Hey guys,

I bet you never thought you'd ever hear from me again!

I know it's almost been a decade since I updated this story, but I really didn't mean to leave you hanging for as long as I have. The past few weeks, I'd been rereading some of my favorite fanfiction stories & it reminded me that I have a story of my own that remained unfinished.

Of course I had to reread my work & was immediately assaulted by some previous incorrect grammar, misspelled words & the like. I really wanted to edit this story first, but I figured it would probably be more appreciated to upload the latest chapter & edit in my spare time.

Again, apologies for the "delay". I hope that you enjoy my latest chapter & I hope to finish this story sometime this year. Fingers crossed...

Oh, & Happy New Year!

Denise

Chapter Seventeen:

"Rabid Dog"

"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards."

-Vernon Sanders Law

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

Day 7:

Waking with a start and gasping for breath, the darkness surrounded him like an invisible vice squeezing off his air. His torso jerked and seized, lunging him upwards in the dark. Lungs burned with waves of energy, as they made each breath infinitely more painful than the last.

Forcing his body to obey, he rolled over in the dirt and clawed at the emptiness there. He clutched his abdomen, uncaring of his dirt-caked claws on his once pristine hakama and kimono. Eyes clamped shut, silvery locks scraped at the ground, as he mentally willed the pain away. Like a feral animal, snarling its unease in the dark, his beast finally rallied, pushing through the pain and readying itself to attack.

Hungry for retribution and ready to defend, crimson eyes looked up from his crouched position and swept the perimeter. Seeking out a faceless foe and ever prepared for battle, he found his situation somewhat anticlimactic as the reality of his solitude intruded upon his bestial mind.

Taking in the stillness of the moment, amazed at how quickly his pains had now come and gone, almost as if he had imagined them, he found a strange comfort in the realization that he had no immediate foe. Secure in the knowledge at the lack of a threat, his gleaming orbs reverted from crimson, back to their normal golden hue.

Pulling himself up to a sitting position, Sesshoumaru felt the telltale signs of discomfort.

:: Have I been down for so long? Why am I bruised so? What manner of thing happened here?

Blinking, his eyes automatically adjusted to the darkness. Enveloped in silence, save for the constant click of dripping water off in the distance, Sesshoumaru took in his unfamiliar surroundings.

It was dark, the floor was damp, and his location was unnervingly…nondescript.

Peering into the darkness, he realized that he was in a cave of some sort and questionably, on the floor of said cave. His disorientation began to fade, as he found himself in unfamiliar circumstances. Waking on the floor of a dusty cave, unsure of how he came to be there, and feeling more than slightly bruised and battered, was a new experience for him.

Uncertain as to the 'where' and 'why' of his situation, Sesshoumaru found himself in very unfamiliar circumstances.

The situation became even less appealing, as he came to the swift realization that his memory was lacking. Frustration overrode his unease, as he attempted to do a quick mental recap of where he was and how he had gotten there. Fleeting images surfaced in his mind, only to quickly disappear again, like waves on the sand. Yes, his situation was worsening with each second.

Relying on his senses, honed from centuries of experience, Sesshoumaru tried to piece together the curious nature of his predicament. Inhaling deep and breathing in the deceptively clean air, his nose began to identify individual scents, not detectable to lesser beings.

The first scent, the most pungent of the others, surrounded his person like the distasteful mixing of vinegar and cod-liver oil. However, as unpleasant as the smell was, Sesshoumaru found it strangely comforting that his mind would recognize it right away. That told him that he had not completely lost all his faculties. The scent was that of fear, something he had struck it in the heart of many adversaries.

:: Humans.

It was easy enough to identify to whom the fear had belonged. All creatures had the capacity to fear, but humans had the distinctive nervous habit of excreting moisture from their bodies, when afraid. This also happened to make it easy for yōkai to track them. Further scenting the evasive trail, it became apparent to Sesshoumaru that there had been a chase and the humans had run from him. What was unclear was why he would even bother to chase humans in the first place.

:: Foolish creatures. They are neither worthy for hunt of sport, nor game…

Inhaling deeply again, Sesshoumaru took in the faint smell of smoke and crystallized rock. Bits of his demonic energy, mixed with that of something marginally less sinister, still electrified the air, broadcasting that a powerful release had taken place not too long ago.

:: Tōkijin

Grasping at his side, Sesshoumaru sought his most vicious blade but found only Tenseiga. Instead, Tōkijin lay some ten feet from him, in the dirt. Confusion clearly etched in his features—albeit indiscernible in the darkness—he looked across at his misplaced blade and inhaled one final time.

:: Blood—the scent is unmistakable…almost overpowering in its odor…

Sesshoumaru was not one to cringe from the sight and smell of blood. It would be unseemly for a battle-honed warrior, like himself. However, he found the recognition of this blood as disturbing as the scent of it. The sensation gave him a strange unease that seemed to linger for far longer than he liked.

This too, was an unnatural occurrence for Sesshoumaru. For yōkai, blood was an integral resource—not only for nourishment—but for information as well. Unlike humans, who tended to shy away from such things.

The robust scent, the rich color, the hearty taste, and the feel of blood, could reveal much about the creature to whom it once belonged. Sesshoumaru's masterful sense of smell could easily use blood to discover one's health, purity, lineage, species, and even their level of demonic or spiritual power.

This blood, however, was somewhat nondescript—lacking in even the basic markers of identification. It belonged to a human, and yet, not. What was strange was that Sesshoumaru knew this human and he recognized this blood, because it mimicked character traits of his own! Oddly enough, Sesshoumaru found this new information more intriguing, than alarming. However, given his current awkward condition, Sesshoumaru was becoming used to unusual occurrences and the unfamiliar feelings that followed.

In general, human blood had an indistinctive scent. Usually it was unrecognizable from one human to the next, unless the yōkai made special notice to imprint the scent of it in their memory. However, this human blood was…familiar, but he could not place the "why" of its familiarity. Humans and yōkai did not share similar types of blood, not even in the creation of a hanyō. Hanyō blood made something completely different, so why did this bleeding human have blood similar to Sesshoumaru's?

:: Why indeed? Why does it seem familiar, and what human—outside of Rin-would I bother to remember?

Tired of thoughts that led nowhere, Sesshoumaru decided to come to some rough conclusions. He surmised that there had been a battle, and he the aggressor. It was unlikely that he fell to the provocation of humans; however, it seemed as if he had still been motivated to kill them. He had been winning, said battle, so there was no surprise there. However, in the final moments, he had been ready to make his lethal blow and then…and then…nothing.

That was where his memory ended, and thusly, where his information stopped.

Pushing harder still, his mind refused to reveal anything more. The facts buried there were beyond what his senses could unveil. Checking off the aspects of his existence that he knew he should know Sesshoumaru recognized that mentally, nothing appeared to be out of place. He knew whom he was, of what lands he was lord over, had an idea of where he was, and a very loose version of how he'd ended up here. However, everything of recent memory remained a mystery to him.

:: So this lapse is affecting my most recent events…

Yōkai were not forgetful by nature, as most held grudges against enemies for centuries, but this was entirely unfamiliar territory for him. He was unaware of how to deal with this momentary failing. Even more aggravating, despite some mental blank spots, Sesshoumaru felt 'fairly' intact—his filthy clothes, notwithstanding.

Tiring of the incompetence of his mind, Sesshoumaru made movements to stand. However, when he attempted to rise, he experienced the strange latency of stiff, sore muscles that quickly forced him back down again.

Unaccustomed to the stiffened muscles, which usually moved with the agile grace, Sesshoumaru knew immediately that he had been down far longer than a demon of his strength was used to. Even worse, he began to recognize that the slowness of recall must of have meant that he had taken a blow to his head, which was causing his disrupted memory.

:: This situation is becoming increasingly tiresome!

Even more so, his discomfort was compounded by his powerlessness to recall the events that landed him in such a dire state of unconsciousness on the floor. It was bad enough that he felt less than a hundred percent, but to be so trapped in the unfamiliar present, only because of his own inability to hold on to the past, was a feeling that angered him beyond reason.

This handicapped feeling happened, only once before and even then, Sesshoumaru wasn't left as incapacitated as he felt now. True, it was a different sort of incapacitation than before, yet it still left him feeling just as unprepared. It had first occurred when he battled with InuYasha, where the hanyō first learned how to use the Wind Scar. Were it not for the protection of Tenseiga, he surely would have died.

Looking across the expanse of dirt and soil, Sesshoumaru did not see the furrowed scorch marks in the earth or other telltale signs of the deadly maneuver. It was evident that the boy did not use the Tessaiga on him, but the soreness in his body told another story.

:: This soreness has the familiarity of my father's fang, but it is apparent that the hanyō's sword was not the cause…

This situation unsettled the daiyōkai further. In this unlikely scenario, Sesshoumaru felt beaten—a feeling he had not experienced since he was a pup, after a 'more than vigorous' day of training with his father. Back then, he knew exactly why he was on the floor and in such sore physical condition.

Thinking back, it had been a long time since anyone had ever been able to best him in strength or battle. None, save for the sheer control of power his father wielded, could ever bring him to heel. And yet, right now, he felt as if he was still that pup and that his father had just backhanded him to showcase what little force he needed to exert, to defeat his son.

It was true, InuYasha had bested him once—no—unforgivably twice; a fact that still grated on Sesshoumaru's nerves. There was the one-time when Tessaiga first transformed and Sesshoumaru lost his arm and the second time, when InuYasha finally discovered the power of the Wind Scar. Both occurrences had been highly unlikely, however Sesshoumaru knew with great conviction that he would not have allowed himself to be so easily defeated a third time.

:: So how did I find myself so uncharacteristically pushed back?

InuYasha did not have enough raw power by himself to land him in such a state. As he tried to remember, what or who had knocked him back so thoroughly, Sesshoumaru spied an overlooked gleam in the darkness, out of the corner of his eye. Turning further, he finally took notice of the object that halted his very breath.

There, still planted in the dirt in all its annoying glory, was the thing that had caused him so much grief many centuries ago…

:: Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi

Faintly glowing, and resonating with reserve energy, Sesshoumaru had the distinctive feeling that the sword was somehow mocking him. Slightly shifting, Sesshoumaru felt the need to turn away from the object and made movements to do so, when he was overtaken by his reemerging memory.

The darkness of the caves enhanced his ability to evoke the vivid imagery of his recent downfall. Images, in one quick procession after another, blanketed his mind with the knowledge of all that had taken place.

He remembered the hanyō.

:: No, human! InuYasha had turned into a human on the night of the new moon! That previous scent was his blood—his human blood! That was why InuYasha could not have used Tessaiga…but how…

Then he remembered the girl, the spitfire miko, who had challenged him with his father's own sword.

:: She had been able to draw Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi.

And just as assuredly as the lethality of the poison in his claws, he could now remember the answers to how he had ended up unconscious on the floor and who was to blame.

Reinvigorated by his knowledge, Sesshoumaru smiled with malicious intent. Lifting himself off the floor and taking a languid stretch, Sesshoumaru was finally able to take joy in the recuperative abilities of his youki, now strong once again. His memories also supplied the knowledge of the extent of the miko's uselessness with a sword and, more importantly, Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugiin particular.

For a moment, his smile faltered at the thought of the miko's newfound ability to erect a barrier that held a power signature that was reminiscent of his great and terrible father. It made him wonder if his father was still providing protection for the miko, much like Tessaiga had in his tomb and if so, why? Why would his father make provisions of safety for of an unknown human miko—in the future no less—and yet, leave his eldest so ill provided for, by not bequeathing him with Tessaiga?

Sesshoumaru was not curious by nature, but how a slip of a human girl could withstand the poison of his claws, the lethality of his sword, or the barrier of Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, defied all logic.

:: If she is, in fact, human…

The thought gave him pause. It was time to find out the little miko's secrets and what, exactly, was her connection to his bloodline. Sesshoumaru was fairly certain that there was a connection, besides her idiotic following of his younger sibling, and he was determined to find out what it was.

Scenting the air again, he found her easily enough. For a human, she had a…different kind of scent. Her scent was one that many would describe as pleasant. Unlike many other humans, the miko did not smell of the stifling body odor of the unwashed masses of her kind. Her level of cleanliness made it easy to differentiate her from the others.

:: Makes it easier to track her…

Sesshoumaru would have marveled at her pack's carelessness for the miko's protection, if he weren't assured that they had chosen their campsite out of exhaustion more than strategy. Even now, they slept not more than sixty yards from him and he wondered if they were suffering from an overconfident sense of security. Did they not fear his retribution?

Unwillingly, Sesshoumaru had to admit that getting past Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi's barrier that protected the girl, would not be easy. The power, possibly absorbed from the blade, seemed to continue to have a mind of its own. It might even continue to protect the girl, even without her conscious thought…

:: Father is still toying with me, even beyond the grave…So, how do I get within striking distance of half-ling priestess, without being repelled back?

In the distance, an aggravatingly familiar sound interrupted Sesshoumaru's thoughts. For a moment, he was ready to turn around and throw a rock at Jaken for snoring so loudly, when Sesshoumaru realized that he was hearing the heavy breathing of the amorous monk. In that instant, he had the answer to his query.

:: Ah, yes, her pack slumbers mere yards away, so…take her by surprise…

Smiling again and confident in his intent, Sesshoumaru strolled towards the entrance of the cave to seek out the one unfortunate enough to redirect his ire from the hanyō.

:: The little miko won't know what hit her…

Literally.

oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

A Rude Awakening…

In the early hours of morning, before the first rays of the sun had a chance to dance upon the darkened sky, Kagome was overwhelmed with a feeling of pure indulgence and contentment. Her head pillowed in the crook of her arm and cocooned against the chill of the night air within her lumpy sleeping bag, her longing for rest had been satisfied quickly.

'Comfortable' did not begin to describe the luxuriant feeling of being enveloped in darkness and swathed in the warmth of her rustic sleeping bag-well-worn from many nights out under the stars. Even the uncertainty of the previous night or the unlikely battle with Sesshoumaru could not have kept her awake, once her tired bones hit the lightly padded comfort of the sleeper. Instead, the rest had come as a welcomed reprieve and Kagome delighted in the blissful oblivion that had quickly taken over.

Kagome lay in that pre-dawn state of wakefulness, where she knew she was resting comfortably in her makeshift bed, all the while cognizant of the fact that she was not entirely apart of the waking world. Blankets tickled her cheeks, as the calming scents of the night air lulled her deeper. Sighing in the rapture of this simple pleasure, Kagome rolled over and smiled to herself in her sleep.

She was dreaming again…

…of him…

Disjointed images flashed through her mind's eye. Two Sesshoumarus superimposed over one another-one Sesshoumaru tailored in a dark fine linen suit and the other clothed in his traditional white hakama. Flickers of moments flashed before her; moments of fear, moments of passion, moments of triumph…

In her mind, strong arms held her close, replacing the folds of her sleeping bag. The blanket that tickled her face switched with the tickling sensation of silvery locks on her cheek and a warm breath on her ear. A strange tingling sensation crept up her spine, mimicking the cool of the night air, like nimble fingers caressing her back.

:: He's gonna kiss me again…

This was her favorite part. As of late, Kagome loved to replay the romantic interlude she had shared with the Sesshoumaru of her time. Puckering her lips and making 'cooing' noises—that made her look foolish in her sleep—Kagome anticipated their steamy conclusion. Centimeter by centimeter, her lips hovered perilously close to her fantasy Lord. Baited breath, barely held in check, as she watched the looming procession of what had to be the world's most perfect pout. That shiver up her spine returned, as just a few seconds more, she would be welcomed into his warm embrace.

His hand lowered from the soft roundness of her cheek and snaked around her neck, to pull her close. Gently squeezing, Kagome's pulse tattooed a frantic beat as an odd sense of foreboding intruded upon the romantic interlude in her mind. Tighter still, the hand that had stroked her cheek so gently before, now clamped around the full column of her neck.

Instantly, alertness came upon Kagome, as she realized with a sudden unpleasantness that she was no longer dreaming. Instead of that earth-shattering kiss that she had been anticipating, what she got was the unexpected jolt to wakefulness by a strong hand hauling her up, and forcibly dragging her out of her sleeping bag.

Kicking and struggling against the faceless adversary, Kagome was too freaked to think properly. She attempted to eye her slumbering friends to her left, but that neck movement was impossible when that grip around her neck tightened, fully securing itself around the column of her neck.

Eyes closed and struggling for breath, Kagome attempted to claw at the hand that was threatening to squeeze the life out of her. However, her human nails were too dull to do any real damage, merely scratching and pulling at the unyielding clamp about her neck. Belatedly, it dawned on Kagome that her captor was not actually choking her—not yet, anyway. Instead, she was merely being held up in the air—firmly by her neck.

However semi-non-threatening, the hold was firm enough to stress her vocal chords, but it was her own struggling that was inhibiting her breathing. Tempted to cry out, that thought was quickly pushed aside when she felt the rush of air, shifting over her and alerting her to the fact that she was swiftly moving away from the camp.

No longer within the safety of her campsite. Kagome knew she had to struggle against her unknown foe. More alert than before, she flailed her limbs in a weak attempt to kick or grasp at something solid. This only served to anger her silent assailant more and had her being dragging a little closer, so that she could receive the full effect of her assailant's ire.

Growling low, he trembled with such anger that Kagome could feel it in her bones. In that next instant, Kagome was unceremoniously dropped to the ground and she felt her bruised body jarring against the cold earth. Coughing up a small plume of dust and dirt, she looked up as far as the upper calves of the imposing figure towering over her, and was nose-to-shoe with all too familiar black boots.

:: This is sooooooo, not good.

Indeed, this was the type of "not goodness", which would undoubtedly undermine the rest of her day—if she survived the rest of the day. Eyes traveling, they made their way up his familiar white hakama and silk kimono. She expected to be facing the unwelcoming crimson eyes of a most unhappy yōkai lord, and yet, she was still hopeful that she would be find a more "manageable" demon.

However, before she even reached his disapproving gaze, Kagome knew that she was dealing with the epitome of a 'rabid dog'. The expected growling, gave the final clue as to the identity of the person that had disturbed her peaceful sleep. It also solidified the fact that he was not the Sesshoumaru that she had been dreaming of. This wasn't the Sesshoumaru who stirred her blood or kissed her softly.

No, this creature was an entirely different breed—more vicious and angry.

His voice was dangerously calm, as he asked, "How does it feel, miko?"

"Ugh…How does what feel?"

"How does it feel to wake up unnerved and bruised?"

"Not particularly good..."

Pushing herself up off the ground and unnecessarily dusting off her clothes, still dirty from their previous battle, Kagome attempted to stand tall against the imposing daiyōkai. However, it was all for nothing, as he was impossibly tall and standing straight proved to be more difficult when he had just dropped her on her ass and her butt was now sore.

Refraining from rubbing the sore appendage, she finished, "…But I think you already knew that."

Looking up, she was surprised to see the normally 'put together' yōkai lord look slightly tousled and unkempt. His normally pristine white clothes had slight smudges of dust and dirt on them and his hair looked disheveled, as if he had been running his claws through it in a hasty attempt to tame his appearance.

Overall, his appearance would have looked kind of sexy, if his cold eyes weren't surveying her with a mixture of puzzlement and haughty disdain. It was as if he was trying to figure her out, while reassuring himself that whatever the final assessment, she was still beneath him. The ridiculousness of the entire situation made Kagome want to roll her eyes.

:: Who is he to judge me? It seems that the early morning isn't kind to either of us. If he wanted to act all arrogant and superior, he could have waited until sunrise!

"Lord Sessho—"

Before Kagome could address her captor, he began to pace around her. Looking at him, she could almost superimpose present day Sesshoumaru in his executive business suit, sizing her up as if he were inspecting a new acquisition. Round and round, he went, without a word, inspecting her—still obviously puzzled by her very being.

Suffering his scrutiny, Kagome summed up that her day was not starting out well.

:: That's an understatement.

When you were already on the brink of dismemberment or dissection at the very least and all before dawn, describing your current situation as a "not well" did not begin to portray the depth of her personal crisis.

Standing still, attempting not to draw attention at the throbbing pain in her leg, Kagome hoped she carefully masked her grimace. The last thing wanted was for him to find yet another weakness of hers. Turning, slowly, Kagome mirrored his circular movements—not entirely comfortable with her back to him.

Having her back turned to him made her blind to an attack, meant that she would be fully unaware of his intent to strike. Parroting him made her feel like he was less the aggressor and she was slightly less the sacrificial lamb. He had caught her asleep and unawares, but now she was fully awake and readier for him than before. Eye to eye, one angry glare exchanged for another, Kagome stared back with as much false bravado that she could muster.

:: I hope I've got another miracle up my sleeve…

It was a face-off that she was poised to lose, but she was determined to stand against him if for nothing more than his arrogance. She was not normally the confrontational type; however, she was also not likely to back down when she felt that she had been unjustly confronted.

:: Ok, maybe not so "unjustly" confronted—I did happen to challenged him…

Kagome seethed with anger, partly due to her interloper, but mostly with herself. Her predicament was expected, however, she didn't feel that she should be facing life or death decisions so early in the morning; and certainly not before she's even had a chance to brush her teeth!

:: It would be unseemly to die with foul breath and plaque on my teeth.

They should have anticipated his desire for retribution, and yet there she was, sleeping out in the open like a newbie to the feudal era. Kagome couldn't think of a more fool-heartedly thing to do.

She was practically a beacon that invited trouble to her side, so she should have been used to it. Granted, this situation wasn't likened to when a jewel shard was near, and she could sense the impending danger. That, at least, sent warning bells off in her head.

Strangely, Kagome wasn't sure why she didn't sense warning bells this time around either. It should have been practically impossible to mask that kind of powerful aura charging towards her. But no, she had been sleeping—slumbering like some animal in hibernation, for all the notice she took of it!

:: Maybe if I hadn't been too busy dreaming of him!

To give herself credit, Kagome hadn't been dreaming of the seemingly bloodthirsty and terribly vicious Sesshoumaru of the feudal era, but the hunky suit wearing, Calvin Kline-clad version of himself in her present time. She supposed they were one in the same, but the futuristic version of himself gave off a better false sense of safety and security.

And that was where her downfall had been conceived—forgetting that she wasn't in the safety of her present—and forgetting whom she had just done battle with. For one moment, she had been resting peacefully and in the next moment, she was on the brink of dismemberment.

Kagome started to fidget under his continued assessment.

"Stop your incessant movement", a voice called out from the darkness.

Kagome quickly turned, not understanding how she could be so wrapped up in her own thoughts, as to forget his presence. Seeking out an outline of his figure in the darkness, she stared angrily back into the blackness before her.

:: GREAT, now he's stalking me in the dark!

Speaking, mostly to herself, at the absurdity of the situation, "Lord Sesshoumaru, surely this is beneath you."

Out of the darkness, he responded, "It would be best if you remained silent miko. I have yet to decide how to deal with you."

Tilting her head, Kagome uselessly tried to listen out for the silent footfalls of her captor, but that too amounted to nothing. Appealing to his sense of fair play would be pointless, but so would running around in the dark.

:: Maybe I can draw him out…

"You know, I wouldn't have taken you to hide yourself away from a mere girl."

Behind her ear, his voice ghosted over the apex of neck, causing her entire body to shiver "Were you a mere girl, you would have died in my father's tomb."

Quickly Kagome turned, but she found herself still alone. Opening her mouth, Kagome was about to taunt him once again.

"What are you, really, miko?

Surprised at the question, Kagome sputtered, "What?"

"What are you? Of whom are your people? Where do you hail from? And what is your connection to the House of the Moon?"

"I…uh…"

"From the beginning, I took no notice of you. And why should I have? Humans are of no consequence to one such as I. However, you mock everything that I believe to be true about you."

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but found that nothing came out. How was she supposed to respond to that?

:: Is it weird that I find his statement slightly flattering?

"Miko, I have asked you a question. It is in your best interest to answer truthfully."

Thinking that stalling him with what he would undoubtedly see as insolence, Kagome decided upon that tactic.

"Actually, you asked me several questions."

More calmly than his appearance suggested, Sesshoumaru spoke again, "Then answer them."

"I honestly have no idea how to answer your questions."

"Do not tempt my anger, miko. I am not my brother and I will not find your insolence appealing. You are clearly a learned human, so do not pretend to misunderstand me."

His warning was clear and it was dually noted that his annoyance of her was barely reigned in. His face showed no outer signs of malice, but the way he spoke of her title, as if it was a curse, was more than telling.

"It is only my morbid curiosity in you that keeps you alive. Rest assured that you will suffer the consequences, if that curiosity ever wanes."

Kagome glared at him and his rudeness, and he returned her glare. She had to assume that the, "suffering of consequences", was her implied death and it only further annoyed her.

:: Rabid dog!

Kagome tired to reign in her rising temper, as this version of Sesshoumaru wouldn't hesitate to kill her…

Hands on her hips, Kagome argued in her most polite tone, "The answers you seek are not that simple for me to give."

Sesshoumaru interrupted, "Do you find me a simpleton? Do you truly think to confound someone such as I? I can assure that I am more than capable of understanding whatever it is that you have to confess."

"I don't owe you anything Lord Sesshoumaru – much less some made up confession."

Stepping closer, he commented, "You will obey."

"I am not your pet or one of your sniveling servants, waiting for orders from her "precious lord!"

Kagome's heavy breathing, loud against the silence of the cave, was a testament to her emotions that threatened to bubble over. Their ire with one another was a palpable thing. It sizzled and crackled between them.

Literally.

Currents of electricity flashed between the two, bouncing off one another, never damaging, but crackling to provide proof that it had ever been.

"SEE, this here – those sparks! This thing between us is unnatural!"

:: Tell me about it…

"Do not believe that your quarrelsome nature will deter me from finding the answers that I seek."

"Ihave my own questions"! Kagome returned.

"Your concerns are not my own."

"Go figure! Who would have ever suspected you of being uncaring and devoid of emotions?" Kagome asked sarcastically.

Quicker than lightening, she found herself slammed into his person by the lapels of her uniform. Once again, Kagome was in close bodily contact with the yōkai lord. Pressed so intimately against him, she could feel the silky softness of his kimono and smell his strong scent of pinewood and wild forest. The heat of him burned through her uniform and she felt it as warmly as skin-to-skin.

Her accelerated heartbeat gave everything and nothing away. Sesshoumaru thought that he was further intimidating her, but Kagome knew the truth. As a priestess and an innocent teenage girl, she was not the type to be turned on by pretentious pretty-boys or a heavy-handed nature and her experience with guys in general was limited—hanyō and okuri-ookami notwithstanding.

"Still, you confound me miko! Why do you smell so heavily of my scent, when we barely touched while sparring?"

His words barely registered, as Kagome attempted to swallow her nervousness down a parched throat and dry lips. His sudden closeness was causing her to feel all kinds of unfamiliar things, all of which she was assured that he had not intended. Sure, her body was untutored in the dance between a man and woman, but for some reason, she automatically responded to his.

:: I think I just might burst into flames…

"That wasn't sparring, Sesshoumaru. That was you trying to kill me – AGAIN! And me trying to survive."

"You did survive miko, so stop your complaining."

His method of intimidation was failing—failing badly! He was failing because Kagome had done this all before. She was pressed up against him…as she had been the night before. She fell victim to the swirling pools of his golden eyes, as she had the night before. Moreover, she felt the warm breath of him, brush across her face…just as she had, the night before.

The only difference was, this time, Kagome was assured that past Sesshoumaru didn't intend to press his warm lips against the base of her throat and work his way up to her lips. This time around, he wouldn't suckle on her finger, only to leave her weak in the knees. No, this time around, this Sesshoumaru had completely different intentions.

The lack of a quick comeback should have pleased Sesshoumaru, however, the miko was staring at him in a most strange and unappealing way.

"You are finally realizing your predicament."

His unexpected words took Kagome off her guard further.

"What?"

"You are nervous now. Your heart beats faster, your breathing is somewhat labored—so much so that your cheeks are tinted pink, and now you have begun to sweat."

Kagome rolled her eyes.

:: Stupid yōkai—how is it possible for him to be so gorgeous and that stupid at the same time? With all his superior yōkai senses, he's still just a stupid male! He and InuYasha are more alike than they give each other credit for.

With a hitched breath, Kagome replied, "I'm not afraid of you Sesshoumaru."

Closer still, he answered, "Try that again and I may believe you."

:: Easier said than done, big guy.

The mistaken intimacy of the moment caused Kagome to tilt her head nearer to his and lick her lips. Sesshoumaru noticed the darting of her pink tongue and for the first time became aware of the robust elixir of the miko's special scent. The priestess smelled of almond blossoms, jasmine, and amber—warmed.

Unintentionally, he knew that his mind had also imprinted this scent in his brain and that he would forever remember it, from this moment on. Her scent was almost palpable. He felt as if he could taste the subtlety and strength in her, and it unnerved him. He knew—just knew—that if he were to lick her, she would taste of sweet berries and fresh ginger.

Closing his eyes, he took in her scent again. The scent blazed in his mind's eye in an array of colors that swirled in a vortex and played on his enhanced senses. It sent a hot urgency through his body, a sensation so swift, that it curled around his shaft and made his groin harden immediately. The all too familiar ache came as an unwelcome surprise at the slip of a woman who had triggered it.

He did not like the feelings she stirred in him and it angered him even more.

:: I must be wary of the little witch…

Shoving the girl away from him, Sesshoumaru gave a demand, in the form of a question, "Tell me, miko, do you have any more unpleasant surprises to reveal to me, or is my bloodline simply fated to have all of their familial heirlooms revealed only unto you?"

And his question brought her back to square one…

Bashfully, Kagome shrugged with her palms upturned, in hopes of indicating her innocence. Sesshoumaru was unmoved and in a movement too swift for Kagome to follow, he reached out and grabbed Kagome's right arm, twisting it awkwardly so that he could get a better look at it.

"Ow, you brute! That really hurts!"

:: I guess the pleasantries are over…

"There is more pain to come, if you do not contain yourself."

The earlier passions of their conversation already forgotten, Kagome was ready to do battle.

"Contain myself?!" She asked. "You don't want "containment". You want blind obedience and submission!"

Looking down his nose at her, he replied, "You will do well to remember it."

Kagome huffed at his nerve. Nevertheless, what did she really expect? This Sesshoumaru was the exact opposite of the modern version of himself, so she shouldn't expect gentleness or consideration from him.

"Explain this, miko."

"Explain what?!"

Quickly growing weary of her defiant behavior, Sesshoumaru twisted her arm so precariously that Kagome fell to her knees from the pain of it. Using her left arm to steady herself, she panted to regain control of her errant heartbeats.

Feeling generous, Sesshoumaru explained his question further, "Why do you now carry the symbol of my birth?"

Looking up at the wrist, he held tightly in his hand, Kagome saw what he was referring to and all of a sudden, the memories of their battle came flooding back to her. She remembered how Sesshoumaru had been about to slay InuYasha, and how she ran to Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi and grabbed it by its hilt.

As soon as she had gone through the barrier, Kagome knew that something was different—much different from when she had done this for InuYasha, at his father's tomb. So, unlike the last time, Kagome could remember the all-consuming power; rushing through her body and making her tingle and sizzle with untold energy. The force of it all had been so strong that, just for a moment, she felt the weightlessness of the ground below her.

Her exalted feeling didn't last long, for in a flash, searing pain—equivalent to an acid burn—scorched her wrists and left the area throbbing. The pain was only temporary, and it seemed to vanish as quickly as it had come, leaving a minor throbbing that faded away through the night. Kagome might have forgotten this incident entirely, were it not for the images of crescent moons left behind, that told of any physical changes that happened to her body at all.

She had also challenged Sesshoumaru—the Sesshoumaru! Kagome remembered using Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi—a sword that had been inexplicably light in her hands and felt like it belong to her. Foolishly, she had thought that she was holding her own for a while, before Sesshoumaru knocked the sword out of her hand. She remembered him raising Tōkijin and readying himself to split her in two, as she thought her final thoughts.

:: This is it…I'm going to die…

Not knowing what else to do to save herself, Kagome had raised her wrists in front of herself, in a final effort at self-defense. After that, her memory got fuzzy. Kagome wasn't too sure what had happened next, but suffice to say, whatever happened, Sesshoumaru had not killed her and their evening didn't end with everyone's death.

Startling her out of her thoughts, Sesshoumaru glared at her, "Miko!"

Instead of looking up to him, Kagome snatched her arm out of his hand and began to trace over the smooth crescents on each wrist.

Speaking lowly, she asked, "What do you want me to say? This has never happened to me before—not even when I pulled out Tessaiga."

"What, then, is your connection to the House of the Moon?"

"I don't really think I have one…this could just be a side effect—you know, my miko abilities reacting with a yōkai sword."

Sesshoumaru did not believe her answer.

"That cannot be."

"How do you know? You don't understand any of this, any more than I do."

"Yes, but unlike you humans, I retain an excellent memory and I recall you claiming that you knew that Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi belonged to a powerful priestess. You were certain. Do you deny pretending to possess more knowledge of an object that you should not?"

"I wasn't pretending! But, I could have been…mistaken—Ok?"

"It is not, O-K. I require answers."

"I'll admit that I was wrong about Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, but I don't know what it did to me when I touched it and I can't remember anything after you knocked it out of my hand and were about to kill me."

Sesshoumaru thought this over and it seemed right that the fragility of the human mind would leave it impaired by the severity of the situation. Furthermore, he could not entirely blame her, when he himself had suffered similar

:: The miko had such power, when she erected that third barrier, to impede my final attack. The power signature had been the very same one of the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi. However, unlike the miko's earlier weak attempts, this barrier had struck back at me with untold force.

Sesshoumaru remembered how the pressure of it was strong enough to send Sesshoumaru flying back from the priestess. His last thoughts before he was knocked back was, "Has the miko absorbed the sword's power or is father's sword protecting the miko, like the Tessaiga once did at his gravesite?"

"Miko, have you managed to absorb the power of this blade or was the blade protecting you, like Tessaiga has done before?"

"I don't know. It is more likely that the latter is correct, but I have no clue as to why the sword would protect me. As to the first suggestion, I've never even heard of such a thing happening. I know that swords can absorb power, but I've never heard of a person—much less an ordinary human or miko—absorbing a sword's power."

"But you are not."

"Not what?" Kagome asked.

"An ordinary human."

"Why would you think that?"

"Why would I not? You freed Tessaiga. I thought I had melted you with my poison. You dare to defy me. And above all that, you are still unlike any human I have ever had the displeasure of knowing."

Kagome smiled meekly, "Thank you…I think".

"It is not a compliment, miko. You are a vexing creature and that is the only reason you remain alive now."

"I don't know what to say…"

"You can start by telling me why you reek of my father's power."

Of all the things, that was not the next question she expected to hear. It threw her off so much, that she even smelled herself, to determine if her scent had changed. She found the exercise rather useless because she didn't know what her signature scent was, and the act made her look totally stupid, in front of Sesshoumaru.

"I smell like your father? Is that a bad thing—I mean, do I smell bad?"

"It is not a question of a good or bad smell. You reek of his power, his youki."

"Oh."

"Can you offer any explanation?"

"No."

Shaking his head in acknowledgment of her ignorance, Sesshoumaru walked away from the priestess and headed towards the sword.

"Listen, Sesshoumaru, I'm as confused about all this as you are…I'm not really sure whathappened, much less the how and why."

Sesshoumaru continued, as if to ignore her, and stood before the sword. Studying it intently for a moment, as it appeared to be harmlessly stuck in the ground, he then reached out for the sword.

:: The barrier of Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi is still present, and yet, it no longer has an effect on me…Could this sword be meant for me, only to be released unto to me by a mere human woman, as my father intended for Tessaiga?

Seeing his intention, Kagome called out, "Shouldn't you not touch tha—?"

Her words cut off as he grabbed the sword by the hilt and pulled it up from the ground.

Nothing happened—nothing happened, at all.

Kagome thought that at the very least, the sword would maintain the same barrier against him as Tessaiga's does, but no such luck. Her idea that the sword belonged to the great priestess Midoriko, was also losing ground, for wouldn't a spiritual sword fight against being held by a demon?

:: Or maybe, he's just that powerful!

Watching carefully, Kagome saw Sesshoumaru study the blade in his hand, but nothing more. He made a few sharp swings and thrust with it, as if he were battling a shadow opponent, but it was more likely that he was testing the sword.

:: Is it possible that the sword is not mine to wield? If it is mine, then why does it not transform in my hand? Am I not strong enough to reveal its power?

Outwardly, it appeared that his curiosity was momentarily satisfied, but inwardly, Sesshoumaru was overflowing with questions—questions he intended for the miko to answer. Slowly, he approached her with the sword in tow.

"You will explain this."

"It's a sword Sesshoumaru—I figured that you, of all people, would know what it is…"

Raising the dull edge to her throat, Sesshoumaru commented, "Mockery has no place in this conversation, miko."

"You don't intend for a conversation, Sesshoumaru, you intend for an inquisition—you ask all the answers and wish me to happily comply and answer them!"

"I do not make wishes, miko. I make demands."

Pushing her neck closer to the dull edge of the dormant blade, Kagome asked, "Were your intentions to hack at my skin with a dull blade, or were you hoping to poke me to death?"

Smiling, Sesshoumaru replied, "I am considering many possibilities of your demise miko. Fortunately for you, I do not plan to take action prematurely."

"Because you think I have answers?"

Instead of replying to the obvious, Sesshoumaru decided on a tactful rephrasing of his question.

"How was it that you were able to get past Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi's barrier?"

"I don't know…InuYasha mentioned something earlier about feeling a powerful barrier surrounding it, but I never felt a thing. I thought he might be over exaggerating it or being too cautious."

"You claimed that you knew that this sword belonged to a powerful priestess, but I know that it is a yōkai blade, forged by Tōtōsai for my father."

"You know, Lord Sesshoumaru, maybe this whole 'question and answer session' would get a lot further if you explained what you know about the sword."

"I owe you no explanations."

"You're absolutely right, you don't. However, what we've been doing has gotten us nowhere, so maybe if we start at the beginning, we'd be able to get somewhere."

A tense silence greeted her carefully stated words, as Sesshoumaru pondered over the validity of her point.

:: No real harm can come from sharing this limited knowledge, so I shall agree to comply.

"I know little more than you, priestess. My father commissioned Tōtōsai to create the sword during my 600th year. I know not for what purpose, but it was assumed that he was adding to the Tessaiga."

"If Tessaiga was created to protect by being able to slay a hundred demons and Tenseiga was created to heal by being able to save a hundred, so then was does Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi do?"

"No one truly knows."

"Why is that?"

"Because, inquisitive miko, only you have been able to wield it."

"Why me?"

"That is what I intend to discover."

"You really have no idea what the sword can do?"

"It has been rumored that the blade could enhance the wielder's strength; that it could be used to call down lightning bolts from storm clouds, and could be used to manipulate clouds and the air around it in other ways. It was even once believed to be able to fight in battle without being held."

"That would be amazing!"

"Indeed miko. Indeed."

An awkward silence enveloped them both, as Sesshoumaru sheathed the sword and looked it over once again. This conversation with the miko had provided no real answers and left him with even more unanswered questions. It also did not escape his notice that the little priestess had managed to evade answering his most basic questions and was likely hiding the truth from him.

Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru foresaw an unpleasant task ahead of him and were it not for the answeres he sought, he would not even consider thgis unthinkable maneuver. Turning away from his newest irritant, Sesshoumaru headed back towards the entrance of the cave.

"Wait! That's it?!"

Sesshoumaru did not answer her. Instead, he continued walking. Kagome attempted to speed walk to keep up with him, but her muscles were still stiff from their earlier battle.

:: When he's gone, I may just head straight to nearest hot spring.

Arriving back at the entrance of the cave, Kagome spied her sleeping companions not too far away. Eyeing them equally was Sesshoumaru. Kagome was hoping that with his interrogation over with, that he would leave them in peace.

Always gracious, Kagome stated, "Well, thanks for helping me make it back to camp. I'm not sure I would have found it as quickly."

Ignoring her still, Sesshoumaru appeared to be looking for something – scanning his eyes from one direction to the next.

Turing away from him and letting him be, Kagome began to walk towards her encampment.

"Safe travels Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Hardly likely. You, the hanyō, a female yōkai hunter, a monk, and a young yōkai kit attract all kinds of unwanted attention – even without you being the Shikon miko."

Turning, Kagome replied, "Well, we make do to help those we can. And we really do try to stay out of your way."

"Something unlikely to happen in the coming weeks…"

"Why is that?"

"Because, little miko, I plan on joining your little hunting party.

"What?!"

Turning abruptly, so that she barely missed colliding with him, Sesshoumaru smiled at the girl – showing fangs and all.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight until I have answeres. You can't hide from me with me watching every move you make."

:: I really don't need this right now!

"Lord Sesshoumaru, I really don't think InuYasha is going to like this at all…"

"All the more reason for it, little miko. All the more reason…"