InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fruit of the Forbidden ❯ Chapter Eight ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters associated with it. This story is a work of fiction and is rated for language, scenes of sexual acts including an incest theme. Please do not read if you are underage or offended by the above contents.

 

 

Before reading, I want to say that I was a little nervous writing this ending. There was a part of me that wanted to write it different after seeing how the story has progressed, but from the beginning, I had this in mind. I don't want to ruin anything, so I will have a full explanation at the end of the chapter.

 

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Inuyasha stood in the shower, head pressed against the tile as the water washed over him. At this point in time, he didn't know what to think. He had just had sex with Kagome for the second time, and this time, she was the one who engaged it. Everything was still fresh in his mind. Her warmth, touch, skin, the pain on his back… everything was still there. He couldn't blame this one on alcohol either. Both were quite sober and knew exactly what they were doing.

 

For the first time in his life, he felt a surge of hope for the future. This means that she is returning my feelings…. Doesn't it? Sex is something lovers do… not siblings.

 

He had been willing to walk away, for both their sakes. She had stopped him. Not only did she do that… He felt a smile form on his lips. Inuyasha could still feel the ever present reminder of regret and shame for what he had just done, but they were small now. They dominated his thoughts no longer. It felt as though a massive weight had been removed from his body. He could breathe. For the first time in a long while, he was truly happy.

 

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Kagome let Inuyasha use the shower first despite how she felt. She felt dirty. Having sex with Inuyasha again had been her doing; she knew it as much now as she did then. It had been an act of desperation. If I hadn't had done that, he would have left me.

 

Why did he matter so much to her? Kouga, who at the time seemed to be everything to her, was all but forgotten. It was a terrible feeling, knowing that someone she had cared so much about could be tossed aside so quickly. Even if he was a lying scum, she had still loved him. But did I really? It made her think about it in a new light. She really thought that she had loved him, yet she released her feelings so easily. Inuyasha was different though. She would do anything to keep him by her side.

 

The sex had been good, she wasn't going to deny that, but there was a definite lack of feeling. Not from Inuyasha, but from her. It frightened her. She knew what she was thinking, but couldn't begin to fathom what was going through his mind. What did he think about it? It was obvious that he enjoyed it. Being intimate with the one you loved would bring anyone happiness. What worried her was that he would read too much into it. It seemed the more she thought about everything, the more distraught she became.

 

I can't love him… not like how he wants me too. Something hurt inside her chest as she came to the realization. She would never seem him as more than a brother. The question now was how far was she willing to go to keep him close? If he knew the truth, he would leave. If he didn't leave, his feelings would overwhelm him and each time they had sex, another part of him would be damaged beyond repair until nothing was left.

 

At the same time, was it okay for her to lie? If he thought that she was returning his feelings, should she allow him to continue to think that way? He would stay with her, and he would be happy, but would she? So much would have to be sacrificed, and for what? So that Inuyasha was happy? Kagome found herself not liking either decision. It would have been easier to have let him walk out the door and out of her life, but she hadn't wanted that any more than anything.

 

Instead of stressing herself out completely, she decided to put her mind on something else. Redressing, she went into the kitchen and started making dinner. As she prepared the food, she couldn't help but feel that something was nagging at her. Each time she tried to think about it however, the thought eluded her.

 

Inuyasha came downstairs as she was draining the pasta in the sink. Setting the pot down, she was just about to lift the noodles out of the sink when two hands snaked around her from behind, pulling her tightly into a warm body. Jumping, she looked over her shoulder to find a smiling Inuyasha.

 

“W-what are you doing?” she asked, surprised. The smile faded from his face as he jumped back.

 

“S-sorry,” he said, returning to the awkward Inuyasha he usually was.

 

As they ate, Kagome studied him carefully. They didn't speak; the only means of communication was by a quick meeting of eyes and body language. However, when both were finished, Kagome had a good idea of what he was thinking. It appeared that her worse-case scenario was occurring. Inuyasha had mistaken her earlier as returning his feelings.

 

What do I do now? Do I tell him or do I keep silent? Now she wanted to do nothing more than cry.

 

“Inuyasha?”

 

“Hmm?” he asked, perking up a little.

 

“I…” She trailed off as she looked at the expression on his face. It was the old Inuyasha, the one she hadn't seen in so long, she had nearly forgotten. It was the Inuyasha that knew what happiness was.

 

She smiled, her lips quivering. “I was wondering if you liked the pasta.” She had to fight back tears. It was painful. She couldn't destroy it. She couldn't destroy that look of happiness, not this time.

 

They had sex again. She knew they would. It was in the same bed where everything had first begun. He was gentle this time, even taking the time to perform a little foreplay before. The end result was the same however. He entered her, touched her, brought her to orgasm, yet she still felt the wall. He didn't cry. Not this time. He kissed her neck, her lips, her breasts. His hands explored her body. She wasn't sitting on the sidelines either. Her breaths were ragged, each thrust causing a soft whimper to escape her parted lips. Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him into her. She clung to him, pushing up against him, forcing him deeper inside her. She couldn't let go. This connection was what was keeping him with her. He was whispering something in her ear she couldn't hear, she didn't want to hear. He gasped as he emptied himself into her. It all seemed to happen in an instant.

 

He didn't collapse atop her like he had before. Once he had finished, he lay on his side, facing her, his arm resting across her chest. She watched as he fell asleep. She continued to watch as his breathing slowed and his slumber deepened.

 

Only then did she cry.

 

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“Kagome… Kagome…” She looked around for the source of her name. It was a strange place she was in. She felt it was her house… yet not hers. Everything had a vague air of familiarity, yet she had seen none of it before.

 

“What is it?” she asked, looking around. Behind her, someone appeared in the doorway. It was a man. She knew who he was, but like everything else, he was the same, yet different.

 

“He wants you,” the man said, holding out the object in his arms.

 

“Who does?” she asked, looking at what the man was offering her. It was moving. She didn't want to take it. Her body was screaming for her to run, run the other way. The man looked at her in confusion, as if asking why she was being like she was.

 

“Your son, he wants you.”

 

Kagome was fully awake in an instant, sitting up in bed as she gasped for air. She was naked, her body coated in a thin layer of sweat. She never slept naked. Why am I naked? Looking around, she found herself in the familiar setting of her room, the other house fading from thought. She was alone.

 

As the dream faded, reality filled the empty space it left in her consciousness. She wrapped her arms across her chest. She felt disgusting. She could feel his presence still on her skin, between her legs, everywhere. Her body was no longer secret from him.

 

Nausea hit her like a club, the world around her spinning as she held a hand over her mouth, the other against her stomach. Mustn't be sick… mustn't be sick… she chanted to herself, forcing her stomach to be still. Their actions still brought the disgusted sickness to her. Even as she fought the urge to empty her stomach, even as the sick feeling passed, she was worried. Is this the type of morning I have to look forward to now? She didn't want this.

 

A small worry bubbled up through her thoughts, slowly expanding each time she focused on it. The dream had been a disturbing one, a future she loathed thinking off. Trapped in a foreign house, a fake relationship with a man she should never been with, a mother of a child that should never have existed…

 

Her eyes widened, ripping the covers from the lower half of her body. The remains of last nights activities stained the bedding, but that wasn't what worried her. She ran to the bathroom, getting into the shower before it had warmed up. It was hard ignoring the icy cold water as it pelted her skin, but she had more important things to worry about.

 

It was too late. She knew it already. Reason said that nothing she did now could make a difference. Still, she was being ran by emotion now. Fear gripped her chest and stomach and refused to release itself. She washed herself until her arm was sore before collapsing to the floor of the shower, resting her body against the cold tile wall. Tears flowed from her eyes, but it was impossible to tell they were tears as they immediately mixed with the water running down her face.

 

Was the dream my future? Three times they had sex and three times he had spilled his seed into her. She wasn't pregnant yet, that was impossible. The sickness in the morning wasn't caused by some mysterious pregnancy. Kouga was the only other man she had ever had sex with and condoms had always been used. It was still possible, but at the same time, wasn't. That didn't mean that she wasn't going to get pregnant. I was so stupid! Why didn't I think of it sooner? Why didn't he?

 

It wasn't exactly fair to be blaming him for it. It wasn't as if either of them was in the right mind, not anymore. She wondered if she was even sane anymore. A normal person wouldn't have sex with their brother to keep them from leaving. It made her regret her decision to walk down this path. Inuyasha leaving would have been painful and would have left a wound that would never heal completely. But as it was now, could her wounds even get the chance to heal? Does it have to be this way? Does it have to be that the happier he is, the worse I feel?

 

She laughed. It was a twisted, sadistic laugh. Is this how he felt before? What a joke that would be having their roles reversed. It was a sadistic play with the sibling puppets playing their given roles under an emotionless puppeteer. It was a sad thought. Was I really this fragile? Look at me! I am falling apart after only a day! How long did Inuyasha feel this? How did he keep his sanity?

 

Kagome couldn't help but look at Inuyasha in a different light. The image of the weak brother was gone, shattered now. He was much stronger than she could ever be. I have to tell him. I can't live like this… I will break…

 

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Inuyasha was happy. In a rare twist, he had woken first. It wasn't that surprising considering how exhausted Kagome must have been. She's adapted to the situation fairly well though, all things considered.

 

After a quick shower, he decided that he would make breakfast. It was near noon, but he wasn't in the mood to make anything more complex than an omelet. Halfway done, he heard movements upstairs followed by the shower. Kagome's up... He wanted to talk to her, but at the same time, he wasn't sure of what to say. While he was optimistic about how things were moving, he couldn't be sure about how she felt about everything. Not knowing was frightening. He wanted to know once and for all, yet at the same time, he was afraid of what the answer would be.

 

His thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing. Frowning, he put what he was working on aside and picked it up, holding it to his ear. Before he could say anything, the man on the other line spoke. “Come outside, we need to talk.” There was a click as the line went dead. Frowning, he looked at the phone as if it had said something rude to him before hanging it back on the base.

 

Sighing, he went towards the front door and walked outside, not bothering with his shoes. A familiar face could be seen on the other side of the short wall surrounding his house. Moving down towards the gate, he crossed his arms. “It's not like you to show up here.”

 

Rex shrugged, resting his arms on the wall as he stared over at Inuyasha. “I didn't have much of a choice. I knew you weren't going to leave it today.”

 

“So what do you want?” Inuyasha asked. He knew he sounded annoyed, but he couldn't help it. He didn't want to deal with this today.

 

“Your parents will be home soon. Their plane landed a little while ago.” Inuyasha's throat tightened. I need to talk to Kagome before then. Once his parents were home, it would be hard finding a time to talk with her about that.

 

“Yeah, so?” he said, shrugging as he tried to put on an indifferent attitude.

 

“Just saying… I didn't want them to come home while you two were…” he let his voice drift off.

 

“You need to stop watching us. That's disturbing and disgusting.” Rex shrugged.

 

“I'm not here to judge you on your sex life.”

 

“Then what are you hear for?” Inuyasha sighed, resignation in his voice.

 

“You have until tomorrow.”

 

“For what?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

 

“I need to know your decision about Aura tomorrow.” Inuyasha didn't need until tomorrow. He knew know.

 

“I'm not going.”

 

“Don't make a rash decision. Take the time to talk to your parents. Talk to your sister. Only after you have all the information do you make a decision on something so big.”

 

“I don't need that. I'm staying here.” For the first time, Rex lost his cool.

 

“Don't be stupid boy.” Inuyasha was surprised at the harshness in his voice. Taking a deep breath, Rex shook his head. “Sorry, it's been a little stressful.”

 

“I don't care. I don't care about anything you are saying anymore. I've made my decision.” Inuyasha turned to leave, but was stopped by Rex's voice.

 

“We've protected you up until now Inuyasha. Tomorrow is the day we can no longer. There are other governments in the world, with just as much power in the shadows as we do. Just because we ask people nicely to join us, doesn't mean they are the same. A happy man works half as hard as a man with a gun to his head, remember that.”

 

Inuyasha hesitated for a minute, letting the words sink in. Turning, Rex was gone. Inuyasha's heart pounded against his chest, his body coated in a cold sweat. Kagome seemed to be a small problem now. Something about Rex's words had struck a chord deep within him, dread pulsating like sound waves of a note, permeating his entire body. He needed to talk with his parents, badly. Just what have I gotten myself into?

 

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Kagome waited until she regained her composure before going downstairs. She didn't want any part of her to betray her thoughts.

 

As she approached the kitchen, the smell of cooking assaulted her nose. It caused her hungry stomach to shift as if begging her to fill it. Carefully, she looked inside to see Inuyasha standing at the stove, head down as he prepared food. He didn't look as cheerful as she thought he would be.

 

“Morning,” she said softly, entering the kitchen. He jumped in surprise, looking over at her. Her face reddened slightly as she held her arms over herself, as if she was naked and she wanted to cover herself.

 

“M-morning,” he said quickly looking away. “I made omelets.”

 

She nodded, knowing that he couldn't see it. Moving over to the table, she sat at the seat where her plate waited for her. A thin smile formed on her lips. I remember first teaching him to make these…. He's gotten better. It still wasn't as well made as hers would have been, but it wasn't burnt and it was mostly in one piece.

 

He sat across from her a minute later, his own omelet prepared. Silence dominated the table as they ate. The atmosphere was oppressing. She gently picked at her omelet, thinking of the best way to breach the subject.

 

She looked over at Inuyasha, her head still down as if focusing on her omelet. Something was wrong with him. He was pale and had a faint amount of sweat on his forehead. Like her, he was picking at his food rather than eating it.

 

“Is everything okay?” she asked softly, not looking up from her plate.

 

“Yeah, why wouldn't it be?” His chuckle was uncomfortable. She wondered if he could sense something was coming and that's why he looked so uncomfortable. “Mom and Dad will be home soon.”

 

“I figured.” A large hole had appeared where she had been picking at her omelet. “Inuyasha… I have something I need to tell you.” She kept her head down, eyes focused on the omelet. If she made eye contact, she wouldn't be able to do it. It was cowardly, but she couldn't look him in the face when she broke his heart. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for what would come.

 

“Inuyasha… I don't think I can love you the way you want me too.” It was worse than she had expected. She thought she would feel better when she broke the news to him, even if it was just a little.

 

There was a long pause before he said something. The entire time, she didn't move, afraid that if she did, it would break the fragile atmosphere that had formed around them. His reaction was the last thing she ever expected. He laughed. It surprised her, because it sounded like a genuine laugh. She looked up, caught off guard by how he could find all this so funny. It angered her a little. How can he make light of this?!

 

After calming down, he looked over at her, a smile on his face. “I figured. I had hope… but I always guessed that this would be the end result.”

 

“I'm so sorry,” she said, tears forming in her eyes. He shook his head.

 

“No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I forced you to even make a decision like this. It was unfair of me to want you to conform to my twisted world.” He paused. “If… we weren't related…”

 

She shook her head. “You would still be my brother.”

 

He nodded. “Heh, I guess that makes sense.”

 

Kagome felt like her insides were knotting themselves as she looked down at her food again. He was taking it better than she could have dreamed of. So why do I feel so damn bad? Looking up through watery eyes, their eyes met. They still had time before their parents returned.

 

“We can do it… one more time…” Her face reddened. “If you want that is…”

 

He wanted too. She could see it in his eyes. His desire for her was nowhere near sated. She watched as he stood and slowly moved over to her. Her heart raced as he stood before her. Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes, waiting for the moment their lips touched…

 

The faint wet of his lips pressed against her forehead, causing her to open her eyes in surprise. He backed away, a smile on his face.

 

“You really think that's something a sister would say to her brother?” He moved back around the table, picking up his plate. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled brightly at her. “Hurry up and eat before it gets cold. You never know when I'll get around to cooking for you again.”

 

He made it sound light and cheery. He was amazing. He could fake everything so well that she could almost believe it. She wanted to believe it. Tears ran down her face before dripping onto the table below. She knew what he meant by those words. Hands quaking, she slowly lifted a piece of the omelet into her mouth. Idiot… you used too much salt… The thought only redoubled her tears. This would be her brothers last meal…

 

********************************************

 

Inuyasha was numb, not physically, but emotionally. At this point, he was sure nothing would faze him, which was good, because he was planning on having a long talk with his parents.

 

He pushed all thoughts of her aside. Those were for another day, another time. Maybe one day, once he had settled into his new life, he would look back on it to finally close the chapter forever. But that was the future. He needed all his attention on the now.

 

Kagome had thankfully gone to her room. She had been crying for the better part of an hour. She was quiet now, which was a small blessing since their parents returned ten minutes after the sobs ceased from the upstairs.

 

Inuyasha was waiting in the living room when he heard the door open. Moving to the hallway, there was an awkward silence as he stared at them and they stared back. Both parties were frozen, just staring one another down. Inuyasha made the first move, breaking the stalemate that had formed between them.

 

“Welcome back.”

 

“We're back,” they both said slowly.

 

“I think we need to talk.” His voice made it clear that there was no room for debate. To his surprise, his father nodded, letting out a long breath. It shocked Inuyasha to see him like that. He looks… old.

 

“Come with me,” he said, moving into the house. “I'll explain everything to you.”

 

They left his mother in the hallway as they moved through the house and exited into the small backyard. Together, they stopped in the middle of the yard, each of them facing towards the fence, a fair amount of distance between them. Inuyasha dug the photo out of his pocket and handed it to his father. A look of surprise etched itself on his father's face as he took it.

 

“Where did you get this?” he asked, staring down at it.

 

“A friend,” Inuyasha answered. He knew it was vague, but he didn't care. It wasn't like they had been clear about anything up to this point.

 

His father chuckled softly. “He said the same thing to me when they recruited me.”

 

Inuyasha looked at him, eyes wide. “Rex?!”

 

“Oh, I doubt it was the same guy, but he was a recruiter all the same.” He had a distant look in his eyes as he spoke, looking out towards the sky in the distance. “Then again, he was a good friend at the time.”

 

Inuyasha had so much to ask, he didn't know where to begin. Instead of sorting through them all, he focused on the picture. “Who are the other two people in the photo?”

 

His father smiled. “Friends and coworkers of your mother and I. The woman is Dr. Izayoi and her fiancé Dr. Taisho.” It was obvious by the way he said the man that his father didn't like him. “They were both partners on the project we were working on. This picture was taken when we won the Aura Genetics Award, very prestigious.” He leaned over towards Inuyasha, holding the picture out. “If you look in close, you can see that your mother is pregnant.”

 

He didn't need to look close to see that. “Is that me?” he asked, straightening.

 

“And your sister,” he said, his voice soft, almost distant. He continued without Inuyasha saying anything. “We were so foolish back then. It makes me sick seeing how happy I was.”

 

Inuyasha knew that there was a story behind this photo, and that whatever secret lied within was the same one that had caused them to run from Aura. Preparing himself for the worse, Inuyasha took a deep breath. “What did you do?”

 

“Do you really want to know?” From the look on his father's face, it was a memory he didn't want to relive.

 

Inuyasha nodded. I need to know…. No matter what it turns out to be, I need to know before I leave. “Yes.”

 

Shoulders sagging, his father nodded slowly. “I suppose you have a right to know as well. Very well, I guess I shall start from the beginning… I met your mother at Aura. We were both geneticists, climbing the ranks quickly. At the time however, I was with another geneticist.”

 

“Izayoi,” Inuyasha said after a brief pause. His father nodded slowly.

 

“It never got far. Two months and we agreed that our relationship would be better as friends. Almost immediately after we broke up, she started dating a chemist.”

 

“Okay,” Inuyasha said, figuring the chemist was the other man in the photo.

 

“Your mother and I started to grow closer after that. As geneticists, we talked to one another every day. Izayoi was a close friend of your mothers and the three of us shared a similar problem, our funding was being threatened.”

 

“Funding? What were you three working on?”

 

His father shifted uncomfortably. “Genetic manipulation, mostly for bacteria and some fungus species; the idea was to use them to break down toxic chemicals in soils to otherwise safe compounds.” He smiled. “We weren't doing so well.”

 

“So what happened?”

 

“I got your Mom pregnant.”

 

Inuyasha blinked, shifted uncomfortably, and then scratched his head. What did that have to do with anything? It was fairly ironic that he was attracted to his sister, having slept with her multiple times now, and the thought of his parents having sex still disgusted him. It was comforting to know that at least one part of his brain was still working properly.

 

His father, seeing his confused look, continued. “We uh… weren't really…”

 

“Dad, I get it. You had sex with Mom before you got married, before you even started dating. Please, you can spare the details of it.” Both he and his father reddened slightly.

 

“Uh, right,” his father said, clearing his throat. “Anyway, when Izayoi got the news, she came up with an idea that would not only gain us all the funding we would ever want, but also gain us fame in Aura. It's a huge deal, being recognized as the best. The best at Aura is the best in the world.”

 

Inuyasha's eyes widened, suddenly seeing where his father was going. “Dad… which one of us was Mom pregnant with?” His father didn't meet his eyes, looking off at the clouds above. “Dad…”

 

“Your sister.” Inuyasha licked his lips slowly. Rex said that my Mom is the one I was born from… if we are both twins… “We were so stupid…” his father whispered.

 

“Dad… What did you do?” Turning towards him, he smiled sadly.

 

“We cloned her... Well… sort of.”

 

“You what!?”

 

“Your sister… While she was still in the womb, we took some cells and artificially implanted them. The result was identical twins.”

 

“So your saying that I have another sister out there?!”

 

“No, I'm saying that you are the sister, or would have been if we let had let nature take its course. Our sin doesn't stop there.”

 

Inuyasha's blood seemed to run cold. None of what his father was saying seemed possible. It was almost like out of some bad TV show on the sci-fi channel. But his father was serious. And there was more to the story.

 

“It was like we were gods… The technology at Aura made it all so simple… Right there at our fingertips, the power to change DNA and mold it to whatever we so desired! And we did. Dr. Taisho was brought into our group to help us figure out right mixtures of chemical compounds. At first, we were doing simple things. Tweaking height, eye color, hair color, what she would look like. It was only after we brought him in. He was afraid our work would be tossed aside since there was no hard evidence that we had been tweaking the genetic structure of the second child.” His throat tightened. “So, we implanted our own DNA.”

 

Inuyasha, stunned, stood there as his father continued. “Well, you mother's and my DNA were already there, so it was more of Izayoi and Taisho adding theirs.”

 

“Is that even possible?”

 

“Well, it wasn't so much as entire DNA, but rather traits. We separated the traits that we wanted, and spliced them into yours, removing what was already there. It was a difficult process to say the least. It was an entirely unexplored field. Everything we did could have easily killed you, but it didn't. When all was said and done, we were surprised to find that your sex had changed. That was when things started going bad.”

 

“The Aura government found out about what we were doing. There are laws there. Human experimentation is strictly forbidden, especially what we were doing. We were desperate at that point, so we made a deal with the devil and sold our souls. We promised them the future of Aura. Instead of scouring the world, trying to not only find a single, brilliant person among billions then convince them to join, we could simply create them.”

 

“You didn't…”

 

“Yes. We had the perfect setup, complete with a control and an experiment.” His father was on the verge of tears now. “We turned our children into an experiment.”

 

“So that was why you ran away.”

 

His father nodded. “It was after your mother gave birth to both of you. Izayoi and Taisho both saw you as nothing more than an experiment. But to us… you were a miracle. We couldn't allow you to live your life like that. They wanted to test both of you. See if you could surpass, or at least equal, the intelligence gathered at the town. So, we took both of you and ran. Of course, we took with us the data. If anything were to happen to us or the two of you, a series of events would unfold that would eventually end with everything being sent to every news organization in the world.” He looked back at the clouds. “I never would have expected you would be recruited… Then again, I guess it was expected they would be watching you this entire time.”

 

“They were watching you. They only recently found out about me with Terrance.” His father smiled at him as if he pitied him for being so naïve.

 

“Watching us? I don't think so. They could have stopped us. They have the power to do so. But we were no longer important, you were. The world was now the lab, a natural setting instead of a perfectly controlled one. They still had a control for the experiment, your sister. You both shared similar experiences, went to the same schools, the same friends. Don't you find it curious how a man with connections to Aura just so happened to be in your school? He may not have known about you. Instead, he could have been told to simply keep his eyes open, and in doing that, he found you. This… Rex as you called him; he is probably the Aura officer in charge of your case. You've talked to him several times right?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Think back. You said Terrance was the one who discovered you. Did Rex ever seem like he knew more about you than he could learn in such a short amount of time?”

 

Inuyasha thought for a minute. Some things… maybe, but overall, no. He shook his head. Frowning, his father rubbed his chin as he thought.

 

“Hmm… I can't think of anything else unless he was purposefully manipulating events.”

 

Throat tightening, Inuyasha was silent. Rex did convince me to go back to the house and talk to Kagome when I otherwise wouldn't have… Why though? What was the point? Besides that, what about everything else? Thinking about what his father had told him… impossible came to mind. If it was true, as hard as it was to believe, what the hell did it make him; an abominable science experiment that had spun wildly out of control? Was that the reason why Aura wanted him? To finish their experiment or was it because they wanted him? If his father was telling the truth and not telling him the latest plot to a science fiction book, what was he to Kagome? Some twisted monstrous half-brother? Was he even her brother or just a genetic mass that shared some similarity?

 

“Enough about that,” Inuyasha said, focusing his attention back on the matter at hand. He would discern the truth for himself later. There were still questions that needed to be asked. “Where did you and Mom go just now?”

 

There was a brief silence before his father answered. “Aura.”

 

Frowning, Inuyasha stared at his father. “I thought you ran away from there. Why would you go back?”

 

His father gave him a small smile. “I'm sorry Inuyasha, I can't protect you any longer.”

 

Inuyasha still had questions, but they all seemed so small now, worthless. He wanted to go back, before Kagome, before Rex, before the test. Everything hard seemed pathetic compared to now. The weight of the stress and pressure hadn't doubled or tripled, but it felt like it had quadrupled or more. He wanted to break down, to just stop working.

 

But his mind wouldn't let him. It categorized everything that was happening, prioritizing without him even wanting it too. It sorted, it thought, it fought against his desire to just stop and forever just go with the flow of things. Whether it was him or his subconscious, one of them wanted to nor only survive in the insanity that had just become his world, but wanted to control it.

 

He didn't say anything to his father as he made his way back to the house. He didn't need to. Everything worth saying had been said. Once inside the house, he brushed past his mother. He wanted to stop, to say something to her, but he couldn't. There would be time later.

 

Putting his shoes on, he opened the front door. “Rex, I know you're listening. Find me.” Closing the door, he started walking.

 

********************************************

 

“You're not an easy man to find,” Rex said, his smile already on his face as he moved up behind Inuyasha. He was sitting on the same bench at the park where they had met once before. Like before, Inuyasha had been too lost in his thoughts to notice Rex's arrival.

 

“Don't lie, you knew exactly where I was the entire time.”

 

“True, I was just making conversation.”

 

“You're a bastard, you know that?”

 

“I've been told.”

 

Inuyasha frowned. “So you knew everything this entire time? Everything my Dad told me was true?” There was a brief silence.

 

“Yes. You were an experiment at Aura, brought from an act of desperation and the stupidity of youth.”

 

“What was the point in telling me all this? Wouldn't it have been more beneficial to you if I didn't know?”

 

“Of course, but we needed to know how you would react in a crisis of sorts. Yes, it was cruel of us, but we needed to know just how much you could handle.”

 

“So this was a test as well.”

 

“Yes, a very elaborate one, but a test just the same.”

 

Inuyasha frowned. “It wasn't a very good one. I still can't believe most of the crap I was told. It just seems so… impossible.”

 

“It will all become clear once you reach Aura. Once you see the technological wonders there, you will find it hard to believe this doesn't happen more often.”

 

Inuyasha smiled. “What makes you think I'm going there?”

 

“Just a guess.”

 

Inuyasha sighed, looking through the fountain. “A damn good one…”

 

********************************************

 

School… seemed so small. It was a Monday, so nothing too exciting happened. Inuyasha just went through the movements. Kagome didn't talk to him, even at lunch. It was lonely. He felt detached, an observer looking in at another world. How could he not? He was in another world. He did leave school with a bang though. He aced the test, becoming somewhat famous for what would be an unbeatable test-taking record.

 

All-in-all, it hadn't been a bad last day of school.

 

It was a tough farewell. At Rex's urging, Inuyasha had to leave as quickly as possible. There hadn't been a lot to pack. Everything he would ever need would be waiting for him at Aura. The few things he did have were his new laptop, photos and his gifts from Miroku.

 

His mother was in tears as they hugged. She knew what his leaving meant having gone through it before. His father was putting up a strong front, but he could feel his body shaking as they hugged.

 

Kagome was… the hardest to read. She stood there, silently observing as he kissed his parents goodbye. It was awkward, looking at her as it caused a flood of held back emotions to burst forth. He wanted nothing more than to grab her, hold her tight and kiss her. But he held himself back. He couldn't do that ever again, an especially not with their parents standing right next to them.

 

Slowly, he awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. He could feel the gentle swell of her breasts as they pressed against his chest. He closed his eyes, drawing in her scent one last time.

 

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything,” he whispered in her ear. Releasing her, he kissed her forehead gently. Tears were forming in her eyes as he nodded his goodbye, a smile planted on his face.

 

Standing back, there was an awkward moment of silence as he wondered what he should do next. He had said his goodbyes, but he didn't want to leave… not yet.

 

It was Rex who broke the atmosphere that had surrounded them. “It's about time you got aboard. The plane won't wait for you.”

 

“Right,” he said, looking back over at his family one last time. “Well, I guess this is goodbye.” His voice cracked. Not wanting them to see him cry, he grabbed his small carryon and headed for the plane.

 

He got halfway there before Kagome's voice stopped him. Turning, he had just enough time to brace himself as she flung herself at him. When their lips met, it wasn't a kiss that siblings shared. It was full of passion, their tongues entwining.

 

They held it for as long as possible before having to break for air. Both were breathless as they looked at one another. Inuyasha didn't look at their parents. There wasn't any reason to believe they wouldn't have been shocked, but he was leaving. The last one he wanted to see, to hear, to touch, was Kagome.

 

“Don't go.”

 

“Kagome…” He suddenly felt his strength leave him.

 

“Please… I'll try! I'll try to love you! I…. I just need time! Please… I don't want you to leave me!”

 

It was painful to hear her voice plead with him. His resolve shook, but couldn't be broken. Not this time. The pain was evident when he smiled, kissing her lips gently one last time.

 

“I would love nothing more than to give it a chance… but I'm sorry. I have to go.”

 

Leaving her wide eyed, he turned and quickly moved towards the boarding area. Handing the ticket to the woman, he stepped through the gate and opened the door to his new future.

 

********************************************

 

Kagome watched, stunned, as Inuyasha stepped through the gate and disappeared forever. Her parents were demanding answers. She could hear their voices, but at the same time, couldn't understand what they were saying. He's gone… He's really gone… Even though she could see it clear as day, she still couldn't believe it. I'll never see him again…

 

Her parents were furious. They knew something had happened and demanded to know what it was. That wasn't the way normal siblings acted. We aren't normal siblings… are we? It was sad that it had taken her until now to realize it.

 

It wasn't until Rex stepped forward that her parents stopped, three pairs of eyes on the man. Kagome's focused on his hand, where he held a booklet.

 

“You have a choice,” he said. His tone was neutral, uncaringly cold. He didn't look at her, he was staring off at the plane out the window. When Kagome started to reach for it, he pulled it back slightly. “I must warn you; this is a one way ticket. We can do many things, but undoing them sometimes turns out to be impossible. There is no returning from this path.”

 

Turning, she looked at her parents. They were confused, frightened, and angry. I'm so sorry… I need to see for myself… If this is the wrong path… I can… will… live with it. Before they could say anything, she wrapped them in a hug. Without another word, she grabbed the ticket from his hand and ran for the gate. Inuyasha wouldn't be facing his new future alone.

 

********************************************

 

Blarg. I tried my best to make it as non-rushed sounding as possible, but considering how I took the chapter from climax to end in a chapter, no matter what I do its going to sound rushed. Now, it's not quite the end. There will be an epilogue.

 

Now for me to explain this ending.

 

I am a science fiction/fantasy writer by heart. For reading, I am almost exclusive to those genres. Looking back, I should have completely cut out the whole genius/Aura thing completely and focused on the drama between the two. It would have made a good story I think. I was finally getting a hang of working out emotions and what not without it sounding too repetitive. Maybe it's a task for later, maybe not.

 

As I said, I was planning on it being something like this from the beginning. Even though I was branching out from my sci-fi roots, I am still influenced by them. This was supposed to be a much larger story. Early disclaimers warn of violence, which never appeared in the story. I was originally going to have Naraku be a part of the story as some anti-Rex figure. Miroku and Sango were supposed to have a larger role as well, but I decided to drop that section in favor of a shorter story. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy writing this story, it just lacked something that really made me want to jump into it. So I made a decision to bring it to a quick close rather than draw it out and risk going inactive.

 

I hope everyone who has stuck with this from chapter one forgives the rather lackluster end and I hope the ending didn't leave a sour taste in your mouth. I know I kind of jumped from A to B to M with some things trying to rush a close, but I tried my best. Hopefully the epilogue makes up for it.

 

As always, thanks for reading!