Revised on October 2, 2007.

Chapter One: Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Sesshoumaru and Company. They are only visiting.

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"The sun has just risen and those two are fighting already. Do they ever take a break?" Miroku asked incredulously. The rings on his staff jangled as he shook his head in disbelief.

"I believe they have to in order to sleep, although sometimes I wonder myself. Speaking of breaking…Miroku?"

"Yes, my dear Sango?"

"If you do not remove your hand from me, I will break every single bone in your lecherous body. Do I make myself clear?"

"Of course. Whatever the lady wants," Miroku answered smoothly.

Her eyebrow twitched. "Then why is your hand still there?" Sango glared at the offending appendage. When said appendage failed to move, she smacked his head with a closed fist. He fell over unconscious with a smile on his face. "I suppose I really shouldn't hit him so hard, but…he deserves it."

"I agree, Sango," remarked Shippou, turning from his search of candy to look at the unconscious monk. "How he managed to become a monk, I have no idea. If he is not groping women or asking them to bear his son, he's making up stories of possessed villages in order to stay there." The kitsune sighed and shook his head. "What a waste."

"Shippou, you know Kagome told you that if you wanted something out of her bag, to ask her."

He turned those bright, watery eyes on her full blast. "She's not here and I just want some candy."

"I'm going home and you can't stop me!" The huntress and child winced at the sheer volume of Kagome's shriek.

"You're not going anywhere, wench! You have to stay and search for shards!"

The listeners could picture Kagome's eye twitch at that comment. "SIT!"

"Ow! Bitch!"

"They must be getting closer. The yelling seems to be getting louder," remarked a now conscious Miroku, rubbing the bump on the top of his head.

"Yes. I wonder what Inuyasha did this time. Kagome only 'sit's him like that when she is really, really mad at him. Why doesn't he just give up and let her go? She always wins in the end. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost, but not quite. I wonder how far that last 'sit' landed him. It was probably really far. I hope it got him six feet under. I'm not sure what that means, but I heard Kagome say it when she hopes someone is dead," Shippou said, grinning evilly.

"Shippou! That's not a very nice thing to say," admonished Sango. Shippou just shrugged and continued his search through Kagome's bag.

Kagome came out of the forest looking really mad with tear tracks cutting through some dirt tracks revealing skin red from anger on her cheeks.

"Kagome! What's wrong?" Sango asked as she ran over to try to comfort her best friend. Shippou ran after her while Miroku sat where he was, a completive expression on his face.

"What did that jerk do to you? If he hurt you in any way, I'll claw out his eyes and make him eat them," Shippou growled menacingly, his eyes flashing and teeth bared. 'How dare Inuyasha hurt MY step-mama. I'll tear him limb from limb. I don't care if he is bigger than me.'

"I'm fine, you guys. Really. I'm just a little tired from that fight yesterday. I will be much better after some rest and relaxation at home," Kagome assured them with a cheerful smile. The others weren't fooled for a minute. She had obviously been crying by the dried tear tracks on her cheeks and her smile didn't reach her eyes. Normally Kagome's smile cheered up her friends, but in this case it just hurt them because it was so strained.

Inuyasha finally came out of the forest, full of grass and dirt stains from his encounter with the forest floor. Everyone stiffened and Kagome's smile became a little less bright when they saw Kikyo and her soul stealers exit behind him.

"What is your problem, wench?" asked Inuyasha with loud growl.

"As I told you, I need to go home. It won't take long. Is it really that hard to understand? Sango?"

"Yes, Kagome?"

"I forgot my bath things here when I went to the hot springs. Would you like to come take a quick bath with me?" she asked. "The hot springs here are so much more relaxing than a bath in the tub at home."

"Sure. Kirara, please stay here with Shippou and make sure that Miroku doesn't follow us."

The fire neko blinked lazily from her spot by Kagome's bag. "Meow."

"Okay, I'll stay here, but hurry back soon," Shippou pleaded. He then climbed onto Kagome's shoulder and whispered, "She creeps me out."

"Oi, wench! You're not going anywhere!"

"Sit." As the hanyou smacked into the earth once more, Kagome turned to the others. "Thank you, Shippou and Kirara. Miroku, would you please start making breakfast for everyone? There's some ramen in the front part of my bag. We should be back by the time it's done," Kagome said. She grabbed the shower caddy she kept her soaps and shampoo in, two towels, and two bathing suits. "I think that's it. Let's go, Sango."

"Yes. I cannot wait to get out of here," muttered Sango, making sure hiraikotsu was secure. "That corpse is really creepy." Kagome couldn't help but giggle at her friend using a word so out of place in that era. Seriously, Shippou saying it was one thing, but Sango was a totally different thing. The taijiya immediately got defensive. "What? It is true. Can you think of a better term to describe her?" The younger girl just shook her head. "I did not think so." She lifted her head and led the still giggling girl to the secluded springs nearby.

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"Okay. Now what is really wrong?" Sango inquired while stepping into the curtain of steam surrounding the hot springs. "You know you cannot fool me."

"Nothing."

Sango gave her a mock glare. "Do not lie. You are always there to listen. What makes you think you do not deserve the same?"

The young miko sighed as she sank into the steaming water. "I suppose. This morning, when I was walking to the hot springs, Kikyo tried to take my soul. She stopped when Inuyasha came and acted like she saved me from some youkai." She poured some unscented shampoo into her hand and began to lather her hair. "He acted the way he always does around her, like a brainless puppet. I decided to leave then because it was really bad watching one of my best friends embrace the thing that tried to steal my soul. Anyway, when I finally got to the hot springs, I realized I forgot my bathing stuff, so I started to head back to camp to get them and see if you were awake and wanted to come too. On my way back, I passed those two…" her face turned red and she looked slightly embarrassed. Sango would have been amused if she wasn't so angry at the clay priestess. "Those two, well, making out. Kikyo's soul stealers trapped me so I couldn't move. Then he told her that I was nothing but a lame reincarnation of her. He said he would always love her, protect her, pretty much do anything for her. Basically what he always tells her. She told him that tonight, while we are all sleeping, to kill me so that she can have the rest of her soul back. Then she went to go collect some soul. That's when Inuyasha caught up to me and pretended nothing happened." Kagome continued in a shaky voice, "He thought I must have been having a mood swing because I was crying. The rest you guys probably heard."

"I cannot believe him! When we get back, I am going to use him as target practice and let Kirara gnaw on his bones. Then, I am going to kill the soul stealing demons and let Kikyo die from soul deprivation," Sango promised.

Ignoring the part of her that wanted to cackle at the thought of a dried out Kikyo, Kagome put a calming hand on her friend's forearm. "I have a better idea."

"What is it?"

"Well…"

As Kagome told of her plan and Sango listened, adding suggestions here and there, neither girl realized an unwanted visitor was listening.

A mile away, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, heard the plan two of the traveling companions of Inuyasha's were making with great interest. He quickly devised a plan from their plan to get the Tetsusaiga.