InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Demons Within Us ❯ The Games We Play ( Chapter 21 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

InuYasha unconsciously shivered as he stepped off of his Harley. This area of the city always gave him the creeps. It was the Southern Block, known also as the Seventh Hell.

Almost ten years ago a heat bomb obliterated the area. The damage was so extensive that the fires from this blast threatened the whole city for three weeks. Gas lines blew up, firestorms were always roaring, and bodies were nothing more than ash and bone. Any person that stepped into this area of town trying to rescue survivors did so with their own lives. They said that it was the closest thing to Hell any mortal would ever see.

Seven thousand people were instantly killed the night the bomb hit. No one who was on this block had survived. There were rumours about one survivor, but that faded off in time, as well as the hope in restoring this place. It was now only a graveyard. No bodies were removed from this place, since none could be found. Stories spoke about how the area was haunted, and bad ki permeated from the ground. That's why it had never been cleared. No developer wanted to touch it, since no soul-fearing creature wanted to live in it. This place was tainted.

InuYasha walked slowly onward towards the centre of the city block and looked around.

The buildings that remained were nothing more than hollowed out caverns blackened from ash, mould and decay. Rats jumped and scurried around his feet and he had to keep from grimacing in disgust at the waste he treaded upon. Why the fuck Hiten and his brother had to meet him here was beyond him.

He cast his gaze around quickly to find his bearings before moving through the debris and fallen timber until he reached his destination. He growled low as he looked up at the massive, cement stairs that lead to the drop off point. About a hundred cracked and charred steps rose up to the height of the Seventh Hell where a Shinto Shrine once stood, guarding the city like a sentinel. A lot of good it did.

He slowly made his way up the stairs to finally see the one thing that always made his skin crawl.

The tree.

The massive plant was the only thing left standing in this whole goddamned place. Its burnt and naked branches were held high and firm amongst the blackened gloom of the city block. Though its very tip touched the ink jet sky, not even the stars could grace light upon its charred flesh. Any gust of wind that blew on that tree created sounds that made gooseflesh rise hard on his body. Even now a whispered breeze echoed through the timber, sounding like voices talking to each other. He stared at it uneasily as he drew near.

A dark chuckle quickly brought his attention to the base of the tree to see a long, ebony haired man walk from behind it and rest his back against the scorched trunk.

“A dog afraid of trees. I'd never seen the day….”

InuYasha's eyes narrowed. “Fuck off, Hiten.” He strolled irritably over to the dark-eyed man. “And if you call me `dog' again it would be the last thing you do.”

Hiten smirked, his black eyes shimmering in ease. “Pleasantries aside, what is it you came here for? It certainly wasn't for the scenery.”

“Shut up.” InuYasha growled, fisting his hands into his pockets. “You already know what I came here for so stop wasting my time.”

“Now, now. Is that any way to treat a friend who is doing you a favour?” Hiten smiled slightly before lifting his back off the tree and led him over to a worn down shed. “Besides, doesn't your bitch usually provide for you?”

“She was not my bitch.” The silver haired man snarled bitterly.

“Touchy.” Hiten shrugged indifferently while pulling out a smoke and offering one to InuYasha. “I take it she cast you off?”

“Other way around.” InuYasha grumbled, accepting the fag and leaning into the lighter Hiten held out.

“Is that right?” Hiten raised a brow, clicking his Zippo shut. “Interesting.”

InuYasha didn't say anything as he inhaled deep and slow on his drag.

“To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't tell her to fuck off sooner.” Hiten swiftly inhaled his own smoke. “That bitch was crazy.”

“Keh.” InuYasha rolled his eyes. “Was?”

Hiten chuckled and shook his head. “Don't know how you did it, man, but somehow you grew balls.” His dark eyes settled on his long time friend and he smirked. “You finally did something right.”

InuYasha scowled and flipped up his middle finger. “Less talk, more business.”

Hiten laughed and nodded as he quickly puffed on the remainder of his cigarette. Maten, Hiten's younger brother, apparently hated him smoking so he had to do it on the sly. He talked about quitting often, but InuYasha had yet to see the man go through with his actions. He stifled a smirk at seeing the man whip out a deodorizer and sprayed his body thoroughly.

Waving off the remainder of his smoke, Hiten flicked his head, indicating for InuYasha to follow before stepping into the shed.

The singer moved to the wide doorway and looked in. Below some wooden stairs was a dilapidated well where Maten waited, holding a dimly lit lantern. He frowned; taking in the faint light as Hiten quickly hopped down the frail stairs and began talking quietly to his brother.

InuYasha warily eyed the fat, bald man that was Maten. He held nothing against the man, but he hated how those dark eyes watched him with a hidden knowledge. He flicked his gaze to the wooden floor below and jumped down the rickety steps to join them.

Once settled below, he looked around uneasily. The wooden walls were scarred and blackened in places but not as bad as the rest of the area. It seemed as if the fire hardly touched this shack, though it did look worn down from age and use.

Casually placing his cigarette in his mouth, and ignoring the scowl coming from Maten, InuYasha sauntered lazily towards the ancient well and looked down. He could barely see the blackened bottom, but he could tell there was no water inside or looked to have ever held any. What was the point of it then? He snorted. Most useless shit ever. What good did it do for anybody?

“Hey.”

InuYasha looked up to see Hiten and Maten watching him intently. He pulled his smoke from his mouth. “What?”

The brothers looked at each other, then at InuYasha. Maten nudged his brother on.

Hiten smirked lazily down at his little brother before flicking black eyes up at InuYasha. “We saw you on the tube tonight. You sounded okay.”

InuYasha rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” His gaze landed on the goofy smile on Maten's face and he inwardly sighed. “Okay, I'll bite. What the fuck are you guys leading on to?”

“Nothing really.” Hiten shrugged and cast his eyes over at his brother. “But it was the first time we've seen the new addition to your group.”

“Your drummer is hot!” Maten choked out.

InuYasha clenched his teeth hard before he settled his sudden temper. He quickly shrugged and sat back against the lip of the well as he inhaled a long draft of his cigarette. “Says you. She's a pain in the ass.”

The brothers chanced a glance at each other before knowing leers settled on their lips.

“So, you're saying she's available?” Hiten leaned against the wall of the shed and crossed his arms.

Golden eyes flashed daggers at the man.

The black haired dealer lifted a shoulder in defeat and cast his eyes over at his stooped sibling. “I guess not. Sorry, little brother.”

Maten sighed. “She looked out of my league anyways. But it would have been so nice to have her.”

A sour wrench in his gut had InuYasha tasting bile at the thought of them touching Kagome. He pulled his half finished fag from his mouth and tossed it down the well in bitter haste. Blowing out the remainder of his smoke, he inwardly seethed at the slow burn he felt. “You're better off.” He mumbled. “She'd hate everything about you.”

“Us?” Hiten sidled up to Maten and threw his arm over his brother's shoulder. “But chicks dig dangerous men.”

InuYasha snorted and unconsciously smirked. “Not her. She's too fucking proper. She'd probably try to turn you into choir boys or something.”

“Oh.” Hiten grimaced. “One of those, eh? Definitely not worth it.”

Maten smiled slightly. “I don't know. To have her near me, I think I'd gladly give it all up and go the straight and narrow.”

“And leave me?” Hiten feigned a frown.

“Oh no! Never, brother!” Maten shook his head instantly. “I'd take you with me, and we would live in a large house in the country where you could take up fishing and chase around my children.”

“Children, huh?” Hiten smiled. “You dog, you.”

“We'd have at least six or seven.” Maten nodded happily before a cold hand gripped his shirt collar and lifted him up, making his eyes widen and his breath leave him in fear.

“It would be a wise decision to shut up now.” InuYasha snarled down into his sweat stained face.

“InuYasha?”

Golden eyes shot up to glare hard into black. Hiten was staring at him in shock.

“What!” He barked.

Hiten took in the petrified face of his younger sibling. His face grew dark and he flashed his ebony eyes back at the ivory haired man. “We were just joking, man. Put him down!”

InuYasha flicked his eyes down at Maten, then up at Hiten. He settled the man back down on the floor and released him. “Yeah, well… you're wasting my time talking about shit I don't give a fuck about. I didn't come here to listen to you go on about Kagome!”

“Kagome?” Hiten raised a brow in surprise. It was the first time InuYasha ever called a girl by her name and he couldn't help but ask.

InuYasha stepped forward with a furious gleam in his eye.

“Fuck!” Hiten backed up. “Sorry, man! Shit! Fine, we'll leave it alone!”

“My merchandise?” The man growled, his amber eyes flashing fire.

“Maten.” Hiten looked over at his brother and motioned for him to come to him.

Maten stumbled over towards his brother while fishing into his coat pockets. “We should have known better than talk about his woman, big brother.”

InuYasha raised his chin slightly at that statement. He was about to blow hell at them some more, but he felt his body betray him as his mind focused on two words: his woman. For some reason, the innate declaration soothed him.

Hiten absently glared at InuYasha while he helped his brother search his pockets. He noticed the slight shaking of the golden-eyed man and knew his addictions were calling the shots, but he wasn't about to excuse him for his behaviour. “You didn't have to scare Maten like that. Fuck, he didn't know that it would piss you off.”

InuYasha shrugged. “Now he does.”

Hiten narrowed his eyes angrily at the man. “InuYasha….”

InuYasha sighed and slumped his shoulders in slight rebuke. He couldn't blame Maten. The man had Down syndrome and was innocent in his actions. He knew that. It was a low blow to threaten him at all, but he couldn't control what he did. Even now his body was screaming at him to say fuck it all, but thankfully his conscience burned him awake.

He flicked his eyes up and down the fidgeting man before him. “Maten. Hey, look….” He shrugged uncomfortably. “I'm sorry, man.”

Maten nodded and slowly began to relax. A small smile settled in his lips and he tilted his head in acceptance. “It's okay. I understand. If someone wanted my woman, I would do the same.”

InuYasha smirked and rolled his eyes as he shifted awkwardly. “Yeah, well, she isn't my woman.”

Maten scratched his brow and gave InuYasha a knowing smile. “Maybe if you treated her nice, she would be.”

InuYasha shrugged and looked down but didn't respond.

Hiten shared a glance with his brother and gave him a slight wink in understanding as he continued to search his brother's pockets. Both smiled when Hiten finally pulled out a three by five bag filled with several pills.

He held the bag out to his friend, but then fisted it tightly in his hand as an after thought. “Listen, man. Go easy on this shit. There's been talk of some fucked up solution being laced. You never know where this stuff has been.”

InuYasha raised a brow and grabbed the bag out of his hand. “Looking out for me now? What do I owe the honour?”

Hiten looked away uncomfortably and a slight indignant flush crawled up his cheeks. “There will never be favours between us, Yash. You already know our pact for getting Souten out of this hellhole. Just don't ever threaten my brother again, or I will fuck you up.”

“You'd better.” InuYasha chuckled dryly and reached into his back pocket. With a relaxed flick of his wrist, he tossed a wad of bills to his buddy. “Go buy yourself something pretty.”

Hiten mockingly scowled and tapped Maten's chest with the back of his hand, signalling his brother it was time to go.

InuYasha hopped up the stairs with ease and reached down to help Hiten pull Maten out of the shed. Once on top, he waited for Hiten to check and see if Maten had everything before they headed home. He watched as they eventually headed toward the stairs on the opposite side of the shrine from which he came.

Before heading down, Hiten turned to look over his shoulder. “Yash? About those pills?”

InuYasha tucked the bag of said objects into his back pocket. “Yeah?”

The onyx haired man frowned and looked around uncomfortably before settling his eyes back on his friend. “You know where this shit comes from. You may be some hotshot singer now, but that won't save you if you piss off the wrong people. Just be careful.”

The silver headed man nodded. He knew that Naraku dallied in the majority of the stock, but he also knew that the drug lord had no intentions of losing his major money pot now that Perdition was a success. “No worries. Think he'd try to kill his biggest pay check?”

Hiten smiled slightly. “Yeah, well, that's only if anyone bothers to listen to your shit. I ain't buying your CD.”

“You're going to download it, aren't you?” InuYasha raised a brow knowingly.

Hiten chuckled and waved his hand. “I already have Pain on my iPod.”

InuYasha shook his head in ease and turned his back on his friends as made his way over towards the stairs he had came up from at the front of the Shrine. He cast a quick glance down at his watch. Four thirty six. It'll be dawn soon. He was looking forward to crashing at his apartment and being comatose for the next two days. Fuck, he needed it. He tapped his hand against his back pocket, reassuring himself that the drugs were safely there.

Rounding the other side of the large tree, he stopped short at the sound of crunching footfalls at the front of the fallen shrine. He slowly eased back behind the tree and waited for whomever it was to arrive. No one else was supposed to be in the area as far as he knew. Who the fuck was here at this time?

He tilted his head slightly to glance around the blackened trunk to catch a glimpse from one eye. His whole body felt like it shut down at what he saw.

Kagome?

-+-

Tired blue eyes glanced up at the massive stone staircase before them and the young woman they belonged to let out a shuddering sigh. It had been much too long since she had come here, and at the same time did not feel long enough. She would have been thankful to miss this, especially with all that had gone on in the last few days. In fact, she would have missed this day entirely had not the evening news reminded her of its significance while they waited for the men to pack up their gear before catching the train.

To say the train ride home itself was easy would have been a lie. Every mile brought her closer to an obligation she so wanted to avoid. Guilt and sorrow rubbed her raw as she contemplated skipping tonight, but the more she tried to convince herself to cast it aside, the more heavier her soul felt at forsaking her duty. She had hoped to find comfort in her struggle…. Her eyes lowered in sadness at remembering angered amber orbs. But it would have been too much to ask from him. He had done so much for his friends as is and it would have been impossible to have him do the same for her. She wasn't his friend after all.

Kagome inhaled deep and closed her eyes. It no longer mattered. She was here now. And it was now or never.

She slowly stepped forward and shivered uncontrollably as she met the hard stone beneath her feet. This seemed so surreal. She saw these stairs in her mind so often that it was hard to tell if she was in a nightmare or if this was really happening. Slowly she began to count in her head.

Two. Three. Four….

She didn't want to see what has become of them. She didn't want to know what surrounded her. She wanted to remember how it was. With her eyes closed, she could see them clear as day.

She knew that the thirtieth stair had a massive crack on the side so that she would have to move to her left.

Thirty-one. Thirty-two. Thirty-three….

She knew the fifty-eighth was missing a chunk, so she would have to step over it.

Fifty-nine. Sixty. Sixty-one….

She knew her steps would eventually slow as she neared the top, with her heart pounding and her fear rising.

Eighty-two…. Eighty-three…. Eighty-four….

And she knew she'd feel the urge to fly down these stairs once she reached the last step.

Ninety-five….

….Ninety-six.

Kagome released a shaky breath she did not know she held and kept her eyes shut. Standing still atop the stairs, she tilted her head slightly, sensing everything around her. A soft wind blew, cool, but fresh, with only a hint of charcoal tickling her nose. Noises from the city were like a hush, too far away to take notice of. It was so strange but so achingly familiar.

Inhaling deep, she quelled her frantic anxiety and slowly opened her eyes to a sight that never ceased to horrify her.

Kagome's mouth opened slightly as she tried to breathe. Her body felt rigid but her eyes moved across the Shrine with a will of their own.

The Sunset Shrine. It still looked exactly like it did since the day she first came back. The day she first felt able to finally confront her past. Every year since then she had come back to put old ghosts to rest. Funny thing was, she still felt the same way as she did the first day. She was still terrified to a point where she couldn't even breathe or move. But she had to come back. She couldn't forget them. She couldn't allow herself to be so selfish. Especially tonight.

Tonight was the night it all happened Nine years ago, at this moment, her whole life changed.

Where are we?

What the hell is going on?

Her muscles felt like ice, but she forced her body to respond. Slowly, her leg stepped forward as she took in what was her home. A blackened reminder that looked nothing as it once did.

The dust had only just begun to form

Crop circles in the carpet.

Sinking… feeling….

She struggled to hold her head up as she slowly approached the fallen debris that was once the shrine where so many had come to pray. But to her, it was something more.

Her eyes lowered to the front block and she stopped. She could almost see the images of her father picking her up and twirling her around and around, like faded ghosts dancing before her.

`Fly for me, my Kagome! Fly, my angel!'

She shut her eyes as joyous laughter tickled across her ears, like silver bells. She remembered the happiness. She could feel the sun on her face and how warm it was that day. And there was a hint of freshly cut grass….

Spin me round again

Kagome ripped her eyes open and looked quickly around. But it was gone, just a memory to haunt her for the rest of her life.

And rub my eyes

This can't be happening

She sadly looked down at the ash and fragments that was the Sunset Shrine. This was the public's shrine. During the war so many had come here to pray for their lives and for the lives of those who were sent off to fight. It was always so active. There was always someone here.

The streets below the Shrine steps used to be filled with the sounds of passing cars, ringing bicycle bells and of talking people as they carried on with their day. But she would always remember their faces when they came to the Shrine….

When busy streets

A mess with people

Would stop to hold

Their heads heavy.

She turned and moved on. She treaded lightly over the waste and rubble, looking at places that once stood tall and proud. Ancient but everlasting….

Hide and seek

Trains and sewing machines

All those years

They were here first.

She stopped when her sneaker accidentally kicked a loose board on the ground. Looking before her, her heart fluttered with dread. This was her house, or what was left of it. Slowly, she stepped into the rubble to move through the remains. The rusty metallic appliances looked like twisted and bubbled nightmares, scattered and fallen in what was once a home that was always there, but now it only remained in the memory of one last soul.

She silently followed a path she knew so well. It used to be the main hallway leading through her house and it was the only structure that remained standing.

Looking at the wall as she walked along side of it, she lifted her hands to trace the rectangular patterns where her family's mementos once hung.

Oily marks appear on walls

Where pleasure moments hung before

They take over,

The sweeping insensitivity

Of this still life.

She stopped when a slight tinkle erupted by her foot. She knelt down and fingered her way through the ash to bring up a small bronze bell. “Oh….” Her eyes burned as hot tears sprang forth. “Buyo.”

How many times did that fat calico sit on her lap as she studied and made her laugh over the stupidest things he did? She could still smell his foul breath when he yawned in her face to wake her up in the morning.

Her face contorted into bitter grief. He was here when he died. And he was alone.

Shaking her head of such thoughts, she fisted the little bell in her hand and placed it gently in her pocket. Slowly she stood, dusting the remains from her jeans and blinked back the tears to see where she was going.

She continued on through the fallen memories to finally step out onto the other side. Her head turned ever so slightly and she let her eyes flow up to the Guardian of the Shrine.

The God Tree.

The only thing that still stood amongst the chaos and pain that surrounded it. It used to bloom pink blossoms at this time, yet its mighty branches still looked as if it held up the entire sky. How many times did she and Souta sit under the shade of that tree? How many stories did they tell? How many games did they play?

Hide and seek

Trains and sewing machines

She could still see his seven-year old body run across the yard just like he did the last day and ducked behind the massive trunk, trying to hide from her.

(oh you won't catch me around here)

But all that remained of that mighty tree was a barren body, with arms outstretched and a head hung down. She often wondered how it still stood and survived. She knew it was still alive, though it hadn't bloomed a single leaf since the day it watched the city burn. This tree lasted a thousand years and she doubted it would fall so easy. Even in sleep, it still stood strong. Even though it was forgotten, it still watched over them behind its closed eyes.

She slowly approached the tree, oblivious to a set of wide golden orbs that watched her come near. Standing in silent reverie, she traced her fingers over the red sap that drained from its wounds. It still looked majestic though it appeared defeated. But deep within she knew it would outlast them all.

A small tear trailed down her face. She missed its presence. Would it ever grace them with life again?

Blood and tears.

They were here first.

She stepped back from the tree and silently knelt down, removing her yellow book bag from her shoulder.

InuYasha held his breath and pressed his body harder against the trunk and deeper into its shadow. He had watched her the entire time but he refused to reveal himself. Everything about this felt sacred and he knew he was intruding on something significant. He should have snuck away when he first saw her arrive, but he felt compelled to stay. Besides, someone had to make sure she was alright. This place wasn't safe after all.

Mmm. What d'you say?

Mmm. That you only meant well?

Well, of course you did.

Kagome lifted a small mahogany chest from her bag and set it down in front of her. Discarding the bag, she let her fingers trace the etchings in the wood of the container, feeling its familiar grooves before slowly opening it up.

InuYasha quietly turned his head and watched her from the corner of his eye. He felt his skin rise as the lid of the box opened, but he refused to move as his imagination spun at the ideas of what she was hiding.

He blinked and quickly looked down. This wasn't right. He shouldn't be here to witness this. But he couldn't bring himself to leave. As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to know her secrets.

Mmm. What d'you say

Mmm. That it's all for the best?

Of course it is.

Gingerly and with care, Kagome lifted a white lotus blossom from the case and serenely kissed it, before placing it between the massive roots of the tree.

The smell of wild sweetness tickled across InuYasha's nose and his eyes automatically shifted to follow her hands as she placed two more blossoms by the first. His eyes widened at the realization and his head slowly turned to look at the destroyed Shrine.

`She's not only the director of the Shikon House orphanage, she was also an orphan that lived there.'

He blinked as Sango's words tore him down.

`Kagome isn't as innocent as you think she is.'

Mmm. What d'you say?

Mmm. That it's just what we need.

You decided this.

Kagome lowered her head as her tears began to fall from her like a river, pouring out her grief. Her struggled breaths as she cried softly were like torment to his body.

InuYasha turned his wide eyes back at her and felt his throat close off at the realization of it all.

Oh, God, no. This couldn't have been her home. She couldn't have been through this. She must not have been here when it happened. There was no way she could have survived.

Mmm. What d'you say?

Why didn't she tell him?

Mmm. What did she say?

Nothing… everything….

He lowered his eyes in understanding. He knew now that she wasn't without pain. Why didn't he allow himself to see it?

He blinked tiredly. Because he never questioned why she was an orphan or where she had come from. He just didn't want to listen.

Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth

Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut outs

He just didn't want to know. He just wanted her to be so far removed from anything he felt.

His golden gaze flowed up to look at the prone woman before him. He didn't want to believe she could know how it felt. If he believed it, then he wouldn't feel close to her, she wouldn't be… human.

Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you

Kagome lifted her head and her blue eyes reflected more pain and sorrow he'd ever seen in anyone. Her face looked to mourn for everyone that had ever felt such anguish, and she was suffering… alone.

He shut his eyes from the assault.

You don't care a bit

She was supposed to be untouchable. She was supposed to be above this. Nothing could reach her. He needed her to be too far removed from the pain.

(Hide and seek)

Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth

Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut outs

He didn't want her to know suffering. He didn't want her to know hatred, grief or fear. He didn't want her to be human! He wanted her as far from his soul as she could get.

(Hide and seek)

Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you

Then he could forget about her and never think about her, because she wasn't real.

You don't care a bit

You don't care

You don't care a bit

Her gasp of inconsolable pain made his eyes fly open and his mouth parted as he tried to breathe.

It was just a dream. This wasn't real. He tried to tell himself anything, as many lies as he could come up with. As long as he didn't have to hear her cry or know what those tears were for.

He clenched his hands hard against the bark of the tree as he heard her stand and gather her belongings. He slowly turned his head as she walked away, following her solemn movements across the Shrine grounds to stand still above the stairs to watch the growing morning.

(Hide and seek)

(oh no)You don't care a bit

Her hands grasped tightly the redwood container and she turned her head to take in the entire decimated mass surrounding the Shrine.

His eyes widened as the dawn broke suddenly over her and flooded the grounds with an orange light, spreading a blazing white aura around her form as she released thousands of tiny white petals from her case.

He watched them dance and flutter in the dawn's breeze, spreading out like a soft curtain in the air to eventually settle around the charred remains below. His eyes lowered when he felt a soft tickle grace his body and he softly pinched a tiny petal that rested perfectly on his arm.

Dropping the small petal to fall abandoned on the wind, his golden gaze looked up once more to find the angelic woman, but she was gone.

(Hide and seek)

(Mmhm) You don't care a bit

You don't care a bit

-+-

“Yes?”

“Hiten!” A dark feminine voice spat at him.

The dark eyed man glowered into his cell phone. It was five-thirty in the fucking morning. What was Kikyo doing calling him now? God, he hated that bitch.

“Yeah.”

“Did you give him my treat?” Her cold voice cut him like glass.

Hiten slowly sat up in his bed and wiped his exhausted face. His chest still felt like it was bleeding ice over what he did to his friend. “Yeah.”

“So you didn't con me?”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Kikyo! I gave him your shit like you asked, now do your part of the deal and leave us the fuck alone!”

“Hiten?” Maten poked his sleepy head up from over the pull away couch on the opposite side of the tiny apartment.

Hiten motioned his brother to go back to sleep. “It's okay, buddy. Just a telemarketer asking for a survey.”

Maten yawned and nodded. His head disappeared behind the couch.

“Fuck off, Kik. I did what you told me to. The rest of it is off my shoulders.” Hiten hissed into the phone.

Her words sliced him to the core. “It'd better be, or that freak brother of yours will be feeling the worse care a mental institution can offer. I won't hesitate in calling social services if this does not go the way I want.”

His eyes flashed to the couch and he growled low in helplessness.

He wanted to keep his brother safe and as far from harm as he could and that took money, lots of it. And it took taking whatever shit he was dealt to keep his family safe. He didn't have the education or the experience to make it as anything else, and the courts took any inheritance they had after their parents died.

This life was his only choice he had if he wanted to keep Maten safe. If his little brother were different he'd have sent him off somewhere safe like he did for his baby sister. He might have been able to take on a normal job to get him back on his feet, but no one would be able to take care of Maten like he could. He worked too hard to keep them where they were and no one would take his brother away from him.

“I did all that you asked of me.” He voice sounded dead in the phone. “Whatever happens now is in Yash's court.”

Kikyo was silent for a few moments before her voice burned a chill right through him. “When did you give him the shit?”

Hiten blinked in confusion. “About an hour ago or so. Why?” But he didn't get a response as Kikyo hung up on him.

“Then where the fuck is he?” Kikyo said as she stood outside InuYasha's empty apartment.

-+-

“Fuck! I'm coming!” Sango snarled as she padded across her warehouse floor and unbolted the massive aluminium door. Before she had a chance to reach for the handle the door shot up with a loud clang.

Sango's eyes widened at the dishevelled appearance of her best friend.

“InuYasha? It's six in the morning. What the hell!”

The silver haired man shoved past her and dragged her in with him. The door fell shut behind them with a bang.

“You know, don't you.” He growled as he led her to her room.

Sango blinked at him in total confusion and followed quickly behind. “Know what?”

“About Kagome.”

Sango stopped short as her body became fully awake. Her eyes widened as he turned and glared clear golden eyes down at her.

“Tell me what you know.”

-+-

A/N - Hide and Seek is by Imogen Heap. Freaky sound, but listen to it enough and it grows on you for some reason. (Shrugs)

I hope you all liked this chapter. I know it was a long time in coming for InuYasha to finally get a sense of Kagome's past and her pain. This chapter will make more sense and connections further into the story. But I'm glad to finally have a turning point in their relationship. And yes, the next chapter will be Kohoku. I know that is a long time in coming too. (As well as the person in the bedroom at the mansion). Everything will be revealed at some point, don't worry. My cyber legs are aching for the amount of people who kicked me for dragging it out so long ^_^.

But I still appreciate the reviews, and thank you all for sticking with me as I write the story. I really hate to disappoint, and will do what I can to make sure this story is a good read.

Anyways, lots of love, life and happiness to you all!

WDW