This is Chapter One of my story. For those of you who have already read all the others, this is an updated version of the older one. And Chapter 26 will be out soon, just be patient with me. Writers Block, Sorries! hugs everyone Its almost finished now though, so I hope you'll wait '...o, tell me what u think about the update...

"Ouch," Kagome murmured, struggling through the dark forest on her injured leg. The pain from the wound made her slightly dizzy, throwing off her instincts. Kagome glanced suspiciously about the dark woods, knowing she was making a lot of noise. How was she supposed to move stealthily in such a condition? Kagome's bow hung wearily in her hands as she glanced at the three arrows left in her quiver. 'Oh great,' she thought, fatigued.

Kagome continued through the woods, adrenaline the only thing keeping her on her feet. She wanted to sleep, but knew she couldn't. These woods were dangerous. In this day and age, demons could be anywhere. And in the condition she was in, she could not afford to be surprised. 'Not that I could defend myself anyways,' she thought bitterly.

A slight gust moved through the dark trees. Just then, she felt a demon's presence. She would've groaned in exasperation if the situation wasn't serious. Kagome drew her bow tight, knowing she would have to make her shot count it she was to survive. Her eyes were wide, trying to see into the dark that surrounded her. She almost cried out in pain when she was forced to put weight on her injured leg, instead she bit her bottom lip and winced. She stood straight, wanting to be ready to launch her arrow at the smallest unnatural movement.

A slight 'eep' escaped her lips as a white blur pushed her to the ground, an unmistakable snapping sound following as she hit the dirt. She didn't feel any pain, but assumed she had broken either her arm or her leg. Kagome opened her eyes hesitantly, expecting to become demon chow within the next few seconds. But the sight that greeted her made her groan. Her muscles instantly slacked and the fatigue crept right back in. 'He is the last thing I want to see,' she thought, looking up at none other then the Demon Lord of the West, himself. Kagome faintly wished a rogue demon had came and claimed her life. She would rather be dead then deal with his ever annoying, pompous ego.

He looked down at her, his cold amber eyes watching her, smelling her fear and blood. The wind ruffled his loose fitting garments, catching his silver hair, before whispering back into the woods. He looked almost too perfect to be alive. However, his attractive and toned body could not account for the cold, hard, emotionless stare that shone from his golden eyes.

Kagome glanced to see his foot planted firmly on her stomach, effectively pinning her to the hard ground. She could feel rocks and sticks pressing into her back, causing her to be extremely uncomfortable and slightly irritable. "Where is the half-breed?" Sesshomaru asked coldly, no emotion in his voice or shining in his clear eyes. He watched as hurt, then anger flash across Kagome's gaze.

"How would I know? What am I, his keeper?"she replied, grumbling the last question. 'Did everything and everyone revolve around him?' Kagome groaned in her mind. Her anger sparked Sesshomaru's curiosity, though he didn't show it. He continued to glare down at her.

"Don't lie for his sake, Wench," he growled, putting slight pressure on her stomach to make his point. Her anger flared.

"My name is not Wench!" she snapped. She thought she caught amusement play in his cold eyes, but must have been mistaken. The Lord of the West had no emotions. Staring at his eyes made her think of another bone headed male. 'Must his eyes look like Inuyasha's?', she thought briefly before shaking her head slightly. He was the last thing she wanted to think about. "My name is Kagome," she added as an afterthought. 'I shouldn't be thinking about Inuyasha.' Sesshomaru's perfect eye brow raised slightly, the only physical reaction she had seen play across his features in a long time.

Sesshomaru heard someone enter the clearing followed by a high squeal. He already know who it was and did not turn to the sound of disturbance, instead he continued to glare down at the human. Rin ran through his legs to look at the injured girl underneath his foot. He saw curiosity play across Kagome's face at the sight of the little girl. She couldn't have been older then seven, with a small pony tail hanging sideways off of her head. She looked sadly at Kagome, spying the gash in her thigh. "Are you ok?" Rin asked, grasping the miko's arm tightly, as if holding her away from death itself.

"I will be," Kagome tried to smile to ease the little girl's sorrow, but winced. The position she was in did not lessen the pain by any means. Rin looked up at Sesshomaru with puppy eyes, the expression he could rarely deny. He looked from one to the other, then sighed, almost rolling his eyes. He removed his foot from Kagome's stomach, watching her sit up with Rin's help. He saw the little girl's attempts would not be enough to raise the older miko, so again, he sighed.

Kagome struggled to her feet, extremely surprised when a strong arm gripped her waist, hauling her up. She attempting to balance on her uninjured leg while her weight was not a burden. When he let go, the loss of support caused Kagome to grasp his arm, in an attempt to remain standing.

"Thanks," she muttered, looking to see her bow had snapped when she had fallen. That just made her mood worse. 'Great,' she thought darkly, then heard Sesshomaru clear his throat. Glancing about, she realized she was practically leaning against him. She straighten with pain and embarrassment. Her face was flushed a nice pink as she shifted her weight to accommodate her injury.

"Can you walk on your own?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Kagome replied honestly, giving him a self depreciating smile.

"Weak humans," Sesshomaru snorted, pointedly speaking about her in particular. Kagome's anger flared once more, but she wisely held her tongue. Fate had granted her an opportunity, hover dim it might've been, and she did not wish to ruin it in a bout of anger. "Rind, lead the way."

The little girl, happy her Lord would care for the injured human, skipped happily to where she left a sleeping Jaken and Ah-Un. As far as she was concerned, Sesshomaru would take care of the miko as he had taken care of her. Kagome began to wonder as to how she would follow the marry girls pace when Sesshomaru clasped her around the waist. She blushed at the touch, and avoided looking at him. She hadn't expected him to help her. Kagome thought he would just let her struggle. Then again, she would slow him down and apparently he didn't want to wait for stragglers.

Sesshomaru glanced down at the girl he was holding up-right and moving with. He could smell her slight unease at his touch, which highly amused him. She should be un easy, he was, after all, a Demon Lord. He brought his gaze from her and looked to Rin. Jaken would hear it for falling asleep and letting the girl wander aimlessly. When they arrived at the clearing, Sesshomaru whacked a sleeping Jaken on the head with his own staff. The toad demon jerked awake, then dropped to the ground spewing apologies.

Sesshomaru dropped Kagome by the already lit fire. He could feel her glare at being dropped so harshly, but Sesshomaru ignored it. Her glare couldn't match up to his anyways.

"You could've been a little more gentle," Kagome grumbled, knowing his keen ears caught her every word. Not that she wanted to fight with the volatile Lord, she just didn't see how a Demon LORD could behave

"Hush, or I will shut you up," Sesshomaru threatened softly, seeing Rin had fallen asleep against Ah-Un, his two-headed pet dragon.

Kagome rolled her eyes at his threat then looked at her make shift bandage around the gash Naraku had inflicted. The half demon had scored a nasty hit. She checked it to make sure it was not becoming infected. However, her gaze traveled to the fire and her eyes went unfocused. Remembering the earlier fight and the destruction of the well, her eye's misted over with unshed tears. She had no way home. Inuyasha had left her. And the magical gem, the on that granted on wish to whoever completed it, was shattered once more. It was so close to being completed, but now...Inuyasha and the others are gone. 'With good reason. You broke the Jewel again,' she thought. 'Naraku had it in his clutches. It was better to destroy it again then let him absorb it.,' argued a little voice in the back of her mind. She knew rationally that she had done the right thing. If Naraku had absorbed the gem, then the whole feudal time of Japan would be plunged into darkness. And Kami only knows how that would've affected her time.

Sesshomaru watched the interesting girl while she was deep in thought. He could tell she was thinking of some...emotionally troubling matters. A slight frown graced her features and the scent of tears hung in the air. But she did not cry. He watched as she eventually succumbed to her fatigue and fell asleep, curled in a little ball on the grass.

'Weak humans,' the Demon Lord thought, watching the way the fire lit her face and body, showing off her curves... Sesshomaru mentally smacked himself for such thoughts. 'Humans,' he sneered.