Part 7: My Jewel

          Sesshomaru was bored. Usually when he got bored, he and Inuyasha would go hunt. Today, however, his little brother was busy with that annoying human. She'd finally eaten something, though Sesshomaru suspected that that food was more burnt than anything else.
          He didn't really get it. Inuyasha was a half-breed, and all his life he had tried to overcome his human blood, but now, now he was taking care of that miserable human as though he was planning to take her as his mate.
          Kagome watched Inuyasha and his brother all morning. They looked so much alike, though, Inuyasha was definitely cuter. Sesshomaru was beautiful, almost feminine in appearance. He looked human except for his odd coloring and his strange fingernails. Inuyasha had these super cute little dog ears. She resisted the urge to touch them.
          "We need to talk." Inuyasha informed her, watching her nod in agreement.
          "Yeah, I know." She answered. "You ask one, and then I'll ask one. We'll go back and forth."
          Inuyasha nodded, sitting down on the ground Indian style. "Why are you in my dreams?"
          Kagome frowned, she had been hoping that wouldn't be his first question. "I don't know."
          Inuyasha glared at her, feeling as though she'd cheated him out of his question. "Fine then. What' s your question?"
          "Do you know Kikyo?"
          "Kikyo. . . " Inuyasha repeated. The name sounded so familiar, but he couldn't place it or add a face to the name, "I don't know. I don't think so." Kagome, feeling equally cheated, nodded and indicated for him to ask his question. "Okay, then. Why were you in the well?"
          Kagome frowned. "I fell in. I wasn't sleeping very well, so I got up to take a walk, but I noticed that the well-house door was open, so I went in to check it out, but my cat scared me and I fell."
          Frowning, Inuyasha ran his fingers through his silvery hair, "There's no well house over there." He informed her distrustfully. "Are you sure?"
          Flashing brown eyes informed him quickly that she was sure, "I'm sure, thank you." She looked at him curiously, her eyes latching onto his claws and onto his fuzzy ears, and on his golden eyes.
          He was feeling self-conscious the way she was examining him. He flattened his ears against his head nervously, "What?"
          The girl blushed furiously, and smiled shyly, "I get another question." She said matter-of-factly. Inuyasha nodded, not sure if he liked that odd tone in her voice. "Okay then. . . " Kagome was blushing insanely and she managed to blurt out, "Could I touch your ears?"
          Inuyasha stared at her for a few seconds, completely shocked at her questions. Never in a thousand years would he have expected that question. He wondered briefly what she was thinking, but it occurred to him that most likely she didn't mean anything by the request. "I guess so. . . "
          Shyly, Kagome approached him, staring at his ears curiously. She reached out her hand tentatively and touched his ear carefully. It was soft and warm, like a dog's, and she gently rubbed them. Inuyasha shivered, the sensation was sending shivers down his spine. It felt so good. He let his eyes half close and simply enjoy the sensation.
          It had been years since anyone had touched his ears. No one since his mother had. When he was just a little boy, she would hold him on her lap and pet his head gently. It was strange, when most touched him, even his older brother, he couldn't wait to get away from them. But this girl, he could have quite contentedly sat there all day and allowed her to stroke his ears.
          As quickly as she'd started, she stopped and moved away, blushing scarlet and avoiding his gaze. "Thanks. I had to get that out of my system."
          Inuyasha blinked rapidly, trying to wake himself up from the relaxed, lazy feeling her stroking had caused. "Yeah. . . " he said awkwardly. "Hey. . . That monster said you had some kind of jewel. What was he talking about?"
          Kagome frowned and pulled a small velvet bag out of the front of her shirt, "This. I don't' really know what it does, but my grandfather said that once it absorbed like a thousand youkai. It was completely black when I first got it, but I. . . uh. . .purified it, I guess. I'm supposed to protect it."
          Sesshomaru glanced over at her from where he'd been sitting in a tree, "Wretch, did you just say that it absorbed youkai?" he demanded.
          Kagome jumped, this was the first time that Inuyasha's hostile older brother had spoken to her. "My name's Kagome, not wretch. And, yes, that's what I said."
          Sesshomaru snorted, "It's the Shikon no Tama." He said idly. "What are you doing with it? Are you the miko who protects it now?"
          Inuyasha stared at him dumbly, "The Shikon no Tama? That's just a story, Sess. I mean, mother used to tell it to me when I was a child. It can't be real."
          His brother didn't look at him, "I would like to have the jewel, girl. It's said to give youkai incredible powers."
          Kagome stared at him in confusion. "You can't just take it from me. It's mine. You can't have it."
          Inuyasha stared at his brother thoughtfully, "Humans can't use it, can they Sesshomaru?"
          "No. They don't have any power to increase." Sesshomaru replied disgustedly. "Why not give it to youkai, so at least it will come to some use."
          "No! I'm supposed to protect it!" She argued angrily, scrambling to her feet, and glaring at him.
          "Then I will kill you and pry the jewel from your dead fingers." Sesshomaru informed her pointedly leaping down from the tree.
          Suddenly, Inuyasha jumped in front of her. "Sesshomaru, no! She's mine. I'm protecting her."
          Sesshomaru snarled at his brother angrily, "She has the Jewel of Four Souls! Doesn't that matter to you? Imagine the power that jewel possesses!"
          Inuyasha frowned, "I can't let you hurt her, Sess. Besides, it's not as though you've ever needed any extra power. The last time I checked, you were still top dog around here."
          "Fine!" Sesshomaru sanctioned, "But once you tire of her, brother. I'll have that jewel."
          Inuyasha nodded, "Fair enough. If and when I tire of her, she and her jewel are yours." Sesshomaru jumped over the trees, taking off full speed into the woods.
          Kagome didn't know whether to be grateful to Inuyasha or mad at him. He had referred to her as though she was a possession, but he had also just saved her life. She had no doubt in her mind that if Inuyasha's older brother had his way, she wouldn't be here to ponder the thought.
          She gazed through the trees, her eyes resting on nothing. She sighed. Suddenly, it dawned on her that she was here in this strange world, and that she had no idea how she was ever going to get home.
          "Come on." Inuyasha said sharply, crouching down in front of her.
          Kagome stared at him dumbly. "What?"
          Inuyasha glanced over her shoulder, "Get on. I want to take you to meet a human I know. She's always been kind with me."
          Kagome frowned, "Are you sure you can carry me?" she asked in concern.
          Inuyasha cast her an irritated glare, and she climbed on his back, latching on for dear life as he sprung up over the tree tops and raced off in the direction of the village he'd spoken of.