InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ My Succubus Wife ❯ Chapter Thirteen ( Chapter 13 )

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

 

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Seeing the succubus reduced to tears held an immense satisfaction for Ryuu, yet it also made him remorseful. The fun had to end eventually. Oh, there were a few more things he could do, but none would bring additional satisfaction. She was a broken toy and it was time to throw her away. Her sobbing wasn't the only thing that spurred him to continue with the next task. In the back of his mind, his True Self urged him on. While he couldn't actually communicate with his True Self, it could still project its will onto him. After all, Ryuu was nothing more than a fragment of a larger whole.

 

Things would be close. The remaining power Ryuu had at his command was rapidly dwindling. Soon, he wouldn't be able to suppress Inuyasha's consciousness any longer. Once he lost control, he would never be able to gain control again. While the succubus sobbed, Ryuu glanced over at Sango. The contract was complete. He could sense the demon magic inside the human conjugating on one spot. In days, the True Self would merge itself with its new vessel and finally breach the mortal realm. But the True Self was still in danger. The vessel was, unfortunately, mortal as well. The human and the succubus would never allow it to live, not with the powers it would posses. As soon as it was born, they could easily kill it with no repercussions. The human would be free and the last remaining chance for his True Self to cross over would be lost, another reason why Ryuu was here.

 

Having sex with the succubus would have been simpler without the mental anguish he caused, but he couldn't deny himself the pleasure of tearing her down. Even his True Self seemed content, almost approving, of his actions. It was odd that a succubus could be put into a state where sex was impossible, but Ryuu didn't fret over it. The problem was easily rectified, even if it was costly.

 

Taking a deep breath, he released it softly before looking at the succubus. “Kagome,” he whispered in a soothing tone. Trying to catch her breath, she wiped her eyes an looked up. The instant she made eye contact, he quickly pressed a finger onto the middle of her forehead. In her weakened state, the spell took much less energy than he had figured it would. The effects were instantaneous. Her eyes took on a clouded appearance and her breathing returned to normal as her sobbing ceased. “Kagome?” he repeated, this time in a normal tone. Her gaze never changed. Smiling, he nodded to himself. “Much better.”

 

Shifting his position on the bed, he got to his knees. He was erect, still relishing the bliss of the mental trauma he just inflicted. A wide grin on his face, he grabbed the base and twirled it in circles, catching the attention of the spelled woman. Slowly, her gaze lowered. “You want it?” he cooed softly. That was all he needed to do. With surprising speed, the woman jumped him. He didn't resist as she wrestled him to the bed, which ended up being half atop the sleeping human. In a single movement, the succubus straddled him and impaled herself on his erect cock. The bed below him creaked angrily as she violently pounded herself down atop him. Besides the creaking bed, the room was utterly silent but for the heavy gasps of air from the two and the occasional moan of discomfort from the human woman. So this is the true form of the succubus. With her higher consciousness suppressed, she was acting on pure instinct. In her current state, she would consume any number of men. A dozen, two dozen, a thousand, she would continue endlessly until her supply of reachable food was sucked dry. Unfortunately for her, Ryuu would be her only one in this state. There was no need for him to cut the link between the succubus and him. In her heightened state, the pleasure she felt was magnified. Crying out as she grew close to climax, she stared down at him, unbridled lust in her eyes. She had every intention of sucking every drop of life from him. As far as Ryuu was concerned, she could try. In fact, the more she consumed, the better off he would be. So when she finally did cum, his hand grabbed her sides, holding her down atop him as his energy spilled into her. Her lustful yell quickly turned to a shrill cry of panic. The lust faded from her eyes as her reason returned.

 

“Wha—” she gasped out, no doubt surprised to find herself in her current position. It took her a second to process what was happening. “No!” she cried out. There was a brief struggle, one that Ryuu easily won. He kept her firmly in place atop him as her body continued to absorb the energy of her lover, laced with Ryuu's strong demonic energy. Gradually, her movements became sluggish and she wobbled weakly atop him before finally collapsing forward onto his chest. “Y-you,” she whispered weakly. “Aren't Inuyasha…” Her eyes gradually closed before she became limp atop him. Taking a deep breath, Ryuu released it slowly as he let his body go limp as well. Breathing was a little difficult with the added weight, but he didn't move. He was exhausted. Poisoning the succubus had drained a fair portion of his free energy. But he couldn't rest now, there was still much to do.

 

Shoving the limp body off him, he rolled off the bed and headed to the shower.

 

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

 

Miroku was upset. Standing at the edge of the playground, he tapped his finger impatiently against his arm as his gaze continually wandered back towards the direction of Inuyasha's apartment. I should be there. He knew it was a ridiculous notion. Physically, there was nothing he could do, but he felt that he might have been able to provide emotional support for Sango. She seemed so disgusted in the idea of having sex with Inuyasha. Knowing her, they would have an awkward go and be done with it. In his mind, he imagined Sango on the bed, embarrassed and bored as Inuyasha inevitably focused his attention on Kagome. He had been tempted to press to be included. After all, Sango was his - primary - girlfriend and he had never hidden his fantasies about Kagome he had in high school. But Inuyasha wasn't sleeping with them for his own reasons, and Miroku understood why he didn't want either him or Yumi there, especially Yumi. While thankful Inuyasha was doing it, he still didn't have to enjoy being kicked out. Being stuck with babysitting duty on top of it was like adding insult to injury. He liked kids, but Yumi was… clingy.

 

“Why are you upset?” she asked sweetly. She was sitting on the small wall that kept the mulch inside the playground, her brown eyes gazing curiously up at him.

 

“I'm not upset,” he answered, not looking down at her. Like I could actually tell you why. Inuyasha would kill me if he found out.

 

“Uh-huh,” Yumi said in a disbelieving tone. Miroku glanced down to see the young girl had narrowed her eyes, peering up at him.

 

“What?” he asked, suddenly on defense by the girls stare. “I'm not.”

 

Yumi gave a very adult sounding sigh. “If you don't want to tell me, fine.”

 

Miroku frowned. “Why don't you go play with the other kids?” he said, making shooing motions with his hands. Yumi didn't look impressed with the gesture.

 

“What am I, four?”

 

“Aren't you?”

 

She glared at him unhappily. “No.”

 

“Err, well… go play anyways.”

 

“Are you angry my dad is having sex with Sango?”

 

Miroku nearly choked on his own spit. Coughing, he looked around frantically. Luckily, no one was close enough to hear. “Excuse me?”

 

Yumi frowned. “You heard me.”

 

Eyes wide, Miroku stared down in shock at the small girl. Jesus Inuyasha, what the hell kind of daughter did you raise?! No, if he had to guess, it was Kagome's influence at work here. Still, it was frightening. Yumi might have had the body of a child, but her mind and speech were of someone in their twenties. “How did you…?” His voice trailed off, his mind still trying to orient itself.

 

Sighing, Yumi shook her head. “Just because I'm told to go to my room doesn't mean I'm going to do it. I'm not a little kid.”

 

Says who? Miroku felt his throat tighten. There was no doubt in his mind that he was a little paler as well. “So the entire time—”

 

“I was listening, yep.” Her smile beamed brightly up at him.

 

Unconsciously, Miroku tugged at his shirt near his neck as he glanced around uncomfortably. “Is that so… Is that so…”

 

Yumi simply shook her head, letting out a hefty breath. “I just don't understand adults. First Mom and Dad go on about how threesomes are bad for people who are married or dating, and then they go off and have one!”

 

Miroku glanced around anxiously. “Err… I really don't think I should be talking to you about this stuff.” I pray no one else is listening. Luckily, it still seemed like no one was close enough to hear.

 

“Please, Mom told me things a lot worse than this,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

 

“R-really?” Despite himself, Miroku suddenly found himself curious. God damn it Miroku, that's your best friend's wife! Not to mention you are talking with his daughter. Magical creatures were scary things indeed.

 

A sly smile crossed Yumi's lips. She had undoubtedly picked up on his curiosity. “You interested?”

 

“N-no,” Miroku answered after a seconds hesitation, quickly looking away. Gradually, his eyes wandered back to her. She was still smiling.

 

“Ice cream.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“If you get me ice cream, I'll tell you.”

 

He blinked. “Seriously?” He had forgotten that underneath her adult mannerisms and speech, Yumi was still just a kid.

 

“Chocolate.” She held out her hand.

 

He took it, giving it a quick shake. “Done.”

 

Hoping to her feet, Yumi quickly brushed her butt off and headed off towards the park exit. She glanced back over her shoulder. “And I want a cherry.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“On a cone.”

 

“It's yours.”

 

“The waffle kind.”

 

“Your wish is my command.”

 

Smiling, she nodded and continued forward. It was only after he started after her that the full realization of what had just happened hit him. He would have signed away his soul if she asked for it, and for what? Stories he had no business hearing. But it wasn't that he wanted to hear them. Well, he was curious, but he certainly didn't want to learn about these things from a child. Talking to Yumi made him feel like he needed to know them. He remembered Kagome talking about how Yumi's powers were starting to appear. A chill ran down his back. If she's this influential now, what will she be like when she's older? He pitied men everywhere.

 

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Clutching his chest, Ryuu leaned heavily against the counter, staring at the mirror. It was getting harder to keep control. Inuyasha's subconscious was doing its damndest to resist him. It was only a matter of time until it succeeded in pushing him out. There's still so much I have to do. Running a shaky hand over his face, he took a deep breath to steady himself. Leaving the bathroom, he paused to look over at the bed. Sparing a few minutes and several drops of precious energy, he changed maneuvered the succubus and her human friend to more comfortable positions on the bed. It wasn't out of kindness, but rather to keep up appearances. Cradled in each other's arms, they both seemed content, a satisfied expression on their faces. If anyone looked at them, they would see two women who appeared to have had the most wonderful time of their lives. For the human, that might have been true. The succubus on the otherhand… She'll survive… It was almost disappointing. Yes, his energy was poisonous to a succubus, but she hadn't consumed enough to be life threatening. Even if she had consumed enough to be a serious threat, it was a simple matter for a land god to remove.

 

Quickly dressing in fresh clothes, Ryuu left the room, closing the door behind him. Moving to the kitchen, he glanced at the clock. Things were proceeding just as planned. If his True Self was right, then the next part would begin—No sooner had he finished the thought when there was a knock at the door. A smile spread across his face. Whoever was helping his True Self was right on the money. Moving over to the door, he opened it to find Miroku and Yumi. Miroku looked surprised to see him.

 

“Err… I didn't think you would be—”

 

“We finished a little while ago.”

 

“And?”

 

Ryuu forced himself to look away, scratching the back of his neck in an attempt to look embarrassed. “It's done. Kagome confirmed it herself.”

 

Miroku let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Really… I know it was hard.”

 

“Don't mention it,” he said, forcing a smile. Go away pesky human, I don't have time for this! “Actually, can I ask a small favor?”

 

“Anything!”

 

He pointed a thumb over his shoulder towards the bedroom. “Could you take care of things here? They're resting right now.”

 

Miroku's eyes widened. “R-resting?” It was understandable. It was hard to imagine a normal human up and walking around after exhausting two women, especially when one was a succubus.

 

Ryuu forced a blush. “Yeah, a perk of being half-demon I guess.”

 

“You guess…” Ryuu could tell the human was dripping with envy.

 

“Just keep an eye out on them. Sango might want something to eat when she wakes up too.” Ryuu moved off to the side so they could enter. “She really worked up a sweat.”

 

Miroku paled slightly, undoubtedly conjuring various mental images in his mind. “Uh, okay.” He paused a moment. “Where are you going?”

 

“Kagome wanted me to take Yumi to the ritual site so her mother could prepare.”

 

“Oh, okay.” Miroku scratched his nose, looking around the house. His face flushed a deep red at the mention of Kagome's name.

 

“Well, I'll take her off your hands.”

 

“Ah—” Yumi began as he gently nudged her out the door.

 

“Inuyasha,” Miroku said, stopping them. Rage flashed through Ryuu. The only thing that stopped him from killing the annoying human was that killing him would be a waste of energy. If I only went a little easier on the human woman… Hindsight was such a bitch.

 

“Yes?” he answered through clenched teeth.

 

“Thanks again.”

 

“Right,” Ryuu said dismissively, finally managing to close the door behind him. He took a deep breath, letting the rage dissipate. The hard parts were all finished. The only worry he had now was running out of energy before he could complete the remaining tasks. Beside him, Yumi looked up at him with suspicious eyes.

 

“You're not my father.”

 

Ryuu's eyes narrowed. “Oh, aren't you a clever one.” He understood why his True Self considered her such a threat. Her powers were only now awakening and she had already seen through his disguise, something her mother had failed to do. While it would have been a waste to use magic on the human, it was a necessity on the girl. Pointing a finger at the girl, a white bolt shot from the tip and crackled around the child. Eyes rolling up into her head, she fell forward into his waiting arms. Hoisting her up, Ryuu took a shaky breath. I don't have much time left. To anyone who saw them, it looked like a father carrying his exhausted child home. Hiding his smile, Ryuu hurried off.

 

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Miroku paced up and down the hall several times, biting the tip of his thumb as he thought. Stopping to stare at the door, he wrestled with himself. Was it okay for him to open it? It wasn't just Sango in there after all. Inuyasha had mentioned Kagome was resting and as far as he knew, succubi didn't sleep. That aside, did he really want to see the scene on the other side of the door? Just because he was okay with Sango sleeping with other men didn't mean he necessarily wanted to see it. Licking his lips, he finally steeled himself for whatever resided on the other side. Reaching forward, he gently tapped at the door, his mouth instantly going dry as he waited for a response. Silence answered him. Frowning, he tapped again, this time a little louder. He listened again for a response. Turning the knob, he gently pushed the door forward, his head close to the small crack he formed.

 

“Hello?” he whispered, not wanting to be too loud. When no one answered him, he pushed the door open wider. Maybe she's in the shower, he thought as he took a step into the room. It was dark, the curtains closed tightly and the lights off. The room reeked of sweat and sex. Glancing over at the bathroom, he found it too was dark, the door open. So much for that idea. So if Kagome wasn't in the shower, where was she? Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. The open door provided some light, but not enough to illuminate the entire room. To his surprise, he found both women lying on the bed, arms wrapped around each other. Seeing them like they were, especially Sango, caused a twinge of jealousy. Both seemed to be glowing. Obviously, they had had a fantastic time. Miroku ran a shaky hand through his hair. Well, this is a little unfair. Was I really expecting to be able to compete with a half-demon? Not to mention he has a succubus teaching him… Still, it didn't sit well with him. Sango had slept with other men before. She might have enjoyed their company too. However, she had always told him that sex with other men was bland. Watching her peaceful face, a memory floated to the surface. She was smiling brightly at him, her eyes seemingly sparkling in happiness. Miroku remembered it perfectly. It was shortly after she moved in and they had agreed to try a more serious relationship. They had just finished christening their bedroom, sweat from their activities beaded on her forehead. `It's just as I suspected. Only you can make me feel this good.' The words had always provided him some comfort seemed hollow now. He never expected to have to compete with his best friend. What am I talking about? There is no competition. This was just a onetime thing… right? Seeing Sango and Kagome like they were, he wasn't sure anymore.

 

As gently as he could, he rested his hand on Sango's bare shoulder, giving it a small shake. Groaning, Sango waved him off. With a little more force, he tried again. With a louder groan, her eyes opened, blinking several times before focusing on him. “Miroku?” she questioned sleepily. “What are you—?”

 

Miroku's eyes glanced over at Kagome. She was still sleeping, or at least, what looked like sleeping. Being a succubus, she could have been doing any number of things. Maybe it's for the ritual later. She was still breathing, so that meant she was fine, right? “How are you feeling?”

 

Sango gave a wide smile as she carefully untangled herself from Kagome and began to stretch. “Wonderful,” she answered in a strained voice. Sitting up, the blankets fell from her chest, revealing her bare breasts. Her movements also disturbed the blankets over Kagome, pulling them down slightly. From his position, Miroku could easily make out the gentle swell of Kagome's breasts. Though he immediately pulled his gaze away, his body was already acting on the sight. A small twinge of guilt struck him as he mentally chastised himself for getting an erection at his friend's wife. It faded an instant later. He slept with Sango. No reason for me to feel guilty over something small like catching a peek at his wife. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. It wasn't working. Sango seemed oblivious to his erection. Giving a dry laugh, she ran a hand through her hair. “I never imagined the day would go like this.”

 

Once more, Miroku's gaze wandered over to Kagome, this time to see if their conversation was disturbing her. It didn't seem like it was, but he didn't want to risk it. “Why don't you uh… get cleaned up and meet me out in the kitchen. I'll fix something for you to eat.”

 

Smiling, she nodded as she stretched again. “I am a little hungry,” she yawned. Sliding out from under the covers, she headed towards the bathroom. Miroku watched as she moved, a slight sway in her stride. She seems really happy. He never would have guessed Sango would be like this, not after the way he left her no more than an hour ago. His feelings on the subject were still conflicted. Had it been that fantastic?

 

Sliding from the room, Miroku made his way to the kitchen. By the time Sango wandered in, he had managed to scrape up a few bowls of instant noodles. She gazed at him with a raised eyebrow, her eyes moving from him to the steaming bowls. “What?” he asked defensively. “They've done a lot for us already. I'm not going to cannibalize their kitchen as well.”

 

Smiling, she just shook her head. “It's nothing.” Without another word, she slid into the seat across from him. It took Miroku a few bites to realize Sango wasn't wearing the same thing she had been when she came in this morning. There was a slight height difference between her and Kagome, not to mention certain other… features. It surprised him she could even fit in her friend's clothes. Or maybe she didn't. The tank top she wore was left a lot of her midriff exposed and was tight against her, showing that she wasn't wearing anything under it. The light blue sweats were a little more forgiving, though they still hugged her figure. She must have noticed his gaze because her cheeks flushed pink. “What?”

 

“Err, nothing,” he said, quickly returning his gaze down to his bowl. He wouldn't have called the silence after that awkward, but it certainly wasn't comforting. Eyes leaving his food, they rested once more on Sango. I have to say… something! “So uh… how did things go?” Wonderful Miroku. Bring that up while we're eating. He wondered if it was something he should ever bring up. He didn't dwell on it. It was too late now.

 

She shifted in her seat unnervingly. “As well as things could go considering the situation.” Her face reddened. “Maybe a little better,” she finished softly.

 

Miroku couldn't help it when his eyes automatically fell to her exposed stomach would be if the table hadn't blocked his view. “So you're…” He trailed off, letting the question hang.

 

“Pregnant? Yeah,” Sango said, voice softer than it usually was. Both had stopped eating at this point. The atmosphere was awkward now. Sango was the one who broke the silence. She was looking down at the table. “Things are going to be different between us now, aren't they?”

 

“I would be lying if I said no,” he admitted reluctantly. She nodded sadly. Reaching across the table, he rested his hands atop hers. “But it doesn't change me being here for you. I'm going to help you through this. After - well, maybe we should take things one thing at a time.”

 

Miroku hated the heavy atmosphere that had formed around them. Taking a deep breath, he patted her hands and smiled. “So, you had fun then?” he asked in a light tone. Ugh, what am I saying? Even Sango seemed taken aback by the question and the lighthearted tone it was asked in.

 

“Yes,” she answered, off-guard from the unexpected question.

 

“Oh?” he said, raising an eyebrow. Sango flushed red.

 

“D-do we really have to talk about this?” she asked, embarrassed. “Especially here.”

 

“Okay. What do you want to talk about?” He waited patiently for her to answer, keeping a smile on his face as she frantically searched for something to talk about. While he waited, he tried thinking of something to talk about as well only to find he was having just as much trouble as she seemed to be having. It was more than a little troubling. For as long as he had been with Sango, he realized that he still knew little about her. Besides their shared interest in sex, he knew very little of her interests and hobbies. It was easy to see why their relationship had fallen apart so easily.

 

“I-I've never been with someone so large before,” Sango said suddenly, her voice low. Her face was completely red in embarrassment. Miroku resisted the urge to laugh, mostly in pity at the lack of shared interests. So sex talk it is. “It was… different,” she reluctantly finished.

 

“Honestly, I'm just surprised it wasn't awkward,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“Oh it was, at least, at first,” Sango said quickly. “Kagome was the one who really got things going.”

 

“Kagome… well, I want to say it's a surprise, but on the other hand…” He felt his face heat up. Damn you Yumi. The stories she told would have made sailors blush. Her age and matter-of-fact tone she had shared them with only made it worse. I never should have listened…

 

“It was comforting,” Sango started slowly, her eyes on the table. “Being with people I knew for once. You would always bring in strangers, a different girl every time.” She bit her lower lip gently. “Most of the time I only got to meet them a few minutes before we… you know.”

 

“I'm sorry. I just never figured it mattered.” He didn't mention that, for the most part, he hadn't known most of their partners too much longer than she did.

 

“It doesn't. It's just… nice.”

 

Miroku knew already that this conversation was going to have a large impact on their relationship later down the road. He needed to tread cautiously. Despite everything, he still wanted to be with her. She was special. How many women would put up with a guy like him? Taking a deep breath, he picked his words carefully. He needed to make sure she knew he still wanted to be with her. “After you are free from your contract and we get married—”

 

Sango stopped him with a raised hand. “Miroku, I don't think we should get married.”

 

“Eh?” His heart sunk as her words registered. “Why not? Isn't that why we're doing… this?” he asked, gesturing towards her stomach.

 

She rested her hands gently against her stomach. “I'm doing this for me. When I am free from this contract, I will be free, truly free from the burden of my past.” For a brief second, Sango had the look of a mother. She had the glow of a woman with infinite love and patience. It made him wish that the child inside her was his, not some… monstrosity. But the image faded as quickly as it formed.

 

Miroku was compelled to ask the question that ate away at him, even though he might not want to hear the answer. “Then… what about us?”

 

“Honestly… I don't know.” Miroku felt like he had been stabbed in the heart. Sango was the only woman he had ever felt compelled to stay with. Losing her wasn't something that sat well with him. Despite everything, Sango smiled. “Besides, I don't see you as the type of guy to settle down and play the happy husband."

 

“Sango I—”

 

Reaching across the table, she set a finger on his lips, silencing him. “Answer me honestly. Would you be happy, truly happy if it was just you and me in a `normal' relationship?”

 

“We were like that for six months,” he answered defensively.

 

“And offered the opportunity, you jumped at the chance to be with Avery.”

 

“Like I explained before, she was a mage and—”

 

“I understand that, but magic aside, if I told you it was okay, would you still have slept with her?”

 

There was a few seconds pause as he mulled over possible answers. From the expression on her face, she already knew the answer. She was just waiting for him to confirm it. “Yes,” he finally answered, lowering his eyes.

 

“That is why marriage isn't possible for us,” Sango said firmly. “You enjoy sleeping with different women. I'm not faulting you for it; I'm only stating why we can't be in a relationship like Kagome and Inuyasha.” She didn't mention anything about how well it was working for them. Seeing Miroku's dejected expression, she sighed deeply. “So I guess that leaves us with how things were before we moved in together.”

 

Miroku looked up. “Huh?”

 

“Of course things won't be completely like they were. We're going to have to set some rules. For one thing, if you're going to bring another woman to bed, I need to approve her as well.” She crossed her arms with a tart expression on her face. “You're not the only one sleeping with her after all.”

 

Miroku was still wheeling from her earlier statement. “Wait, wait, just so we're clear; you want to have an open relationship?”

 

Sango gnawed at her lower lip. “I wouldn't say I want it, but I accept it. I don't want you to be unhappy.”

 

Miroku found himself shaking his head. “I don't want you to be unhappy. You were the one who pushed for us to start acting like a normal couple! Now you suddenly say it's okay to not be? I don't want you to force yourself for my sake. I've been more than selfish over the years. I say it's your turn.”

 

“You have your fun for less than a decade and in return I get the rest of your life? That hardly seems fair.”

 

“It's time for me to grow up anyways.”

 

Sango rolled her eyes. “Please, you grow up? That will be the day.”

 

Scowling, he glared over at her. “You don't think I can?”

 

An amused smile crossed her lips. “Miroku, I know you can't. You're always going to be that horny guy who can't keep your hands to yourself. And you know what? I fell in love with that horny guy.”

 

Miroku could tell she was still torn over whether that was a positive or negative thing. Letting out his pent up breath, Miroku felt the tension drain from his shoulders. It was surprising at how tense he had been. A lot of stress had built up over the day. It was far from over, but he could relax knowing there was a future with Sango. At the end of the day, that's all that really mattered. “I really don't deserve you.”

 

A wisp of a smile touched her lips. “I know.”

 

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

 

Sweat ran down his face as Ryuu approached the warehouse. It had seemed closer on paper, but after walking the distance carrying the young succubus, he felt ready to drop dead. The sight of the massive warehouse spurred his tired legs forward with renewed vigor. He was running out of time…

 

Nearly stumbling on the few steps leading to one of the side doors, Ryuu turned the knob and slammed into the door with his shoulder. A loud crack resounded across the warehouse as the door impacted the concrete wall. Legs wobbled beneath him as he staggered into the massive structure. Inside, several men rose from their seated position on various crates, their machine guns moving over towards his direction.

 

A large squat man moved out from the center of the group, waving his arms to the others to lower their weapons before tugging on his white suit jacket. “Now, now gentlemen, that is no way to treat a guest.” A wide smile plastered to his face, Edward Small waddled over towards the gasping Ryuu. “And you have come bearing gifts! Wonderful! Simply delightful!” he cried, holding his hands out to pluck the unconscious girl from his arms as Ryuu all but collapsed to his knees. Running his bulbous hand across the unconscious girl's cheek, Edward wore a wide grin as he examined her face closely. “And such a pretty gift as well. If only she were a few centuries older…”

 

Ryuu let out a painful gasp, holding his breath as he clutched his chest. The energy he needed to keep `him' alive was nearly depleted. It was only a matter of minutes now. Turning his head up, he looked weakly up at the round man. “Our deal…”

 

Turning his attention away from the unconscious girl, Edward gave the sweating man an irritated glare. “Don't take me for a fool Naraku. I know the deal perfectly well. Trade the girl for your body, really, I thought you would want me to do something that was worth my time.”

 

“My name is Ryuu,” Ryuu gasped weakly, feeling the strength drain from his body. The floor was gradually getting closer.

 

Edward frowned. “Ah, that's right. Naraku gives personalities to all his little power fragments. Very well, `Ryuu,' I will hold up my end of the bargain. The real question is, will Naraku and his little friends hold up their end?”

 

“He will, just as long as he doesn't get interrupted again.” Ryuu paused for a moment, debating whether to press his luck. In the end, he didn't have much time left, so what did it matter? “After you make the trade, if you eliminate them—”

 

“I'm not some assassin,” Edward interrupted darkly. “I will complete the transfer and let them be on their way. Anything else goes beyond our original agreement. It is not my job to keep them out of your business. That is yours; or rather Naraku's job.” Ryuu let his head droop. It had been worth a shot. “And don't worry about Inuyasha. I'll make sure he stays safe… for the time being.”

 

Ryuu nodded. That was the last thing he had been concerned about. His True Self wasn't finished with Inuyasha, not yet anyways. When he opened his mouth to speak, Ryuu found that he couldn't form the proper words. Vision darkening, his head dipped closer to the floor. He barely felt the cold concrete hit the side of his face before there was nothing.

 

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Wow, I completely forgot that I had this chapter. Uh… oops? I really need to start working on this again. It's been awhile so I probably need to reread it to see where I was. :P