InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Forevermore ❯ Part Nine ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

A/N: Inuyasha-gumi (tachi?) belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Viz, and all those other guys who take so long in the anime business (Korin knows what I mean). Thank you all so much for reading! I got a bit more than 15...but you see me complaining? Hell no! <i>Keep 'em coming</i>! Perhaps this time I'm going to request...hm, at least 25 reviews? Whoa, jumped the gun a little, didn't it? Well, here's my thank you list and I apologize so much if I missed any of you, just e-mail and complain to me. Sound fair? Here goes!:

Eikos Butterfly ::You can't wait? Well here you go!::
Emily ::You're so insanely nice! LOL I don't really remember where I got the idea for this fic, stuff just spews out of my head for the stories. I'm going to consider ur idea about Sango & Miroku...Again, arigatou gozaimasu! ^_~::
inukura ::History might or might not repeat itself....you'll see soon enough!::
Purple People Eater ::(Luv that name!) Thanx a lot for helping in correcting me even though it was a typo--and no, you're absolutely no mean! I luv criticism! *huggles*
cataluna ::Flashback & kitchen scenes WERE hot, thank goodness, and you will get more, my friend. ^_~::
Midnight Maiden ::Kagome's hair...I used to have hair like hers before it got chopped...I dunno where I got that idea. Thanx for reviewing again!::
vicki ::You reviewed again! How can I thank you? And I LUVS UZ TOO! WON'T STOPS DA WRITINGS, NO WORRIES OKIES? LOL. Hopefully it'll be suspenseful.::
Ying Fa Li ::Doesn't everyone want to know the pairing? Ah, een I don't know...okay, yeah I do but it's 'posed to be suzpenze! LOL thank you again.::
animeann ::I read your story! It was wonderful! Can't wait for more, so e-mail me, okies? ^_^::
sunflowerob ::Luvs ur staying hyper! Ur name reminds me of "OB" as in Orlando Bloom, the celeb in LOTR. He's delish! ^_^::
Pyros Nightshade ::I'll hurry! And you'll find out who Kago-chan will pick soon enough. I ain't that cruel. ^_^::
pokey ::Thanx so much for the info for my question. I knew it! Knew it meant "I love you" but I didn't know that "daisuki" one. Arigatou.::
Narra ::I can't help but feel sad for Ren as well especially when he's my character, sort of...ah, but keep it coming, review! ^_^
LSR-7 ::Wow, very informative stuff...I had to copy and save for my notes! I think, if I hadn't already, I'm going to be e-mailing you. Thanx so much! ^_^::
apie ::Ur partly right, apie...the coming attractions aren't gonna be too good...ur very perceptive! Or either I'm just so predictable...^_^::
Catrina Winner ::*beats Naraku with an inflattable hammer* BAD villian! (Duh, he's a villian! 'Posed to be BAD! Thanx for saying what you did! Yes, Kagome's situation is complicated, ne?::
liz3386 ::Yup 15, but I'm going to have to up those stakes cuz I got more than 15 reviews (thank you!). Arigatou for sticking around to read my crummy fic. ^_^::
Rackel ::My fic is one of the better Inuyasha stories? Thanx, sweetie! You don't have to wait that long for more.::
Anzu-chan ::Your review was greatly appreciated! I think I read one of ur fics...they were bloody fantastic!::
To all those that have read Forevermore but haven't yet reviewed ::I still thank you greatly::


:~>Forevermore<~:
an Inuyasha AU/continuation story
a tale of truth, love, and time

By Mia
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::PART NINE::
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Kagome's heart raced against the walls of her chest as she dashed to her room, aiming for the closet as she slid the door aside and grabbed what she needed. The feel of the hard wood and cloth binding of the bow surged a new power into her, bolting up her arm and spreading quickly through her as though traveling in the network of bloodvessels located all over her body. She leant forward and reached for the strap of her quiver and hastily throwing it over her shoulder before she retraced her footsteps. But something held her back and she jerked her eyes downward and saw what it was. Her fingers reached for the string that looped into a small hole of the hilt of a sword, bringing it over her head and haphardly criss-crossing the quiver's strap before resuming her dash. She didn't like the feeling overwhelming her heart, such anxiousness it almost made her dizzy, the vial of Shikon shards practically burning a hole into her collarbone. The instant flash of alarm immediately brought her on the alert as she made her way back to Inuyasha; it took her only a second to recognize the feeling.

Youkai.

"Jodan janai wa? You already know your damn spells and incantations are worthless, Jii-Jii," Inuyasha was telling her grandfather who was busy mumbling over a rosary in his hands, rubbing them like he would for a makeshift fire. His honey-golden eyes blazed with fury and determination, something she missed seeing in him as she made her way to his side, readying her weapons. "Besides, I'm all the protection you'll ever need."

He was interrupted by a loud keening noise filling the air and Kagome watched as he howled in complaint, clutching his ears as his face screwed up into a tight scowl. Kagome jumped to his side to help, putting the bow under her arm. "Inuyasha! Daijoubu?!" She briefly wondered why the sound hardly effected her, laying her hands over his and making his hands press more firmly against his head. It wasn't even that loud but yet it was as though Inuyasha was the only to hear it but when she saw Buyo plunk to the ground in the hallway, she was glad not to have such sensitive hearing.

The sound stopped and Inuyasha was back into action, swatting away Kagome's hands then making his way toward the backdoor, shouting over his shoulder, "Nigeru, hayaku! Through the front, we'll handle this." When Jii-chan looked quizzically at him, he barked, "NOW!" And they obeyed without any further delay. Kagome followed after Inuyasha as they turned the corner to the kitchen and she suppressed a gasp when she took in the sight. The whole corner of the house was gone reaching up to the second floor, an almost vertical hole with wood jutting out here and there, a pipe broken from upstairs as water leaked onto the linoleum floor. The light overhead flickered several times before finally died with a spark. The sink was cracked into more shards than the Shikon no Tama and there was just a void that overlooked outdoors...only to reveal their enemy, chunks of the house still being crushed by its dagger-like teeth. Inuyasha instictively shoved Kagome behind him as he growled, "Well look what we have here," Then he recklessly shot forward like a bullet through the gaping hole, extending his claws. "I'll fucking destroy you for ruining Kagome's house!!" He jumped up high into the air and meant to come down on the demon head-on but just then, the youkai being no larger than a small car, unexpectedly grew bigger, skin stretching this way and that as the snake youkai upgraded to the size of a large tower, now looking down at the hanyou's airborne form.

Of course Inuyasha wasn't easily intimidated. "Sankon...Tetsusou!!" His claws slashed futilely at its chest and he landed gracefully on the ground, thinking that he had penetrated skin. To his mistake as he turned around, Kagome observed that his claws only did minimal damage---and the wounds glowed a bright gold before the skin quickly healed itself, the sharp teeth of the overgrown youkai flashing in triumph. Inuyasha growled, thoroughly frustrated as he attempted to swipe off one strong arm and the healing process repeated itself, and after Inuyasha tried three more times did he know he would have to come up with something. And fast. He was trying his best to hide the pain he felt in every single movement he made associated with the cut in his abdomen and with his back to Kagome as he landed, he pressed a hand to his side and cursed. Blood seeped through the material of his haori and created a darker spot in the red fabric. He thanked the gods that the night sheltered him somewhat, otherwise Kagome would become too concerned and keep him from doing what he knew best. Protecting her.

But how was he supposed to do that when he was hardly able to stand upright?

Oblivious to his thoughts, Kagome stepped from the hole in the house, her long raven hair ruffling in the wind, jaw set accompanied by a stern expression, her loose long-sleeved lavender dress fluttering in the wind as her hands brought up her bow, pulling the string back to its fullest and the tip of the arrow caught Inuyasha's eye. The hebi-youkai reared its oblong head to look at her and instantly recognized her as a target and moved toward her direction, digging a trench in the earth below it and imprinting its movement. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he noticed that the tail of the hebi-youkai had a stinger at the end of it and he jerked forward. "Kagome---"

::Twaaaang::

The arrow sped almost unseen by the untrained eye surrounded in a pale blue light, and struck forcefully into the youkai's neck, abruptly cutting off the keening noise it was about to make, thankfully for Inuyasha. However, the aura of Kagome's arrow did not do more harm than Inuyasha's claw attack. Widened eyes, Kagome looked stunned as the youkai reached up to remove the sunken arrow from its flesh, breaking it in half in its claws. "N-Nani . . . ?!" All of a sudden she didn't quite feel as confident as she did before.


::Translations::
Sankon Tetsusuo: Inuyasha's "Claws of Steel" Attack
Hebi: Snake
Youkai: Demon or apparition
Daijoubu: Literally translates to "all right" so with a questioning tone, it's saying, "Are you all right?" Alone it would be, "It'll be/I am all right."
Jodan janai wa: I think I used the feminine part of this, but it means, "Are you kidding/joking?" or "You must be joking."
Jii-Jii: Vulgar saying meaning "Old man."
Nigite: Feminine, I know, could've been "Nigeru," but it means "Run away."
Hayaku: Quickly, fast.
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Run...Run...Run...

Ren's sneakers pounded hard against the pavement and the word 'run' kept pushing him in the abyss of his mind. What really had possessed him to go to Tokyo really escaped him; he just knew he had to see Kagome again...it was as though he would lose her. ~It wasn't as though he hadn't already to Inuyasha...~ The thought made him scowl and he picked up speed, counting on his tenacity not to stop. No one was going to stop him from seeing her again...no one.

Ren started when he felt a chilling wind rush past him, and he looked ahead of him to see what it was that passed him with such blinding speed. A man, it seemed, with what looked like white armor and light hair sped past him with an aura that glowed and lit the street before him. The hair on the back of Ren's neck stood on end and he slowed slightly. 'Nande...?' But when he glanced behind him, another figure was running and pushed past him as though everyone was in a hurry, but this certain person wasn't like the one before. A woman, long black hair with a long flowing red robe and she appeared to be on fire, like a fireball shooting forward like a bullet. The heat radiating from her nearly burned his skin toward irritation and he could feel the warmth spreading from his shoes to his head. Ren was finally at a loss for words. 'What the hell is going on?'

Did it surprise him when he almost jumped all the way to the side off the empty road to see a tiger bounding after the two figures? Growling and snarling, the cold-green eyes of a tiger zoomed past him as though he weren't there and chased after the two. Who were they, was the question that came to mind. He didn't have enough time to make out their faces as they were going too fast and almost blew him off to the side like a leaf. And presently Ren was shaking like one. Still he ran, trying to keep up but was unable as the light of the two figures plus one tiger disappeared around the corner...heading for the only place in which the road ended.

Higurashi Jinja.

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Souta watched terrified as Inuyasha swept Kagome away from the demon in their own backyard, jumping high up into the air before landing and pushing his sister off to the side before the claws of the hebi-youkai could slash at her. Finally he sank back against the tree somewhere in the surroundings of the property where it was forested and his mother reached out to hold him for comfort, laying his head against her shoulder. "Aa, Souta-chan...Now that Inuyasha-kun has returned, Kagome will be safe. It's what's meant to be, ne?"

Souta nodded uncertainly, hearing the clash of Inuyasha's claws as it rang in the air. He sat up only when his grandfather cried out in alarm and he looked toward him. He gasped in surprise when he saw a man standing beside Jii-chan, glowing a bright blue as an invisible wind ruffled through his hair. Tousled short light-blonde hair and what seemed to be silver gauntlets on his arms, armor on his shoulders and a white robe underneath, he stared at Souta with piercing eyes the color of cobalt blue. He walked forward soundlessly and he felt his mother's arms tighten as the stranger smiled. "You are the younger brother of Kagome-sama, aren't you?" His deep voice rumbled in the night air, almost ominous. All Souta could manage was a coherent nod. "And that over there with her, is Inuyasha?" He pointed and Souta repeated his nod. Jii-chan cried out again as someone else was approaching from behind, a woman with a red aura, a gold and scarlet robe with similar armor in the same places, long black hair and reddish-brown eyes. If he wasn't scared out of his wits, Souta would have thought her beautiful as she bored holes into him with her eyes.

Now it was Higurashi-san who gasped out loud when a tiger ran from behind them, a bright emerald stone around its neck and it growled, teeth flashing. Souta gulped as it came forward and the other two didn't think it was at all unusual and was actually looking toward Kagome and Inuyasha with the hebi-youkai, as the tiger's body warped and changed shape, the air around it shifting as it grew taller and taller. Its body signature shimmered a bright green, unshedding its tiger appearance to the appearance of a raven-haired woman with forest-green streaks in her hair, emerald-jade eyes and red lips and she looked as though someone had painted her. This woman was absolutely beautiful with a long-sleeved forest-green kimono with black ties, a leafy head-catch in her hair and silver jewelry on her pale neck that showed the emerald stone held by a black cord. Her smile was charming and she brushed past the light-haired man and knelt so she was in level with Souta, reaching out her hand.

"Greetings, little one," Her voice was melodious, wonderful to listen to. "I am called Tora. These are Yuma," The light-haired man nodded. "And Sazumai," The woman just gave him a cold hard stare. "And we are here to aid your sister, to make sure she comes to no harm."

"Th-Then why...why don't you help her now?" Souta whispered and Tora nonetheless heard him perfectly.

"The time has not yet come," Tora replied softly, glancing at the other two. "We will know when the time comes. Do not worry...it is not destined that your sister be hurt."

"But what about Inuyasha-nii-chan?" Souta wondered out loud, a crease worrying his brow. The woman Sazumai's stare turned into a glare.

Tora reached up and gently caressed his cheek, smiling ever so softly. "He is none of our concern, Kagome-sama is."

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Reaching the top of the long concrete steps of the Higurashi Jinja, Ren took a moment to catch his breath as he stood underneath the torii as memories flashed of his previous visit here when he was a child. Forcing himself to go forward despite his racing heart, his ears immediately became attuned to the surroundings...even the sounds emanating from the opposite side of the house. He scanned anything out of the normal and saw a large shadow bobbing up and down on the opposite side, and another smaller shadowed figure jump into the air and disappear as it neared the ground, covered by the house. Slashes of light sparked into the air after he heard the words, "Sankon Tetsusuo."

'Claws of Steel,' Ren mouthed. 'That could only mean...'

His head turned as he heard a voice coming from the trees off to the side and he spied upon the familiar glowing auras of the two figures that passed him on the street. Walking forward in a stalking fashion, he silently made his way over to them, getting nearer and nearer. All he managed to do was practically walk over Kagome's grandfather. Jii-chan's small beady eyes turned warily to him, the short elderly man ready to spurt a complaint. "Oi! Don't be walking all over me---you're another one of them, aren't you?" He pointed and the heads of the two women and man looked him over.

He ignored Jii-chan and came forward to the mysterious beings, almost if not nervously. "Hey, who are you three? You're the ones that passed me in the street---"

"Yes, we know." The woman in the red robe cut him off, eyes almost blazing literally with fire. "And you are the reincarnation, I presume?"

"Reincarnation of whom?" Ren retorted, yellow eyes piercing and returning her glare. He was officially fed up with being associated with Inuyasha in anyway and he knew where she was getting at. "Anyway, you didn't tell me who you were. If you aren't going to, I suggest you step aside; Kagome needs my help." He had been watching a two figures off in the distance and recognized one as Kagome, and he supposed the other was Inuyasha. 'Where is his sword?' Ren wondered briefly before charging across the brush and out of the safety of the forest. One of the two women called out to him but he paid no heed; originally, he wouldn't let anyone stop him. No one.

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Kagome brought her hands together and closed her eyes, murmuring a familiar incantation Kaede had taught her to perform three years ago, but before she could complete it strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her high up into the air, the sweeping motion of the hebi-youkai's tail she could feel barely missing her feet below. She squirmed in Inuyasha's arms and for the first time in a long time, she scolded him. "Why do you keep doing that? I was about ready to recite a spell!"

"Woman, I don't have time to argue with you!" She could see the area all around the shrine, being that high off the ground before they started descending. "I have to protect you!"

'But I already know how to protect myself without you,' Kagome screamed silently, frustrated. She had already attempted to use her sword but it reached the similar fate Inuyasha's claws did; it could not break flesh whatsoever with the hebi-youkai.

When Inuyasha set her down, he moved away in order to distract the youkai from her, letting its attention go from her to him. Standing here she felt something on her side and she reached down the side of her dress and brought her hand up to her face. What she saw chilled her to the bone, the dark scarlet liquid still warm on the palm of her hand. "Chi..." She was about to call to Inuyasha when she saw someone running towards her emerging from the trees and her voice stopped in her throat. 'Ren...'

He ran to her and seeing the blood in her side didn't help at all. He reached her and pulled her into his arms, concern apparent on his features. "Are you all right?! What happened to your side..." His hand covered the same spot hers did just a moment ago and inspected it.

Kagome pulled away, her eyes shooting to Inuyasha to him. "It isn't my blood! It's-It's Inuyasha's..." She looked along the ground and found her red bow lying several meters where she'd dropped it and ran for it, not knowing she was running in the direct line of sight of the large youkai. Both Inuyasha and Ren screamed her name in unison as she bent over to pick it up, just as the heavy stinger of the youkai's was coming down on her.

"NO!" Inuyasha ran forward but met one of the youkai's arms as it whipped him off to the side, sending him crashing to the earth like a rocket, digging a deep trench with his own landing.

Kagome turned and hardly had the time to gasp before she was hit with an incredible amount of weight, the inertia jarring her as she hit the and somehow the person had turned their positions so that her body wouldn't feel the impact just before the youkai's weapon penetrated the spot she stood on seconds before. They overturned in the dirt and she ended up being on the bottom. Seconds ticked and her eyes fluttered open to see the expanse of the night sky, stars scattered all over it like glitter and she felt someone stir over her, a very familiar body. With a quick bolt of adrenaline she sat up, causing the figure on her to slide to the ground. "Inuyasha?" Shigau...She was wrong. It was a dark-haired boy..."Ren. Ren!" Her voice shrilled high and she held his head in her arms, slightly shaking him. He wasn't awakening and time was running out.

The hebi-youkai reared its head and prepared for another attack and she saw behind it was Inuyasha, slowly recovering from his misfortune, one arm unconsciously holding onto his bleeding wound. His face was screwed up with pain and frustration and she could feel his pain, almost to the point of weeping. Torn between the two, Kagome did cry, warm beads of crystal spilling down her cheeks, bringing her hands up and reciting an incantation loud into the air and everything else went silent; she didn't even notice the three figures running from the forest to her.

A bright flash blinded her and she closed her eyes, only to see Inuyasha holding out his hand for her, a smile on his face. She touched his face to see if he was real before his image warped into a young man with short light-blue hair and warm lavender eyes. His ancient-looking kimono brushed her fingertips and she gave in, giving him her hand and she was swept away in a tsunami of time.

::Translations::
Chi: Blood
Shigau: Wrong, not right, incorrect.
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Inuyasha staggered upright and forced his body to move to Kagome even though the unhealed gash on his abdomen was killing him, to help her, to keep her safe...also to find out the identity of the boy she was holding. No, not Houjou, the kid was too stupid to try to save Kagome but...he did look familiar and he didn't know where he'd seen him before. Almost reaching her suddenly a bright flash consumed the whole shrine grounds, emanating from Kagome's chest where the large Shikon shard were located and Inuyasha had to shield himself with his arms and stop for a moment. When the light only died down so that he could see, a shimmering barrier enveloped Kagome and the strange boy on her lap as it spread out in a diameter and reflected the youkai's attempt to puncture through it with its stinger. In fact upon making contact with Kagome's mystic barrier, the youkai's weapon was obliterated into small pieces, causing it to keen out in pain, making Inuyasha flinch greatly and hold onto his ears, almost crawling toward Kagome.

He could barely see in her in the center of the barrier, eyes closed and it seemed as though she was asleep sitting up. A content expression on her face, he wished with all his heart that he could be with her instead of that boy so that he could wrap his arms around her, to hold her and kiss her, to feel her warm body tightly against his own until the end of time. He was heavily bleeding now and the outcry of the youkai definitely wasn't helping him. 'Naraku's demons have certainly grown smarter, haven't they,' he thought to himself, a bitter chuckle echoing in his subconscious. Behind him, he was in pain too much to notice but the youkai's wounds healed as did the stinger, growing back in small pieces and was made anew.

Inuyasha fell to the ground, biting his lip and causing it to bleed as he rolled onto his back, crying out but no sound emanated from his dry throat. Blood seeped from his nose from the keening sound as he tiredly opened his eyes to see the flash of the youkai's stinger lit from Kagome's bright blue barrier and he wondered to himself why his time with her had been so short. The last thing he heard as he closed his eyes, was Kagome's voice and he saw her in the kitchen, felt her underneath his hands as though none of was occuring presently ever happened. 'I love you, Kagome.'

::And I love you as well, Inuyasha...Until the end of time...forevermore.::

Darkness consumed him before he ever felt the stab of the hebi-youkai's stinger reopen the gash on his stomach, impaling him into the ground with a sickening thud.

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"Kagome? Kagome..."

Kagome shot up from underneath the covers, her breathing heavily labored as she tossed the pillow that was smothering her toward the opposing wall. She was slick with sweat, her heart beating erratically as she held her head in her hands wondering what to do with herself. She started whence she felt familar arms wrap around her waist and she gasped, not remembering who it was. The arms pulled her toward a warm body and without another thought, she automatically leaned into it, confused as hell.

"Koishii, what's the matter?" The voice was warm and calming to her senses and she closed her eyes tightly, tears tracing a path down her cheeks. ::This...This wasn't really happening, was it?...::

"N-Nande mo ne, Houjou. Just a bad dream that's all." Her thoughts were jumbled and mixed as though inside a head-sized blender, her brain being made into the same syrupy substance as a milkshake. She turned her head and inspected him in the light of a full moon, his brown eyes staring lovingly into her own. "Houjou...?"

"Hm?" He was about to bend down to kiss her lips but she bit back, determined and fixed him with a concentrated stare.

"Houjou, when did we get married?" Her fingers absently traced the gold binding around his marriage finger on one of the arms around her, not looking away from him. His eyes widened and looked curiously at her.

"You...You don't remember, Kagome?" She shook her head.

"Tell me."

Now he looked confused as hell. "W-Well, about three years ago---"

"How old was I at the time?"

"I...You were twenty-one. Kagome..."

"Go on," She urged firmly. "What day? What year? Tell me Houjou."

At this point he was utterly dumbfounded. "Ah...about 2002, on a Friday the second in the month of June. Kagome, why---"

She finally wrenched herself free from his embrace, glaring intensely into his eyes before looking away and yelling out into the dark shadows of the bedroom. "Let me out of his stupid world. I know it's false.... And I would never marry while I'm still in college...but most of all---" Kagome brought up her hands outstretched and used all of her strength and concentration, aiming it all on Houjou who just sat there, frozen. Blue electricity came crackling from her hands and spread out all around her, destroying everything it made contact with. "Most of all---I WOULD NEVER LEAVE INUYASHAAAA!!!"

Another familiar bright white light consumed her sight and she closed her eyes, feeling hands hold onto her wrists and pulled, and Kagome left the false illusion behind.

::Translation::
Nande mo ne: Nothing (at all). (I think)
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Jii-chan, Souta and Higurashi-san all watched in stunned amazement as the large blue barrier around Kagome dissipated into sparkling nothingness, and in the center Kagome slowly opened her eyes, free from the spell in which captured her. She looked down to see Ren cradled on her lap still unconscious and she knew there was something she was forgetting.

The thing that she forgot was lying dozens of meters from her as the hebi-youkai wrenched its stinger free from Inuyasha's abdomen.

Kagome's heart stopped in her chest. "INUYASHAAAAA!!!" As though some unknown force was controlling her even if it was her own will, she set Ren aside and stood, eyes blazing with a fire no one had ever encountered before. A strong breeze caught her dress and hair and manipulated it, as though floating in a torrent of wind. Tight-lipped, her hands balled into fists and she acted on her anger. Bright blue electricity surrounded her as her blue aura made her glow. "Damn you..." She took a step forward and the hebi-youkai made a move as though to strike her next. "DAMN YOU!"

From this point on nothing would have ever had the chance to stop Kagome for her soul and heart combined was acting completely on its own. Kagome's priestess power surged all from her and without her knowledge, she was using the purified portion of the Shikon no Tama around her neck as an outlet too. Like hands with fingers, the bright power wrapped itself around the youkai and tightened, squeezing it of its life force. With her purifying essence, it disabled its ability to heal. Kagome's eyes lit ablaze as the youkai's body exploded into millions of pieces, an automatic shield protecting her from the small bits and chunks.

Wordlessly she made her way to Inuyasha, forgetting anyone else that might have been calling her name before and she dropped to her knees beside him, one hand on his arm and the other framing his face. "Koishii..." She whispered, not noticing that tears inhabited her eyes. "You...You've got to wake up. Please wake up..." She didn't let go of him when what happened next startled her. His hair turned a raven-black like her own, his ears disappearing into his head and his hands were devoid of those long razor sharp claws. It was as though his youkai blood was taken from him, and she knew the cause of it. 'If only I hadn't...Then the youkai wouldn't have...' She brought herself close to him and hugged him tight, sobbing against his shoulder. "Inuyasha! Don't leave...Don't leave me here alone...I love you, Inuyasha..."

How familiar those words sounded to her own ears. She gasped one last time when his form below her shimmered before it flickered almost to nothingness. Kagome had a momentary insane thought to hold onto his hair and never let go, and she did just that except her fingers held onto nothing, nothing but air. Sobs choked her as she groped as she still could see his faint figure before losing him to the imaginary enemy that was the poison in that stinger. Naraku's poison...

Until she could see nothing but the ground stained with Inuyasha's blood did Kagome lose consciousness, the stress finally taking its toll on her and she collapsed in the arms of the man called Yuma, who had been standing behind her during the whole altercation and normally he wouldn't feel simpathetic but...as he looked down at Kagome's eyes did he understand even if just a little, what Naomori went through before the one she loved most was taken from her.

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A/N: Whoa, Kagome really got pissed, didn't she? LOL I would've been too if I were her (maybe even more so). Sorry it took so long! Would you please forgive me? I still love you guys! Remember now, 25 reviews or more! E-mail me if you wanna give me ideas, or to simply be the one to edit the upcoming chapters 'cuz I'm in desperate need of it. Sorry for all the typos! Gomen nasai. Until next time: Part Ten. What has happened to Inuyasha? What of Kagome and Ren, and who are these supposed guardians of Aoi-sama, with elemental powers? Next time on: Forevermore! (Wow, sometimes I really crack myself up...lol) Oh, that Houjou bit will be explained later, okies? ^_~