I updated!!!

A big thank you to my reviewers, llebreknit , ghost and once again lunarcat12. lovies=3

I just wanted to ask my reviewers: Did you guys recieve my review replies? 'Cos I'm not sure if I sent it correctly... Sorry if you didn't:(

Okie, on with the story nya~

Then she noticed something. Even thought she was not fully aware yesterday when it happened, she noticed that Kikyo's aura was a little… different. Not very different, but it had a weird feel to it, almost like it possessed her. Kagome shook herself mentally. Whoa, you gotta clam it girl. You're thinking weirdly again. Damn you, InuBaka!

Chapter 3

Naraku tapped his fingers impatiently on the wooden floor as he waited for his offspring to arrive. He needed to tell her something.

"Kanna!" he called out sharply. Snowy white hair emerged from behind the makeshift door and the ivory frame of her mirror could be seen. "Yes?"

The hanyou, being irritated by someone's 'punctuality', snapped at his favorite offspring. "Why isn't that bitch here yet?!"

Kanna calmly retrieved her mirror and located the newcomer. The moment her face appeared in the mirror, she looked directly into it and sneered. "Why are you spying on me?"

Naraku was taken aback by her outrageous behavior. No one ever talked back to him and lived to tell the tale. But, considering the fact that she knew immediately that she was being watched, not from around the area, but via Kanna's ability, she was quite the powerful one. The raven haired male simply replied in a clipped tone, restraining his anger. "You are to come here now."

Chocolate brown eyes glared at him. "You are in no position to command me!" Once again, Naraku took a few deep breaths before continuing.

"If you forgot, I have your heart here, with me." The moment he got that threat out, her porcelain face twisted into a scowl. The hanyou smirked. That always did the trick. Luckily for her, he wasn't about to torture her with her heart like what he did to Kagura. Somehow, something keeps telling him that if he were to get her to like him enough to obey him or at the very least, help him, he would gain much from it.

He continued. "So, would you please," the word dripped with sarcasm, "kindly get your ass here now. Or else…" He left the sentence hanging, the unspoken threat working shivers into her body. Determined to keep her strong front, she bowed her head very slightly, before looking up again with a stoic mask on.

Then, she was gone.

Kanna turned to leave the room after her face had faded from the mirror. Once again, Naraku's fingers started twitching. An irritated growl emitted from him after a few more minutes of waiting. She just wouldn't listen, would she? Well, one more minute. One more minute and I'll rip-

"So impatient, are we?" a monotonous voice interrupted the sadistic turn of his thoughts. The hanyou looked up at the newcomer. Deciding to ignore her rudeness, he started on what he wanted to discuss with her.

"Are you aware that your servants are using your powers (recap: a barrier that cannot be detected by any youkai) to kidnap someone?" Spotting no reaction from her, he added. "That someone happens to be the ice lord's ward." That did it. Her head snapped up to look him in the eye.

"Are you serious?" She asked incredulously. Such a foolish thing to do! And a waste of my time. The abilities I gave him will go to waste when Sesshomaru finishes him off.

Naraku nodded. "However, with a little bit of help from me, he managed to successfully kidnap her." Her almond eyes grew impossibly wider. "Who… which youkai was it…?" she stuttered. She would consider keeping that youkai as a favorite.

"Well," he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I do believe that his name was Kagen, if my memory didn't fail me."

Ah… that miserable one. Maybe he had hidden talents. Never judge a book by its cover… how true. "Was there anything else you want me to do?" She didn't like being ordered around by him, but her heart was in his hands… literally. For the sole purpose of life, she continued to follow his bidding. That is, until she gets strong enough to finish him herself.

Mahogany irises flickered for a brief second as he thought, and then rose to meet hers again. I don't really NEED that youkai… "You see, I feel that if you were to…"

Her ears picked up everything the hanyou was saying. Naraku tilted his head, as if saying How about it? She contemplated for a few moments. To lose one, but to gain another…hmm…She quickly bobbed her head up and down once. "I'll do it."

A gleeful smirk graced the features of the vile hanyou. "Good. Now, you can be on your way. But, remember to be convincing." He stressed the last word greatly. She nodded again before leaving the tiny room.

~&&&&&~

Rin is in trouble!

I was going to say I told you so but I decided to- *click* RIN IS IN TROUBLE!!! MAYDAY! MAYDAY!

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes inwardly. Okay, so he was a teeny bit worried for her, but he was absolutely sure that he would keep her out of harm's way. He was planning to continue to find her, double-time, when it happened.

Rin's scent disappeared. Completely. Even the small, but brilliant aura of hers had vanished.

Sesshomaru's beast went into a full-blown panic attack.

RIN!!! MY PRECIOUS RIN!!! SHE'S GONE!!! WHAT DO WE DO!!!

Quiet! This Sesshomaru will continue to search for her.

HOW?! THERE'S NO SCENT FOR YOU TO TRACK!!!

Hmm… his beast was quite right.

This Sesshomaru shall travel in this direction and find Rin.

You better get Rin back! WAHH!

He mentally sighed and went on his way.

~&&&&&~

Kagome wiped her tears away as she sobbed quietly. I knew this would happen! After about ten minutes of thinking about yesterday, a dam linked to her eyes flooded again. This is the last, and final time that I cry over that bastard, She promised herself. Never will she waste her tears on him again.

When she was about to turn back and head back to camp, she sensed a demonic aura. Not a powerful one, though. And on the plus side, it had no jewel shards whatsoever! Kagome seriously considered taking her anger (and other feelings that she didn't want to admit) out on the innocent youkai.

That thought died real quick, however, because firstly, she wasn't the kind of person to go on a killing spree just because she was feeling pissed off. Secondly, the fact that the youkai doesn't have any jewel shards could mean that it was after her. Or the group.

Even though she was still a little, no, scratch that, very upset and angry at a certain hanyou, she couldn't let them fend off the youkai by themselves, could she? No, unlike someone, she actually had a living, beating heart.

Kagome quickened her pace.

As soon as the camp came into view, she gave them a head-count. Sango, Shippo, Miroku, Kirara, good, everyone's here. She did not really bother counting the last silver head. After all, in her dictionary, the word Inuyasha didn't exist. Nope. No such thing.

Before she got the chance to sit down and ask Sango and Miroku about the taste of the sandwich, the demonic aura shifted closer to them; in fact, it shifted too close for Kagome's comfort.

Inuyasha's nose twitched. "That's one foul smell!" He got up on his feet and picked up Tetsusaiga. "Get ready guys, looks like it's time for some early morning fun." Miroku sighed and gripped his staff. The youkai's aura certainly felt weak to him. He roughly estimated the 'battle' to last for about ten seconds, at the very most.

Sango, seeing how relaxed the houshi was, opted to just stand there and maintain a safe three foot distance from her Hiraikotsu. Kirara also noted the insignificant aura and remained being a cute neko. Shippo sensed Kagome's presence and hopped over to where she was.

Kagome noticed the fox kit bouncing towards her and instinctively spread her arms. A very happy Shippo more than willingly jumped into the welcoming arms and was enveloped in a warm hug. "How was the sandwich?" Shippo chuckled nervously before replying.

"Um… remember that time when you gave us lessons on that 'mould' thing?" Kagome nodded and her raised eyebrow motioned for him to continue.

"So you see… that sandwich you gave us… sort of… you know… had 'mould'." The miko's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in disbelief. I gave them MOULDY SANDWICH?! She tried to compose herself and asked. "Well… what…what happened?" Please don't tell me you ate it… please don't tell me you ate it…

"Sango ate it." Aw, crap.

"What?! She knows better than to eat a mouldy sandwich!" She furrowed her eyebrows and made a mental note to go back home to get some antibiotics for Sango.

~&&&&&~

Thud. Thud. Thud. Footsteps as light as a feather repeatedly landed on the forest floor as the lizard ran with all his might towards one direction.

Out of the western lands.

The youkai noted that the sun had risen halfway to its highest point, and that he was already exiting the borders of the west. The little girl was currently unconscious, draped over his shoulder like a sack of rice. No, he did not like to burden himself with a mere human girl, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

There was no way he could let himself be slowed down by the unbearably slow pace at which the human traveled at. Plus, the defiant girl would probably have refused to even move her pathetic feet.

Why are those called feet, anyway? There is nothing in common between a youkai and a human's feet, except than the fact that they were both situated on the ends of their limbs. They should be called… stumps! Dead stumps! Weren't feet for moving about? Humans move so slowly, their 'feet' might as well be non-existent!

Too caught up in his musing, he did not realize that the presence of other beings were nearing him. Him nearing them, actually.

~&&&&&~

Kagome focused once more on the youkai's aura, now that it was approaching them quickly. Then she noticed something. Even though it was faint, she was sure that there was another aura besides the one belonging to the youkai. She recognized that aura… That aura was, although greatly dimmed, bright and resembled the… the… sun! Rin! Of course!

"Guys, I think that youkai has Rin with him!"

All heads, except Kirara's, turned towards her. Sango piped up. "Isn't Rin lord Sesshomaru's ward?" Kagome nodded in answer. Hearing this, the taijiya decided to close the three feet distance between her and her Hiraikotsu and grabbed the cloth 'handle'*.

The miko continued. "If that other aura belongs to Rin, then the youkai must have kidnapped her." Inuyasha looked at Kagome weirdly. "There isn't another aura. Are you too stupid? It's so obvious that there is only one aura."

Kagome visibly flinched at the 'stupid' comment, but kept her cool. She wouldn't flare up at him so easily. That was Inuyasha's aim, to make her feel annoyed and hurt. Miroku scratched the back of his head and tried to find another aura. After really concentrating, a small, flickering aura made itself known to him. "Inuyasha, there is another aura present."

"Feh! Don't tell me you've gone nuts too? I gue-" The hanyou did not get to finish his sentence.

A green, scaly lizard youkai emerged from the forested area and into their camp. The group's attention was immediately turned to the checkered orange kimono over his left shoulder.

Kagome gasped. "Rin!"

Even though she could not see her face, she was a hundred percent sure that the small figure was the daiyoukai's ward. How did she end up with this youkai?

"Oh, you mean she's that ice prick's ward? Feh! Let the youkai be on his way. I bet lord high and mighty wouldn't want you to interfere in his business."

He could picture him now. Do you have no respect for this Sesshomaru at all? He would say, while cracking his knuckles and getting ready to beat him to a bloody pulp. Oh, wait a minute. His half-brother was the I-have-no-emotions-and-I-don't-talk kind of guy. So he would probably let his youki flare before killing them all in one single strike. Yes, a lovely death.

Miroku, eyes still trained on the lizard in front of him, tried to persuade the hanyou. "Inuyasha, if you don't want to save Rin, you must at least get rid of this youkai!" "Yeah! You must rid the earth of this being." Sango added. Shippo chipped in too.

"Inuyasha, if you defeat this youkai, then you can prove yourself better than Sesshomaru in protecting his ward."

That certainly did the trick. The hanyou tossed the kit's words around in his head for a while. Well, that little runt does make sense…

He held Tetsusaiga in front of him, getting into the all too familiar battle stance.

~&&&&&~

She raced over to where the inu-tachi were, feet barely touching the ground before lifting off again. She needed to stop that youkai before they stop him. No, if that happened, her plans would be thwarted. She will be the one to kill that youkai.

While she hurried on her way, her devious mind was working. She had just activated a hidden power on the pendant she gave the lizard. He would be immune to all attacks for half an hour. That should be enough time for me to get there and finish him off myself.

On the plus side, the lizard would also temporarily be given a surge of power, power that would for sure cause grave damage to all. That is, until she shows up. When she reaches them, she would cut off all power and abilities of the youkai, making him extremely vulnerable.

She had considered cutting off his senses all together, to make his end easier. After all, he did quite a good job with Rin. However, if she did that, the youkai would not be responding to her final attack that would kill him. That would be very suspicious, if she did say so herself.

Let the games begin.

SWEETSx3: you wouldn't believe it if I told you guys something...

Kagome: What is it?

SWEETSx3: No! I can't tell you! Or you'll call me cuckoo!

Kagome: It can't be that bad... could it?

SWEETSx3: promise you won't laugh?

Kagome: *nods*

SWEETSx3: i have a shrine in my bedroom dedicated to Sesshomaru. And I have ten hundred bottles of silver hair dye in my bathroom. And I .... (continues babbling)

Kagome: *sneaks off and takes out phone* hello? Is this the mental hospital?

Souta: HI!!! today, I will be the one to pass this message since both are busy. Please review! *bows* now I'm off to play World of Warcraft~