Next to Nothing by Twist in fate

Strange Disappearances

Chapter one of Next to Nothing

A/N I will be coming through and editing this fic at a later date, this fic is not for young readers. And I do not own Inuyasha and co.

Kagome glanced around the clearing trying to figure out where everyone had disappeared to.

Flashback a few minutes prior...

Kagome was lagging behind today because she just felt awful, it was her time of the month and as usual Inuyasha was being an ass about it, he was pushing the group hard today and he didn't even speak to her, let alone slow down for her.

Following the group at her own pace she watched them disappear around a curve in the road. As she came around the curve she didn't see her companions anywhere on the straight road ahead of her. Expanding her senses she began to worry, because no matter how far she searched, she could not find Inuyasha's aura at all.

End Flashback

Deciding that just standing around wasn't going to find her friends she started walking again in the direction of the west hoping that she would run across Kouga as she passed the mountains. Maybe if she did find Kouga she'd be able to talk him into helping her find Inuyasha and the others.

--33-33-33-33-

Sesshomaru was patrolling his lands when the scent of Inuyasha's bitch wafted into his nose, a little peeved that they had come onto his lands he headed for the direction of the woman's scent to send them off his lands. Nearing her scent he noted that there were no other scents accompanying hers, coming within view he thought it odd that she would be without his brother at least in her company.

Ah-Un was carrying Rin not far behind him lead by Jaken, who was at the moment unusually silent for one that was always yapping about one thing or another, mainly Rin. Walking silently up behind her with the intention of scaring her he was about to speak when she turned around and looked at him and said "Hi Sesshomaru", taken aback for a moment he looked at her not letting her see his temporary surprise. In a cold demanding voice he asked "Miko what are you doing on my lands without an invitation to be here?"

"I'm sorry Sesshomaru you see I was somehow separated from the group several days ago and I have been searching for them, unfortunately I haven't had any luck in finding them."

"Explain."

"I was lagging behind the group because I was unwell and Inuyasha was pushing the others so hard, not caring that I was slowly falling behind. They walked around a curve in the road and when I got around the curve they were no longer there. I opened up my senses to try and find Inuyasha's aura and could not find even a wisp of it. I would've been able to see them for the land was nothing but flat meadows after you passed around the curve. I saw no point in standing around, so I have been searching for them since they disappeared without a trace."

"I see, but you're still not excused for trespassing."

"How was I to know that I had walked onto your lands? I can't smell things like you can, so I had no idea this was your territory. I will gladly leave if you can help me find Inuyasha and I shall never interfere with your business again."

"Why would I, Lord of these lands aid a human who is in association with my brother? I could just as easily kill you than hunt down my foolish brother for your convenience, I would prefer not to be bothered by one such as you."

"Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Sesshomaru, can Kagome travel with us? I would have someone other than Jaken to play with then! Please Lord Sesshomaru...." Rin gave Sesshomaru her best puppy dog eyes as she begged.

Sesshomaru sighed internally before he said "Fine the miko can travel with us, but if she questions me I shall make her life hell if I don't outright kill her." Turning Sesshomaru headed off to search for his damnable brother as he did he said one last thing "Stay with Rin and Jaken, I shall search for Inuyasha now. Jaken if anything happens to Rin it will be your head." He faded off into the trees.

Well he hasn't changed at all thought Kagome as she watched him vanish. Looking at Rin she said "Now what?"

"Foolish woman do not ask that child for instructions for it is I, Jaken that is in charge of this group not her...umpf."

Jaken was introduced to the ground by none other than Kagome "Silence, if I wanted instructions from a toad I would ask for them, but seeing how I did not ask you a question you should not have answered me."

"Insolent woman, I shall teach you what it means to disrespect me!" Brandishing the staff of two heads Jaken was about to strike.

When she heard his statement she said "Try to hit me with that staff and I will purify you into oblivion."

Pausing in his attack he thought about it and said "No you won't for Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't let you live after he discovered my demise."

"I can still put you through extreme pain then, he can't kill me for protecting myself." Retorted Kagome.

--33-33-33-33-33-33-33-

Sesshomaru searched far and wide for his half brother in his orb form traveling as fast as he could, but no matter where he traveled to he could not locate his damnable brother. He searched the entire continent and had no luck finding anyone from the miko's group which only frustrated him, unable to find any clues he flew back to his small pack and landed just outside the firelight.

Walking up to them he saw the miko's hopeful look and answered her before she had time to ask "It is like you said, there is no sign of my half brother or your pack anywhere. I will allow you to travel with me until we find them, only because I agreed to help you find them. You are a part of my pack now so you will do as I say, until they reappear, am I understood?"

"Yeah" answered Kagome crestfallen at the words of the youkai before her as she thought I wonder what becoming his pack means for me, I bet he will expect me to be obedient like a female of this time period should be. Well he won't intimidate me into being his obedient slave anytime soon. Determined to keep her free will and movement she started walking towards a hot spring that was in the vicinity of the group when she was stopped by his icy voice.

"Where do you think you're going miko?"

"To take a bath in the hotspring." She answered in a resolute manner.

"I did not give you leave to bathe miko, so sit down."

"I do not need your permission to bathe Sesshomaru, I am not like the humans of this time I bathe on a near daily basis." Turning she started in the direction of the spring yet again.

"Miko you test my patience, you will sit down now and desist from taking a bath at this time." Came his much colder and more threatening voice from behind her.

Ignoring him she kept right on walking until a clawed hand wrapped around her throat and tightened a fraction. "I warned you miko and I am not in the habit of repeating myself." Drawing close to her ear he said quietly so only she could hear him. "You are on your way to the lowest spot in my pack and when there you will take orders from everyone in the pack no matter how small or large the task is. You will get food and water when some one sees fit to save you some and give it to you, so keep pushing my patience and that is where you will find yourself." Finished he shoved hard causing her to stumble forward and land on her hands and knees. "Now sit down"

Lowering her head in shame she stood and walked over to the fire and sat down, hoping he would allow her to get a bath soon if she did as asked. Staring at her hands in her lap she decided to pull out her math book and study a bit while she had the time to do so.

"What is that odd contraption miko?" asked Sesshomaru with reserved curiosity.

"It's my math book."

"What exactly is a math b-u-u-k?"

"It's a book I use to study for my math class so that I can pass my exams at the end of the year."

"Hand it to me." He ordered

"No, I'm studying right now."

"What did I tell you earlier miko? One more time and you shall be everyone's servant."

"Fine" Kagome leaned over and handed her math book to him.

Thumbing through the odd thing he was somewhat amazed by the books information, it covered mathematical stuff he had never seen before and some of the stuff looked to be a bit difficult even by his standards. Looking up at her he hid his awe behind a bored mask and asked "So you are educated miko?"

"Of course I am, everyone from my time is educated, well almost everyone. There are a few that don't want to go to school and they get the hardest work."

"I see" pondering her answer he began to think on her undoubtedly useful knowledge of things. She could teach Rin how to read and write so that he did not have to find a servant to do it, her information of the future would also come in handy as well. From what he had gleaned from Rin about the miko disturbed him greatly, a time where demons were no longer around and humans ruled the world and skies. It was a very discomfiting thing for him to think about, glancing at the miko again he said "Tell me why there aren't any demons left in your time."

"Well I'm not really sure why they no longer exist really, but I can venture to guess that it had a lot to do with atomic bombs and the weaponry that humans invented." She answered after a few minutes of thought.

Not detecting any lies in her theory he was unsettled even more by what she had told him about the human race. What kind of fearsome weapons could such a low species create that they could wipe out all demons from the face of the earth? He would eventually have to see these weapons for himself, so that he could prepare for what was to come in the future.

The wind shifted and her scent was carried to his nose, wrinkling it slightly he decided it would be in his best interest to allow her to bathe off the sweat and grime from the days travel. She didn't smell like the other humans he had encountered before and he was thankful for that, but the scent of sweat wasn't anymore pleasant to his nose than any other human scent. "Miko you may bathe now, make haste or I shall retrieve you whether you're ready or not."

"Hai Sesshomaru." Standing Kagome grabbed her things and headed towards the spring at a brisk walk. Undressing faster than she normally would she was in the water within a minute of reaching the spring, reaching for her bag she pulled out her mp3 player and turned it on, setting the small speakers a few inches from the waters edge.

Pulling out the shampoo she started washing her long thick hair working out tangles as she went, satisfied that it was clean she rinsed and began to bathe with her wisteria scented soap. Singing softly as she bathed she did not hear the small cracks of twigs as she sang along to Dance with the Devil:

Here I stand helpless and left for dead

Close your eyes so many days go by

Easy to find what's wrong

Harder to find what's right

I believe in you

 I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies

I won't stay long in this world so wrong

Say goodbye as we dance with the devil tonight

Don't you dare look at him in the eye

As we dance with the devil tonight

Trembling crowded across my skin

Feeling your cold dead eyes

Stealing the life of mine

I believe in you

I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies

I won't last long in this world so wrong

Say goodbye as we dance with the devil tonight

Don't you dare look at him in the eye

Hold on

Hold on......

Goodbye......

He had told her not to take long and what did she do? She took at least twenty minutes, pissed at her disobedience he strode towards the spring only to hear her softly singing a strange song, her voice, for a human, was oddly angelic sounding and he was caught off guard by her for the second time that day. Which did not improve his mood at all, if anything it only darkened his sour mood, but her beautiful voice kept invading his mind and soothed his anger each time he worked it up again.

Finally he gave up on trying to be angry when her voice was doing odd things to his emotions, walking closer he saw her leaning against the side of the spring with her back to him. Deciding to get revenge on her for soothing his anger at her he waltzed up behind her and said in a cold calculating voice "Miko did I not tell you to make haste?"

She squealed in surprise and spun around so fast that it was almost comical to him, unfortunately in her haste she had forgotten one key thing, she was nude, and she was revealing everything the Kamis had given her. "Do you make it a habit to reveal yourself in the presence of males?" Amusement flashed briefly in his eyes as she made a hasty retreat under the water turning ten shades of red as she did so.

Kagome was so embarrassed that she dropped down into the water so quickly that she accidentally inhaled some, coming up sputtering and coughing she gave Sesshomaru a death glare. "Well do you make it a habit to startle young women whilst they bathe?" She bit out venomously.

"Watch your tongue miko I did warn you against dawdling, now dress quickly while my back is turned and I do suggest you hurry my patience wears thin."

Kagome was out of the water and dressed in record time, yes he had seen her once, but he would not do so again if she had any say in the matter.