Otherside by Sophie Bloom

Noble Proposal

Hi everyone! I'm Sophie and I'm in the middle of computer graphics class and I am bored...so what better time to write my Kagome/Sesshomaru fanfic!? Now don't get me wrong, I like the whole InuYasha and Kagome thing that usually goes on, but like many others, I get fed up with the way that he treats her and who knows how to treat a lady better than old fluff mcguff? Ha ha... well anyways, this story takes place after Inu Yasha tells Kagome that he has chosen Kikyo...

Title: Otherside

Author: Sophie Bloom

Rating: R-ish

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters...or anything...

CHAPTER 1:

Kagome ran blindly through the woods towards the well. The very branches of the trees seemed to scratch at her flesh as though they wanted her for themselves, and holes and tree stumps came out of no where, making her trip every other step. Her hot salty tears kept her from seeing anything further than a foot ahead of her, but she still turned her head back to see if he was following her.

He wasn't.

As she finally found her way to the door that would send her home, to her own time, she bowed over, utterly exhausted and leaned on the edge of the well. Her heart was pounding so hard, she thought it would jump out of her chest. She moved a graceful hand up to her eye to wipe away her own angry tears.

'That jerk! How can he not see that she does not love him? She only wants him dead!' her head screamed. But it was more than that which tore at her heart...InuYasha had chosen...

**FLASHBACK**

"You saw her, didn't you?" Kagome asked softly. InuYasha did not answer.

"Look, at you. You can't even make eye contact with me! What happened InuYasha?"

InuYasha raised his head to her gaze, his eyes telling everything.

"Kagome," he said slowly, "I I love Kikyo. It's my fault that she died!"

"No it isn't! You know that was Naraku's doing!" Kagome cried. She didn't understand why he was acting like this.

"I owe it to her to be with her and protect her..." he said sadly.

Kagome didn't understand. Was he trying to say he didn't love her? After all they had been through together, he loved Kikyo, and not her!?

"InuYasha, what are you trying to say?" she whispered.

He looked up at the sky for a moment and back down at her. His orange/gold eyes, told more than his words.

"It's not fair for me to be with you. I care about you Kagome, but it's not fair for you or her. You're her reincarnation, surely you can understand that."

Kagome looked as though she had been shot. Her mouth was open so far you could see all the way down her throat. Her eyes suddenly lost their usual blue/silver and were now pure grey.

"IS THAT ALL I AM TO YOU?!? JUST A REINCARNATION OF AN OLD GIRLFRIEND?!?!"

"I've tried to be patient, I've tried to show you how much I cared about you, and not to mention how many times I've tried to be by your side when no one else would and all you can say is that 'you're her reincarnation'?! I am done with you! No more jewel shards, no more lunches, and no more me!"

He looked fazed, but you could tell he was angry as well.

"I'm sorry Kagome. No matter what I care about you. I really am sorry. But this isn't like you to throw a fit. It's not like we were an ITEM!"

InuYasha did not like how this was going... Kagome walked up to him and with her right hand slapped him as hard as she possibly could. He flinched, but did nothing else.

Kagome turned away, ripped her necklace off and threw it at him. In it was the recent jewel shards that Kikyo hadn't gotten a chance to steal.

"InuYasha!!!!"

He managed to choke out a 'yes'.

"SIT!!!!"

As his body slammed to the ground she ran towards the woods on her way home.

**FLASHBACK OVER***

Head bowed and knees scrunched up to her chest, Kagome now openly sobbed for all to hear. She thought she had loved InuYasha. Was it love? Or was it merely the jealousy of what he had once had with Kikyo that made her want to be loved by him so? Now she was not sure about anything and her head hurt just from thinking about it.

She looked around and was sure about one thing: she didn't want to go home. She knew the loneliness there would make her depression worse than it would be here. At the same time, the Warring States Era was worse because they were there. Had she become that bitter? Just thinking about them, even though she was part of it, made her sick to her stomach. She needed to figure out her next move.

The sky was perfectly clear, and the clouds kept her more occupied than anything. Wandering thoughts settled in, and she started to wonder if she had handled the situation properly. Should she have stayed? No, she knew that things happened for a reason, and she would not go back to him. But what about the jewel shards? What about Shippo, Miroku, and Sango? They were her friends and she knew she would see them again. Hopefully Kikyo wouldn't hurt them...no, they were smart enough to get away from that, surely. She was tired of complaining about Inu Yasha all day.

"Maybe I should have chosen the other brother," she laughed bitterly.

"That could be arranged..." came a voice from behind her.

Kagome jumped up, startled, and turned around only to be face to face with (who else?) a company-less Sesshomaru.

"W-w-what do you want Sesshomaru?!" She barked, pretending to be unafraid. She had never been alone with him, so she was more than a little nervous, not necessarily for her life, but more because there was something so deep about him, in his eerily beautiful face that made her stomach twist into knots.

He ever-so-slightly raised a perfect eyebrow. For some reason, this made her heart skip.

"You know what I am after woman. With all sounds you were making, you're lucky Naraku himself didn't come here. Now where is that half-breed brother of mine?"

'Woman'? Kagome had never been called that before, and the idea alone kind of seduced her. Everyone else, including Inu Yasha, had always seemed to see her as just a stupid girl. Being called a woman was sort of...empowering.

"I am through with that bastard brother of yours!" she shouted, not used to saying such harsh words about anyone.

'So the little half-breed went back to the priestess...how interesting,' he thought. 'This could work out to my advantage if I play my cards right. She may be the key to finding the legendary Kyosetsu!' He knew the time to act would be now.

"What did he do now..." he paused to look at her porcelain face, "maybe his beloved Kikyo had something to do with your sorrows?"

The question startled Kagome and cut into her still fresh wounds. Why should she give him the pleasure of knowing how miserable she was? After all, Sesshomaru did hate her...didn't he?

"Mind your own business Fluff-head!" she spat, immediately regretting it. She closed her eyes quickly expecting a blow, but it never came. When she opened them, he was still standing there, looking rather amused by her unneeded fear.

"My, my, you really do have me all wrong. Unlike that half-witted brother of mine, I would never strike woman. I am of noble blood, and I am above that."

Kagome was now unsure of how to react. Why had he not yet tried to kill her? She thought that he wanted InuYasha, and all his companions (including her) dead. Did she truly have him wrong?

"I have a proposition for you Kagome..."

Now she was really freaked out. A proposition? And did he just call her by her name? She was sure he was up to something...

"Since you are now sans company, and you obviously dislike InuYasha, I propose a partnership. In return for your help in gathering some necessary materials for me..."

"Wait! You just want me to help you get jewel shards!" she interrupted.

He continued, undaunted,"...I will allow you to join my company and you will be under my protection."

"Why should I help you? You have tried to kill my companions so many times I have lost count, and you would only be using me!" she rebutted.

"Feh," he said (obviously this was a family trait), "think what you will. I have never attacked you or your companions, unless they tried to get in my way. My aim was always him. Besides, I don't need you for what I am trying to accomplish, I was only trying to be generous. If you do not choose to join me it is your to both our disadvantages."

He knew he was lying about not needing her. This woman who had so easily survived numerous attacks by powerful foes, and collected so many pieces of the Sacred Jewel, she was indeed useful. Could his idiot brother not see that she was twenty times more powerful than that priestess?

"I-I don't know. How do I know you're not up to something?" she quivered.

A small smile crossed his handsome features.

"You don't, but then again, nothing in life is certain anyway."

These words were indeed true to the girl who had been forever changed by a trip down the well she happened to still be standing by.

"I will find you in two days, and then you may give me your decision," he said.

"I make no promises Sesshomaru..."

"I didn't ask for any," he replied flatly.

He looked her up and down and once again gave a small grin.

"Pity. InuYasha really is a half-wit," he said coolly as he started to leave.

"Why do you say that?" Kagome asked cautiously.

He stopped and turned towards her.

"Kikyo's not as powerful as you, not anymore," he paused, "and she's not as beautiful as you either."

With that he stepped back into the woods and disappeared into the trees, leaving a speechless Kagome alone with her thoughts, and her new predicament.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

End of Chapter 1

So how do you like it so far?! I am going to try to put out 2 or 3 chapters a week (I spend a lot of time in the computer lab). Post comments until I get my brand new email addy. Thanks a lot to all who read! Promise I'll try to post chapter 2 asap!

Sophie