InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Succubus Girlfriend ❯ Chapter Ten ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters associated with it. This story is rated for a mature audience.

 

General Citrus Warning (For entire story)

 

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

 

Inuyasha awoke to the sound of a phone ringing. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he yawned and stretched as he sat up. For a second, he looked around in confusion for the source of the unfamiliar ring before his gaze settled upon Kagome. Sitting at the table, she casually glanced at the cell phone screen before opening it and holding it to her ear.

 

“Hey, what's up?” she answered happily. She listened to the speaker for several seconds. “Okay, hold on.” To Inuyasha's surprise, she held the phone out to him. “It's for you.”

 

“You have a cell phone?” he asked, dazed as he leaned over to take the offered phone.

 

“You don't?” she answered with a grin.

 

“Money's never exactly been abundant for me.” He paused before holding the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

 

“Hey!” a familiar voice answered.

 

“Miroku?” He looked over at Kagome who was smiling happily. “You sound sickeningly happy for—” He glanced at the clock. “Seven in the morning. It's Saturday. You're not supposed to be conscious until at least noon.”

 

“I did it!”

 

“Huh?” he replied stupidly.

 

“With Sango! I did it!”

 

“You're kidding.” Inuyasha found the last remnants of sleep fade. “That's—surprising.”

 

“Yeah, crazy isn't it? To be honest, I was getting worried there towards the end but she really surprised me.” There was a brief pause. “I don't think I was the first, but I think she really enjoyed it! So, how did it go for you?”

 

“Me?”

 

“Come on! Don't play dumb!”

 

“I really don't—” He stopped, suddenly realizing the meaning behind Kagome's grin. Sighing, he ran a hand over his face. Right… he called her cell phone. “It's not like that.”

 

“Uh-huh, I'm sure. Well I'm going to go. I just ran to the store to get more supplies.”

 

“Supplies?”

 

Miroku chuckled. “The weekend has only started! But seriously! Monday, I want details!”

 

“I'm telling you—” The line went dead. Holding the phone away, Inuyasha frowned at it before slowly snapping it shut and handing it back to Kagome.

 

“Sounds like he's having fun,” she cooed, taking the phone and setting it against the table.

 

“You bought a cell phone? Why didn't you tell me?”

 

She shrugged. “It didn't seem like that big a deal. I used my own money.” She glanced over at him. “You want one? We can go pick one out before I go to work.”

 

“I'm good,” he said, lying back down.

 

She sighed. “You're going to have to modernize eventually.”

 

“Modernize—me?” He propped himself up on his elbow to stare at her. “I am perfectly happy with what I have.”

 

Her right eyebrow perked up. “Really?”

 

“Really.”

 

Shifting in place, she leaned forward, letting the loose material of her shirt drape forward. Inuyasha had begun to adapt to the fact Kagome would never wear anything under her clothes, but he still couldn't get over how stimulating she could be when she was trying. “You really don't desire anything more?” From his position, he could almost see—

 

His throat tightened as his eyes went from her chest to her eyes. She was smiling sweetly, enjoying the teasing show she was giving him. A smile tugged at his lips. “I think you are losing your charm.” Instantly, her smile disappeared, leaving her in a state of shock. Seeing her flustered look was a small victory for him. Either she was losing her charm—which he doubted—or he was growing more resistant to it. That was a worrying thought. If he was becoming more resistant, it was only because he was more accustomed to not getting what he really wanted.

 

After a few seconds she recovered, tossing him a glare. “That's not funny,” she said as she sat up, correcting her shirt in the process. This time, he did smile.

 

“I thought it was.”

 

“Well maybe I'll stop giving you peeks.”

 

He shrugged, grinning. “Maybe I'll cut off your `snacks' then.” He narrowed his eyes. “You could use a diet.”

 

“Hey, what's that supposed to mean?” she growled angrily. Holding her head up, she smiled smugly. “I'll just find someone else then.” His grin vanished the same time she realized what she had said. “Not that I would,” she said, trying to laugh it off. His thoughts were pulled towards the necklace.

 

He smiled sadly. “Yes you would.”

 

“I didn't mean it like that.”

 

“How much longer are you staying?” He didn't meet her eyes, the cheerfulness in his voice gone.

 

Smiling, she looked away. “Does it really matter?”

 

He looked up. “I think it does.”

 

“I'll be here—for as long as I can.”

 

“Will there be a goodbye?”

 

“Can we please not talk about this?” she asked, eyes pleading with him.

 

“Will there be a goodbye?” he repeated, meeting her gaze. She took a deep breath, letting the agonizing silence stretch on.

 

“Probably not.” He nodded slowly. He figured that would be the answer. “But why are you so focused on the end? Can't we just focus on the good times of now?”

 

He smiled, taking a deep breath as he made an attempt to clear the gloomy atmosphere. “You're right. I guess I just never want it to end.”

 

Smiling she leaned on the table. “It won't—at least, not for awhile anyways. After all, you still have my necklace.”

 

For now. He knew nothing about it, but it felt different. Not in a physical way. It didn't glow as much these days. Does that mean it's close to being done? For the first time since he wore it, he hoped it wasn't.

 

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

 

Stepping out into the cool morning air, Miroku stretched his arms towards the sky, releasing the pent up air in his chest loudly. Bringing his arms down to his waist, he took a deep breath. “That—was an amazing weekend.” Behind him, Sango slowly closed the door to her apartment, locking it. Her thoughts were a mess. I shouldn't have done it—I shouldn't have done it. Regret pressed heavily on her shoulders. Slowly, she turned to face him. He had the look of a man who had just fulfilled a life dream. From what little she knew of him, a weekend full of sex was probably was a life dream.

 

She cleared her mind. Depending on how this week went, chances were she would have to kill him. He was too close to the targets. He was a liability and living alone far from his parents meant it was far easier to eliminate rather than spend the resources keeping him in the dark. What the hell was I thinking? A one night fling was one thing. Spending the entire weekend with him? It was dangerous—and poor judgment on her part. If the entire weekend had just stopped at sex, it wouldn't have worried her so much, but there was more than just that. She ate with him, talked with him, learned about him. Ending the life of a face was easy. They were just someone in the crowd—a stranger. When you put a person behind the face, the trigger grew heavy. When the time comes, will I have the strength to pull it? She looked down at her right hand, flexing the index finger. Now, she was confident in her answer. She could manage the increased weight. A week from now?

 

“You okay?” he asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

 

“Hmm?” she asked, looking up.

 

“I was just curious, you're acting—off.”

 

She smiled. “And how would you know? I barely know you.”

 

He scratched his head. “Ah, true. But I know you a lot better than I did a couple days ago.” He smiled sheepishly. “Or at least, I would if I talked a little less. Sorry if I was too talkative.”

 

“No, it's fine.” It was true that he had talked a lot about himself, but that only made things easier on her. The less she told about her fake life was less she had to remember later on.

 

He smiled, relieved. “That's good. That's really good. I was a little worried since you never really talked much.” He paused. “Y-you did have fun right? Everything was good?”

 

“Y-yeah,” she said quickly. “It was good, but—”

 

Instantly, worry covered his face. “But? Uh-oh, buts are never good.”

 

“No, it's nothing like that.” I need to distance myself but at the same time keep the relationship alive. Just because she was friends with Kago—the demon didn't mean she didn't need the relationship with Miroku. A breakup now would create awkwardness that she didn't need. “I was just thinking—maybe this was a mistake.”

 

His eyes widened. “If it's me, I can change. Please, anything it is, tell me and I promise—”

 

She mentally kicked herself. It sounded as though she was about to break up with him. “No, it's not you.”

 

“Oh God, please don't say it's you.”

 

She blinked. “Huh?”

 

“Well, that's what all girls say when they break up with someone, right? They don't want to hurt their soon-to-be-ex so they say it's the problem is with them.” He spoke quickly, looking down as his thoughts and mouth merged into one entity and took off on its own tangent. “I could never understand why they say that though. Isn't it counter-productive? The guy can just figure it is her problem and therefore all future relationships are doomed for failure because the simple fact he doesn't know it is him and he can't fix what is wrong—”

 

“Miroku!” she said slightly louder than her normal voice, causing his attention to snap back to her.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“It's not me.”

 

“So it is me.” She had the sudden urge to give him a push over the edge. The height and the concrete ground below would make the drop a fatal one.

 

“It's no one!” It took quite a bit of willpower not to yell it.

 

He blinked several times. “So—you're not breaking up with me?”

 

“No!”

 

“Oh.” He scratched his cheek with his index finger, eyeing her curiously. “So—what was the mistake?”

 

So now you're going to let me finish? “I was talking about this weekend.”

 

A look of understanding crossed his face. “You mean the sex?” She felt her face redden. Quickly, she looked from side to side, as if aware they were in public for the first time. Luckily, none of her neighbors were out. Wait, why does that even matter to me? Before she could think more on it, Miroku continued. “If it was only one time, maybe. But an entire weekend? I don't think it was. My parents—”

 

“C-can you please not talk so loud?” she said, face burning.

 

He frowned. “You didn't seem too concerned with how loud we were when—” Her glare silenced him. “Okay, but have you ever thought that maybe our meeting was fate?”

 

Not for the reasons you think. “I just—” She took a deep breath, trying to salvage what had become of a simple conversational task. “Can we slow things down?”

 

Frowning, he rubbed his chin, thinking. “Like, how slow?” he asked, meeting her eye.

 

“A date.”

 

“A date?”

 

“Say this weekend.” Things were going smoothly. By the end of the week, she figured she would have all the information Naraku needed.

 

“Sounds—normal.”

 

“No sex.”

 

“No sex!?” She shook her head. Biting his lip, he rubbed his chin harder as he looked down. Suddenly, he looked up. Before he could say anything, she interrupted him.

 

“Nothing sexual,” she said slowly, eyebrows raised. Disappointment on his face, he slowly closed his mouth.

 

“What about a kiss?”

 

“So long as you keep your hands to yourself.” He looked down at his hands, frowning as he turned flipped them over.

 

“I guess.” He grinned, looking back up at her. “Wow, am I really that simple to figure out?” She gave him a quizzical look. He laughed. “I mean, a weekend together and it's like you have me spot on.” Still laughing, he moved off towards the stairs. “I have to run if I'm going to get stuff from my place. I'll see you at school okay?”

 

Sango stood rooted in place, horror on her face as she stared out at the city landscape before her. Slowly, she looked down as she flexed her index finger. The trigger had gotten heavier.

 

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

 

Clad in a black sports bra and jogging shorts, Sango's chest heaved as she gasped for breath. Setting her pace at a rigorous jog, she focused on running her frustrations away. Things were not going as planned. Three days had passed without a single development. It wasn't that she couldn't talk to the demon. In fact, it seemed that every free moment at school was spent around her. The problem was Miroku. He was the only one out of the loop about the truth of his friends and the group consensus seemed to be to keep him that way. After school was impossible, she was either fighting off Miroku's advances or the demon went straight to work. Inuyasha was a lost cause. She figured he knew less about what was going on than she did.

 

Slowing to a stop, she bent over as she gasped for breath, sweat dripping down on the sidewalk below her. Her stamina wasn't what it should be. It worried her.

 

“Something wrong?” a voice asked behind her. Turning, she instantly dropped into a defensive stance. It was late at night and she was alone in the middle of a park. If it turned out to be some punks looking to score a little action with a lone woman, they had picked the wrong woman. Actually, this might be a good thing.

 

Out of the darkness, an elderly man stepped into the light of the lamp, a smile on his face. Dropping her hands, her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?”

 

“What? An old man can't take a stroll and enjoy this beautiful night?” Myoga's smile widened. “Or enjoy the sight of a young beauty venting frustration?”

 

Grounding her teeth, she suddenly wished she wore more clothing. “What do you want?”

 

“If I said nothing?”

 

“I'd know you were lying.”

 

He thought for a moment before nodding. “Fair enough, but then again, you'd probably think everything I say is a lie. So the real question is—why do you ask?”

 

Turning, she wiped the sweat from her forehead, preparing to continue her jog. “I don't have time for meaningless games.”

 

“I know why you are frustrated.”

 

Stretching out her legs, she took a deep breath. “Nice try, but that doesn't help me.”

 

“So you acknowledge that I'm trying to help you?”

 

Stopping her preparations, she turned to face Myoga once more. “You—helping me? I don't think so.”

 

He tilted his head to the side, a thin smile on his face. “What makes that so difficult to believe?”

 

“Why would you want to help someone who would be more than happy to kill you?”

 

“You only have to worry about that if that person actually had the ability to kill you.” His smile widened. “Besides, you don't want to kill me. Same as you don't want to kill that young man you've been seeing.”

 

Her eyes narrowed as she clenched her fists. “You know nothing about me. You could care less about me. You're just worried I'm going to succeed in my mission.”

 

“Those wheels are already in motion far beyond my control. My focus is now the future. It worries me—you worry me. Even now I feel the faint shift in your presence. With my help, we can change it.”

 

“If this is some lecture about the personal choices I've made in life, save it. I have more pressing matters to worry about.” Turning she took another deep breath. “If that's all…” Taking a few steps, she resumed her jogging pace, trying to push the conversation with the land god out of her mind. What does he know anyway?

 

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

 

Naraku stood in his study, several thick tomes spread open across his large oak desk. One in hand, he casually paced back and forth in front of the desk, impatiently scanning the contents of the page before flipping to the next. With a frustrated growl, the book snapped shut.

 

“Nothing!” he cried, dropping the book on the desk before rubbing his temples slowly. He could search through book after book but the answer he sought eluded him. He knew the purpose of the jewels similar to the Shikon Jewel, but they were useless to him. All had long since faded into mere ordinary stone. He had his theory of the jewel. Why the succubi guarded it so closely, keeping it hidden for centuries and why it had not yet faded like the others was due to it being the original from which its clones had been spawned. But did it serve the same function as the others? That alone caused him to hesitate. It forced him to remain in the shadows and rely on the agents under his control. The wait was excruciatingly painful, but it was something he could not rush. If he was wrong, his carefully constructed plans would be destroyed in an instant. Worse still, the goal he had long since been working towards would be lost forever with a single false step.

 

Holding his index finger to his mouth, he gently bit it, deep in thought. The news of Sango was worrisome. She had always been his best and most faithful agent. She did what he asked without question, doing anything and everything needed to successfully complete the task. That didn't mean he trusted her. He had always given her far more freedom than others under his control. After all, she produced results. Removing the finger from his mouth, he tapped his chin idly.

 

“Perhaps I've given her too much freedom,” he thought aloud as he pressed his lips together tightly. She was not producing results fast enough to please him. The fact that she had wasted an entire weekend with a non-target concerned him. Long ago, he had made the decision to keep her personality intact. She would have made the perfect, emotionless assassin with his guidance, but that wasn't what he needed. He needed someone who could innovate, to covertly coax information out of a target, something a brainwashed assassin could never do. But where the assassin would never deviate from the mission, completing task after task with little or no effort from him like a well-oiled machine, Sango was far from machine. She thought, she felt. While he carefully held influence over those thoughts and feelings, it was an undeniable fact that there was a heavy amount of maintenance involved. He wanted nothing more than to set her straight, but as of now, she was following the only lead he head. He would have to correct and punish her later.

 

With his thoughts on Sango, he slowly realized his growing hunger. Thinking to himself, he tried to remember the last time he had a meal. The fact he had to spend several seconds was enough for him to know it was too long.

 

A knock at the door broke his thoughts. “Enter,” he said, turning towards the door. A thin man wearing brown robes appeared. “Yes?”

 

“Father, I have word from the Seers.”

 

The news excited him. The Seers had been oddly silent. “Have you now? Proceed.” Hurry up with it! He almost shouted, barely keeping his calm and level voice in place.

 

“It is a most peculiar event. The information they have given us comes not from the future, but from the past.”

 

Naraku frowned. The entire purpose of the Seers was to catch glimpses of the future. Most of what they gave was meaningless garble or too incomplete to be of any help, every so often, useful information would work its way through. Never before had they given information from the past. It intrigued him.

 

“And?” Naraku pressed.

 

“After translating it—”

 

“Translating?”

 

“Yes Father, the message was in Latin.”

 

“Latin?” That was interesting.

 

“Yes Father.”

 

“Then it was a conversation then.”

 

“Not quite. A ritual.” The man smiled. “One involving the Shikon Jewel.” He was obviously pleased that he was the one delivering the message. “It seems the Shikon Jewel is the original jewel used by the succubi. From it, others are created.” The hope, excitement and delight that had been building inside Naraku instantly died. It took a large amount of willpower to keep from lashing out at the man. He didn't want to be told something he had already suspected like it was something new. Of course, the man had no way of knowing what Naraku was thinking, and technically, the confirmation of its purpose did help him—slightly.

 

“Is that so? This is certainly useful information. Good work,” Naraku said, keeping the disappointment and anger from his voice. The man beamed happily at Naraku's praise, but from the way he shifted impatiently, it was like a kid waiting to tell a massive secret.

 

“That's not all. We also have information that it is used only by the Mother Succubus.” Naraku felt like his heart stopped at the news. “The fact that another succubus is using it—”

 

“Means a succession?” Naraku began laughing. Starting as a low chuckle, it rapidly grew to gut-wrenching laughter. The man eyed Naraku in confusion at the sudden burst of laughter. Oh my! How the mighty have fallen, eh Mother Clara? Everything fell into place. He had everything he needed to act. Finally, his days in the shadows had ended.

 

Laughter fading, he looked at the man. “Excellent work! This is fantastic news!”

 

“It is? It is!” the man said, confused but obviously pleased Naraku was thrilled.

 

“Quickly, prepare a plane.”

 

“A plane Father?” The man was surprised. It was to be expected. Naraku rarely left the Vatican. Never before had he gone so far that he needed a plane. “Are you going somewhere Father?”

 

“Yes,” Naraku said, turning, a smile on his face. To think he would gain the knowledge he needed from his own sources. Had Sango presented him with the information, her punishment would have been far less severe. The fact that he had found out this way while she produced little results angered him, an anger that would inevitably be released on her. All in due time. He had much more pressing concerns. He was finally able to advance his plans. Slowly, he turned back towards the man. “I'm going to Japan.”

 

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

 

Kagome was in a good mood. The café was closed when she arrived. It was an odd turn of events considering she was supposed to work tonight and neither Kouga nor his father had said anything about a day off last night. But whatever the reason for the closure, Kagome now had the night off, meaning she could spend it with Inuyasha.

 

She was halfway home when she felt herself being followed. By now, she was fairly use to attracting a stalker or two, especially when she was in a good mood. It was understanding considering what she was. Usually it was a couple of thugs who were already looking to corner a young, unsuspecting girl. They were easy enough to shake off, but this—this was different. Whoever was following her didn't want her to know they were following her, and they did this by trying very hard to mask their presence, something no human could do easily. Even more concerning was there was more than one. Which meant the people tracking her knew she was a demon.

 

Casually stepping out of the crowded sidewalk into an ally, Kagome quickly began searching for an out-of-the-way place to confront the person. She wasn't too worried about her safety. She had fed earlier that morning and the fact she had been able to detect them meant she was more powerful. Stepping around a corner, she pressed her back to the wall of the building, waiting. A flick of her wrist and the sound of footsteps continued off in the direction she had been heading. It took a fair amount of concentration to completely mask her true presence and project it in the same place as the false footsteps. Now she wasn't worried. She was pissed. At this rate, I'm going to need to feed again. Inuyasha wasn't going to be happy. Or is he? Before the smile could form on her face, her stalker turned the corner. Kagome saw the shocked face of her pursuer seconds before she sent them flying through the air, slamming into the wall on the far side and causing them to collapse against the ground. Dropping the footstep rouse, Kagome quickly moved over to the fallen pursuer and prepared a second blow when a familiar voice stopped her.

 

“Kagome stop!” Blinking, fist still raised, Kagome finally recognized the face of the woman below her.

 

“Kikyo?” Kagome asked, quickly lowering her fist and offering a hand to help her fallen sister. “What are you doing here?” As Kikyo took the offered hand, Kagome easily pulled her to her feet. In a more heated voice, Kagome continued. “And why were you following me?”

 

Kikyo brushed herself off before meeting Kagome's glare. “In case you haven't forgotten, it's my job.”

 

Rolling her eyes, Kagome rested her right hand on her hip. “Please, you've never followed me like that before. You need at least a century more training before you can sneak up on me.”

 

“Don't I know it,” Kikyo mumbled angrily as she patted her sore butt.

 

“So tell me why you were trying to.”

 

“I wasn't trying to hide from you.”

 

“Then—”

 

“The Order is on the move. Mother is freaking out. We're not allowed to let you out of our sight. Mother's orders.” Kagome knew that Kikyo wasn't talking about the order coming from their mother, but from the leader of what remained of the succubi. Worry gnawed at her stomach.

 

“Inuyasha—”

 

“Is safe. Anna and Eiko are watching over him.”

 

“I don't like it.”

 

“What? He's being taken care of.”

 

“That's what I'm afraid of,” Kagome muttered.

 

“Not like that,” Kikyo said with a frown. “He doesn't even know they are there.”

 

“But why only two? I have almost a dozen people following me and mom sends two for him?”

 

“You are more important. He can be replaced, you can't.”

 

The rage that consumed Kagome almost caused her to hit her sister once more. “He is not replaceable!” To her surprise, Kikyo hit her. Stunned, Kagome rested her hand on her sore cheek.

 

“Play time is over Kagome! You can't pretend this is a game anymore! People are dying—our family is dying!” Behind Kikyo, Kagome could see several women standing in the shadows, anxiously watching the ordeal from a safe distance. Voice dropping several levels, Kikyo continued. “This little lie you've been building is over. You can't escape who you are.” Her voice was a whisper. “No matter how much you wish you could.”

 

Tears ran down Kagome's cheeks. “Why? Why now? Everything was going great. I made a friend! An actual friend!”

 

“I'm sorry Kagome.” Kikyo glanced behind her at the other succubi that had gathered. Leaning in, she kept her voice low so only Kagome could hear. “Only a few of us know this, but Naraku himself is on his way to Japan.” Kagome felt her blood freeze at the name. The name of the current Order leader was the most feared man in the non-human world. There was tenderness in her voice as she continued. “You understand now? When he gets here, no one will be safe.”

 

Kagome looked from her sister to the others standing behind her before focusing back on Kikyo. “If—” She shook her head. “When I do this, I will become Mother.”

 

Kikyo smiled. “We know.”

 

“I don't want to be Mother.”

 

Kikyo's smile turned sad as she nodded. “I know.” Slowly, she rested her hands on Kagome's shoulder, giving them a comforting squeeze. “But in a way, I can't say this is unexpected. You've always been more powerful than mom.”

 

Shrugging them off, Kagome shook her head. “Power isn't everything.” She took a shaky breath. “I can't believe how nervous I am.”

 

“Relax, it's only sex. It's not like you haven't done it in—” She paused, smiling sheepishly. “Right, I guess it has been awhile for you. But it's like riding a bike.” Kagome tilted her head in confusion. “Ah, right. That saying is a little after your time.”

 

There was a long silence before Kagome finally spoke. “What's going to happen to Inuyasha?”

 

“Nothing.” Kagome continued to stare at her, not quite believing it. “Honestly.”

 

“He's not the type of guy mom would just let go.”

 

“What does it matter? You'll be Mother then.”

 

“Not until after the ritual is completed. I'm not exactly of-age for this thanks to mom sealing me away for a couple centuries. Who knows how long it will take—or even if I can complete it.”

 

“I have faith in you.”

 

“So what does Mother have planned for him after I'm done?” Kikyo shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

 

“I'm not supposed to tell.”

 

“Kikyo, you're going to tell me or I'm not doing anything.” There was a long silence. To Kagome's surprise, it wasn't Kikyo who broke it. A woman stepped closer to them.

 

“Mother selected several of the most powerful sisters—”

 

“Lisa!” Kikyo yelled, twisting to glare at the woman.

 

“I'm sorry, but I don't want to live like this anymore!” Lisa wailed, tears running down her face.

 

Sighing, Kikyo turned back towards Kagome. “With his energy, there is more than a good chance we can kill Naraku. No matter how many bodyguards he has and how weak our magic has become, he's still human and it's still crimson energy.”

 

“How many?” Kagome growled. Her sister didn't answer. “How many?” she repeated loudly.

 

“The exact number hasn't been agreed upon, but it looks to be around a dozen.”

 

A look of horror crossed her face. “You expect twelve of us to feed off—that would kill even him!”

 

“It's our only shot! We have to take the chance. With Naraku gone, the resulting confusion will give us a chance to regroup and once you break the curse, we can finally wipe them out once and for all.”

 

“I refuse!” Kagome said, quickly walking off.

 

“God damn it Kagome! It's just one man!”

 

She spun around. “He's the man I love!” Stunned faces stared back at her. Even Kagome was taken aback by her sudden outburst. Her throat tightened as her heart raced.

 

Kikyo was the first to recover. “I'm sorry to hear you say that.”

 

“I-it's not something to be ashamed about,” Kagome said, holding herself up proudly. I love him. It's nothing to be ashamed about.

 

“Kagome—” Kikyo looked miserable. “This entire time, I thought you knew.”

 

Kagome gave her sister a suspicious look, not liking the idea that she was kept out of yet another important piece of information. “Knew what?”

 

“Anyway you look at it, Inuyasha is going to die.”

 

Kagome let out a disbelieving laugh. “What are you talking about? That's impossible.”

 

Kikyo shifted uncomfortably. She was acting like a messenger about to tell a mother her son died. “If you go through with the ritual, we will kill Naraku.”

 

“Which is precisely why I'm not going to go through with it. He holds the key to saving our race and we kill him? What kind of thanks is that?”

 

“It's not. It's cruel and it's unfair, but it is for the greater good. So many lives can be saved—”

 

“I refuse to believe that.”

 

Kikyo bit her lip. Her voice was angry as she spoke. “Fine. Then think about this: you don't go through with the ritual. What then? The only way to remove the mature jewel without killing him is through the ritual.”

 

“Things go on as they always—”

 

“Kagome! You said it yourself! He holds the key to saving our race. Between you or him, what makes for an easier target?” Kikyo moved up to Kagome, standing beside her. “So you have to ask yourself: how would you want to die? Saving lives, or at the hands of the Order. I ask you because you are deciding for him.”

 

“No…” Kagome said, voice trembling as tears ran uncontrollably down her cheeks.

 

“This is why I was against this plan from the beginning. Even if you're older than most of us here, you're still just a kid.” Without another word, Kikyo continued down the alley, disappearing around a corner. The others looked between themselves, unsure whether to follow. Slumping against the wall, Kagome fell to the ground, gasping for breath between the sobs.

 

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

 

Bleh. I must be crazy trying to write on three hours sleep.

 

It may be obvious, it may not be. I'm going to be finishing up this story in one or two more chapters. From the looks of things, I'd lean closer to one actual chapter and the epilogue. When I first started out this story, the ending I had in mind was completely different than the one I am planning now. (For the record, I like this one a lot better.) I wasn't exactly planning on ending it so soon, but I felt compelled to do so.

 

That said, I am going to give a bit of warning. This might feel a bit rushed, but that is because it probably is. I started working on this story a long time ago and it has changed a lot since then. (For better or worse.) I will try to keep out any inconsistencies with stuff from the beginning, but there will probably be a couple that I will completely miss.

 

If you enjoyed the story thus far, which I hope everyone has, I am planning to write a sequel. It is one of the main reasons why I am ending this one. I don't want to go into too much detail, but the sequel will be far more lemony and a little darker. I'm also going to try either completing it or finishing a major chunk before releasing to see if/how much better quality the story is.

 

Please review! Many thanks to everyone who has already done so.