Title: Help Me Through This

Author: FairyTails

Disclaimer: I own nothing…but the plot.

Rating: M

Summery: After a battle with Naraku Kagome finds herself in the middle of no where, in a strange yet familiar body.

After an encounter with Naraku's wind witch Sesshomaru wakes feeling a bit weird. But first, when did he go to sleep in the first place?!

Warnings: um…..body switch?

Paring(s): Sesshomaru/Kagome (eventually)

Spoilers: hehe, I haven't even seen the whole series....

Key:

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

'Sesshomaru's inner beast'

"Kagome and Sesshomaru mental conversation"

A/n: Sorry guys, if you feel I am centering this around Kagome too much. She is a teen age female; I am a teen age female. Same age really, I understand her more than Sesshomaru, so it is easier for me to write her…

Now for the real reason you are on this page…

Chapter: (7) Breaking the Barrier

When they had been separated, Sesshomaru had found himself in a deserted village. The hollow building stood just barely, covered in dust and dirt, as if they hadn't been lived in for centuries. The elements had taken a toll on the structure and many had fallen, only the best built were still standing. Even his soft steps had caused the floor of the one he tried to investigate to fall in.

He had tried to leave the unnerving loneliness the empty buildings has gifted him with by exiting the broken village, but every time he walked away, he would find himself walking back in from another angle. He had to pull his pelt closer around his current body as an ever present breeze would press upon his fragile human skin and raise the hairs on his arms.

Even if he had learned to use Kagome's spirit energy to warm himself, he didn't dare use much energy in the occasion that he would need it for a fight. He had situated himself in the middle of the village, sitting on the ground in front of a bonfire pit. One hand held down his heat giving pelt to Kagome's small figure, and the other gripped the hilt of her dagger. His senses would tell him if anyone decided to try to sneak up on him.

Sesshomaru decided to meditate while he sat alone, but that was interrupted by the emotions he could feel from Kagome in her new world. They knew they could talk to each other still, even in different 'worlds', but a curse of the link given to them because of Fluffy, made sure he knew how she was feeling every time she was feeling a strong emotion. Right now it was anger and barely constrained rage.

They have been in their separate world for nearly an hour, and unlike him, he knew she hadn't looked around and scouted her new surroundings. He told her to calm herself. He cared for the human, he had stopped ignoring that fact, and he didn't want her to die because she got careless.

She calmed at his words, he always seemed to have an effect like that on her, which was odd to him because usually he only affected others dangerously. At first he guessed it was because they each held the other's life in their hands, but now he knew it was because of their bond with each other.

He had debated it several times, but he knew he could not live without her presence by his side now. He needed her and would not let her leave his side when they got their bodies back, if they got their bodies back. Even now, with her no where to be found, he longed for her to be near again.

His feelings were only confirmed to him when she found Chishio in her world. He had felt the shear fear of loosing her strike him across the heart. The fear was not just for his body he realized, but her, Kagome. He could not loose her.

She had forced herself into his heart, even if he could probably never admit it to her.

To loose her would be like dieing.

!!!!

Kagome had sat atop the bolder for the rest of the night, resting her tired mind. She wanted her Sessho, yes her Sessho, and as soon as she had the benefit of the sun fully above her she decided she was going to scout this world out. She had considered asking Chishio for his help, but after last night she doubted she could. She was relaxed at least, and she had a feeling it had something to do with Sesshomaru.

Or maybe it was Fluffy…well; someone was 'soothing' her mind with low, comforting growls. They were almost like purrs really. She just knew they helped her breath easier.

When the sun finally started to rise in the east Kagome opened golden eyes to look out over the lake. With the sunlight she could now see the fish swimming in it, their scales catching the light and making the top of the water sparkle. She smiled to her self under her mask as the site threatened to take her breathe away.

"I apologize for my behavior last night."

The sudden voice nearly had Kagome falling from the bolder in shock and she snapped her eyes to the ground below her. There the red headed neko sat with his back to the bolder, cross legged like her, and looking out to the lake. All she could really make out was the top of his head, but from the sorrow in his voice she could gather without seeing his face that he truly is sorry.

When she did not speak –she really didn't know what to say- he spoke again, "You're right Lady Miko; I don't know his side of the story. And all these years, I never really wanted to. I guess I just wanted someone to blame for her death…nothing else mattered to me."

The purring stopped, and because of what was just said something told her it was Sesshomaru who had been trying to comfort her; this made her oddly pleased with herself.

Kagome shifted and turned to slide off the bolder a few feet from him. She landed with a soft, almost unnoticeable thud, but it was enough for him to snap blue eyes up at her in shock, and –Kami help her- a little fear. A second after their eye met he looked away, she prayed that he was just respecting Sesshomaru's title by that act, and wasn't to frightened to look her in the eye, less it anger her again.

With a deep sign Kagome looked away from his form, she leaned against the bolder, "Please, don't act like this Chishio. I haven no excuse for how I acted last night besides that Naraku's games are starting to wear down on me. That was not me and I would not have done it if you have not threatened my person."

He didn't answer her and it bugged her. She pushed away from the large rock behind her and took a few steps to stand in front of the red neko, "Let's try this again."

He looked up at her with barely hidden confusion and curiosity; she took it a sign to continue. She bowed slightly, "My name is Higurashi Kagome, and I am the Shikon Miko. For the last three years I have fought side by side with an inu hanyou, a demon Slayer and her fire neko companion, a traveling monk of the wind tunnel, and a fire kitsune to collect the shard of the Shikon no Tama, which I shattered.

In turn we have also came together to defeat the evil hanyou Naraku. Each one of us has been deeply affected by his evil reach, and each of us seeks his death."

She paused, studying his face, his shock, "You too have been touched by his evil grasp, and therefore, we are allies. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. So, who are you?"

After a moment, he stood in front of her slightly bowing form. Their eyes held and he seemed to decide on something as resignation flickered in those sapphires.

He bowed low to her, giving her a view of a tail she had not noticed before. It reminded her of an American Tabby, but instead of grey, black or orange, it is many variations of purple.

His voice broke her out of her study of the feline tail, "My name is Chishio, and I am a wonderer. For the last four hundred years it has been my foolish goal in life to end the life of someone who used to be my closest friend."

He stood strait, and Kagome waited for him to finish, "But you have changed that, thank you for making me see the errors of my ways. For that alone, I align myself with you and your odd mixture of allies. I too wish the evil hanyou Naraku his dead."

He smirked at her and she felt a little better about her actions from the night before. She found herself glaring playfully, "You better not be lying to me Cat Boy."

He frowned at her, borderline playfully, "Must you call me that?"

She found her smirking at him, "Of course I do, I have a nickname for every dangerous male youkai I meet and befriend. It has come to be kind tradition actually."

He raised a brow at her and suddenly grinned like a Cheshire cat, "Oh? I can live with that if you tell me what you call the ice prince."

She held back a snicker, she liked him, and he would fit into the group nicely. She crossed her arm over her chest plate, "I don't know…"

"Miko, don't you dare!"

At Sesshomaru's warning Kagome had to cover her mouth to not laugh out loud and at Chishio's curious look it was all she could do to not break out in laughter, "Well, we have been able to talk mentally thanks to Sesshomaru's inner beast," she tried to explain, "And if that particular growl was anything to go by, he doesn't want me too tell you his nickname."

"Miko…"

'Oh, shut up Sessho. You're just jealous that Chishio is next to her and you aren't.'

That shut up Sesshomaru and Kagome felt him sulk off in his mind and had to stop her self from giggling at his childish antics, she wanted to say something about his sudden change in attitude towards her, but Chishio drew her from her mind.

The tall neko chuckled to his self and shook his head. He had missed the interaction between Kagome and her 'inner voices', which she was thankful for, "Well, damn. Now I respect you even more, having to put up with him even in your mind."

She found her self sighing dramatically, glad he didn't think her crazy and had accepted this odd news without much thought, "It's a tough task, but helpful when being spied on."

He gave her a look, and when he spoke she knew why, "I'm going to have to get used to emotion on Sesshomaru's face…or him talking as much as you do."

She grinned at him, "Yah, it took me a while too."

"I almost wish we are at each others throats again, that wasn't nearly as scary." It was said jokingly and Kagome couldn't help but reply like she did next.

She leaned towards him, sliding a mask over her emotions, when she spoke it was deadly low and raised a clawed hand dangerously, "That can be arranged."

He gulped and took a few steps back with his hands raised in a sign of peace, "N-never mind."

!!!!

Through their link, Sesshomaru knew his Kagome and accepted Chishio, and he didn't know why this made him happy, and yet strongly jealous. As a pup, he was a good century old when the red haired neko was introduced into his life. The younger kitten was barely a decade old, and maybe that was why his normally happy-go-lucky attitude had been able to pierce through the dubbed Ice Prince's cold and unemotional mask.

At first his innocent interest in the silver inu had annoyed Sesshomaru to no end, with endless questions that nobody else had ever even tried to ask him, to fearful of his cold golden eyes. Even that young the inu prince was uncaring of others, his mother had left him as soon as he no longer needed her bosoms to feed from, and try as he might, the great Inu-Tashio could not break his son from the devastating effect that had had on him.

But somehow the kitten had warmed his heart and became Sesshomaru's first and only friend. Chishio became the only person to see him show emotion, however little it was at first. Sure, he never broke out in laughter, but his smile was all the young neko needed to see, and became a persistent little devil when it came to him seeing it more often.

In the decades to come they had formed a bother pact with each other, cut short only with the fact that Chishio's father was a lower lord in the western lands, and there for, the neko was also lowly ranked compared to the heir to the west, but in all honestly, as Sesshomaru thought about it, that never mattered to them. As the neko grew and was trained he would fight next to Sesshomaru every time the prince got into a battle.

But sadly, like all happiness in the still young prince's life, it came to a crashing halt when Chishio's father sought to have Sesshomaru killed. He used the relationship between his youngest son and that of Sesshomaru to lull him into a false security around Jasui, Chishio's eldest sister.

Jasui was an assassin for the western lands, and Chishio's closest blood relative, she was after all, one of his trainers. As such, Sesshomaru didn't pay much mind when she started to spend more time around her brother while in his presence, but unlike what her father wanted, Sesshomaru never really trusted her after becoming on speaking terms with her.

And he knew why months later, when she broke into his room while the inu prince rested after a long battle. Even at the young human age of thirteen, he attacked her when she held a dagger to his throat. It was kill or be killed with the cold look in her eyes.

He killed her with no remorse, but was shocked by her betrayal.

Hearing the sound of Sesshomaru's claws cutting flesh had his father running in the room to see what was up. The pup wasn't able to speak, as his thoughts passed to his only friend and the relationship between the neko and the person he had just killed. Thoughts of betrayal shifted through his mind, but were cut off.

Chishio could not do that to him, even if his father ordered him to. The red head would sooner kill his self than going for his inu brother's blood.

His father had taken command of the situation very quickly, never giving Sesshomaru a chance to explain to his friend of two centuries what had really happened before the castle was in an uproar and his father thirsting for his neko lord's blood.

Chishio's sudden hatred of him confused him, hurt him. Did the neko not trust him as he trusted the neko; was their years of friendship nothing with his sister's blood on his claws?

The first time Chishio had attacked him had brought all barriers that had fallen since they met right back up, but never once was he able to hurt the neko. He would defend himself and run away, nothing more.

And it wasn't until his miko started to talk freely with Chishio that Sesshomaru truly realized just how much that friendship had affected him. Only three people had ever had success in breaking down his barriers.

Chishio was the first, and his betrayal had stung like nothing else.

Rin, his human ward who he considered a daughter if anything, was the second. After Chishio's betrayal, he still had to wonder why he had let her slip in. But slowly, she claimed him as her protector, and he would gladly protect her through hell or high water.

And lastly is the third, Kagome, a human miko who traveled with his wretched half brother, who dressed indecently and for the longest time, was useless in battle. He knew under any other circumstance, he would never have given her the time of the day she now was given without thought.

He had to wonder though, if this had not happened, would fate have still brought them together?

Kami he hoped so.

While Chishio was friend, and Rin his daughter, Kagome could easily become his mate, and that made her different. It shocked him to think of her like that at first, but he could not ignore it.

At times he could care less about the upcoming meeting with the Cardinal Lords, if only he could get his body back, just to touch hers with his own hand. Just to hold her to him and never let her go from his side.

"Sessho?"

Her soft voice in his head shocked him from memory lane, a path he hadn't noticed walking down. If anything, he was happy to hear her voice, sometimes he would speak out loud to himself, just to hear those soft bells chime. But that was put to shame every time she meekly spoke to him mentally.

"Yes Miko?" His voice came out more 'lovingly' than he had intended and he could feel her shock, but as if she had read his mind, didn't comment on it.

"Are you all right? You aren't guarding your emotions like you usually do…" Her voice was filled with her concern and it warmed him to the heart and he found himself answering before he thought about what to say.

"Do you want this Sesshomaru to hide them?"

His softly spoke question again took her by surprise, he was even a little shocked at his behavior, he wanted to know what it is about her that is able to affect him so, and he hid his confusion from her.

When she got over her shock he imagined her leaping forward and giving him a hug that incapacitated his arm, her small form against his own; he felt Fluffy purr happily so only he could hear the beast. "No! No, I do not! Please don't!"

He was amused, and in awe of her. He couldn't speak at first, "This Sesshomaru will think about it…"

She withdrew slowly and before completely slipping away mumbled, "Thanks Sessho…."

!!!!

Chishio stared at the body of Sesshomaru. He didn't feel hatred like he normally would have. He knew that somehow the human female had begun to break down Sesshomaru's barriers, he didn't know how he knew; he just did. She was having the same affect on him, never before had his thoughts of killing Sesshomaru leave him so fully.

Her words had hit home, and he had thought about it all night. As soon as he came face to face to face with the miko's body and could talk to Sesshomaru, he would get his side of the story.

If he could…that is.

He knew he had betrayed the inu's oh-so-hard-to-earn trust, and hadn't really cared until Kagome pointed out to him that he never got Sesshomaru's side of the story. It made him wonder, would him turning on Sesshomaru affect the ice prince like it did if he had sought to kill his sister?

Probably not, and instead of running from him every time they met, Chishio would probably be dead by now. But he isn't.

The aged neko wanted to hit his head over something hard until he fell unconscious when that finally dawned on him, feeling incredibly stupid for not having noticed that small fact before. You would think that over 400 years you would notice something like that about someone you once considered a brother, and best friend.

He knew he was foolish for falling for the words of his father's advisers after his sister's death. He should have seen that they did not like the Silver Inu that ruled over them, but he was too blind by sadness to ignore those tormenting words.

They told him that Sesshomaru had seduced his sister into his bed and killed her when she had her back turned. He should have known at the time that that was not a possibility.

Sesshomaru, though young, was not interested in any female, only battle. Chishio knew better than anyone else that that was the only time Sesshomaru let his emotions control what he was doing. In the heat of battle Sesshomaru's mask would fall, but the only ones who ever saw that was him and the poor idiot that challenged the young prince.

They never lived to tell of Sesshomaru's mask falling, and it wasn't like anyone would believe him anyways.

And now his eyes studied his old friend's face, wondering if he would ever see a smile on those lips put in his direction with the inu youkai home. It would take him a very long time, he knew, to be accepted again. And yet, he had a feeling Kagome would be the one to help it speed up faster.

Coming out of his thoughts as they walk towards he had slowly started to notice a disturbance in his little world, he watched Sesshomaru's face as normally cold and uncaring eyes look on in deep thought, and with…concern?

At first he thought he was imagining things, but by now, after only spending less then a day with her, that is anyone would be about to see past Sesshomaru's cold exterior, it would be Kagome.

He found himself wondering what her body looks like, not that he would ever be attracted to a female. He was just curious why Sesshomaru saw in the human female, and a miko at that. He wondered what color her eyes were, or her hair. If she was tall or short; the thought of Sesshomaru ever growing attracted to someone was very foreign to him, so yah, he was very curious.

Even that was an understatement.

He was drawn from his study of the emotion on the Inu Taiyoukai's body when suddenly a smile broke in those golden eyes. It startled him and he raised a brow at her when she looked over to him to say something, probably going to ask when they would get there, but he interrupted her "What do you see in him?"

The question was out before he could stop it, his eyes widened and he froze as she stopped dead in her tracks. Golden eyes had widened in shock and the normally flat lined lips dropped open slightly to show deadly fangs.

After a moment she looked at him, "What?"

'Well' he mentally decided, 'No turning back now.'

Somewhere inside him his inner beast was starting to laugh uncontrollably at the predicament he had gotten himself into. He swallowed his fear, ignoring his beast and asked again, "What do you see in Sesshomaru, Lady Miko? Before now, how did you know each other?"

!!!!

Kagome couldn't help but look at him oddly, 'What do I see in Sessho?'

She had never thought about it, so she decided to answer the second quest first and avoid the first, "Well," She started slowly and started to walk again, "You remember me telling you about the group I travel with?"

He nodded and waited for her to continue. She was amazed by his boldness, even after they started to talk freely; looking in to his eyes she started her explanation, "The first person I met on my journey was the inu hanyou, InuYasha."

She didn't pause when his eyes shined with recognition, "And seeing as you knew Inu Tashio-sama before he passed, I presume you know of his two fangs and how one was passed to both of his sons." He nodded and she continued, "Well, I was the one who woke InuYahsa from his slumber against the God Tree. Shortly after that the jewel was shattered and we started to travel to collect the shards.

That's when I got to live the terrifying experience of meeting the end of Sesshomaru's glowing green claws. He wanted Tetsusaiga, and through InuYasha was the only way. Their father hid it in a black pearl in Inu's eye, inside that pearl, was Inu Tashio-sama's grave, and there, Tetsusaiga awaited its new owner.

It wouldn't let Sesshomaru pull it free of its stone, shocking him every time he touched it. Somehow -I'm to sure how though- I was the one to pull it free. This angered Sesshomaru and he attacked me with the intent of killing me with his poison. But the fang protected me, shocking both brothers.

Inu wielded it before me, protecting me as Sesshomaru transformed. That was also the time he lost this arm." With remorse Kagome lifted her one hand the pull on the empty sleeve below her spike shoulder armor.

Chishio was quiet for a while, letting this all sink in and finally spoke up, "Doesn't sound like he would like you much for contributing to that…"

She smirked, "Oh, he attacked us several times after that to get the fang, but never succeeded, and after a while I think he was just randomly popping up to keep InuYasha on his toes." She looked of, "And again I say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Naraku seeks to steal Sesshomaru's power, and he threatened Rin."

'Rin…?' Slowly he remembers the rumors of the Western Taiyoukai gaining a human ward, 'Is it true?'

Apparently he spoke out loud as Kagome covered her mouth to hide a chuckle and nodded, "Yes, I have met Rin once or twice. I can see how she grew on him, to innocent and cheery. The times I met her it was in moments of battle, and somehow she always managed to cheer me up." Kagome looked into his eyes for moment and smiled, "She told me he saved her from death. And when I say that, I mean with Tenseiga."

Chishio hid his shock at the thought, "Why…?"

She shrugged her shoulders and looked off, "I'd say that you would have to ask Sesshomaru for that answer, but I doubt even he knows for certain why."

The rest of the way to their destination was silence; Chishio to busy thinking about the Taiyoukai he so terribly judged, and Kagome letting him. She didn't want them to fight anymore; they would be great allies if they put their pasts to the side. But she knew that was easier said then done. But she knew Chishio was starting to like the idea of trying, it was just Sesshomaru she worried about.

Hopefully she wouldn't cross a hidden line with him if she nudged him in the right direction.

TBC

Ending note: I hope Sessho isn't too ooc…I must remind you, that more time has passed then you are reading…his emotions for Kagome are growing SLOWLY, trust me…

And do you still like Chishio? I'll say this, he is the key to them breaking out, and that will happen next chapter, after Sessho finds out what Naraku has in store for him in his new world.

Jasui = Distrust

Thanks for reading,

~FT

[edit] Again, I am sorry for sudden boldness in the fic. That is not me and I do not know why it is doing it.