InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strange Duet ❯ Strength to Move Forward ( Chapter 12 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Welcome to the 12thchapter of Strange Duet. I have decided to change the name of the fanfic to better suit the pairing involved.I will probably be going back and editing the first four or five chapters so that they sound a little better than they do now during the next few weeks. Thank you all so much for being supportive and encouraging in your reviews!

Standard Disclaimer: Inuyasha/co are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, I do own Chimokoumaru and his family, along with any other OCs that may pop in here.

Tracklist (C12): Rakuen- Do As Infinity

Inuyasha was reluctant to let go of her and allow her to leave her place on his back.

Sure he would have had to in due time but, as long as his legs and body would hold him upright, he wanted to keep holding her close to his body. Although, he'd prefer holding her in his arms rather than on his back but, he didn't have that right anymore.

Not after that argument that had nearly destroyed the both of them.

Looking at her now, sleeping peacefully beneath his overcoat and sheltered beneath the large flowering branches of the tree his mother's grave rested under, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel like he could finally relax and let down his guard again.

Although, there was still the matter of the fact that he had caused her to lose weight because he had fought with her that he had to deal with.

Inuyasha could remember one other time he had felt so guilty; when he had thought Naraku had killed Kikyou back at Mount Hakurei.

He took a seat beside her, watching her sleeping face as she breathed the deep rhythm that belonged to those in the dreaming stages of slumber. The air was starting to hang on to the day time warmth. If that wasn't a signal that summer was fast approaching, he didn't know what was.

`That's right; Kagome was born in the summer months.'

Her approaching birthday meant the milestone of nearly half a decade she had spent at his side.

“…four years already huh. Doesn't seem that long.”

Inuyasha said quietly as he watched Kagome sleep. He had never told anyone why he had liked to take the night time watches, stating only that he didn't need as much sleep as the rest of them and that he was more aware of what was going on around them.

Though the above was true, there was another reason entirely for his nightly vigils.

For a long time Inuyasha had found that watching Kagome during various times of the night and day were some of the most fascinating times he had ever seen in his life.

She was just so different than any of the other women he had come across. Sure she had one hell of a temper and was just about as stubborn as one of those damn bull youkai but, there were also more things about her that he couldn't figure out for the life of him.

Like why she kept coming back to him when all he did was hurt her.

His relationship with Kikyou had been complicated yet simple at the same time. In a way they had been using each other, now that he thought about it with an unbiased mind.

Kikyou had wanted to be a normal woman without the odious burden of being the protector and priestess of the Shikon no Tama while he had wanted to steal the damn thing so that he could make his wish to become a full youkai and finally have a place to belong.

In the end, they just hadn't been able to come to that one point where most couples trusted each other completely and didn't second guess what the other said or did.

Only, that meant that Naraku was right about his relationship with Kikyou and Inuyasha didn't want to admit that.

Inuyasha shook himself out of the memories of the past, his ears flattened slightly as he tore his eyes away from Kagome and rose to his feet. The lake in front of him reflected the fading twilight and started to show the watery doubles of a few brighter than average stars that emerged in the navy blue-violet sky. Sesshoumaru had also been right, though there was no way in any level of the nine hells he'd say it to the bastard's face and give him that satisfaction.

You remain the fool Inuyasha, had I wished to have her turn against you, I would have done so ages ago. You are the one who is possessed. By a shadow of your past no less…

`Dammit Sesshoumaru, you knew all about Kikyou and I and even then you threw it in my face when no one else would.'

His eyes darkened slightly as he took a seat in front of the lake, staring into the dark outline of his reflection as he tried to figure out where everything had come undone. Kagome's face rose to his mind from their fight, they had been in each other's faces, eyes burning with equal amounts of fury as they had shouted at each other. His words followed by her own rang out in his mind, guilt digging its claws deeper into his heart as he realized just how much of an asshole he had been to her.

“What the hell were you thinking anyways! Sesshoumaru could have killed us all in our sleep because of you!”

He had shouted, furious that she would turn to Sesshoumaru for training instead of coming to him. After all, Sesshoumaru had tried to kill her on a few occasions and there had been jack shit in Inuyasha's opinion that left that bastard to be trusted, especially where Kagome was concerned.

“And you would know about him coming to visit me in the night? I wasn't the only one going off by myself without telling anyone!”

As usual she was stepping up to the challenge being issued, as he had come to realize was her very nature. Something tried to tell her what to say or do and she'd fight it like no one's business, even if that person was more than three times stronger than she was. She had shot back that retort as soon as he had shut his mouth.

And as usual, he had reopened his, not even knowing what she had been talking about despite the sinking feeling in his chest even as he had let her have it.

“What the hell does that mean!”

That was when he had known he had made the first of several errors within the next ten minutes that would happen. What clued him in was the fact that her eyes had sudden gone over bright and her voice had cracked immediately after Kikyou's name had come up.

“It means that I knew you were sneaking off to go and be with Kikyou when you thought everyone was sleeping!”

`What the hell was I thinking?'

In a way, he wished Sesshoumaru was the one responsible for all the problems that came up between Kagome and himself. After all, it'd be so much easier to tell her that Sesshoumaru just hated him and wanted nothing more to see him miserable.

And yet, that wasn't the case. That wasn't the case at all.

If it was anyone, it was Naraku who wanted him to suffer and be miserable for his entire life; Sesshoumaru was just there to be a thorn in his ass and to remind him that he was only half a youkai.

So lost in his own thoughts, Inuyasha didn't even sense Kagome until he felt a warm pair of arms wrap around his shoulders.

Kagome had woken to find that it was nearly night; the final shades of violet were leaving the dark blue sky and turning the time from twilight to night. Covering her was none other than the fire rat haori; its owner was crouched down by the edge of the lake and didn't look like he was moving any time soon. Pushing herself into a sitting position, Kagome pulled the protective garment up and around her shoulders before she stood up and began to walk over to where Inuyasha was sitting. It was still huge on her, the sleeves trailing past her fingertips as the corners brushed just below her knees.

Well, not like she had grown all that much during the past three years anyhow. Only a grand and unimpressive total of one inch had been added to her height. So all in all, she was still on the small side and it seemed to work just fine for everyone else.

Watching him stare out over the water and into his own reflection a while later with such a downhearted expression on his face that she felt her heart begin to ache.

`Inuyasha…'

Kagome had done the only thing she was able to do at that moment and that was putting her arms around him to try and make him forget his sorrow and to remove that heart breaking expression on his face. She rested her head on his shoulder as she took in the strength of his body through the contact.

He was the first one to speak to her, his hand coming up and touching the one on his shoulder lightly before he held on to it like it was a life line.

“You're awake, huh?”

Her voice was slightly muffled, being as she had her head resting against his back and shoulder.

“Yeah, a little while ago actually. I was watching you looking into the lake. What were you looking for?”

Inuyasha swallowed hard, no matter what he was trying to do, he could never lie to Kagome. Something about her just demanded that he tell her the truth and the truth only. Amber eyes darkened as he stared into the reflection of the two of them in the water. If only he could keep her here, at his side, forever, maybe then he'd had some kind of a chance at finding out his worth as a living being, not just as a fighter.

`How can I tell her what she means to me?'

Kagome looked up, pulling herself up a little so that she could stare into the water with him.

`What are you thinking about?'

She wondered silently as she looked at the reflection of the two of them. How many times had she leaned on him so that his physical strength could flow into her and give her the energy and will to move forward? The two of them just looked so…right together, and she was so sure that he felt the same way she did.

And yet, something just didn't connect with the two of them, no matter how hard and desperately the both of them tried to make it work.

That one little flaw was the one thing that Kagome knew would forever keep them from being together as they wanted to be.

`I've heard about unrequited love before but, on both sides?'

“Inuyasha, I-”

Inuyasha cut her off almost immediately, ears flattening slightly against his skull as he began to speak.

“Say the word however many fucking times you need to or tell me whatever it is I can do to make it so that you'll forgive me. Don't-”

His voice seemed to break, growing rougher and raspier as he swallowed hard before speaking, turning his head so that he could look into her eyes. He was a desperate man and if she asked him, he would damn well tell her that he was afraid that she hated him and would want him killed because of how he had acted.

Most of all, he was afraid of losing her in any and all ways.

“Just, whatever you do, don't leave again. I-”

Kagome's eyes were wide as she listened to him, her eyes filling with tears as she watched and felt him become more upset with each word. She had been looking at him the entire time, noticing the dark circles under his eyes, the tangled hair, the haunted and desperate look those beautiful eyes of his, and the way his face was a little sharper due to some weight loss. Her eyes examined his face, noting each detail and for the first time seeing how truly vulnerable he was. She reached up and touched his cheek with one hand, cupping his cheek gently as she tried to express her feelings without speaking for once.

`He's lost weight, like I have, and he looks so tired. I wonder exactly how much he slept each night…maybe only enough to keep it from killing him.'

Her eyes suddenly dropped to something that clacked, like the sound of beads that were bumped and moved against each other.

He had kept the rosary and was wearing it around his neck, like he always had.

`He kept the rosary…'

“…swear I'll do anything you want, just, you don't know what the hell's been going on since you left…didn't feel right without you here every day…I swear to you Kagome, I'll-”

Inuyasha's rambling was silenced as he felt his eyes widen in surprise, arms falling to his sides as he managed to figure just what the hell was going on.

Kagome was kissing him.

Wait.

Kagome was kissing him!

Inuyasha's eyes slowly closed as his hands came up and rested on Kagome's shoulders, letting himself drop his guard to show her that he missed her. She pulled away gently after a moment before she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, burying her face into his shoulder as she let some of her tears fall, spotting the crimson fabric and dripping on to the purple-black beads of the rosary. Both of their thoughts were as one as they held each other in the new born night.

`I'm so sorry…'

“I'll always be here Inuyasha, at least, until my time here is finished and there's nothing left for me to do in this time.”

Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat as he shook his head, holding her a little tighter, as if afraid she'd slip away from him if he let go before he spoke, voice quiet.

“Kagome, you'll be needed-”

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

What the hell did that woman think she was doing with that bastard offspring of his honorable father!?

Or rather, who the hell Inuyasha thought he was in kissing that girl and returning her embrace?!

Amber eyes narrowed furiously as he used every ounce of his self control to keep himself from going out there and ripping the half breed to shreds. Again his thoughts were surprising him, strong emotions that he did not quite understand, much less like, were coming up from beneath the icy demeanor he usually kept his feelings to.

A part of him was convinced that the girl belonged to Inuyasha, always had and will, and that he should accept it and move on with his extremely long life.

Then again, there was that other side to him, the one that made him recall the days of his teenage years, much like how Inuyasha seemed to be stuck in. That side of him demanded that he show both Inuyasha and that strange girl who belonged to what man.

Why was it bothering him so much? Why would one kiss between a filthy half breed and a lowly human woman make his blood boil?

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly as he continued his observance of the two, noticing with irritation and something else he couldn't begin to name that the two had not pulled apart from their embrace.

`That girl has plagued my thoughts for far too long.'

The waning crescent moon was starting to creep up from behind the forest on the other side of the lake, sending down a cruel arc of cold and bitter light down upon the three of them. The heady scent of the blossoming wisteria hung heavily in the still pleasantly warm air even as a soft wind blew around the area.

It did not matter that the woman who spawned Inuyasha was lying in her grave here, though she had earned her rest by having to bear such a disgrace of a child. Everything seemed to be working against him at the moment, the weather, the scenery and even that damned Inuyasha.

How was it that the clumsy courtship between that hanyou and the human girl was something that made even youkai of the courts rave about it in excitement?

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked up into the branches of the tree, half expecting to see the souls of his father and the bastard half breed's mother watching him or Inuyasha and the girl.

He could give the girl anything she desired, be it material pleasure, Naraku's demise and the Shikon no Tama, though why anyone would actually want the cursed thing was beyond his understanding, or even carnal pleasure.

Anything and everything he could offer was so much more than that pathetic excuse for a half demon could give to her in his idiotically expanded lifetime.

So then, how was it that he was losing her to the damned fool?

`I will have to show her what a true courtship resembles. Not what that fool is clumsily attempting.'

He inclined his head once, the notion firmly implanted in his mind as Sesshoumaru rested one shoulder against the tree, watching the two of them again as he began to plan out what he was going to do.

He, Sesshoumaru, would make sure that the girl would know who she belonged to, even if it took showing her that her loyalty to Inuyasha was ridiculous.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

She had kissed Inuyasha again, Eri had said that kissing guys was a good way to shut them up when you wanted them to stop talking but, Kagome wasn't just able to do it. Too much of her personality was based on her actions being influenced by pure emotion and this was definitely one of those times.

`I know what Inuyasha and I have and…it's not what we both want.'

Kagome pulled away from him again, kneeling on the ground while facing him as she gave him a regret filled look. She took his hands into hers, holding them and looking at the thin scars on the back of his hands before she managed to meet his eyes.

“Inuyasha, we'll always be close to each other. Any time either of us needs the other, we'll be there and waiting to help and protect them.”

Inuyasha nodded, unable to speak as he held her hands as well, looking at the few visible scars on her hands from her training. How could he tell her that he wanted to love her and keep her as the one his heart wanted but that something just wouldn't let him do it?

She had a very shaky and small smile on her face as she spoke again, voice shaking as her eyes filled up with tears again.

Somehow, the past year was starting to look like she was doing nothing but crying or breaking down into tears.

“I think we both know…that we can't, that we'll never…”

Inuyasha's voice was barely above a low murmur as he finished her sentence for her, feeling his heart constrict because of the truth of it and his mind immediately going into denial and telling him that they could and would be, once a few things were out of the way.

“..lovers.”

Kagome nodded, not trusting herself to speak even as her thumbs gently smoothed over the back of Inuyasha's hands. It was so hard to say that, and yet, she desperately wanted to be what Inuyasha and herself could never be.

It was hard to admit to yourself, and even harder to the one you had loved for so long, that you would never be as you had longed to.

“I'm sorry…”

She whispered brokenly, eyes closing as she tried to prevent herself from crying. Not only did it hurt to have to say it to him and force herself to face the fact that it was true, but it was killing her inside that Inuyasha had understood and had had to finish her sentence for her.

Inuyasha pulled her close to his body again, letting their weight pull them to the ground and on to their sides as he curled his body around hers, holding her tightly even as he buried his face into the top of her head. She was crying, and he was damn near close to doing the same thing himself. His words were soft as he spoke to her softly, admitting what he had feared ever since the day their argument had separated them into two different eras for such a long time.

`Kagome…I'm not giving up.'

“I was afraid…afraid that you actually hated me…and…”

Inuyasha felt her stiffen a little, her body inching unconsciously closer to his as he felt her brace for whatever he said next. He swallowed hard and only held on a little tighter to the girl he loved so much that it hurt him physically some times.

“I was afraid that you'd never come back to me again…that I'd be left all alone like I had been before you came.”

He closed his eyes as a tear escaped down each cheek, a few more following even as he forced himself to choke out the rest of the words that had ate at him from the inside.

“I was afraid that I would never see you again before I died.”

Kagome's eyes flashed as they opened, her face suddenly draining of color as something came to her in a burst of hazy and scattered images.

…fields of charred bodies, left over youkai parts scattered about a thick and poisonous mist filled battlefield…

`What is this!?'

…Hiraikotsu broken into several pieces, scarlet stains dripping down small lines on the well worn bone, a broken staff stained with blood and bits of unidentifiable flesh sticking to the jagged edges…

`Sango-chan?! Miroku-sama?!'

…blood colored sky casting black shadows on to everything even as the sounds of mourning filled the air…

…completed Shikon no Tama glinting darkly in the hands of someone she felt was familiar and exploding into blackened flames that reeked of death and decay even as those flames attacked the unidentified person and sent them writhing in agony even as a pure white-gold light in the shape of a sphere emerged and shot into a still body being cradled by someone else…

…head in the black flames turned, eyes opening as the sorrow filled eyes suddenly became colored with gold, a voice spoke her name with longing as she opened her mouth to scream in denial and in fear…

“Kagome…”

`No!'

“Kagome!”

Kagome's eyes shot open as the near panicked shout brought her around from whatever that had been. Inuyasha was holding her, like a groom would hold his bride or a mother would her terrified child and was looking into her eyes as if he was about ready to freak out. She shivered as she tucked herself in closer to the heat radiating off of Inuyasha's body, eyes closing tightly as she tried to recall the face she had caught a glimpse of in that strange dream-like vision.

`Come on; let me recall whatever that was!'

“Kagome, are you alright?!”

The images had faded away, leaving her frustrated and filled with a sudden surge of fear and anxiety.

“I'm fine.”

Even her own ears could hear how shaky she was, not a good thing in this situation. Kagome swallowed hard, leaning her head against Inuyasha's chest as she let the pounding of his heart calm her down before she tried again.

“I'm alright. I just startled myself. Have you ever had that feeling where you're suddenly falling and you freak out? Happens a lot to me…”

God she hated lying to him like that but, how could she explain that something she couldn't even remember correctly had scared her without seeming like some little girl who was jumping at the shadows?

Inuyasha didn't look like he believed her but didn't say anything, whatever was bothering her was her own business. All he could do was be there for her when she needed him.

“Nah, never happened to me before.”

His eyes darkened slightly as he set her down reluctantly.

“You're sure you're alright? I'll take you home if you're not feelin' well.”

“I'm fine, really.”

Kagome responded softly as she stood up on her toes and kissed him softly on the cheek before going back down to looking up at him. Her eyes were distracted and worried though they still held a deep fondness for him as she seemed to take him in for a long moment.

“You'll do the same with me, right? If you feel like you're sick, you'll let me take you home and take care of you?”

Home…

That was one word that just seemed to be closely wrapped around Kagome, where ever she was, there would be his home. Amber eyes brightened a little as he gave a snort and let his hand land heavily on top of her head and ruffled her usually neat hair.

`I'll go anywhere you need me to.'

“Keh! Like I ever get sick.”

Kagome gave him a mock glare as the two of them began to head towards the shelter of the absolutely gorgeous wisteria tree that sheltered Izayoi's grave for the night. They would leave in the morning, much like how the times had been when it had been only the two of them traveling.

“Hey, it could happen one of these days you know!”

“Yeah, when flowers bloom out of Naraku's ass and Miroku stops being a fucking lecher.”

He retorted with the beginnings of his usual trademark smirk on his face as Kagome shoved at him playfully and missed due to the way he twisted away from her. Amber eyes snapped mischievously as he dodged the next attempt and the one after that.

“C'mon Kagome, you're gettin' slow.”

Kagome glared at him, face turning red as she shook a finger at him, trying to keep a straight face and scold him at the same time and failing miserably. Well, the first mental image that dealt with Naraku wasn't at all a pleasant one, humorous, but in a disgusting way. And of course, she couldn't deny that Miroku wasn't a pervert at times.

“Hey! I'm not the one who's cheating here! Stop moving so I can shove you!”

“Where the hell is the fun in that? I ain't some damn idiot like Shippou on a log that you can grab at any time.”

“Inuyasha! Shippou's not an idiot!”

“Says you.”

He said with a rather wicked grin, the corner of one fang overlapping his lower lip in a rather endearing way as he damn near danced just out of her reach and continued to tease her. Inuyasha had almost forgotten what it was like to tease her and end up with a fun bantering session between the two of them.

`I don't want her to leave again. When did I start needing to have her by my side so much?'

Kagome had thought he was baiting her again and began to sneak up on him, crouched down slightly before she raced up and attacked him from behind. She jumped on to his back, throwing her arms around his neck playfully as she suddenly and quite unexpectedly felt herself and Inuyasha sharply heading for the ground with a surprised yelp from the both of them.

Well, that had certainly been interesting.

She thought dazed as Inuyasha immediately began to check her over to see if she was alright, he had a clump of some of the wisteria blossoms stuck in his hair right behind one of his ears. Said ear was twitching madly because the sensitive hair covering it was being irritated by the flowers brushing against it. Her eyes landed on the ear as a small giggle escaped, Inuyasha stopping his inspection of her and looking up in confusion before her giggle exploded into a full scale laugh.

He just gave her a strange look before the irritation his ear was giving him finally had him reaching up to flick whatever it was away from his ear before looking at the clump of blossoms that had fallen to the ground. For some reason, that had made Kagome laugh all the harder at him.

`Women, what the hell can you do with `em?'

Inuyasha thought in cross between amusement and irritation while watching her.

“Oi, you're going to be tired when I drag your lazy ass outta bed tomorrow to return back to the village if you keep that up.”

She glared at him, still giggling quietly under her breath as she allowed Inuyasha to fix the haori over her body and arrange it so that she was mostly covered before feeling him pull her to his body from behind. Considering that the haori was big enough for one person, Inuyasha was giving her some of his body heat, and taking some of hers for himself as well.

Despite the slight bit of strange discomfort tugging at Kagome's mind, she had no problem with the position she was in.

After all, didn't she feel the safest when she was with Inuyasha?

“Hey, Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha made a sound that resembled a cross between a groan and an irritated growl as he responded, voice muffled as he spoke into her shoulder.

“Yeah?”

Kagome smiled to herself as she cuddled a little closer and closed her eyes.

“I'll always be here for you if you ever need me.”

He was silent for a long moment before he finally responded to her heartfelt statement.

“Yeah, I know.”

She smiled and went quiet, feeling him settle back down before she found herself speaking again.

“Hey, Inuyasha?”

“What?”

She began to giggle again from the exasperated tone he spoke with.

“I missed you.”

Inuyasha grunted as a response and moved closer, closing his eyes and relishing the warmth and comfort that seemed to pour off of the woman he held in waves.

“…hey Kagome?”

Her response was sleepy and soft as she responded.

“Yeah?”

Whatever sweet nothing Kagome had been hoping to hear were dashed and sent to hell as Inuyasha's usually obnoxious personality kicked back in.

“Shut up and go to sleep.”

“…fine. Baka.”

“Wench.”

“Jerk.”

“Woman.”

“Man.”

The two of them both started laughing again as they fell asleep, both of them with smiles on their faces.

Morning had come too damn soon, Inuyasha decided as he swore darkly under his breath and splashed some water on his face, washing some of the grass blades off and clearing his dream-dazed thoughts. Amber eyes rested on the still snoozing girl before he smiled. At first the smile was a contented one, the one a man who now had everything in the world that he ever needed or wanted, then, it kind of went to hell from there as an idea formed in his head.

Of course it must be known that once an idea was stuck in Inuyasha's head, he just had to act on it.

He picked up one of the strange water containers Kagome had given him and filled it up with the chilly lake water before he crept over to where she slept and looked down at her.

`Time to get your ass up Kagome.'

Inuyasha smirked to himself, trying to hold back the laughter threatening to burst forth from his mouth even as he up ended the contents of the bottle on to Kagome's sleeping form.

The strangled scream of shock and surprise was beautiful.

“I will have my revenge Inuyasha, just you wait, I'll make you regret that water trick.”

Kagome yelled at Inuyasha's still laughing form.

Big fat jerk, waking her up by dumping water on her.

And it had been cold water too.

She glared at his back, furiously trying to think of a creative and effective way to get him back without really hurting him, or giving into the temptation to do as Inuyasha had asked during their walk to reactivate the rosary's spell.

`Why can't I think of anything that won't hurt him?'

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Had he been less trained in the ways of control, Sesshoumaru might have found himself slaying the hanyou during the course of the night for the crimes he had committed with the girl.

And dammit, there was the unreasonable side of him lashing out again, the side he usually paid no mind to and ignored it like he had Jaken most of the time. It seemed to be acting up more often, muttering about the hanyou and that human girl being so close to each other.

Watching them play with each other like foolish lovers.

He was not allowing the girl out of his sight and if Inuyasha step out of his place again, well, needless to say that there would be a little…chat that was looking to be long overdue between himself and his dear half brother.

Admittedly, the cold water being thrown on her unsuspecting form and the ear piercing spluttering scream she had managed to produce had proved to be most entertaining.

Sesshoumaru was able to tell from the irritation in the girl's aura that she was trying to come up with some kind of ploy to get back at his half brother for dumping water on her to wake her up. He could think of a few less than polite things to do to the half breed himself, though he suspected that the girl would strongly oppose his ideas.

`This scent again.'

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed as he easily leapt into the trees to his left, following the two even as he noticed the tell tale shimmer of the dead woman's soul gatherers in the distance.

The dead priestess that had slain Inuyasha and kept his soul bound to the tree for over fifty years and who had bewitched the fool's heart before her demise.

He did not care for the likes of her at all.

She was as cunning and even as ruthless as a youkai woman fighting over a man when it came to getting her way and to Inuyasha.

No, he had no respect for that one at all.

`The dead belong with the dead, not among the living.'

That and, he did not care for the fact that she was trying to reclaim the past that was lost to her forever.

The past would stay in the past; there would be no reviving it.

`What are you scheming this time?'

Sesshoumaru thought to himself as he settled in the branches of the tree and watched what was to become of this interaction.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

`Kikyou…'

Kagome thought to herself, eyes darkening as she noticed the proud form of the priestess standing in the center of the road, eyes expectant as she caught them coming up the hill. Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara were all looking incredibly edgy, Miroku more from trying to think of taking Hiraikotsu from Sango's hand than from being near Kikyou herself. She looked at Inuyasha, noticed the pain and guilt in his eyes as he glanced from her to Kikyou and back again.

It was about time she and Kikyou sorted this messy and dangerous love triangle out once and for all.

“Kikyou, is something wrong?”

Inuyasha asked, feeling his heart sink down into his stomach as he felt himself come to that familiar crossroad once again. Two paths in front of him, one leading to a past he wanted to forget and the other, to a future that was uncertain.

Two roads with equal amounts of trouble.

Kikyou's eyes left Inuyasha and landed on Kagome's suddenly quiet form, the hard earth toned eyes narrowing slightly as the priestess seemed to find something about her that was intriguing before she spoke.

“I am here to speak with Kagome.”

Sango began to walk forward when Kagome had when she was suddenly stopped by Kikyou's eyes moving from Kagome to each of them watching her and returning back. Kikyou seemed to find their immediate responses to her words amusing as she nodded once and spoke once more.

“Alone.”

Well, there's the 12thChapter! I hope it wasn't OOC or boring for anyone… Anyways, thank you all so much for reviewing, I will have to put off the 13thchapter for a little while due to my upcoming Senior Project being due very very soon. So please be patient with me! Any criticism you have or advice is always welcome, as are all your reviews. Until next time, thank you everyone and good luck!