous! They had entered into a small traditional Japanese garden, only this one could have been considered a traditional Japanese spa – only outside, of course. There was a huge, steaming hot spring in the middle of the garden, and directly above it was a gigantic sakura tree, blooming some of the biggest and most healthy cherry blossoms Kagome had ever seen. Smooth blue-ish grey stones were stacked around the edges of most of the spring, some of them covered in rich green moss. She moved towards the spring and noticed flourishing lotus flowers decorating the cooler edges of the water, lily pads too. Bamboo hid most of the fence, giving the illusion that one wasn't inside a fence in the middle of a forest, but in the middle of the wilderness. Puffy hydrangea and gardenia bushes were growing in the corners of the garden, and a few baby magnolia trees had sprouted along the side of the fence that they had entered in from. It was very easily the most stunning place Kagome had ever seen.

"Kaede . . . this is magnificent!" Kagome exclaimed in awe, beaming at the old priestess.

"Shhhh! What did I just tell yee?" Kaede whispered angrily at her. Kagome covered her mouth with her hands before giving her an apologetic look.

"This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen!" Kagome whispered excitedly as she threw out her arms and looked up at the rosy purple sky. Kaede smiled and motioned for her to sit on a stone next to her. She limped over to her, securing the sash on her robe before sitting down. Kaede took Kagome's hands and looked at her with a very serious expression.

"You mustn't repeat a word of what I share with yee here tonight. Nor should you ever mention this haven to anyone; to no soul at all, ever. Do yee understand me, child?" Kagome nodded.

"I won't, I swear." She said, raising her right hand.

Kagome stayed in place as the old woman walked towards the front of the hot spring. She turned back to Kagome.

"Not a word." She said gravely while pointing her finger at her.

Kagome nodded quickly and gave her a promising smile. Then Kaede put her hands out in front of her, palms facing upwards and closed her eyes. Kagome didn't make a sound while she watched her with wide eyes.

"Shinjitsu o akiraka ni watashi no kokorogaitamu no tamashī wa jiyū ni settei! Chiyu suru koto wa shinu kotodeari, ikirukoto to shinu kotodesu!" The old woman extended her arms to either side of her body as the water in the spring began to bubble and quake.

"Chikyū no kamigami wa, sora kara tsubasa, kono chikyū ni watashitachi o ketsugō suru shīru o hikisaku. u~yūrī wa koko madedesu!" Water shot up into the sky, changing colors from white to a sparkling gold as it was rained back down into the ground. Kagome shrank back and closed her eyes as a fierce wind began to carry the water in all directions. The wind sent flowers flying, and did the same to both the women's hair and clothes.

"Mizu o moyasu - watashi no niku kara kono tsumi o arau!" She shouted over the fearsome wind. The water began to swirl, the steam circulating towards the middle, creating a blinding white ball of energy to grow and hover hovered over the water. The ball began to twist and pulse steadily. After the ball had grown to a certain size, all movement stopped. Kaede dropped her arms and fell to her knees, and with that, the ball began to pound, louder and louder until it was sending out visible and audible waves of energy into the air.

"Kore wa jaaku no sakebidesu." She said darkly, and with a thunderous 'boom', the radiant ball that hovered over the middle of the spring exploded with light in all directions revealing what was inside. Gleaming orbs of all colors and sizes fell beneath the surface, sinking beneath the surface and settling in the bottom to glow and shimmer with the movement of the water. Kagome sat on her stone with her jaw on the ground, dumbfounded. Minutes passed by before Kagome scurried up off of her stone to help Kaede stand.

"That takes much more effort than it used too." Kaede huffed as she stood upright. Kagome could barely contain her excitement.

"What did you just do? That was amazing, Lady Kaede! What was that ball made of? How did you learn that? Is the water magic? Why did it turn gold? What were those orb things? Can you teach me to do that? How long hav-"

"Hush child!" Kagome covered her mouth with her hands again.

"Sorry."

"Do be patient, my dear. I said I had much to explain, and I intend too. Now, get in the spring, child."

Kagome eyed the golden swirls of water warily before shrugging and untying her robe. She did trust Kaede after all. She stepped into the water one careful step at a time. She gasped when some of the liquid gold ran up her ankle just a bit, appearing to gently pull her in. She slid her bottom half into the water, wincing when it ran over her more severe wounds. The water continued to run up her stomach and chest in pretty swirls, still drawing her in.

"Woah." She breathed before wading over to a stone and sitting down. The water was now pulling lightly on her neck and shoulders, and making its way into her hair.

"If yee submerge the head, that will stop." Kaede said, now noticing the water running up her chin and towards her lips and nose.

Kagome held her breath before dunking her head into the water with a splash. She opened her eyes underwater and almost gasped. The orbs that had settled in the bottom were dazzling; different colors danced in front of Kagome's eyes, making her smile. She wanted one. She dove a little lower to extend her arm and grab one to inspect it more closely. Luckily, she heard Kaede above the water shouting at her before she did anything, and came back up, gasping.

"My heavens child! Are yee trying to give this old woman a heart attack?" Kaede wailed before she shrank back from her position at the edge of the spring to collapse on softer grass, exasperated.

"What did I do?" Kagome huffed, frowning. Kaede sighed and smiled at her.

"Have yee ever heard the expression, 'curiosity killed the cat'? Those orbs, as pretty as they may be, are hot enough to burn yee fingers right off. And if any part of yee touches those orbs, this water won't heal yee burns." Kagome's eyes went wide.

"This is healing water?"

"Yes, it should heal all of yee injuries, except the bite on yee thigh and the bruising."

Kagome looked down at the cut in between her breasts, and sure enough, the gash was covered with the water that had begun to glow over the cut.

"Woooooooow." She breathed as she touched it and felt no pain.

"Now," Kaede started as she leaned against a stone, "it's time for yee to know just what that bite on yee thigh means." Kagome watched Kaede intently as she adjusted her position on the grass.

"That isn't just a bite; that is a mating mark." Kagome was confused; InuYasha had never mentioned that he was looking for a mate.

"InuYasha bit yee after . . ." An awkward silence nestled over the garden.

"At the end of everything, yes." Kagome finished for her, her face blood red.

"Demons, once they have chosen a mate, they mate with said person, as InuYasha did with yee. After the consummation, the demon marks them somewhere on their body to claim them as their own. They fill the mark with their venom, and that venom gives off a particular scent, to demons and to some humans, letting all beings know that the one with the marking cannot be mated with. I, being a priestess, can smell demonic scents and feel demonic auras, just as yee can do my dear. This is the reason why I attacked yee; because I assumed that an extremely strong demon had taken your form in order to get inside the temple and kill me. My most sincere apologies to yee for the attack, I was stunned and confused by such an unbelievably strong demonic aura – I panicked before thinking and attacked. "

"I forgive you, Kaede." Kagome said with a warm smile that Kaede returned.

"I do hope so my dear. Thank yee." Kaede gave Kagome a few moments to gather her thoughts before she answered.

"Sooooo . . ." Kagome cupped some of the shimmery water in her hands.

"I'm InuYasha's mate?" She let the liquid splash back into the spring.

"It would appear that way, yes. However, the process of demon mating is a timely and careful process – it is completed in stages, and I am not sure if InuYasha would want to continue. Especially if you two hadn't planned to do this."

"No, i-it wasn't. We didn't. It wasn't planned." She sputtered back, red-faced again. An awkward silence passed by before Kagome spoke up again.

"By the way, Kaede, I think the reason you felt such a strong demonic aura was because, well. InuYasha wasn't the InuYasha you're used to last night. He had . . . changed." Kaede looked confused.

"Do you remember that time when his Tetsusaiga broke? And how he turned . . . lethal?" Kagome asked, and Kaede's face told her she understood.

"Oh my . . ." Kaede's face looked even more grave and serious.

"This changes a few things."

Kagome sunk lower into the bubbling water until it was steaming just under her nose. She wasn't sure if she wanted Kaede to tell her just how much worse things would be because he was in true demon form when they had sex. What she had told her was already a lot to process. What would happen to her now that she was a demon's mate? Would the venom he injected hurt her?

"As I said before, the demon mating process is completed in stages. And InuYasha has completed the first of three steps for making you his one and only mate." She explained.

'One and only huh? Guess that doesn't sound so bad.' Kagome thought to herself.

"The potency of the venom the demon injects into its mate varies depending on that individual's strength. As for InuYasha, he is an incredibly strong half demon. And when he is in his true demon form, he is about fifteen times his normal power and strength. He is just as strong as Lord Sesshomaru and a close runner up to his father."

"So you're saying that the venom he injected in my leg is fifteen times stronger than is should have been?" Kaede nodded slowly and folded her hands over each other.

"The strength of the venom inside of yee is equivalent to that of a full blooded demon, yes."

Kagome let that sink in for a few minutes and watched the glowing water on her wounds grow dim as they healed.

"The venom . . ." She gulped. "Is it going to hurt me?" Kaede looked down at her folded hands and sighed.

"I do not know when, but yes. Kagome, this venom is lethal. It will kill yee if the next two stages of the mating process aren't completed."

Kagome froze in the water, her hands began to shake as her throat began to burn and her heart sank to her stomach. It was going to kill her? Her eyes prickled with burning hot tears. She opened her mouth but was at a loss for words. She knew he didn't mean to mate with her; he was just caught up in the heat of the moment. Now, because of his careless, selfish desires, she was going to die. She squeezed her eyes shut, her lip quivering.

"Kagome I don't-"

"How long?" Kagome interrupted her, devastated.

"How long do I have until I die?"

A thick layer of silence fell over the garden, and only the chirping crickets and frogs could be heard over the bubbling of the spring. Kagome could hardly feel the warmth it radiated anymore. She looked at Kaede who had tears in her eyes but looked strangely at peace.

"I would estimate that yee have about a month before the venom spreads through your entire body."

She couldn't hold the tears in anymore, she put her hands over her face, sobbing. She never expected something like this. Kaede's grave look turned to a sympathetic, grandmotherly one. She moved across the grass to the sobbing girl and stroked her hair gently.

"Kagome, mating with him is the only way that this old woman knows of, yee must decide. Do you want to be his mate?

"God Kaede, I don't know. I-I just, I just don't want to die!" She cried. Covering her mouth to try and hold herself together. Kaede held her shoulders supportively.

"I know fear has a hold on yee, my dear. But I also know that yee are a strong, loving young woman, and that yee will make the right choice when you are faced with the inevitable. I am only here to help yee understand that this is a serious matter, and how it is handled it may very well change the course of yee destiny. Everything will be all right, my child."

The women held hands for a few moments as Kagome grew peaceful again. Kaede bent down and kissed the top of her dampened head.

"I will leave yee to think. Oh, and these old hands can prepare a soothing balm for yee my dear; I shall go prepare that and a mat for yee to lie on, and some fresh. . ." Kaede rambled off to herself while she scuffled out of the garden before closing the gate behind her, leaving Kagome hidden amongst the trees and bushes, completely secluded from the outside world.

Kagome sank down into the water, holding her breath with puffed cheeks again. Her hair fanned out in all directions in the water as she pushed herself down further and further until she was inches from touching the white-hot orbs with her toes. She opened her eyes, shocked that the sparkling water didn't burn them, to see that her cuts and bite abrasions were very close to being healed. She liked it better down there; she could pretend she wasn't going to die down here. Of course, it didn't have to be that way – she could live, but she would have to commit eternally to be a pompous, rude, arrogant, mean-spirited, loud, obnoxious, man's mate. A man who may not even feel anything for her at all.

Kagome rolled her eyes underwater at herself.

'He obviously feels something for me!' Her brain huffed at her. She crossed her arms, noticing the pain from the cut was gone, and pondered.

'I must, must find him. I've got to talk to him about this before I choose to be his 'one and only'.' She arose from below the water and breathed in the sweet smelling air readily.

"Maybe he just wants me for my body." She mumbled to herself, cheeks reddening. The idea wasn't unrealistic; he was a dog after all. And he made her his bitch. Twinges of rage and hurt shot through her body at this realization. She deserved better if that was the case; even if she did offer herself up to him like a fresh bone.

'We'll just have to see about that.' Kagome thought stubbornly. She looked up at the sky and watched the wind shake the petals from the magnolia trees before calming and settling over the grass. She sighed.

'You've fucked things up pretty good Kagome. Now what are you going to do?' Her subconscious droned.

"I will go and find him. I'll demand an explanation and an apology." She answered herself confidently, rising up from the bubbling water a bit too quickly. Her head spun from her prolonged exposure to the steamy heat. She wrapped the fluffy towel Kaede brought her around her and slipped on her shoes. She yawned as she squeezed the water from her dripping hair.

"But first, I think I'll sleep a while. . ." She said, trying not to notice that she had been talking to herself like a weirdo for the last few minutes.

She walked towards the gate and smiled broadly when she realized that her cuts were all healed. She extended her bare arms, examining them. Not a trace of the night before was left! Well, minus her thigh and some heavy bruising. She pulled the towel to look at her chest, and the terrible gash that had been in between her breasts was completely gone, and there wasn't even a scar to replace it. Her smile got bigger.

"I've reeeeaaaally got to thank Kaede for this." She said aloud as she unlocked the gate and moved the tall grass aside. She stepped carefully onto the rocky ground and emerged from the hidden entrance and onto the trail that led back to the shrine. Then, she froze in her tracks – her hands darted up to cover her mouth so she wouldn't scream. Her eyes went wide as saucers as she caught sight of 50 of pairs of eyes glowing back at her. Her breath caught in her throat when one of the pairs moved closer to her, its mouth opening slowly to reveal a stunning set of razor-sharp teeth.

"D-dogs?" She squeaked.

InuYasha gulped when he before he banged on the ridiculously oversized iron door, covered in equally ridiculous decorations and obnoxiously intricate detail work. As much as he hated to admit it, it was an impressive place. The whole palace was covered in the same stunningly classic Japanese style and it was very intimidating. He smelled someone headed his way inside; it wasn't him, but it was one of his weaker servants.

'This was such a bad idea. . .' he thought, one hand gripping his sword tightly when the door slowly creaked open. He was met by two armed demons, their faces and necks covered completely, standing on either side of a small female servant wearing a baby blue kimono with her black hair tied up in a bun. InuYasha assumed she didn't know who he was; otherwise, the guards would have already attacked.

"What brings you to the palace of The Great Lo-" She began

"Take me to Sesshomaru. Now." He demanded, his voice sounding even more lethal than usual, even to him. The girl didn't bat an eye at his harsh tone, she must've been used to his older brother's coolness, he assumed.

"Is he expecting you?"

"No. But I do have a proposition I'm certain that bastard would have great interest in." His voice was icy and full of disgust, aimed toward his brother but taken out on the young woman. Her eyebrow furrowed a bit in thought. After a moment she opened the door completely, gesturing for him to come inside. One of the guards got ridiculously close to him when he came inside, pressing the sword in his hand up to InuYasha's side. It pissed him off so much that he turned and shoved the poor guy into the nearest wall. He skidded on the ground until he hit the bricks, knocking him out. .

"This gentleman will wait with you while I inform my Master. Oh, and your name was?" She asked, her face showing no trace of even the slightest intimidation. InuYasha cut his eyes at the girl, glaring as he spoke.

"Tell him it's his brother, InuYasha." Her eyes widened a bit before she scurried away down one of the thousands of decorated hallways. He scoffed bitterly; of course the wench didn't know who he was – the idea that Sesshomaru would associate with a half-breed like himself was preposterous. He crossed his arms and sighed as he leaned against the wall, eyes closing. He HATED this place and the people in it, even the color of the paint on the walls pissed him off. He heard mumbling in the far distance, then the slam of a door.

Before he could open his eyes completely, he felt Sesshomaru's hand around his throat. He gasped just as his brother squeezed tighter, cutting off his air supply. He clawed at his hand and felt him slam his body into the wall, his eyes looking calm as ever.

"What is your business here?" he droned as he squeezed the life out of him, releasing just enough so he could speak. InuYasha gasped, the air burning his throat and his eyes watering. He took his Tetsusaiga from his waist and brought it to Sesshomaru's throat in the blink of an eye, grasping it with all his might.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and he released his hold on his neck and backed away by several steps. InuYasha bent over, hacking his head off. Once his coughing fit was over, he looked up to find about thirty more of Sesshomaru's guards behind their master, all of their swords drawn and prepared for a fight.

"I repeat, what is your business here?" Sesshomaru snarled, his hatred evident in his tone. InuYasha grimaced at him, pointing his sword directly towards his brother who did the same with his own sword.

"The wench didn't tell you? I have a proposition for you. Assuming that you will cooperate." He replied, disdain filling his words as he said them. Sesshomaru raised one of his perfect eyebrows when he spoke.

"A proposition you say? You must know I don't regularly make transactions with your kind."

"Of course I know that you piece of shit. However, I think this deal will interest you." Sesshomaru glared at him for a moment before snapping his fingers. At once, every guard and servant in the room left, leaving the two of them alone. They stared each other down for a moment before Sesshomaru parted his lips to speak.

"What exactly are you proposing, InuYasha? This amuses me." Sesshomaru scoffed at him before he sheathed his sword and folded his arms over his iron-clad chest. InuYasha took a deep breath and let his arm fall to the side while still holding the Tetsusaiga.

'This is it InuYasha; your only chance to fix this. Don't fuck up now!' he thought as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I need your help." InuYasha had to look away in disgust when trace of a smirk formed on Sesshomaru's face. Tension filled the room, making the silence nearly unbearable as he waited for his brother's response. Still smirking, Sesshomaru sneered at him.

"What have you done?"

"I fucked up. I fucked up real bad – I hurt Kagome, now I don't know what to do. She and I-we mated." His face was blood red with fury and shame; he was crazy for thinking this would work.

"I marked her, and now I have to make a decision, but I don't know what to choose." His voice was a faint whisper, full of remorse and pain. Sesshomaru's mouth had stretched into a full blown smile, his perfect teeth glistening from the sun.

"Your decision should be a simple one, finish the mating process by completing the last two steps." Sesshomaru's voice sounded so pleased with InuYasha's pain it made his stomach turn.

"It's not that simple." He stated simply, their eyes meeting.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Silence fell heavily on the two of the again before InuYasha gulped.

"It was . . . non-consensual."

There was silence for a moment while Sesshomaru contemplated what he had said; his face stuck the same stony glare as always. His lips twitched before he started to chuckle, then it turned into raw laughter. InuYasha's heart beat faster while he watched his only living family member mock him wholeheartedly. His teeth felt heavy in his mouth, and his eyes began to burn. He balled his fist tightly, enraged.

"You raped her? How appropriate that a mutt like you would claim your bitch like that. This amuses me greatly. Now you came to beg me for help? Oh, this is a treat indeed." Sesshomaru said cruelly, his evil laughter sounding unnatural and foreign to him.

"I need you to tell me how to save her life. That's all. Then I will go, and never come here again." InuYasha said with his teeth clenched. Sesshomaru's laughter subsided and his face went back to normal, except for the small amused smile gracing his lips.

"Why should I help you?"

"Because, if you help me save her, I will give you this," InuYasha raised his hand holding the Tetsusaiga, extending the magnificent sword towards Sesshomaru.

"The Tetsusaiga – it will be yours, I swear it." InuYasha said, his voice grave and thick with malice. Sesshomaru's eyes widened a fraction, his lips parting in shock. Minutes passed by and InuYasha waited, begging internally that this would work. Sesshomaru turned away from him, no trace of any emotion on his stone cold features.

"I will summon one of my servants to prepare a room for you, being that I have no idea how long it will take for you to learn what I have to teach you. I will have a contract of our agreement ready for you to sign by tomorrow morning. Should you change your mind before then, I suggest you leave this place before I have to force you to leave. Don't let me find you anywhere else in my palace other than the room I will assign you, or there will be consequences." With that said, Sesshomaru snapped his fingers twice, and a very young female demon with another armed guard appeared before him. She was wearing baby blue kimono, just like the demoness who had met him at the door. Sesshomaru was already gone, and the servant was already walking toward another one of the hallways, InuYasha jogged to catch up - she was a fast little thing. She led him down winding hallways and a couple of stairwells before she stopped in front of a large, brown oak door. She opened it using one of the oversized knobs and ushered him inside.

"My name is Chihiro. I will be your maid while you reside here, if you need something, do not hesitate to ring this bell," She pointed at the little gold bell sitting atop the mantle of the fireplace. "if you need anything at all. How should I address you, sir?" InuYasha gaped at her.

"Uhh, InuYasha." He said, scratching the back of his ear. Chihiro nodded and turned from him.

"I shall serve you dinner in an hour Sir InuYasha. Feel free to rest until then." The little girl turned and scurried out the door, the armed guard closing it behind her.

InuYasha wasted no time in doing exactly what he was told. The journey to Sesshomaru's palace had nearly wiped him out. He took off his white tank top he had found to wear and threw it on the bed. The bed looked much too soft, so he glanced around for a more comfortable spot to sleep. Yawning loudly, he plopped down in the corner of the room, knocking his head against the back of the wall. He propped his Tetsusaiga up on the wall beside him. He smiled a bitter smile as he looked over his prized possession. This would start the countdown of the days he had left with the sword, he realized. His eyelids gave way and closed, forcing him to sleep. The noises from outside didn't even phase him. He began to snore softly, and didn't notice the large pair of brown eyes peering at him from outside the window.

"Master Jaken, who is that man?" a child said in a sweet, curious voice.

"That is no man, Rin. That is a dog. A filthy dog." Another voice drawled.

"Just a filthy dog."

Hello everyone! I have some wonderful news! I am now a college graduate! XD Hooray! I do apologize for the wait – again. Classes and finals were eating away my time during these past few months, but I finally was able to finish this chapter. I like this one, to be honest it may be my favorite. The story is really picking up now, and I'm getting excited! (Like I don't know what's going to happen.) Please review, share some thoughts and ideas with me, I would really appreciate that. And who knows? Maybe you'll give me an idea to put in the story!

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Lots of love, always. – MogoGiggler :D

Also, this is the literal translation of Kaede's incantation, if you were curious:

Reveal the truth, set my aching soul free! To heal is to perish, to live is to die! Gods of the earth, wings from the sky, tear the seal that binds us to this earth. Fury is now! Burn the waters – wash this sin from my flesh! This is the cry of the wicked.