Ahahaha, You guys are going to kill me, but I'm sorry for starting a new story. When I saw this challenge by Aiwendil Amaurea I could not help it!!! Damn you! Lol, joking. It interested me when I should be studying since my final exams are all this month.

Fanfiction is going to be the death of me.

Anyway,

Complexity

複雑さ

Order One: The curse

Kagome made a good impression of an animalistic growl as she stared at Inuyasha as his ears flattened against his head. However, he quickly crossed his arms and looked stubbornly to the side with a 'Keh!'

"So, is that it, huh?" And although she sounded infuriated, but there was no mistake in the tremble of her voice or the unshed tears in her eyes that showed her state of distress, "I'm just a shard detector to you, huh?"

Inuyasha's ears twitched at the tremor in her voice, but he stubbornly refused to acknowledge it. "Feh! You knew that from the beginning, wench," he said rather harshly, although he hadn't meant a word he was saying. That was how he always was, hiding his true feelings to what a lot of people would consider a weakness and he would not put himself in that situation again, where his heart would likely shatter beyond repair, and this time, would not be able to heal. "It was your duty from the moment you broke it. Don't think it's anymore or less."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. After all they've been through he still considered her just a shard detector. She had constantly stayed by his side, comforted him when times were tough. She even kissed him at one point, for God's sake! And he still considered her a shard detector.

Her lip wobbled, and Inuyasha smelt the salt in the air, instantly regretting the words, but he couldn't take them back now. He wouldn't. The bindings of the betrayal and heart ache that happened about fifty years ago (give or take a few years) was not fifty years to him. He slept during that time. It was still fresh in his mind and while that burden was placed upon him, he would always keep her, Kagome, at a distance.

Smelling the salt and tears strong now, he knew that her tears had fallen. "Inuyasha, you idiot!" she yelled through her distress, "Sit!"

And he plunged into the ground. He had expected it. Always had. Even as a habitual growl and insults strung from his mouth, even as she repeated the dreaded word, plunging him deeper into the dirt, and even as she stomped away from the camp site in tears, he knew he had deserved it.

In the background, a monk shook his head while his 'cursed' hand was slowly making its way to somewhere less innocent, a demon slayer looked worriedly at her surrogate sister, a fox kit shook his head whilst saying 'idiot' and a demon cat mewled and looked disapprovingly at the hanyou that called himself their leader.

A short while later a yell of 'Pervert!' followed by a soft 'thud' was heard.

OoO

She sniffled trying to calm down as she sat by the river's edge. She knew it was useless to cry now. She had always undergone his insults that she should be used to it by now. But she shouldn't be used to it. She shouldn't be under such treatment of one of a friend. It showed that she had undergone the insults so much that she had just grown numb to it. But it was true, although she should be used to such treatment, it still cut deep into her like a new wound.

Couldn't he see that she tried to prove himself to him? Couldn't he see that she wasn't just a shard detector, but a friend? The way she stood by his side in each and every battle, unwavering? That she always believed in him? Couldn't he see… that she loved him?

But no, he didn't see that. He continued to barrage in insults, cutting deeper each time he did.

She stared blankly into the stream, dried up tears ran down each cheek, before a glinting metal in the light caught her attention on the other side of the torrent. She frowned, paused in her thoughts before she decided to get up and jump across to the other side with the usage of rocks.

Walking over to the glinting metal and picking it up, she was surprised to find it was a bracelet. It was silver and very good quality considering it was the feudal era. Its intricate design could be seen dancing across the small chains if looked at closely. And if she had taken the time to actually look at it, she would see that it was covered in a spell. Hanging from the delicate chains was something that looked like a rose made of ruby. In short, it was beautiful.

And it was calling her in, drawing her in its unseen spell, telling her to put it on and she was about to… until something interrupted her out of her trance that she didn't even seem aware she was in.

"Kagome?" Kagome snapped her head up at the soft sound of her friend's voice and Kagome stood up, quickly slipping the bracelet into her pocket and when she caught sight of Sango, Kagome smiled lightly, but her friend looked at her in worry. "Are you alright? And what are you doing on the other side?"

Kagome smiled, albeit sadly at her friend. "I'm fine Sango. I just thought I saw something here."

Sango sighed and accepted her reply. "Come on, Kagome. If you're not back soon, you know Inuyasha is going to make a big fuss when you take too long."

Kagome huffed and rolled her eyes, her sadness and depression temporarily gone. "Fine, fine," she mumbled as she got up and followed her friend back to camp.

Yet, as she followed her friend back to camp, she couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive of why she hadn't told her about the bracelet she had found, but she couldn't help but feel compelled to keep this little discovery a secret. Her hand brushed against her pocket where the bracelet lay. Yes, for now, she would keep this a secret.

OoO

Sesshoumaru turned his head to the left as he caught scent of his half brother and his pack. They were nearby and seemed to be resting. He also caught whiffs of the miko's tears in which he knew travelled with the group and guessed that his half brother had yet again managed to upset a member of his own pack probably with his reckless behaviour. Not that he cared.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" A happy squeal brought him out of his thoughts as he saw his ward run towards him with a joyful expression as she halted in front of him with adoration shining in her eyes, followed by a stumbling toad demon covered in a bunch of flowers.

"Filthy human!" Jaken squawked, "I'm sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama! I tried to—" He was soon shut up with a swift kick knocking the poor demon unconscious.

"Have you been well?" he asked the girl with his usual stoic self.

She nodded exuberantly. "Yes, Rin has been a good girl and played with Master Jaken when Rin found lots and lots of flowers," she said brightly as she waved her hands for emphasis.

Sesshoumaru gave a light nod at her antics to show he understood as he began to walk away and Rin beside him, talking happily as she hadn't seen her lord for a couple of days and missed his presence as one would if he was her father.

Suddenly, the mood dampened and he looked down to see Rin struggling with her thoughts with a frown and a pout.

"What is wrong Rin?" he asked the little girl, disturbed that she had stopped talking and seemed lost in thoughts.

"Well," she said as they entered the clearing of the camping space she had been using the last two nights, "Rin went to the river before to try to catch some fish when Rin saw pretty lady crying. Every time Rin sees pretty lady, she's always smiling and strong. So when Rin saw pretty lady crying, Rin feels sad for the pretty lady."

Not needing to guess who the pretty lady was, but was astounded that the girl would worry for the other party, although he shouldn't be surprised, he simply asked, "Why?"

"Well, every time Rin sees pretty lady, she is always nice to Rin!" she exclaimed.

Noticing how the sun already set, he looked down at Rin. "The miko is fine, Rin," he simply stated needing to calm the child. He knew not of why the miko would be crying, but the little girl didn't need to know that and he had to calm her mind before she could sleep, "She just had a small mishap. Now, sleep. We set to travel in sun rise."

As if on cue, Rin nodded sleepily and yawned, setting herself near the two-headed dragon so she could rest well. Another rock was thrown as Jaken stumbled in before he could make too much noise to wake the sleeping child.

OoO

Kagome was the only one awake as she stared at the stars the blanketed the velvet skies. She held the bracelet in her hand, but had not put it on. She could hear light snores that surrounded the camp site, but even then she could feel the missing presence of her hanyou protector and her heart lurched. She didn't have to guess where he had gone.

She watched a shooting star pass by and sighed heavily as she closed her eyes and made a small wish. 'I just wish… to be loved…' she thought sadly to herself before she re-opened her eyes.

Slowly getting out of her sleeping bag and trying not to make too much noise, she picked up her weapon and made her way back to the river bank she was at earlier in the day and sat by it, putting her bare feet in the cool running water.

She looked up, the moon hung above her, glowing with an ethereal light. She couldn't help but be reminded of the stoic demon lord as she stared at the moon. She was suddenly reminded that he had a crescent moon on his forehead and even then, his skin was so pale that it made it seem like he wasn't meant for this world.

The killing perfection.

She sighed, briefly wondering why she was even thinking about him at all. She looked down at the bracelet in her hand and held it up to get a better look at it. Blinking, she just shook her head and decided to put it on. It couldn't hurt right?

She was deftly proved wrong as a searing pain suddenly covered her and she let out a silent scream as her body was suddenly lit in a strange light and she could feel her body changing. When it was over, she was left panting and bending forward to catch her breath, before she saw her reflection that she fell back in shock.

Oh dear Lord, she looked like a boy. A feminine boy, but a boy nonetheless. Her hair was short, the pyjamas that she wore were no more, but in place was simple male kimono wear. She looked down to see, what should be a chest of a woman, was one of a man. And she panicked.

Suddenly, pain struck down her arm to her right hand of which had the bracelet surrounding it. It felt like something was slicing her from the inside and when it stopped, what most surprised her was not the blood of her own hand, but the words that formed there that was healing and slowly fading.

Called upon a cursed state

Far too late to stop this fate

Twice a month shows what's true

Love and warmth can break its cue

But never once a person must know

To get out of this cursed show

'Cause should a person find out this

Your freedom is yours to miss

Kagome stared at her bloodied hand in horror. The words had all, but faded now. And although it was gone from sight, she could still hear the poem in her mind. Echoing in something she would never be able to forget. Tears collected at her eyes before they began falling.

"Oh God, Inuyasha…" she said and to her pain she realised even her voice was different. 'I have to tell Inuyasha!' she thought frantically before a warning was sent to her and she felt a slight tingling in her right hand.

'Should a person find out this, your freedom is yours to miss…'

Tears fell anew once she understood those lines. She couldn't tell anyone and Inuyasha wouldn't recognise her. No one would. She couldn't go back. What could she say?

"Oh God…" she said as she hugged herself in her pain. She couldn't handle this. She couldn't travel by herself and continue looking for the shards. She needed him. He needed her.

'You're just a shard detector…'

She needed…

'It was your duty from the moment you broke it. Don't think it's anymore or less…'

She didn't need him. Like, he didn't need her. He had Kikyou if she was gone. She was much stronger, confident. She wouldn't get in his way. And… he loved her. Kagome could do nothing but stand in the way of those two.

And she could feel it. In this state she was even more useless than she was before. Her power was sealed off. She was unable to use it. She would just hinder everyone's progress.

She looked down at her hand and blinked. Why hadn't she thought of it before? Couldn't she just… no, she couldn't pull of the bracelet. Kagome growled as she pulled harder, determined to take it off.

A pair of boots stopped right in front of her and she paused. And she snapped her head up to look at the being that invaded her personal space as she moved back to put some distance between her and whom she considered an enemy.

"Sesshoumaru…"

And there you have it, the first chapter. -Cough- Now I should soon update my other storied :D

-SxT