InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Snowy Love ❯ Pain and Sacrifice ( Chapter 8 )

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

Chapter 8
The next day wasn't far better than the last night. Kagome wouldn't speak to Inuyasha whatsoever. She wouldn't even go near him, as if he had some sort of horrible disease that was almost inescapable. It felt as if the gods always had to torture him so much, though he knew the entire affair was all his fault, he felt as if everytime he had something positive it was only utterly destroyed. Time seemed slowed. Every moment the two had to be somewhat near seemed to be an eternity. It was so unbearable Inuyasha almost left the table, something he would have never even thought to consider in the past. He'd say he wanted to go to bed early, which was true, the nightmares that pagued him were paradise compared to the reality of things. 'Anything to get out of this hell called life,' Inuyasha thought.
No one spoke for the longest time. What were they supposed to talk about? Both Sango and Kagome hated Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku were getting along far worse than ever, and no one wanted to talk about what happened between Inuyasha and Kikyo. Either because it was too awkward or too painful for either Kagome or Inuyasha, or they just didn't want to argue about something so fragile.
Not everyone was in a gloom or fury, Kaede seemed to be feeding off the drama or was immune to it and Shippo....well he was pretty much always happy. But he did seem somewhat concerned, and though it was hard for most of the others to see, the silence was beginning to drive him insane. "Um...I pulled a sprickly thingy out of my tail today!" Shippo said rather loudly, breaking the silence. Everyone was staring at him now. "Yeah....um...the biggest...yet..." he finished looking very embarrassed and quickly losing confidence.
Kaede took a quickly around the table, who had all began eating once again. "Hmm...the tea was giving me so much trouble! It spilled down the front of my clothes and stained them! See!" She cried, laughing. This got quite a laugh out of Miroku who had been so thoroughly scolded on the account of creating one small stain on one of Kaede's blankets and caused Shippo to giggle...but the remaining company wasn't very amused. All three averted their eyes and their laughter quickly died out and they all felt quite embarrassed.
"Tough crowd..." Miroku said quietly so only Shippo and Kaede could hear. Again silence filled the room, like a looming toxin.
Inuyasha wondered if the rest of their days together would be like this: quiet, strange, and awful. He sure hoped not because not unlike Shippo, it was starting to get to him. Why did something that happened between he and Kagome have to affect everyone else? Were they the core of the group or something? He had never once seen Kaede laugh at herself like that...or laugh...at all... It was just bizarre. It was true, both he and Kagome were the first ones to meet. Kagome had invited Shippo, Miroku, and Sango to join them on their quest...perhaps in a sense they were the core of the group.
Which brought Inuyasha onto memories of when he and Kagome had first met and didn't know each other very well. Inuyasha was willing to do anything to get the chikon jewel before. Even if he had to kill Kagome. But things quickly changed and Kagome soon became extremely important to him, she he had changed him. She had always been a forgiving and loving force in his life. But now he had screwed it up...
He suddenly stood up, everyone seemed curious and watched him. What was going to happen? Inuyasha just knew he couldn't let things continue the way they were going, that he had to do somethign about it. "Kagome..." he began. Just as he had started he found himself unable to coninue. What was he going to say? That he was sorry? That would defiantly help...
"What?" Kagome said vexedly, she looked away from him. "What are you going to say to me? More lies? Or perhaps an apology. Well I don't forgive you, so, if you're done eating, then just leave...then I won't have to be around you so much..." Her anger seemed to be evaporating and she looked rather sad which caused Inuyasha to feel sick to his stomach. "...then I won't have to feel so much pain..." Inuyasha couldn't say anything after that. He turned to leave, but for come inexplicable reason he was angry. Why? He didn't know. But he was.
Just then he stopped and turned back toward them. And he starting shouting, so much he didn't even know what he was saying. He felt his head was numb and spinning and the moments he screamed and exploded were eternities, his thoughts jumbled he couldn't hear himself, he felt hot all over, and he felt such a stuning pain in his numbness, he wished he could just stop, but he was finding it hard to. Kagome stood up looking infuriated beyond reason.
"How dare you yell at me like that! When you've already hurt me so much!" She cried, tears of rage and suffering clinging to her eyes. "How can you be angry with me?!"
"I'm not angry with you," Inuyasha returned quietly, turning to leave once again, unsure of what had just happened.
"No...you just yell for no reason. Always abusing me and thinking I'll just take it, well I'm not going to anymore!" Kagome screamed. Everyone was watching them, unable to stop what was happening. Inuyasha and Kagome were making the gap between them even bigger.
"You don't get it," Inuyasha said helplessly.
"I suppose I wouldn't because I don't want to! I don't want to understand you anymore because understanding you would be understanding a liar and cold hearted person!" Kagome exclaimed. Inuyasha sighed feeling the pain and sadness seep through him, any trace of anger, was all gone.
"If you would only listen to the truth, Kagome..."
"Oh just leave me alone!" And with that Kagome ran through the opposite door of the one Inuyasha had been heading toward.
"Kagome!" Sango cried, standing up as well. She turned and glared at Inuyasha. "You can't quit can you?" She shouted. Miroku shook his head.
"Sango, it--'
"Oh I don't want to hear more out of you!" she cut in nastily and ran after Kagome, a troubled look on her face. Kaede sipped her tea calmly.
"Hmm...that went well..." she remarked sarcastically. Inuyasha growled.
"Very funny," he snapped. If only a little crossness was the extent of his deep rooted emotions, but the pain and saddness wrenched any trace of fury out.

Nothing improved what-so-ever that day, unforgivingly, the day continued with its unusual quiet and foreign feeling amongst them all. Everyone seemed in a seemed in a slump now and it was as if they group was split between two sides, and they wouldn't cooperate under any circumstance. While Inuyasha hadn't spoke since what had happened during lunch and Miroku seemed very out of it as Shippo seemed highly disappointed, depressed, and worrisome; Kagome seemed angry around the others but cried often when she was all alone with only Sango to comfort her.
Sango on the other hand was simply in a terrible mood and the only one safe from it was Kagome. Miroku was in certain danger, what had occured between he and Sango had now pitted her entirely against him. Kaede was actually quite chipper, to everyone's annoyance, for surprisingly, a happy Kaede is very bothersome indeed and this failed to heighten anyone's spirits. Everyone was troubled and bothered without Kaede's help, and for all of them, their pain and frustration was all rooted in issues to do with love. How could something so wonderful cause such despair and chaos?
Shippo again looked worriedly out the window. Where was Byanou? He hadn't seen her in what seemed to be an eternity. The snow fell and fell and Shippo watched it and watched it, but there was no Byanou. The empty hills of snow contained no faded figure in it's icy vastness, and he felt no strange cool wind brushing passed him. He sighed, feeling as lonely as the frigid outdoors looked, occompanied with only the hollow wind as a companion. Having to live in this gloom and on top of that, without the sight of the comforting face of Byanou, was most unbearable. Where was she? Had something awful happened to her? What if she didn't like him anymore?
It was then Shippo thought back to when Byanou kissed him in front of everyone. Which of course had been very embarrassing, but he couldn't help feeling happier when he thought of it. She was the best friend Shippo had every had, and the only girl he had ever kissed and that had ever liked him like that. But through his new found happiness, Shippo began worrying again and missing Byanou deeply.
He left the window and approached the door. Going into the cold as he slipped on a coat, Shippo had a very burning desire to see Byanou. If he saw her, walking toward him, laughing cheerfully, ready to talk to him, he'd be getting what he desired more than anything. His little feet made small foot prints in the snow as he trudged on. Miniscule clumps of snow were forming in his red hair as he scanned the area around him for any sign of her.
It was then he heard quick footsteps and heavy breathing. Someone was running. They were coming...at him, but Shippo didn't see anything. Suddenly, the sounds stopped, the was no more heavy breathing, no more footsteps in the snow. Shippo looked wildly around him, scanning the seemingly endless white hills for some sort of life, somehow what you can't see is far more frightening than a visible pursuer. "Who's there?" he shouted quite afraid. Who was it and why were they running? Why wouldn't they answer? Shippo was slowly walking backwards in fear when suddenly...
"BOO!!"
"Aaaaah!!!" Shippo screamed, he quickly turned. He was over-whelming joyful (not to mention relieved) when he saw a familiar white haired girl. "Byanou!" He cried happily, forgetting entirely the fright she had caused him. "I was so worried! I was looking for you! I thought something happened to you!"
"To me?" Byanou inquired as if it was impossible. "No, it couldn't! Nothing's going to happen to me, Shippo! Well, maybe something good, but nothing horrible!" She cried cheerfully. She and Shippo then laughed. Shippo hugged her warmly.
"I'm so glad you're here!" He cried. Byanou chuckled quietly, looking more brightly spirited than earlier.
"Wow Shippo...this is the first time you've done something romantic," Byanou giggled. Shippo blushed and pulled away awkwardly.
"Well...I'm not very good at this..." he replied bashfully. Byanou turned to the right so that she was adjacent to him and laid her head on his shoulder and began playing with Shippo hair as she studied him.
"I don't care. I'm just glad I have a friend like you, Shippo...I'm glad someone's there to look out for me... Together we can keep your friends from killing my mother," Byanou said happily with optimism.
"But...she's a threat to people..." Shippo told her sadly.
"What?" Byanou asked, looking very confused and lifting her head off Shippo's shoulder.
"Well...she could kill more peop--"
"What are you saying?" Byanou inquired looking upset.
"That...m-maybe we should l-let my friends--"
"I can't believe you Shippo! I thought you were nice! But you want to kill my mother! So I'll be all alone!" Byanou shouted in surprise and outrage. She studied Shippo as if she didn't know him, as if he were someone else.
"I don't want to...but..."
"But you will," Byanou cut in, angrily. "I thought you were my friend!" Shippo popped up out of his sadness.
"I am, I just--"
"Good bye, Shippo," Byanou sobbed, and she then ran off. Shippo took off after her.
"Wait Byanou!" But it was than she vanished into the icy wind. Shippo stopped he sat down on the snow, several tears streamed down his cheeks quickly. "Oh! It's so unfair! I wish--oh I don't know anymore!!" He cried pitifully. It took a while, but finally, Shippo slowly stood up and headed toward the cabin through the snowy wind, his head hung low. He was shaking as he went, crying and shivering, his body numb, but his insides stinging in pain.

Besides being rather horrible and depressing, the cabin was ever so dull. There was basically nothing to do but wallow in your sorrows. All three of them, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippo were all especially bored and they all sat at table while dinner was being cooked drinking tea and suffering silently. Or that was how it started.
"Woman..." they all sighed at once. They sighed once again and sipped their tea all simultaneously
"Why do they have to be so difficult?" Inuyasha asked no one in particular.
"Yeah!" Shippo cried angrily. Miroku took another sip of his tea calmly.
"It is their way. They just are like that to make our lives miserable. Unfortunately we're built to love them. You know how the saying goes..."
"What saying?" Shippo inquired blankly.
"You can't live with them..." Inuyasha began.
"...you can't live without them," Miroku finished.
"Oh..." Shippo replied, hopelessly.
"What do you mean we're difficult?" A female voice inquired angrily behind them. All the males in the room turned on their seats to see both Kagome and Sango frowning at them.
"Yeah, you're the self-centered cheating ones!" Sango shouted accusingly.
"Don't even try to go against us, you're out numbered," Miroku replied in a bored voice, taking another sip out of the tea cup in his hands. "See, we have Shippo, you only have two people, with Shippo on our side it adds a half."
"Half!?" Shippo shouted crossly.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Miroku responded. Shippo smirked triumphantly. "I mean quarter." That smirk was wiped straight of Shippo's face.
"Why am I only a quarter!?" Shippo demanded loudly.
"Because you're not full grown yet, brat," Inuyasha answered in a grumble. Shippo growled quietly.
"No, we're not out numbered," Sango returned smirking. "We have Kaede, right?" She said, turning to Kaede who was cooking.
"I am not getting into this," Kaede said simply, focusing on her cooking.
"But we need you!" Kagome whined.
"Wait, no we don't, because Inuyasha's only half human, so he's only half a man," Sango pointed out smartly.
"What?!'' Inuyasha shouted. "That's not fair! I do too count as a man!"
"Yeah!" Both Shippo and Miroku shouted in unison.
"Fine, but still, you guys are only half of what real men are!" Sango cried. The "men" only grumbled in response and both Sango and Kagome high fived and walked off.
"Cursed womenfolk..." Inuyasha grumbled as he sipped some tea yet again.
"We cannot continue like his," Miroku said thoughtfully. "It won't be too difficult for me to get Sango to forgive me, then I can talk to her."
"I don't think you should do that," Shippo advised him looking wide-eyed.
"Me either," Inuyasha agreed. "It sounds highly dangerous."
"Nah, I'll be fine," Miroku argued, standing up and pushing his cup of tea away fromhim as he did so.
"Fine, but if you get you're head chewed off don't blame us," Inuyasha replied as both he and Shippo turned back to their tea cups on the table. Miroku walked off silently, without reply.
It wasn't long before he enterd the room he had previously slept in sometime before. He found both Sango and Kagome inside, who both glared in his direction upon seeing him. "Uh...hello...I...uh...have to talk to you Sango..." he said nervoudly, disliking very much their hateful looks in their eyes.
"Hmph," was Sango's reply as she looked away, the two had been sitting on the futon, they were facing each other, most likely talking--plotting in their womenly way--about the men of the cabin, Miroku was sure.
"Please, I really just wanted to apologize...can I just talk to you for a second?" Miroku begged. Sango looked up at him with hopeful eyes, it almost made Miroku smile with triumph.
"No, go away, she's not interes--" Kagome began, but Sango cut in.
"Alright...fine..." Sango replied, trying to keep the slight smile on her face down. Miroku helped her up and they both walked out of the room. They soon came to the room where everyone but Sango and Kagome slept in now. Sango stood two or three feet across from Miroku. "Now...what did you have to say to me?" She inquired, the smile she was trying to hide becoming bigger. This seemed to give Miroku hope. Sango had been wanting to forgive him, she just couldn't with dignity until he had apologized...
"I just wanted to say I was sorry about what happened...you know...I should have realized maybe you were right about what happened between Inuyasha and Kikyo...I just assumed you were wrong and I didn't listen..."
"That's what you're saying sorry about?" Sango inquired shaking with rage.
"Uh..." Miroku said nervously, his hope quickly gone in a puff of frantic smoke.
"I give up!" Sango cried exasperatedly and turned to leave, but Miroku ran up and stopped her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm an idiot! I don't know why you're mad!" he exclaimed with much anxiety.Perhaps he had been wrong! Maybe he COULDN'T get Sango to forgive him! Why was everything so hard with women anyway? Sango sighed and turned to face Miroku.
"Look, I was just upset that...well...during our special time you just had to talk about that..."
"What?" Miroku said, clearly confused. Sango averted her eyes.
"I just...well..." Suddenly Sango got somewhat cross. "Well, it seemed like you were just using that to get me to change my mind!" Miroku was silent for a second.
"Well...I'm sorry...I was a little..."
"How could you!?" Sango shouted. She then tried to turn away, but Miroku restrained her.
"I just wanted to help Inuyasha...he was having so much trouble with Kagome. The story you know isn't the truth, Inuyasha told me..." Miroku trailed off, looking into Sango's eyes pleadingly, hoping she'd understand.
"How do you know he's not lying?"
"I just know, 'because--" But he was interrupted.
"That doesn't matter," Sango snapped, turning away from him. "I'm still angry with you...and maybe I won't be able to stop kissing you, but you're sure as hell not getting any from me!"
"Well,that doesn't matter right now. As long as you still love me and I can help my friend I'll be happy...I don't want him to be miserable forever...and I don't want to lose you., either...I didn't realize at the time that making him happy could result in me losing you--I hate choosing..." Sango slowly spun around.
"It doesn't matter to you?" She said, confusion and awe in her tone.
"I just want him to be okay...us too...I can't see you angry like this anymore though...I've been wondering--are you alright?"
"Yes..." Sango returned looking slightly bashful.
"I'll do anything I can...I can't stand seeing everyone so unhappy around me..." Miroku trailed off looking very concerned. "I just---well--I just wanted--just wanted everyone to be happy again..." He stared helplessly at the floor, how stupid could he be? How could Sango understand--even believe him--appreciate what he was doing? Was it even something she could appreciate? He had disregarded how she felt, maybe it was to make things right for Inuyasha, but she was supposed to be important to him...
"When did you get so sweet?" Sango inquired, smiling at him.
"I...don't know?" Miroku replied as if it was a question, wondering if what Sango had just asked him was some sort of test.
"Well...it's a really good side of you..." she continued, walking closer to him. "It's really..." Sango came very, very close to Miroku. "...sexy..."
"Really? So you like sweet things?" Miroku asked, brightening with realization and joy. Sango seemed toi be forgiving him! She HADb understood!
"Yeah..." Sango replied, wrapping her arms around Miroku's neck.
"Then maybe I should go get the sugar... and sprinkle it on," Miroku joked innocently, smiling broadly. Sango laughed.
"Maybe..." she replied, still laughing, Her laughter suddenly stopped and she pressed her nose against his. "Then I could lick it off," she added seductively.
"I love you," Miroku said in reply to Sango's last statement, in slight awe, grinning. It was a joke, but he did love her.
"I love you too," She replied, smiling and she kissed him then.
'Things usually turn out right,' Miroku thought, feeling any trace of loneliness and hurt vanishing. 'And finally I've found what I needed for everything to turn out right in my life...the perfect person...'

Byanou was still crying hysterically under a pine tree out in the snow. She had lost the first friend she had ever had and she was going to lose her mother because of his friends. What had happened to him? Before he at least cared a tiny bit for her, she was sure...but it seemed it didn't matter to him if she was all alone...if her mother was going to be taken away from her! As she boiled over these angry thoughts, Byanou briefly stopped crying. She had been wrong about Shippo all along!
Finally, another silent tear slipped down her left cheek, she sniffed loudly. What could she do now? Despite the fact she felt as if she hated Shippo and his friends, Byanou's concern and care for them remained. If she told he mother of what they were planning...well...she knew they would die. Byanou didn't want to be responsible for that...she had to figure out another way to keep them from hurting her mother, but she had to do it in a manner in which caused her mother no reason to harm them either.
But how was that possible? The more she thoughjt about it, the more futile any sort of struggle seemed, and Byanou began sobbing almost immediately once agtain. It was either her friends or her mother. It was no choice at all. It was easy to see who Byanou would choose. Who had the very same blood running through her veins, what other decision could she make? She slowly stood up, trying to decist her sobbing. 'Maybe not...' she thought, quickly changing her mind about her conclusion. "I don't want anyone to die!" She choked through more fresh tears that came.
Byanou clutched her white dress in her fist emotionally. She absolutely despised the predicament she was in. Her little heart hadn't the nerve or the hardness to take it. She couldn't tell her mother about what Shippo and the others were going to do, but she would wait. Fend them off. Could she, though? 'No one is going to die. Even if Shippo doesn't care about me...I still can't see him die...'
"Oh..." she croaked through a sob, clutching her dress tighter. Several tears felol to the icy ground. "I hate it...why can't Shippo still care for me? Why can't his friends be merciful?" It was then Byanou's figure disintegrated into icy wind and fled to the only home she knew. To the only sould she knew that truly loved and cared for her. She would fight them off with everything.
It didn't take long for Byanou to reach the icy caven she called home, as wind she was rather speedy and she obviously knew the way like the back of her hand and ]find her was their blindfolded. Slowly and quietly, she entered her home, the icy cave in which Miroku and Sango had visited not too long before, she tried her best to end her sobs. Byanou's clear blue eyes tediously averted. The sorrow and pain wasn't leaving. It was worsening.
Would the tears stop falling? If her mother saw her like this, she'd be furious, perhaps worse than that,something beyond fury she was known to stress such small things... Byanou insisted upon herself that she must make her mother believe she was fine. She quickly rubbed the tears off her cheeks and from her eyes, tears which had already frozen from her ice cold skin. Lifting her body upward and trying her best to push her depression and guilt away, Byanou brought her head high, tilting her chin upward. She was going to look as if nothing was bothering her, and her usual properly held up prescence was fulffiled. She wasn't even going to try to smile, however.
It wasn't long before she found her mother, her back was to her. But she quickly turned to face Byanou. "Oh! I was worried, finally you are home!" Her mother greeted her warmly, beaming. Byanou worried that beaming smile would soon quickly fade...
"I just went to see Shippo, that is alll...." Byanou told her, trying to hide her sadness. She figured it must be odd to her mother, though, that she was lacking her usual cheery smile and warm eyes...
"Shippo...though his friends trespassed here?" her mother asked with a touch of anger. She was already angry, not the most encouraging sign to Byanou that thigns would turn out alright...
"Mother, please don't be angry with them. They did nothing. They simply were exploring...they knew not of any residence here..." Byanou replied pleadingly. Her mother looked annoyed but defeated.
"I am not angry...I suppose I shall not harm them...but it was very uncalled for the way they barged in here..." Byanou seemed cheered slightly by this, more so relieved and sighed mentally with gratification. Suddenly her mother seemed to start with realization, Byanou stood stock still. "Is that a tear on your cheek?" She inquired, surveying her daughter thoughtfully. Byanou slowly brought her hand to her cheek, it shook with subtle horror.
'Oh no! I missed one!' She thought anxiously. "I don't think so..." was her quivering answer. Her mother was studying her carefully. Curiously, she reached out to touch it, but Byanou backed out of her reach.
"What are you trying to hide from me?"
"N-nothing..." Byanou stuttered looking guilty and unable to meet her mother's eyes.
"That fox demon made you cry!" her mother cried with realization. She backed away quickly in surprise and uproar.
"N-no!" Byanou shouted, standing up. "No, he didn't--"
"Don't you dare lie to me!" he mother thundered as she stood up and hit Byanou causing her to fall over. "And you want to protect him!"
"But--" Byanou started, struggling to pick her body off the ground.
"Do not speak!" she shouted interrupting her daughter. Byanou cringed in the silence for a moment. "There is...something else your hiding, isn't there?!" Byanou was shaking with fear. "Isn't there?!" she screamed. Byanou flinched and closed her eyes, shivering with fright from head to toe. There a slight malicious grin to her mother's face Byanou failed to notice.
"Sh-Shippo's friends were going to kill you...." But Byanou regretting saying that almost immediately afterward.
"You wanted me to die?!!" her mother roared.
"No...I thought I could fight them off myself...." Her mother laughed a cruel laugh, but a frown quickly formed in her face.
"Stupid girl," she growled. "Well...'tis time for them to go. I knew they were trouble from the start." The ice demon strolled off. Trying to ignore the great pain in her shoulder, Byanou struggled to stand up.
"I have to stop her..." she said to herself, wincing. With that she followed after her mother, limping a little and clutching her shoulder; she froze for a moment when her mother spu naround looking absolutely enraged.
"Byanou, would you rather they live or I?" she inquired scathingly. But she couldn't see Byanou, now that she was a danger to her own daughter, the girl had vanished to her eyes. "Byanou? Byanou?!" Her mother quickly walked around i na slight panic, trying to find her daughter. She swiped her arms through the air desperately, searching like a man lacking sight. Byanou was breathing heavily, her mother traveling closer and closer. Her mother's arms flug staight in her direction when she ducked and ran toward the entrance of the cave,
"I know where you are NOW!" Her mother shouted and she chased after the sound of Byanou's nervous, echoing footsteps. Byanou gathered all the power she could, her eyes were closed tightly and she ran blindly, so filled with fright she was sure she had never been so afraid in her life. She was deathly afraid of her own mother, the only being who had ever felt any lvoe for her, she now almost felt certain no one remained that cared in this world.
"My hands form the ice. They are one with it,' she thought desperately, she repeated it mentally to herself over and over. Though her eyes were shut tightly she could see the icy surrounding around her as clearly as if they were open and she stopped just before the opening in the cave. She moved her hands upward, the weight she was lifting was almost crushing them, thought she was using her mind and magic to lift it, she felt the extreme pain on her limbs and fingers, her already wounded shoulder's muscles throbbing in agony. The ice was growing out of the ground, covering the entrance, Byanou could see it in her mind, she could hear it, feel it, she was interconnected with it, mroe so than she had ever been. "Faster!" Byanou shouted and soon the ice covered the entire entrance just as her mother pressed her icy hands on it, they formed into fists and bashed against it in a tantrum of fury and desperation. Byanou opened her eyes.
"Let me out!" She creamed, turning to Byanou, her eyes burning with passionate rage.
"No. And it's not normal ice so you can't move it." Byanou's mother roared with frustration, Byanou spoke to her the most calm and emotionless voice, that was what drove her already fresh anger to insanity. She summoned her magic in a frantic loathsome firey need, but nothing she could do would bring about her escape, and she realized it at that moment.

Sango smiled peacefully, her eyes closed. Someone could have easily thought her to be asleep, but Miroku knew better than that. Her dark hair was spread out over his bare chest her head lightly lying on him. Her arms were around his ribs and she was snuggling closer as she took in a lot of oxygen through her nose and held it for a moment then let it out through her mouth as she turned her head up from its side, resting her chin on Miroku's chest. It dug into his skin creating a slight pain, but Miroku discovered he didn't care at all. "I'm cold," she said simply, cuddling up to him and her arms tightening around him.
"Then pull up the covers," Miroku replied with a laugh, as he found the suggestion quite obvious. And she did all the way up to her head, shivering slightly. Miroku was staring up at the ceiling in thought.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Sango inquired much like a small child, pushing herself up so that her face was just under Miroku's. Miroku ran his hand through her hair.
"I don't know...lot's of things at once..." was his reply.
"Inuyasha's going to be fine. I'll explain to Kagome straight away what really happened," Sango told him. Miroku laughed shaking his head. How did she just know what he was thinking?
"Am I that obvious?" He inquired, slightly unhappy about it, he never tried to be obvious, he always prefered being mysterious and wrapped in a sexy enigma...he supposed he could forget that dream wtih Sango around...
"Yes...I can read you like a book..." Sango returned.
"Oh you can do much more than that..." Miroku assured her looking thoughtful, which achieved an amounbt of laughed from Sango. It was then the two heard footsteps outside the room and Sango's laughter ended abruptly. They both looked at each other momentarily with panic-ridden expressions, they were doomed. "Quickly, hide!" Miroku whispered, holding up the blanket for her to go under. It was then the door slid open and Inuyasha and company entered.
'Damn it all!' Miroku cudded mentally, wondering to the gods why things just NEVER worked out right for him. Sure, he had slept with Sango--NOW IT WAS RUINED.
"Whatcha doin' already in bed, Miroku?" Inuyasha inquired suspiciously. Kagome, Shippo, and Kaede all looked at him curiously.
Miroku forced a cheerful smile. 'I HATE them sometimes,' he thought, his disceiving smile still plastered reluctantly on his face.
"Uh...nothing!" he responded with false cheer, clutching the blanket tightly up to his chin.
" What are you hiding?" Kagome asked, grinning.
"W-w-what do you mean?" Miroku inquired, nervously.
"It was only a joke," Kagome said blankly, lookg somewhat disapointed no one appreciated the humor.
"Oh...right...heh...heh, heh..." Miroku returned sweating quite a bit. There was a short silence...
"Hey, what's that bump in the bed?" Inuyasha asked, pointing where Sango lay crouched up.
"A...uh...extra pillow!" Miroku answered. He hit Sango's back trying to seem believable. "Yeah!"
"Ow!" Came Sango's muffled voice. Everyone, including Miroku, stared at the spot Sango lay.
"Uh...heh...heh...heh...." Miroku said nervously.
"And what was that?!" Inuyasha demanded, glaring at Miroku with accusing eyes.
"It was nothing!" He assured him, very much disliking the look on Inuyasha's face.
"Oh yeah?" Inuyasha said, smirking.
"What do you think it could be, Inuyasha? I mean seriously," Miroku said flatly.
"I dunno," Inuyasha returned blankly. But a grimace soon came to his face. "How 'bout we find out?"
'Uh oh' Miroku thought. Inuyasha took a step closer to the blankets. "How about we just lift this blanket up and..." Inuyasha began, pulling on the blanket.
"Perv!" a muffled voice came from underneath the blanket. Inuyasha froze and frowned at Miroku, who laugh nervously and shrugged. It was then he looked unhappily down at the blabket and kicked Sango hoping to shut her up. "Ow!" she cried again.
"Is there someone under there?" Kagome inquired in awe, looking slighting thoughtful with her index finger to her chin.
"Like who?" Miroku asked. It was quiet as Miroku stared at Kagome with a challenging expression and Kagome returned with a blank one for several long moments.
"I guess there couldn't be anyone...'' Kagome replied, scratching her head and ending her staring contest with Miroku.
"Better be sure!" Inuyasha cried with happiness (mainly at the fact of Miroku's secret being revealed), reaching out to pull the blanket.
"Hey wait a sec!" Miroku shouted causing Inuyasha to freeze.
"What?!"
"I sleep in the nude..." Miroku lied, blushing slightly. He WAS naked, yet he wasn't particularly keen on everyone thinking he slept naked every night...
"Since when?!" Shippo inquired with surprise and disgust.
"Since...now..." Miroku answered slowly. They all were giving him apprehensive looks. "Well, if you don't believe me..." he began pulling down the blanket showing his bare chest and stomach and continuing when...
"That's enough we get it!" Inuyasha shouted, not wanting to see anymore of Miroku, ESPECIALLY below the waist. Shippo was giggling and Kaede was looking strangely disappointed. Miroku pulled the blankets back over him.
"Why are you over here anyway?" Miroku asked them, looking slightly annoyed.
"We heard a strange noise," was Inuyasha's simple reply as he shrugged.
"Noise?" Miroku repeated, looking very on-edge.
"Yeah...sort of like...well...what would you say Kaede?" Kagome asked turning to the old priestess.
"Well...there was the sound of someone pounding on the floor...and someone screaming..."
"Imagine that..." Miroku responded swallowing hard recalling how Sango had pounded the floor with her fist only moments before and quite noisy about the whole affair when they...you know...
"How about we just fold over the blankets where the bump is right there...and take a look see?" Inuyasha asked, smiling broadly as he stepped closer.
"But--"
"Unless you're hiding something, Miroku?" Inuyasha intercepted suspiciously, eyeing him with obvious mistrust, "Maybe something...evil?"
"Oh please!" Kagome exclaimed looking rather fed-up as she rolled her eyes. This only caused Inuyasha glared at her. Miroku couldn't say anything, he couldn't have Inuyasha thinking he was evil...how could he stop Inuyasha from looking, if they suspected him of dark motives because of it? It was then Inuyasha folded back the blanket, preparing himself for a demon or something dangerous when they all found Sango, crouched over, looking up at them. No one could speak. Thee was a brief moment of utter shock as they all stared with their eyes wide open. Inuyasha nearly dropped the blankets he was holding in his hand, his mouth was gaping open with utter surprise and he stood as still as one of Kagome's homemade recipes... Slowly, Sango stood up, covering naked body as well as she could. Kagome covered Shippo's eyes.
"Give me that!" Sango snarled snatching the part of the blanket Inuyasha was holding from him and covering herself with it. Inuyasha stood as still as before, and remained as if he was still holding the blanket. For some time everyone remained trapped with their inability to form one word or a single sensical thought in their minds...
"Y-you...you actually...fell for it?" Inuyasha inquired, almost lookign surprised he was able to FORM words at all and seeming more perplexed now that the thought had been said aloud. For now it seemed even MORE unbelievable. Miroku sighed angrily.
"Fell for what?" Sango asked blankly, seeming to be lacking the slightest clue as to what Inuyasha was speaking of.
"You're actually going to bear Miroku's child?" Kagome said. Sango and Miroku were both becoming fury-filled quickly. "I can't believe you just slept with him like that...."
"You don't understand!" Sango cried, looking scandalized. 'How could they even...even...THINK...'
"I understand, you fell for Miroku's tricks and now--"
"Shut up! " Miroku shouted, standing up, interrupting Inuyasha.They all looked shocked again, very unaccustomed to Miroku being uncharacteristically uproarious. "It's not like that!" Everyone flinched seeing Miroku naked, trying to turn away. "I love her." He said firmly, looking at Sango, who smiled softly at him
"What?" Inuyasha whispered in utter confusion and astonishment.
"You...you two?" Shippo said, pointing at them both. "But...I thought Sango didn't like you and you...." he trailed off pointing at Miroku.
"It's sort of obvious now...and it makes sense..." Kagome interrupted quietly. "I mean...how you two were acting..." she looked sorrowful but managed smile. "I'm happy for you.'
"No..." Sango returned, looking concerned. "It must be hard for you because of what you and Inu--"
"Who's up for dinner?!" Kagome piped up with false cheer, shutting Sango up completely. Most of them began filing out of the room, but Inuyasha stopped short and turned to Sango and Miroku, who had yet to follow.
"You guys might want to get dressed first," he advised them and exited.
Dinner wasn't any help toward Inuyasha and Kagome's predicament. They all ate fairly quietly. It seemed no one could see Miroku and Sango in the same light now. Either because they had all seen them both nude, or perhaps because their true relationship was realized, they looked at them differently, or perhaps because of something entirely different; the reason was difficult to understand. It almost seemed as if they were studying them, trying to figure out exactly what the two were. Unlike how Inuyasha and Kagome had been, Miroku and Sango were somewhat complicated.
Yet, Sango didn't think so. In her opinion it was just love. And love doesn't need to be something complicated. She just hoped things would stop becoming so strange. Because they were only getting weirder. Finally, after surveying them for a very large period of time, Inuyasha finally asked Sango, "So...you love him, too?" Sango continued eating for a moment, but then looked up at the half demon.
"Yes," she replied, looking agitated.
"So..."
"Oh Inuyasha just shut up! They're in love, leave them alone!" Kagome shouted, cutting him off. Inuyasha growled quietly, but he didn't say anymore for the time being and continued eating disgruntledly. Kagome had been rather disheartened the entire meal. It was difficult seeing your relationship crumble while another flourished. It was then, with realization, Sango perked up.
"Uh...Kagome....could I speak with you?" Sango said suddenly.
"Um...okay...." she replied slowly, looking very oblivious as to Sango's motive to speak with her. She and Sango stood up in unison and walked out of the room.
"'Wonder what that's about...." Inuyasha said presently,
"It's probably concerning you. Sango told me she'd speak with Kagome about what really happened between you and Kikyo...." Miroku returned.
"Hmm...." Inuyasha said thoughtfully, looking behind his shoulder gazing at the direction the two had exited. He then turned and smirked at Miroku. "Well...she'd probably listen to you knowing what happened..." Miroku frowned at Inuyasha disapprovingly and continued eating, Inuyasha watched him with a grimace for a moment.
"What?!" Miroku demanded Inuyasha, looking annoyed.
"You made her really scream...." he responded grinning. Kaede shook her head in a scolding way. Inuyasha was completely expecting Miroku to lash out at him angrily at his comment, but Miroku only smiled mischieviously.
"It's what I do," Miroku said carelessly. "Except now it's different..." he added.
"Yeah, now Mr. Bed hopper is going to be staying on one futon. At least, let us hope," Inuyasha joked, grimace covering his face.
"No more bed hopping for me... Nothing matters more to me than Sango, now," Miroku simply said, lifting his tea cup to his lips. Inuyasha could help grring for a while longer, but his thoughts inevitably wandered back to the situation at hand...he wondered if Kagome might change her mind, just a little perhaps about him. He poundered over the thought if there was any hope left at all...

"And that's what really happened with Inuyasha and Kikyo. She was lying, Kagome," Sango finished. Kagome seemed apprehensive.
"How do you know this?" she inquired suspiciously.
"Well...Miroku told me...it's what Inuyasha had been trying to tell you," Sango returned slowly. Kagome crossed her arms angrily and turned the opposite direction, her back facing Sango.
"Please! Inuyasha's just lying!" She shouted defiantly.
"No--look--"
"Sango, I can understand why you'd believe it. I mean, after all, Miroku screwed you and now you're just going to believe every word he says, yeah, that makes every bit of sense," Kagome growled sarcastically. Sango looked furious.
"You--don't---I--" Sango sputtered with rage. Finally she calmed herself. "Don't take your frustration with your romance issues out on me, Kagome! You don't have to be jealous!"
"Right...sure...." and Kagome muttered something too quiet for Sango to hear.
"Why can't you believe me?!" Sango inquired loudly.
"Because...you've been fooled....you're on their side now..." Kagome answered venomously.
"There are no sides! There's only the truth and the mistruth! I'm just trying to get you to see reality, Kagome! But if you won't...well...I give up!" Sango exclaimed and with that she stormed off.
"Fine!" Kagome screamed after her. "I'm going to bed!!!" Adn she ran, stewing in the opposite direction. Sango marched into the room, fuming and sat on a pillow grumbling something.
"So....?" Inuyasha said.
"What?" Sango snapped, looking hostile.
"What happened?"
"It was absolutely awful! And now she's even more angry," Sango returned haughtily.
"What did you do?!" Inuyasha cried looking panic-striken and enraged. Sango glared at him.
"Look, she's too angry to listen to the truth, you're going to need to get her to be less angry. Maybe do nice things for her. Be considerate and kind and thoughtful...maybe if she sees you're trying really hard she'll listen," Sango advised him. She then sighed getting rid of the remaining anger inside her. Miroku rubbed her back gently in an attempt to help calm her.
"Alright....wait, where is she?" Inuyasha inquired looking aroud him somewhat frantically.
"In bed....don't bother , she's very angry right now," Sango informed him. Inuyasha looked disappointed.
"Wait, I think I have a better plan," Kaede told them. "See--"
"What sort of nice things should I do?" Inuyasha asked Sango, ignoring Kaede.
"You know...." Inuyasha wasn't following. Sango sighed. "...like, helping her out with things, doing things for her, giving her gifts, saying thank you..."
"Thank you?" Inuyasha repeated as if the words were foreign to him.
"Yes," Miroku interjected suddenly joining in the conversation. "Be kind, considerate, and polite."
"Gifts?!" He exclaimed, seeming to not have heard what Miroku had just said.
"You do know what a gift is?" Shippo inquired, dead-pan.
"Of course, idiot!" Inuyasha shouted looking uncomfortable.
"Then what is it?" Shippo asked, mocking him.
"It's uh....um............"
"You don't know what a gift is," Miroku stated trying understand utter stupidity.
"Should I?" Inuyasha asked blankly.
"Well, if you've ever gotten one....what about the tetsaiga?" Sango asked.
"Well I can't know if it's a gift if I don't know what a friggin' gift is!' Inuyasha bellowed. "And if a gift means something that's stolen then duh, yeah, it's a gift."
"No...a gift is a present." Sango told him.
"A what?"
"A present. Something that's given."
"Well Sesshomorou gave me that huge hole through me, is that a gift?"
"No."
"A gift is something nice. Something that you make or buy or whatever and give to them for their happiness,:" Miroku explained smartly.
"Why?" Inuyasha inquired looking far beyond the reason why someone would do something like that.
"For their happiness!" Shippo shouted, only repeating what Miroku said louder.
"Oh. Okay. So...that's nice because it makes her happy..." Inuyasha said slowly.
"Yes!" Miroku cried, with a falsy over-joyed air. "Now you can graduate kindergarten!"
"Shut up."

Kagome woke up to the scent of fresh flowers that cold morning and opened her eyes to discover herself covered in a few extra blankets. "Huh?" she said aloud, sitting up. She then found herself surrounded in flowers. Everywhere. In the room. She slid out of the bed thinking she was in some sort of dream, when she tripped and nearly killed herself over a plate of her favorite. Salmon sushi. "What the..." Kagome whispered, picking up the plate. "It must be a dream then..."
Normally she would have asked the others about it before eating it, being as some stranger could have left poisoned food, but seeing as it was a dream and her stomach was growling quite horribly...Kagome gobbled it up rather quickly and set out to find what other strange things would happen.
When she arrived in the kitchen she found Inuyasha was zipping around like a mad man. Kagome could have sworn he wasn't one bit more frantic when he battled Sesshomorou when he had come for the tetsaiga. Kagome realized that everything that was happening could under no circumstance not be a dream when Inuyasha walked up to her smiling cheerfully and asked, "Did you like the sushi?" Kagome was stunned, even if it was a dream...still...how in heck could she dream it?
"Su...sushi?" Kagome said slowly, saying the word as if she had never heard it before. Inuyasha looked very disheartened.
"You did get it, didn't you? I spent hours on that stuff..." Kagome looked at him sharply. What was he trying to pull? In her own dream no less! Her dreams should have had Inuyasha being hanged or going through some other awful death. She hadn't had one yet, but she was hoping one would come soon. Now this dream...it was just strange.
"What are you trying to do?" she asked suspiciously.
"Huh?" Inuyasha said blankly. Kagome was studying him carefully.
"Hmm..." Kagome prodded Inuyasha's face, examining him thoughtfully.
"Ow!" he cried,in surprise and annoyance, backing away.
"This is by far the strangest dream..."
"Dream?"
"Well...I'm obviously dreaming now...I mean...the room I was in was covered in flowers and you...are...working and making me sushi that took you hours..."
"Hey! I can be nice, ya know!! Those flowers took me forever to find and pick and defrost!!!"
"Wh-what....why are you trying SO hard to get me back anyway?! And why haven't you died a painful death yet! If I'm going to have a dream, why can't you at least DIE in it?!" Kagome shouted.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Inuyasha returned curtly, turning and fluffing up a pillow at the table. "Please sit here, breakfast is almost ready." Kagome didn't do anything.
"Hello?!" Inuyasha cried. Kagome hesitantly sat on the pillow. "Uh...thank you...." He then ran off.
'Okay...' Kagome thought. 'Very bizarre dream...'
Inuyasha marched over to Kaede, looking outraged. "She thinks this is a dream!" He hissed.
"Well...I had another plan in mind, but ye all just ignored me...." was Kaede's reply. It was her turn to be curt. Her eyes didn't even travel to Inuyasha, she simply continued her focus on her cooking.
"What do I do? C'mon, granny!" Inuyasha whispered, pleadingly. Kaede glared at him through the corner of her eye. "I can't lose her! She means everything to me!" He finished desperately. Kaede stared at him for a moment.
"Why don't you tell her that?" Kaede inquired, looking at him with her wisened eyes which seemed slightly inspired for some reason.
"What?" Inuyasha said, not understanding. Suddenly he seemed to brighten with realization, slowly a smile came to his face and he began to get excited at the idea, he turned to leave but quickly stopped in his tracks. Kaede saw him droop slightly and his enthusiasm vanish. "No...no she wouldn't listen anyhow...that's not going to work..."
"Fine," Kaede returned, shrugging and turned back to her cooking .
"Kaede!" He whined loudly.
"Can you stop harassing her already?" Came Kagome's voice from the door way. Inuyasha strolled over to her.
"Do you need anything?" he asked in a business-like manner.
"What?" Kagome asked staring up at him incomprehencingly. "What, is that some sort of sarcastic remark?"
"No...I was wondering if you needed something..." Inuyasha replied.
"Need? What do you mean? What are you going to ring in with some speech now, about how I need certain things and you need me well--"
"Kagome, I'm wondering if want some tea or something...is there anything I can get you?" he asked with a tired sigh.
"What, are you my waiter or something?" Kagome asked.
"No, I was just up so I thought I could get you something..." was his answer.
"Umm...tea sounds good..." Kagome returned slowly, looking unsure. 'This is a very, very strange dream...' Again she was left wondering what Inuyasha was scheming, in her dream, of course. 'Whatever. If this isn't even really happening, then it really doesn't matter, now does it? Of course, if somehow in this crazy dream we get back together....then does that mean I'm pathetic enough to still love that jerk?' She thought to herself. Kagome gazed over ar Inuyasha who was busy preparing her tea.
It wasn't long before her gaze turned day dreamy. 'He is so cute though,' she snapped out of it for a moment, '....I mean...for a jerk...' Kagome was frowning because of her feelings that remained, but as she looked up, her eyes softened at his sight, 'He's sure trying hard though...' Her staring didn't end for several moments when suddenly Kagome came back to planet Earth and shook her head rapidly trying to get back to her senses. 'God! This is so STUPID!!! What am I DOING?!! He's just a horrible jerk!' After these frustrating feelings and vexed thoughts, she growled quietly, fuming.
Inuyasha heard her and looked around to see Kagome glaring at him, he returned to his work and sighed. He looked back aat her again, her frowning unfaltering. "What?! What are you looking at?!" Kagome snapped grouchily.
"Could you stop glaring and growling at me?!" Kagome's frown only deepened. Inuyasha took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "It's not my fault you don't believe the truth...." he continued quietly. Kagome made an 'as if' sound as Inuyasha walked up to her and set down her tea, in which Kagome began examining profusely. Inuyasha sighed aggravatedly. "What are you doing? What do you think I did, poison it?" Kagome didn't take her eyes off it.
"You might have bewitched it or whatever...." She returned lifting up the cup and looking under it at its bottom. Inuyasha leaned closer to Kagome.
"Could you cut the crud already!!!" He screamed.
"Get away from me and go mark your territory or something!" Kagome shouted back. Inuyasha was silent for a moment and seemed frozen, but it was on when he grumbled something and turned to leave. Kagome's face had an expression of sadness and slight guilt. "Wait!" She cried, suddenly. Inuyasha turned. Kagome was holding her tea cup in her hands looking ashamed and thoughtful.
"Huh?" Inuyasha said.
Kagome suddenly frowned up at him. 'How could I even CONSIDER trying to listen to him!' Kagome's thoughts shouted. "Take the first sip, before I drink it," she finally told him holding out the cup.
"Just ask Kaede! I didn't do anything to the tea! Now leave-me-ALONE!!" Inuyasha bellowed, he then spun around and began walking away. Kagome leapt off her pillow and charged after him.
"Don't you walk away from me!" Kagome exclaimed. Inuyasha looked sulky.
"You won't listen to me anyway..." he sighed quietly, not wanting to make eye contact with her.
"Uh...." Kagome said, eyes widening at his sadness. 'It's just a trick, don't you fall for it, Kagome!' her thoughts warned her. 'It's a dream...anyway....right?'
"DO you still think this is a dream?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously, now watching ehr carefully as she thought to herself.
"Sort of..."
"Well STOP! It's not! It's real life and you're acting stupid in REAL LIFE!!!" Inuyasha roared. Kagome stared at him for a few moments. 'Did I convince her?' Inuyasha wondered, then he began to fear he was being to cruel again and reflected back on Sango's advice from the night before.
"Prove it then," Kagome replied with slight anger, crossing her arms and looking away. Inuyasha looked defeated for a moment but fury quickly overtook him.
"Can't you just be a TEENSY BIT reasonable?!" Inuyasha cried. There was a short pause.
"No," Kagome returned simply.
"GrrrrrrrrrAHHHH!!!!!!!" Inuyasha screamed in Kagome's face. But Kagome didn't even flinch. In fact she looked extraordinarily calm, which made Inuyasha even more enraged.
"Now..." Kagome began in a businesslike manner. "I want to know why you're not dead in my dream yet." Inuyasha was silent, the most horrible annoyance was washing through him, that was the only way he could think to label it, for it was far beyond that. He was frozen trying to contain a rage that was immeasurable. Finally he snapped.
"GEEEEEEEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha roared. "SHUT-UP!!!"
"Don't yell at me," Kagome told him calmly, a slight frown in her face. Inuyasha turned to Kaede hoping somehow she could stop Kagome from making him do something insane, only to find her smiling quietly.
"What the hell are you smilin' about, lady?" Inuyasha growled.
"Probably at how idiotic you're being. It's really funny," Kagome laughed cruelly. Inuyasha frowned.
"Can't you see I was trying to be nice? Of course not! You're too stubborn!!!"
"Oh I'M stubborn am I?!" Kagome shouted dangerously, standing on her tiptoes, to make herself almost Inuyasha's height.
'They're beginning to heal...' Kaede thought happily.

It was sometime before Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all entered the kitchen only to find both Kagome and Inuyasha silently fuming as they ate breakfast. They all gazed at the two blankly as they sat at the table. "What do you think is up with them?" Shippo asked Miroku quietly.
"I have no idea, what do you think, dear--I mean...Sango..." Miroku said. Kagome gave him the evil eye.
"Oh, and I thought you wouldn't and I quote, 'as long as life is still in me call a girl dear?'" Kagome growled. Miroku looked uncomfortable.
"Oh leave him alone," Sango told Kagome crossly. Kagome didn't pursue the subject further and instead stabbed a chop stick into the elk viciously and began burrowing holes in it
"Are ye going to eat it or mutilate it?" Kaede inquired, walking passed her, Kagome didn't answer. Finally she had accepted that what had been happening wasn't a dream which only made her angrier. It seemed now everyone was in a cross mood...except Shippo, who was again worried and depressed concerning Byanou.
There was a silence now. Everyone sipping their tea and eating quietly. Kaede was walking back and forth through the room repetitively, and she seemed to fbe finally somewhat affected by all the emotional chaos around her. Inuyasha hated her pacing, it was beginning to make him feel more and more irritated than he already was. Suddenly Miroku said, "You know it doesn't matter at all that I called Sango dear." He sipped his tea calmly. Kagome gazed silently at Miroku for a moment before answering.
"I thought you always said when someone calls his partner 'dear' that's when the relationship starts going dead and dry and they begin acting like a married couple..." Kagome said in return, with a victorious smirk.
"I wouldn't say we're dry, would you Sango?" Miroku asked, now smirking as well. Sango's face went slightly red as she looked into her lap.
"No..." she replied slowly, wishing she could disapear.
"Maybe you're just in denial..." Kagome said, taking a rather large bite of elk in her chopsticks and stuffing it in her mouth. "Dear is a strong word..."
"Maybe it is, but I don't see anyone else expecting something special in bed tonight... " Miroku responded smirking broadly. The others were staring at him in disbelief. Sango's face was completely red now. Silence.
Miroku was smirking as he sipped his tea while Kagome seemed angered and slightly, as Inuyasha and Kaede, embarrassed. Shippo had scarcely heard any of the conversation, having been worrying and suffering over Byanou so intensely. Again, he was being unnaturally quiet, engulfed in his deep thoughts. What was going to happen now? What would become of Byanou? What about her mother? Inuyasha and the others would surely go through with killing her...
Kagome and Sango were already finished soon enough and Sango picked up her plate and walked off with it giving a small subtle glare Miroku's way as she walked passed. Kagome simply sat before her plate a disgruntled look on her face. Inuyasha suddenly stood up, though he had placed more food on his plate seconds ago and until recently seemed to be quite prepared to stuff his face quite a bit more. He might have seemed like a big eater at the time with his three helpings of food, but since he and Kagome started fighting, he had been eating considerably less.
He looked at Kagome. "Would you like me to take your plate?" Inuyasha asked her. She silently looked up at him with surprise, but quickly frowned.
"Can you just stop already?!' She cried. She turned away angrily. "I'm not taking you back. I don't care how nice you are to me. It can't undo what happened between you and Kikyo..." she looked at him, her eyes filled with pain. "...how you used the both of us...how you said you loved me...but really didn't..."
"Kagome..." Inuyasha said, reaching out to touch her face, she again looked away. She was crying softly. "Please just..." She shook her head and stood up, and ran off, out of the room before Inuyasha could stop her. He sighed in a discouraged manner, feeling the prick in his heart spread and throb over his chest. Everyone's eyes were on him as he clutched his heart and fell to his knees, his eyes were gleaming with fresh moisture.
"It's all because of me she feels all this pain..." his claws dug into the floor. His pained expression quickly turned into an angry one. "But if she'd only listen!!!' He growled as he stood up and faced the door Kagome had run though.
"No don't--" Sango began, standing up and reaching out in alarm.
"I'm not," Inuyasha assured her, interuting her. "I wonn't stop doing things for her...show her that..." But he trailed off.

"Cut it out! I don't want your gifts!" Kagome shouted throwing the painting Inuyasha had just given her at his head. The sky was well covered with clouds but it was easy to tell it was midday. The birds had quieted down substantually and though it was below fifteen degrees Fahrenheit it was the warmest time of the day. No one noticed the brighter sky, maybe it was because the fighting between Inuyasha and Kagome had yet to subside, on the contrary, it was only worsening.
All of their disputes had been rather idiotic in nature. Some were over who would go out the door first and over food and other items. Most, however, were concerning Inuyasha's unusually considerate nature. He was trying so hard to have Kagome see how hard he was working to be with her once again, but Kagome simply couldn't or wouldn't see it. As more chaos unraveled in the room now only Kagome slept in, everyone else, who had to listen to the shouting simply wished he'd leave the room. Of course, he wouldn't.
"If Inuyasha just left her alone they might just be better off..." Miroku told them, putting his hands over his ears when a loud crashing noise was heard nearby. Sango nodded silently.
"Probably...oh...I feel so bad...we're doing so well while they're..." Sango trailed off looking saddened. Miroku put his hand on hers.
"It's alright, things will work out for them...it's out of our hands now...." Miroku returned softly, sorrow apparent in his blue-grey eyes. Shippo again hadn't caught a big portion of the conversation and was looking sadly at the floor about his own problems.
'I'll never see Byanou again...I wonder how she is doing...' he thought, wishing more than anything he could simply go back in time and make things right.

Byanou's mother had awaken sometime ago and resumed her struggle through the ice barrier preventing her from leaving her home. Byanou was watching her with great anxiety. Praying that her mother wouldn't be able to break free. "Let me out!" She thundered once again, her facial expression had such frighteningly obsessive intent, Byanou felt her already extreme fear grow. But she would never let her fright become apparent, her outward appearence remained unnervingly calm.
"No...you're safe now, they won't be able to get to you and once they leave I'll set you free..." Byanou returned firmly. The only thing that kept her strong throughout this was the thought that six lives were on the line, and they would all end if she failed. Her mother's life was among those lives.
"It won't work! They'll never leave until I'm dead! And I won't stop trying to kill them until they are dead!" her mother shouted.
"Mother please! They are kind people, if you promise not to harm any other people...they won't harm you!" Byanou cried desperately.
"Kind? No. You over-estimate them, Byanou! They have fooled you," her mother argued calmly. Suddenly she lunged forward and grabbed her daughter by the throat and lifted her up high. "Now! Let me out or die Byanou!" Byanou was struggling to get out of her mothers strong grasp.
"Then kill me...I'd rather die than allow you to kill innocent people! I didn't want to think you were insane, mother...but maybe Shippo and his friends are right. Maybe you're a danger to people whether you like it or not..." Byanou said weakly. Byanou began feeling her mother's hand tightening around her small neck. She was preparing for it. Her death.
Suddenly it stopped. Her mother sighed, with almost too much disapointment and hatred at the fact, "I can't kill you...Byanou..." she gently placed her daughter down who was breathing heavily in fear and surprise. She turned to the ice. "...but I can get out of here." Byanou was shaking her head.
"No...impossible!" But just as Byanou had said it, a loud noise sounded deep under the ground and was steadily becoming louder. Byanou's heart was pounding, what was happening? It appeared her mother was attempting to lift something. The ground? Finally after several long, horrible minutes, a large hole burst into the ground and water spurted up from it.
Byanou's mother stretched her arms out in front of her, causing the water to bend over and flow straight at the ice barrier. The water was seeming to become hotter, the steam was almost blinding. The ice was melting. Byanou had to do something. She threw herself on her mother to stop her, unfortunately she was quickly tossed off and within seconds was surrounded by the indestructible ice Miroku and Sango had been imprisoned in.
She quickly leapt up and pressed her hands against the ice, watching helplessly as the ice quickly melted. "Byanou, I will return soon," her mother informed her with little emotion.
"Stop!" Byanou cried, pounding her fists against the ice. But her mother didn't even turn back. She stepped through the large hole in the ice and was soon out of Byanou's sight. "No..." Byanou whispered pitifully, she slowly sat down and let several tears stream down her bright face and freeze.

Inuyasha grasped Kagome's shoulder firmly. "You're not walking away from me!" He shouted. Kagome whipped around.
"Leave me alone!" Kagome cried, throwing his hand aside. "I can if I want to!"
"Look, I know I suck...alright?" Kagome crossed her arms.
"I'm listening," Inuyasha sighed with relief.
"I know I'm horrible and an idiot...I'm a real idiot....but I didn't mean to hurt both you and Kikyo...I didn't use you both...." Kagome looked at him with a doubtful face. "I'm not lying....just listen, okay?" Kagome wa s silent for a moment, she seemed to be thinking, she sighed heavily.
"Fine," she returned begrudgingly, as if it was some horribly difficult task to listen to a few sentences. If only it were a few sentences from someone else about anything else, then this would be so much easier, it wasn't the easiest thing for her to hear about.
"Thank you!!! Thank you so much!" Inuyasha shouted over enthusiastically clutching onto her arms happily. Kagome laughed a little. "That's the first time you laughed in so long!" Inuyasha cried. Kagome looked slightly guilty and had a tiny smile on her face. "I've really....really...."
"I've missed you too Inuyasha..." Kagome cut in. Inuyasha smiled, they still knew what they were saying before they said it, despite their disagreements. She sighed sadly. "I just can't be..." Kagome trailed off and was silent.
"Can't be what?" Inuyasha asked finally after surverying her for sometime. His face was now etched with disapointment.
"I...." But Kagome was cut short when a loud noise like glass breaking pierced their eardrums and a ice wall shot from the ground between them, connecting with the roof.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, running to go around it. But more walls grew and surrounding Kagome.
"Help!" Came Kagome's voice. Inuyasha turned to run and get the others but a wall grew in front of him causing him to stop abruptly. More walls began growing. Inuyasha drew his tetsusaiga and began hitting the ice repetitively with his sword to no avail.
"Inuyasha! Kagome!" Came Miroku's voice.
"Shippo! Kaede!" Sango's voice called. Inuyasha stopped abruptly.
"In here!" Inuyasha cried. "Kagome trapped!" He soon reached Miroku and Sango after going through a maze of ice walls. Sango breathed heavily, her breath was as clear as day in the now frosty air.
"It's getting colder," Miroku informed the with alarm.
"Do something! Kagome could die!" Inuyasha shouted. Suddenly the earth below them began to shake violently and though at first this struck fear into their hearts many of them quickly began to remember what this meant... Geysers were again spouting up creating holes in the ceiling, Inuyasha leapt up one and ran across the roof quickly. Where was she? Inuyasha almost had a heart attack when a geysers crashed through the ceiling right behind him. Inuyasha spun around, he saw Kagome through the hole in the roof.
"Kagome! I'm here!" He shouted as he jumped down through the hole into the cabin.
"I-In-nuyasha..." Kagome shivered. Inuyasha held her close.
"Let's get out of here," he said, but before he could leap out the hole was iced over.
"Damn it all!" he cursed under his breath. He was shivering quite badly as well. Kagome clutched onto his robe and snuggled in as well as she could. Inuyasha looked down at her worriedly. "Miroku! Sango!" There were more crashing sounds and the sound of ice growing. "Th-that doesn't s-sound good..." Inuyasha said, beginning to shiver. In fact several more walls of ice had grown around them, making it impossible for them to hear and anyone else to hear them. "Miroku Sango! We're DYING HERE!!" Inuyasha roared. Nothing.
"Wh-wh-what's going to h-happen?" Kagome shivered, her breath visible it nearly covered her fave entirely for a moment.
"We're not going to die...we're going to have to kiss...to stay alive, though..."
"You don't truly love me Inuyasha...it won't work..." Kagome returned sadly. Inuyasha frowned.
"Sure as hell I love you, now come on!" Inuyasha shouted, getting very frantic and vexed.
"N-no...you don't..."
"We might as well try...."
"F-f-fine..." Kagome shivered, leaning toward him, but it was then a geyser burst through the ground, between them, causing them to break away abruptly. It broke through the ice, the only thing covering the hole in the ceiling. The two looked up. Inuyasha was disappointed, but glad Kagome would be safe.
"Come on..." he said grumpily, leaning over so she could get on his back. Kagome did so and Inuyasha leapt out, finding Miroku and Sango also on the roof.
"There you two are!"
"Have you see Shippo or Kaede?" Sango inquired. Both Inuyasha and Kagome shook their heads, upon hearing this new information, Sango and Miroku looked very solemn.
"What's going on here?" Kagome shivered, looking about the place with widened eyes.
"Isn't obvious, it's Byanou's mother's doing," Inuyasha returned his eyes now very somber. There was a short silence.
"What do you think has become of Shippo and Kaede?" Miroku asked, cutting into the unpleasent quiet. They all looked at him with concerned faces, but they wouldn't have much time for worrying for the fox demon or Kaede for soon the roof began freezing over.
"What is she trying to do now?" Inuyasha wondered aloud. The remaining wood of the roof was rapidly becoming covered in an over coat of ice.
"Whatever it is, it's definitely not good," Miroku replied. Just then they all heard a distinct cracking noise that sounding underneath them.
"What is that?" Sango's voice quavered. No one spoke, there was only the sound that continued, they all stood completely still, the tensness all around intensifying. Kagome gasped.
"Look!" She cried, pointing at the icy roof. They all did and they saw cracks stretching crossing the roofs surface, growing bigger and deepêr, they looked suspiciously deeper than the ice now covering the wood... Suddenly the roof lowered, Kagome screamed as they all were brought a few feet lower than they were. At that moment the entire roof they stood upon fractured into hundreds of pieses. Somehow they all avoided serious injury.
"At least we have a way out now" Miroku said. It was then ice spread over them, where the ceiling and roof had previously been. "Or not..." Inuyasha grunted as he stood up and helped Kagome on her feet.
"Oh, hi guys!" They all turned.
"Shippo!" They remaining all cried at once now looking in considerably better spirits.
"Thank goodness your safe," Sango sighed with relief, finding a smile coming to her numbing face.
"Um...hello, how could ye forget I?" Kaede said. They all turned to the left to see Kaede and looked at her for a moment, then turned back to face Shippo. Kagome hugged him tightly. Kaede made a very dead pan face, but Sango was still looking the old priestess' way and heeding her.
"Oh, good," Sango said unenthusiastically, then spun around as the other had and knelt down to make sure Shippo was alright.
"Hmph," Kaede grumbled. Finally after everyone was done being sure Shippo was alright and being joyful over his reappearance, they began looking around their small prison. It seemed the geysers had stopped some time before and they all waited while Inuyasha hit tetsaiga against the ice quite in vain. It wasn't long before Sango was becoming unbearably cold and her shivering was become very extreme. It was clear the temperture was now dropping. Everyone's attention soo nturned on Sango, who seemed to be the most affected by it.
"It looks like you guys are going to have to kiss again," Inuyasha said to Miroku and Sango, pointing at them. Miroku and Sango looked at one and other blankly. Miroku smirked.
"Fine by me," he said. But it was then Byanou's mother appeared.
"You could run like cowards, or face me like honorable men and women," she told them. They all gazed upon her fiercely, Inuyasha stepped toward her, showing no indication that he was running.
"Shut up," Inuyasha growled. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but if you try to kill Kagome than you're going down. I was going to kill you anyway you insane bitch."
"No, Inuyasha! Please!" Shippo cried loudly, reaching out towared him.
"Sorry, Shippo, but we're not gonna make it out alive if we don't kill this ice demon. She's a threat to anyone who comes in contact with her," Inuyasha returned, eyes fixed on Byanou's mother. Shippo turned to Kagome.
"Kagome, you have to stop him!" he pleaded tugging at her skirt.
"I'm afraid he's right Shippo. We have no choice," was Kagome's reply, she sighed deeply, her breath again very visible.
"But..." Shippo said quietly. Shippo whipped around to face Miroku and Sango. "Guys, you c'mon! We can't kill her!"
"Shippo, we were nearly killed by her," Sango responded, getting ready to fight, unsheathing her hyraicotsu. "Innocent people who come here in the future might fall to their graves because of her."
"We're right behind you Inuyasha," Miroku informed him obediantly, readying his staff. More ice walls surrounded them loud crashing noises echoing throughout the cabin.
"Don't bother," Inuyasha said, looking back at them. "This is going to be a piece of cake, I can handle her on my own." Kagome already had her bow and arrow readied.
"Are you sure, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, lowering her weapon. "She doesn't seem like a piece of cake to me." Inuyasha gritted his teeth fgg
"Just get out of here, I can handle this, i don't want anyone else gettin' hurt here."
"Oh, trying to be noble, are we?" Kagome returned coldly, again lifting up her bow and arrow. "Cut it out, Inuyasha, like we care about you're stupid ignorance, your arrogance, your little ways of making yourself feel just a little better than scum. Well I for one don't! And I for one am not going...to...leave!" She shouted pulling her arrow back against her bow.
"In other words she still has feelings for you and cares too much to leave you behind," Kaede muttered quietly to Inuyasha.
"Shut uuuuup!" Kagome shrieked frantically, turning to Kaede and flapping her arms up and down in a frenzy.
"We're not leaving, either, Inuyasha," Sango told him somberly, slipping into fighting stance.
"Really. We have an old score to settle with this demon," Miroku said in agreement, stepping forward.
"Just stand back and watch while I thrash her with my tetsusaiga. You're all bein' stupid!" Inuyasha cried, leaping several feet in the air toward Byanou's mother.
"No!" Shippo shouted, lunging toward, but Miroku threw out his arm in Shippo's path, causing him to fall over, weakened. The small demon groaned as he slowly sat up.
"It's not fair...no..." he said weakly. Inuyasha pulled out his sword, which then transformed, being the tetsusaiga, into it's full size from its former rusty samurai sword condition as he flew threw the air. Suddenly, as he swung his sword back and prepared to attack, an ice wall grew in his path, which he slammed into.
"Argh!!" Inuyasha cried, he flew off it on impact and landed in a heap. Byanou's mother laughed evilly.
"How pathetic!" she cried with malice. Inuyasha quickly leapt to his feet and lunged at the demon, taking her by surprise, but he quickly regretted this tactic when his sword quickly became covered with ice by her magic before contacting with her flesh. It was so heavy, it brought Inuyasha straight to the ground. He landed on his feet, but found he was unable to lift the tetsusaiga which was now covered in very thick ice.
Suddenly, the sword began being pulled forward by some force and Inuyasha soon found himself being dragged along with it toward Byanou's mother, who was using her magic to bring it toward her. He struggled, sliding across the ground to pull the sword away from the ice demon. But no matter how much he struggled he couldn't bring the sword to a halt. Soon it escaped from his slipping, sweaty grasp and was in the possession of Byanou's mother. She would have been able to use its full power if it hadn't transformed back into its former condition, a rusty, thin, seemingly ordinary sword.
Byanou's mother glared at the now blunt blade. "How unfortunate..." she said, turning the tetsusaiga in her hand to examine it.
"Ha! Now look what you've got, demon! A rusty hunk of junk!" Inuyasha cried triumphantly.
"...it's all I need," she returned quietly.
"I'd like that back, ya know! Did you think you'd get to admire it forever?!" He leapt into the air. He swung his right arm backward. "Show in tell...is over!" Inuyasha shouted, about to tackle Byanou's mother. "Iron revere soul stealer!" Byanou's mother didn't move, Inuyasha's claws didn't so much as scratch her icy flesh. "What the--" Inuyasha breathed bewilderedly as he landed. Byanou's mother's head was hung low. He smirked. 'Musta got her!' He thought.
Only he didn't. She looked up. Her face. It was as perfect as it had been before. Not one scare. Not one drop of blood. And she was standing there. Her soul. It was fine...but how could it be? Inuyasha knew, this demon wasn't very powerful, and any demon who lacked power, any creature who did, lost their soul to that technique very easily. Unless... Inuyasha's eyes widened. He took a step backward. "No..."
"What's wrong Inuyasha?" Miroku inquired, face marked with concern. He brought his hand to the beads wrapped around his arm. "I'll use the wind tunnel if I have to."
"No," Sango told him firmly. "It's too small in here, we'll all be sucked up then..."
"Damn..." Miroku muttered.
"What is it, Inuyasha? Are you that put off just because you're little claw move didn't work? She's probably just more powerful than you thought," Kagome mocked. But the others could tell that it was more serious than that. Inuyasha seemed quite unfazed by whatever was bothering him and unlike Kagome they weren't dead set on not taking Inuyasha seriously.
"She...she has no soul..." An anxious silence followed this statement. Even Byanou's mother did not speak.
"What?" Kagome said in disbelief and awe.
"It's true. But I don't see why it matters so much," Byanou's mother returned with little emotion.
"How is that possible?" Shippo asked no one in particular. "Is it?" Shippo inquired, looking up at Miroku.
"The only way it could be is if someone took it...but then she wouldn't be able to live...she must have given it...given it away..." Miroku answered, looking very tense. Everyone turned to him.
"Given it away?" Sango said, not understanding. "Why would someone do that?"
"Fools. I didn't give my soul away. I sold it." Byanou's mother growled. Miroku seemed very uneasy at this new information and took a step backward, away from the demon.
"It's just as I feared...you sold it to the devil, didn't you?" Miroku asked. Byanou's mother only smiled, a twisted evil smile.
"I don't understand the importance of this, but yes, yes I did. I don't need my soul as much as what I got in return for it," Byanou's mother responded.
"Which is?" Inuyasha asked. Byanou's mother glared at him.
"It matters not at all!" She thundered, causing several ice walls to explode onto the scene.
"You ARE the devil! You are controlled by he, are you not?!" Miroku demanded loudly. A horrible grimace stretched onto the ice demon's face, and a different voice answered this question, a low malevolent voice.
"Not exactly," it answered. They all stared at Byanou's mother...or what was thought to be her with a mix of fear, disgust, and fierceness. "I have almost successfully taken over this body...but her soul keeps trying to return. Once her husband returns here...I will have this body. But I do not need to revive him as I promised. Her soul nearly left her body entirely. But I cant take over it without it leaving completely," the devil's voice explained.
"So...you are the devil...but Byanou's mother is not..." Shippo said softly.
"Soon she will be...ugh!" Suddenly Byanou's mother seemed to be struggling with something and the devil's voice was screaming in pain. "Argh!!! Her soul is trying to return!!!! It--can NOT!!!"
"Yes it will." Came a voice from behind them all. Byanou's mother's eyes widened.
"What?!" The devil's voice cried. "You! Byanou, you foolish girl!"
"Byanou!" Shippo cried happily, running toward her. "I'm so sorry! You're mother! She was being controlled by the devil, all along!"
"I know," she returned in a stone-like manner, turning toward her mother. Shippo seemed very put out by Byanou's cold nature toward him, but she smiled warmly at him. "I forgive you, though. You were right, you couldn't have known and she was a threat. She almost killed me, but her soul must have stopped the devil." They all turned from Byanou to her mother.
"Byanou. How utterly stupid you are. I shall kill you now. And feast on your flesh!" the devil's voice cried, grinning evilly and approaching Byanou.
"No!" Shippo exclaimed, jumping in front of Byanou. "No you‚ won't you scum!"
"Shippo..." Byanou gasped.
"Don't worry, Byanou! I'll kill off this creep!" Shippo assured her firmly. Byanou was speechless for a moment.
"Don't be an idiot! You're gonna need help!" Inuyasha shouted, approaching.
"Yes, we're here to help," Miroku agreed, he, Sango, Kagome, and Kaede, all walking toward him. But the devil then laughed evilly.
"You won't interfere!" his voice cackled and he lashed Byanou's mothers hand before him and an ice dome quickly imprisoned all five of them, keeping them from himself, Shippo, and Byanou. Inuyasha pounded on the ice.
"You coward!" Inuyasha shouted. "I thought we were the weaklings! Hmph! Preaching about US being honorable men and women!" The demon laughed.
"I wanted to kill you, Inuyasha...finish Naraku's job. Helping him would be quite wonderful, you four were my first priority, but I felt it would be more enjoyable to have Byanou's mother kill her own own daughter and this fox child. Her soul has taken quite a shine to him!" the devil voice cackled. "You can wait, I'll kill the four of you later!" He continued with a sinister laugh.
"You...monster!!!" Inuyasha roared banging repetitively against the ice with all his strength.
"It's not going to do anything Inuyasha," Kagome told him downheartedly. Inuyasha snarled quietly. "We're doomed."
"No, we still have Sango and Miroku," Inuyasha argued, turning to Sango and Miroku. "They can still kiss and raise the temperature...it can keep us alive--buy us some time!"
"Oh...right..." Miroku said, seeming to have just remembered.
"No you don't!" the devil roared, and fired a wall of ice grew between Sango and Miroku, cutting Sango off from everyone else imprisoned in the dome of ice.
"Damn it!!" Inuyasha shouted.
"Sango..." Miroku whispered pressing his hands against the ice.
"Miroku...it's over..." she returned pitifully.
"It's going to bealright..." The devil's vile laughter echoed through the ice prisons they were all trapped in.
"Now...time to kill me a little fox..." the devil sneered, Byanou's mother's eyes shown with his defilement and evil pleasure.
"Just try!" Shippo shouted. He wasn't backing down. There was no fear in his heart, no indication that what he had said could be false.
"Shippo! You idiot! Get out of there!" Inuyasha screamed.
"Run Shippo!" Kagome called.
"You can still escape!" Miroku cried. "You can escape with Byanou!"
"I'm not leaving my mother or any of you!" Byanou exclaimed in return.
"And I'm not leaving her!" Shippo shouted. Byanou's mother's body shook with the devil's cold laughter.
"Fools," the devils voice said. Byanou's mother's face had his grimace. "Now...how to kill you?" the devil wondered aloud.
"You can leave, Shippo," Byanou whispered. "I'll be fine. You have to escape! I'm lowering the ice imprisoning your friends as we speak with my power."
"I'm not leaving you," he whispered back. There was a short pause, as Byanou pleaded Shippo with her eyes just to listen to her, to just rescue himself, so at least HIS life could be spared...
"I'll be fine, I have a plan."
"But--" Shippo began, but suddenly Byanou threw him aside and he landed on his stomach. "Byanou!" he cried, leaping to his feet. He was about to run over and protect her when he was surrounded by ice walls.
"Shippo, I can rid of the devil! Get my mother's soul to over power him!" Byanou cried. A cackle was the only response the devil gave her.
"Impossible! Now! i know exactly how to kill you! I'll devour you alive!" The demon shouted, running toward her.
"I'd rather kill myself than that!" Byanou's eyes flashed. "And I will!" The devil's body froze.
"What?"
"Byanou!" Kagome cried.
"No! Don't do it!" Shippo shouted. All of a sudden Byanou was surrounded in a white aura. "No!" The aura vanished instantaneously, but Byanou''s pupils, and the soul in her eyes seemed gone. She turned to Shippo.
"Shippo...don't mourn over me..." There were tears in the kitsune's eyes.
"No..." Byanou faced Inuyasha and the others, whose ice prison was quickly disintegrating.
"Recover my body...don't let the devil get it..." Byanou's eyes then closed and she fell to the floor. Everyone watched, there was a deafening soundlessness all around them, water lined Kagome's eyes.
"Poor Byanou..." she whispered, clutching her chest.
"Byanou..." Shippo sobbed quietly. "She's not gone...she can't be..." But Byanou didn't move, she lay still, all life had appeared to have left her. "Byanou...Byanou!!!" Suddenly the ice surrounding Shippo shattered. "What?" He stared, stunned at what had just happened. The demon seemed frozen in shock staring at Byanou's body.
Shippo quickly came to his senses and bounded toward Byanou. "Byanou!" he cried. He knelt down at her side. "Wake up...please..." Byanou was motionless. Everyone's eyes flew to the ice demon's mother who only scoffed by the devil's control, and quickly her body was shaking with grotesquely twisted mirth.
"You're gonna pay!" Inuyasha growled, his blood pulsing madly.
"As soon as we get out of here..." but Kagome trailed off. Suddenly the demon stopped laughing and again seemed still with either shock or the inability to control the possessed body he lurked in.
"Huh?" Miroku said, scanning the situation for some sort of reasoning as to what was happening. At that instant, the ice demon's hand opened allowing an ice dagger to grow.
"What?!" the devil's voice shouted, staring in terror and shock at the dagger. 'What is she doing!?' He cried mentally in a panic. 'What is her soul doing now?!' It was then it seemed Byanou's mother was bringing the ice dagger toward her heart, but was struggling for it to stop. "No! Her retched soul! It's trying to destroy her own body. Don't you know you're soul will be entirely mine once this body is destroyed?" The devil inquired, but the struggle only elevated in its intensity.
Most of the others were watching in horror and with anxiety, but Shippo hadn't even become aware of what was occuring between the devil and Byanou's mother's soul., he was still frantically screaming at Byanou's side. "Please! Byanou!" He cried.
"That foolish ice demon!' The devils voice shouted, still fighting an inward battle. "Why haven't you left this body!?" His voice only, rung out into the chilled air, but Byanou's mother was continuing her attempt to stab her own heart. After the desperate clash between souls continued for very long moments, it was finally Bynbaou's mother's voice that issued forth from her struggling body.
"I will die now. I want my soul to suffer for what has become of my daughter. It is all my fault...I will only be at peace when I am dead and you can know longer take the lives of innocent people using my power," she said.
"No!" Inuyasha shouted. "Think! Come on! Don't go and kill yourself!" Kagome looked over at him with surprise.
'He really does care about other beings and people...maybe he isn't so horrible after all...maybe he didn't do what Kikyo said...no...he did, though, didn't he?' Kagome thought studying him. Byanou's mother's spirit and the devil were still within conflict, her body appeared very strange from the outside, seeming to struggle against herself. '...but he's not all bad though...still...' Kagome was subconsciously walking toward him, her eyes on him, gazing at him lovingly. If she only knew what she was doing she would have ceased immediately, but some how she was entranced by him again, as if things were how they used to be.
Inuyasha didn't notice for time, but he began to feel as if someone was watching him. And he had been right. He stared at Kagome blankly, he didn't want to assume anything, assume she was only mocking him, assume it only meant something horrible, or assume her heart was still as strongly ajoined with his before he had made the most inflicting error of his life, hadn't seen that look in her eyes in so long. What had seemed to be an eternity. "Inuyasha," she whispered. Inuyasha turned to her. Kagome walked closer.
"Wha--" Inuyasha began, finding himself rooted in bewilderment. He stopped short by Kagome's action to throw herself on him and firmly kissing him and Inuyasha was just too stunned to move--to think--to breath--or do anything whatsoever for a moment. When he did come to his senses he was too afraid she'd be angry to embrace her in his arms, but when he deepened the kiss upon instinct without thinking. He felt his whole body had been aching--in such intense pain just before she had placed her lips on his--he hadn't realized it until she had, only because when she kissed him she took it all alway, all he could do--to survive perhaps--was to hold her, though he immediately reasoned it wasn't the most intellegent thing to do at all.
Miroku and Sango and Kaede were at first almost as surprised as Inuyasha, but they soon became very caught up in what had happened between them and smiled warmly upon them. 'Maybe I won't have to go through with my plan, after all,' Kaede thought. The demon and Shippo were far too distracted to notice what had happened between Inuyasha and Kagome, even when the room began to become considerably warming.
Shippo was crying over Byanou's body, feeling his world shattering quickly. The motive behind the devil's extreme persistance in his battle against the unwanted soul, seemed to simple be of greed, but in reality, there was more at stake for him, he could be seperated fro mthe body entirely. Every time the devil is separated from a body he has occupied, he becomes lost, and it takes some time for him to find his way back to Hell or into another body. Though the devil resisted with everything, the dagger was becoming dangerously close to Byanou's mother's heart.
The devil let out another cry of desperation and resentment, and Shippo gasped as he turned, finally being brought to his senses from his own world where Byanou was the single component that made up its entirity. Byanou's mother would be killed, he realized, and he quickly came to the conjecture that it would be by her own doing, as well. "No! Byanou wouldn't want your death!" He informed her in desperation. But Byanou's mother's soul did not seemed fazed , she did not seem to hesitate to any measure upon this plea. Shippo screamed in surprise when a geysers shot up right in front of him and he quickly jumped out of the way. He felt a streak of hope when he saw that Inuyasha and the others could escape and help.
Inuyasha and Kagome hadn't noticed the geysers, it appeared, at the moment, all they knew of--or really cared for--was each other. "Alright! We are thankful you guys kept us warm until the geysers came, but you've been kissing for long enough!" Miroku cried.
"Huh?" Inuyasha said, pulling away from Kagome, looking dazed and perplexed.
"Lord...you two could go on for an eternity..." Sango breathed, still seeming mystified by what had happened. Kagome looked angry and a bit insane, she was twitching vexedly.
"I only kissed him so we could get out! I still haven't forgiven him!" She shouted.
"Wha--" Inuyasha cried looking as if he had been slapped. "Oh!" He sighed sadly. "Oh well...we've got more important things!" And with that, he grabbed Shippo, Sango, Kagome, and Kaede to load onto his back and leapt out one of the holes in the roof created by the geysers.
"Yo! In here!" Miroku shouted, looking frantic that he might be left behind.
"Oh right..." Inuyasha said blushing. Soon they were all back inside the cabin. Quickly, everyone of them were focused on Byanou's mother's possessed body, and they remaing loaded off Inuyasha's back staring in horror and panic.
"No! She is going to destroy herself!" the demon shouted.
"No!!" Shippo cried.
"Ow..." moaned a voice.
"What?" Shippo, looked under him, he had jumped on Byanou's body when he had moved away from the geyser, it was then Byanou quickly winked at him then closed both her eyes. That moment there was to much happiness in Shippo's heart for him to stand it it and he sobbed a little out of pure happiness. "You're all--"
"Shh!" Byanou hissed, her eyes still closed. She fell still again.
"No...you're mother's killing herself...wake up Byanou..." Shippo whispered to her very hoarsly, nugging her body. Unfortunately, to SHippo's utter dismay, she didn't appear to have heard, or felt Shippo at all. 'Oh no...she must have put herself in a dormant state!' Shippo thought ravingly. He shook her. "Wake up! Or your mother will kill herself!"