Fair Trade

Disclaimer: I own my shoe…only one…that’s it….
~Prologue~

“I can’t believe you broke the Shikon Jewel….AGAIN!!”

Kagome stared at her rude companion, slight annoyance apparent in her expression. “Well at least we don’t have to worry about Naraku anymore! Give me a break! We have half of it back already. And it wasn’t entirely my fault anyway.”

She continued towards the Bone Eaters Well, then suddenly paused her pace and turned to Inuyasha.

“Oh, and by the way, I’m going home for a few days,” she stated flatly, then continued on.

“WHAT?! No your not! We still need to find the rest of that jewel! You can go when we’re done!!
Hey! Are you listening to me?! Get BACK HERE!”

Inuyasha fumed at the thought of his inevitable defeat. Without thinking, he bounded up and in front of Kagome to rashly point his finger accusingly at Kagome.

“You weren’t going to take me with you this time, were you?!”

His finger in her face annoyed her, and what was even more annoying is that he became overly protective and had done so rudely during many battles after Naraku’s defeat since the Jewel had broken yet again. She rolled her eyes and slapped his hand away from her face.

“You’re not my body guard, and I would like time –alone-!”

Shippou, who had been an earnest spectator, decided now would be a good time to bound up and defend Kagome.

“Yeah, Inuyasha, she’s right. I would want some time away from you too if you had treated me like a newborn kit and made me feel like an accident waiting to happen.”

Inuyasha glared at the kit then balled up his fist and bopped him on the head.

“Shut up, you little runt! It’s not MY fault we’re going to be stuck searching for this jewel for ETERNITY!” He yelled, eyeing Kagome accusingly. “If we didn’t have to deal with this dumb-“

“THAT IS IT!” she interrupted. Inuyasha’s ears flew straight back out of pain from her screaming and realization of what was about to come. “I am NOT dumb, it is NOT my fault, and I AM going back to MY HOME because I haven’t seen my family in four months since we defeated Naraku; so if YOU have a problem, than you can SIT!! SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT!!!

*WHAM* Inuyasha went face first into the dirt, making a small cloud of dust arise along with a groan for every sit Kagome yelled at him. Shippou, Miroku, and Sango all watched on with unfazed amusement.

“No matter how many times she does that, it will always be the best entertainment,” Sango sang out. The slight grin on her face broadened into a full smile, misleading Miroku into believing that this would be the perfect time to just reach over and…

*SMACK* Sango’s smile disappeared as she instantly turned to her hands-across-chest-and-hip-out-“I know you did not expect to get a free feel from me, hentai!” posture she usually gets to practice about ten times a day.

“You will never learn to keep your hands to yourself will you? Uh! Worthless pervert!”

Kagome giggled despite her own predicament and winked at Sango. “I trust you can keep these two in line while I’m gone?”

“As long as you’re back within two days...”

Kagome smiled at her reassuringly, “I wont be gone to long, so you shouldn’t have anything to worry about anyway. I’d expect...three days? Maybe four...okay?”

No one seemed to have a problem with this so she continued to the well and threw one leg over the edge and waved at them.

Shippou waved ecstatically with a huge, cute grin on his face, and Miroku, massaging his smarting cheek, waved back with a small grin, for it hurt too much to have a full smile.

“Bye!!” they all yelled in unison. Then she turned her attention to Inuyasha, who was still twitching from the many “sits” used against him.

“I won’t be long, so don’t be so grumpy; and if you’re that strung up about the jewel shards then search for them yourself! Just remember that I’ll be back in less than a week. Oh, and if I hear you’ve caused any trouble while I’m gone….you’re gonna think these ‘sits’ were nothing! Bye!” She smiled warmly at him and half-waved before leaping into the well.

Inuyasha yelped again as another, smaller dust cloud arose during the midst’s of her speech, and she disappeared for what seemed like the LONGEST three day’s ever.


* * * * *


“Kanna!”

The voice echoed through out the darkness, bouncing off each of the cold stone walls as it made it’s way down the long twists and turns of the corridors, stirring whatever creep and crawl might have been in its wake.

“Yes, Naraku,” Kanna replied, monotonous and void of expression. Her snow white locks fell plainly down her back, away from her precious mirror that Naraku no doubt was about to demand service.

“Show me that wench, that ‘Kagome’ whom is collecting all the shards for me…again. I wish to see if the time is right for us to be…reacquainted.” He smirked at his own word play. He liked that. It suited perfectly. A most disturbing smile grazed his pale lips. He had healed, fully, and was stronger than before…they would not kill him that easily. ‘Fools! To think they defeat me?! Naraku?! I would not die so easily!’

No…he was not dead. He let them believe that…that he was dead. The Shikon Jewel would then be complete if he allowed them to think that…yes…it was all turning out perfectly…until that idiot girl broke the Shikon again! ‘But no matter, she now has some shards, and I can find the others easily enough on my own…I’ve proven that already…’

He was pulled suddenly from his musings as Kanna stepped closer and held her mirror out to him. A mist swirled for but a few second’s as an image began to appear at the mirrors heart. Kagome was going back to her time…yelling at the hanyou, Inuyasha…and that was all he needed to see.

He waved his hand at Kanna, dismissing her, but not before sending her to summon Kagura to his chambers. He rested his forehead on his fingertips and smiled wickedly. ‘They are making this all too easy! All too easy…within a matter of days, they will be without their precious shards and their precious Kagome.’ He would make sure of that.

“You called for me, Lord?” She hated calling him ‘lord.’ As if he deserved it! She had to use all her will not to spit out her words at him in disgust. He, however, had another plan…and to foil it and chance at her freedom she would call him ‘daddy’ and pick him pretty flowers to put in a lovely vase.

He smirked at her. ‘No doubt, she is waiting for a little information on my plots, and the opportune moment to gain her freedom from me.’ He was not as dumb as that, and they both knew this; but she was not stupid either, and they both knew that as well. But she would not foil his plans this time, that was certain.

“My dear Kagura, I have a very important errand for you to run. I need you to first find Kikyou and bring her here. Then…I have a very, very important message for our dear Taiyoukai of the West…”

“Naraku, Kikyou will not be an issue, but Lord Sesshoumaru? He would rip my head off as soon as look at me!” She doubted Sesshoumaru had forgotten the arm Naraku had once graced him with.

“Are you questioning me, Kagura?” He asked her in sheer mockery, a smile etched into his features as his eyes glinted dangerously, with excitement, challenge, and something else she’d rather not like to test.

“No,” and with that, she bowed, and waited for Naraku to give or tell her whatever it was that would be for Sesshoumaru.

“You, Kagura, are under NO circumstances what so ever to read this…and believe me, I will know if you do.” He held out a small parchment of paper, wrapped to look like a scroll with a blackish purple ribbon tied around the middle.

She didn’t doubt that he would know. He watched her every move, especially since she had allowed Inuyasha to sense whatever it was he needed to use his fang, and hopefully, defeat Naraku. ‘To bad it didn’t work.’

She took the scroll and hoped upon her feather, riding quickly and silently out into the night.


* * * * * * *


A: Okay… wasn’t that fun? Don’t get your panties in a wad just yet, it was only the prologue.