InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Uncovering the Past ❯ Found but Lost ( Chapter 1 )

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

Uncovering the Past

'OoOo' scene change
"talking"
'thoughts'
flashback
'phone/walkie talkie conversation'

Chapter 1
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A blue Subaru drove up the long-winding driveway to a fairly-large house. She parked her car in the garage, filled with dozens of other cars. Shutting off the engine and locking the door, she walked up to the large double-door entry.

"I'm home!" Kagome called as she shut the front door behind her.

"Welcome home. I'm in the study." a voice answered. With a nod to no one in particular, she took off her shoes and walked towards the source of the voice.

"Any news, Ryuu?" she asked as she took a seat across from the man who was engrossed in his computer. He looked up from his work and offered her a smile. He had short red hair that covered part of his hazel eyes. He was dressed in a white long-sleeved dress shirt (or polo, whichever you want to call it) and faded blue jeans.

"No, none as of yet but I do have a feeling that we are getting closer. It's only a matter of time."

"Ohh. Well, I'm going to get started on homework. Call me if there's any news." Turning around, she exited the study and headed to her room on the second story. Opening the elegant doors, she was welcomed with the sight of soft pick walls. Inside, her room held a queen sized bed off to the right, complete with pink comforters and matching pink pillows. She had a white desk off in the upper right-hand corner, the bathroom entry in the left corner, and the walk-in closet to the left of the door.

She set her bag down at the foot of her bed and walked out onto the balcony. 'Where are you? Will we ever find you? I still have nightmares about that day, six years ago.'

"Kagome! Play with me on the jungle-gym!" a raven-haired girl at the age of twelve called. With a small smile, the thirteen-year-old Kagome chased after her. The two giggling girls ran around as two adults watched from a short distance away.

"They really care about each other. They are the perfect sisters." the woman said, leaning against the man's chest, happy and content as can be.

"Well, they get it from you my love. They will grow up to be beautiful young women, and someday, caring mothers." the man answered back, still watching their care-free daughters play in the park.

A gunshot resounded in the park, followed by the frantic screams of the people around them. Immediately scared for their daughters, the two jumped to their feet and ran as fast as they could towards their children. They heard a scream as they got there, and saw one of them being held at gunpoint a few feet away. Kagome ran over to her parents, tears streaking down her cheeks as she looked on helplessly as they held her sister.

"LET HER GO! SHE'S JUST A CHILD!" the father yelled. The gunman just laughed at him.

"Sorry, no can do. Boss wants someone new. Your daughter just happened to be at the wrong place at the right time." her father ran forward to try and get her but wasn't fast enough. The gunman quickly pointed the gun at her father and fired before running away with a screaming girl. She struggled, tears streaming down her face, as she looked back to see her father's limp form hit the ground.

"DADDY!! DADDY NO!! LEGGO OF ME!! DADDY!!!!!!"

A shudder ran its icy fingers up her spine at the horrible memories. Her father died that day in the park; shot right in the heart. She was still too young to grasp the concept of death. Ever since then, her mother, herself, and a few of her close friends who knew her and her sister never stopped looking. It had been six agonizing years since then.

Well into college, her and her friends moved in with each other. Her mother came from a family of shrine-keepers, earning more than enough to get by easily. Her mom paid for their house, but they paid for rent and everything. With their new jobs paying well, they managed to live quite luxuriously in their large home. Letting out a sigh and wiping away a few tears, Kagome walked back into her room, intent on working on her homework to keep herself busy.

"KAGOME!"

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She staggered out of the tree line a little past dawn. Ahead she saw a lone house, and with newfound hope she increased her pace. Walking ever closer, a woman who was outside tending to her garden noticed her. She reached out an arm, her eyes begging as her mouth turned in silent plea, before collapsing to the ground as darkness claimed her. The woman, alarmed, quickly ran to the fallen girl while frantically calling her husband.

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" What? What is it?!" Kagome asked, unsure of what was going on.

“This morning, there was report of an girl who was checked into the hospital near the edge of Tokyo. She is in intensive care right now, seeming to be in a coma. Suffering from a fractured wrist, a few bruised ribs, and bruises and cuts in several places." Ryuu looked her straight in the eye through his whole speech.

"And?"

"Get this. They took a blood test. I-It's your sister." There was a momentary pause as her face contorted from that of shock to seriousness.

"What hospital?"

"Kuru Hospital." With a rushed thanks, Kagome grabbed her keys and darted out the door to her car before speeding off to Kuru Hospital in Northern Tokyo.

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"I got it!" a female voice called as the phone rang. "Hello?"

'Ms. Higurashi?'

"Yes?"

'I have some urgent news for you. You might want to sit down.'

"What is it, Ryuu? Has something happened to Kagome?"

'No, no. She's quite alright.'

"Oh, that's a relief. What is it then?"

'Uhm. It's your other daughter Ms. Higurashi. We found her. She's checked into Kuru Hospital right now. Kagome is already off to see her.' She was so shocked at the news that she didn't speak even when he was calling her.

'Ms. Higurashi? Are you there?' Snapping out of her stupor, she smiled as small tears ran down her cheeks.

"Yes, I'm here. Thank you very much. If you can, could you call Kagome for me and tell her I'm on my way there and to wait for me before she sees her?"

'Yes ma'am. No problem. Congradulations by the way.'

"Thank you very much, Ryuu. Bye." She hung up the phone but was stilla t a daze. As it finally sunk in completely, she dropped to her knees as she happily laughed. "We found you. After all these years we found you."

"Who was it?" Souta asked as he walked into the hallway to see his mother on the floor. "What is it mom? Are you ok?" Alarmed, he jogged over to his mom to see her tears and smile. She had not smiled that way every since he could remember. "Mom?"

"We found her. Thank God we found her. She's- We found her." Confused, he gave her a look that showed her that he didn't understand what he was saying. "Go get Gramps. Tell him we found her and get your shoes on. We're taking a trip." Nodding but still overly confused about the whole ordeal, he complied and ran off to call his grandpa.

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" Hello?"

'Kags. I called your mom. She's on her way there. She asked me to tell you to wait for her. She wanted to be there when you guys first see her again.'

"Alright. I'm almost there. I'll wait, but I'm just going to find out what room she's in. K? Bye." Without waiting for a reply, she hug up her moble and drove on towards the hospital. It felt like an hour, but what really was five minutes, she finally arrived there. Asking the desk person, she found out that she was in room 210 on the second floor. Giving her thanks, Kagome went to sit down and wait for her mother for the reunion that they had been waiting for for over six years.

"Kagome!" her mother's voice called ten minutes later. Looking up from her magazine she saw her mother eagerly walking towards her. Getting up to meet her mom halfway, she gave her a well-needed hug before letting go. "Have you seen her yet?" Nodding her head no, her mother sighed with relief. "Good, because I wanted to be there when we saw her again. It's been so long. I almost forgotten what she looked like. Let's go, shall we?" With a nod, she told her mother the room number and their little group made their way towards the elevator.

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She hurt all over. As she swam in the dark void, all she knew was pain. She could not remember a time when she felt so much pain. But, sadly, she did not remember much of anything after all. All she did know was her name, only her name. She could feel the pull towards consciousness and she welcomed it with open arms, even though the pain she was feeling increased. She would do anything to escape from the nothingness that had her in it's disquieting grasp.

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The y made their way down the hall towards where they were told her room was. Everyone was anxious to see her, yet fearful. Questions like 'What if...' hung over them in a suffocating layers as they reached their destination. As they got there, a doctor walked out, reading over a few papers and noticed them approaching.

"Oh, Doctor. How is she?" Ms. H. asked him, her voice laced with concern.

"You must be her family. Well, she has come to. We have already put a cast on her wrist and cleaned up her cuts and everything. Everything appears to be in order, other than the bruised ribs."

"Really. That is odd. But thank you, Dr..."

"Takemura. Dr. Takemura I will be her doctor until she is ready to leave the hospital."

"Nice to meet you. I am Ms. Higurashi, her mother. This is my other daughter, my son, and my father. We appriciate you taking care of her. Thank you."

"Pleasure to meet you. You may visit her but you must know this: she seems to be suffering from memory loss. The only thing she can remeber is her name and that is about it. I am led to believe that she has experienced a truly traumatic event. I suggest you not stimulate anything that might cause her harm, such as asking her about her recent past. Other than that, feel free to try to familiarize yourselves with her again. Be warned: do not overwelm her. Tell her only a little at a time. Heed my warning and all will be well. Well, I have other patients to take care of. I bid you a good evening." Bowing slightly, he walked down the hall in the direction they had come.

Taking a deep breath and looking at eachother for support, Kagome and Ms. H went in first. Upon entering the room, they saw her sitting up, the bed set into a comfortable sitting position, looking out the window at the setting sun. The sky danced with orange, purple, and red streaks, basking her in a soft, golden hue that caused them to gasp. She turned her confused violet gaze towards them, gently tossing her hair over her shoulder, at the sound of their gasp, letting out a small hiss at the pain in her stiff neck. Her hand moved up to touch the bandages around her neck, gently rubbing it to reduce the pain.

"Sa..Sa..Sakura?" Kagome stuttered.

"Uhm, hello. Nice to meet you." She answered with a warm smile. Ms. H. almost burst into tears. The whole thing was overwelming as she let out a happy laugh, complete with hysterical tears. Confused, Sakura was about to ask what was wrong, but Ms. H. ran up to her and gave her a loving hug.

"Sakura. My god, I'm so happy we found you. After all this time! Sakura! We found you!" Ms. H. cried into Sakura's shoulder. Kagome was also on the verge of tears from just watching the exchange. Going to the door, she let Souta and Gramps in. Gramps offered her a smile when he saw his daughter, in tears and hugging her long lost daughter.

By the look of it, Sakura did not know what was going on, but still returned the hug. The hug made her feel safe. Without her memory, she did not know anything, or anyone, and that frightened her to no end. But these people, they knew here and she felt more than comfortable with them. Hoping that these people could help her regain her memories, she was more than happy to return their affection, letting a few tears of her own fall. After everyone had a chance to give her a hug, they all sat down to talk a little before visiting hours were over.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but who are you all?"

"Oh, that's right. We haven't told you that." Ms. H. said with a small laugh. "It might help a little won't it? Well, I'm you mother, this is you sister, your brother, and your grandfather." She replied with a smile as she pointed respectively to each person.

"It's my pleasure to finally meet you all. This has been quite a day hasn't it?"

"Yes it has been." Looking at her watch, Ms. H saw that visiting hours were just about up and frowned a bit. "Oh my, visiting hours are just about up. We have to go now. We will be back tomorrow, ok?" Ms. H. offered as they got ready to leave.

"That would be great, thank you. I look forward to it." Another radient smile from her, and they were all at peace. It had been a long time since they had been this happy that it is almost overwelming. Saying their goodbyes, the rest of the Higurashis left. Looking at the clock on the table nearby, Sakura found out that it was almost ten. Rest welcomed her with open arms, embracing her in a peaceful slumber.

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K agome got home around 11:30. Exhausted from the days events, she welcomely staggered inside only to discover that everyone else was still up. Seeing her enter, they imidiately rushed over, curious to how it went.

"So?" Sango, her best friend, asked. Kagome gave them her brightest smile, the smile they haven't seen in six years, before falling into her surrogant sister's arms. Sango hugged her back as they fell to their knees, both crying tears of joy. The guys, Miroku and Inuyasha, stood there, smiles on their faces as well, watching the whole scene. Everyone was pleased that they had found their long-lost friend at last.

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The night came and went as the next day was upon them. Kagome told everyone to come with her to see Sakura today, in hopes of recovering her memories. They happily agreed without second thought, making Kagome almost cry again. After eating lunch, seeing how they woke up past 11, they all drove towards the hospital to visit their friend.

"Hey!" Kagome called as she walked into room 210 with the others. Looking up from what they called lunch, Sakura let out a smile and greeted them.

"Hi Kagome. I don't know who made this, but I'm not going to eat it. Looks like something crawled in it and died." came her answer, messing with what was supposed to be rice and miso. For the first time, she noticed that there were three more people in the room who weren't the people she met yesterday standing by the door. The fact that they were just standing there staring at her made her a bit nervous. "Uhm...Hi, nice to meet you. Are you friends of Kagome's?"

Kagome had forgotten that she did not remember them and hoped that they would introduce themselves. Looking behind her, Kagome also noticed their lack of response. She knew they would be shocked but she never guessed they would be shocked speechless. Clearing her throat to get their attention, she snapped them out of their stupor before they embarassed themselve even more.

One of the guys stepped up and bowed to her. He was dressed in faded blue jeans and a deep purple shirt that matched his eyes. He had his short black hair secured with a tie at the nape of his neck. He was well-built, but not completely muscular like the men you see in 'Sports Illustrated' and also taller than them, but not as tall as the other guy. He offered her a smile, which she returned, and a twinkle in his eye that confused her a bit.

"Well, you could say that we are friends of Kagome's. You could also say that we are your's too. We knew you when we were little. I am Miroku. Pleased to know that you have come back, safe and sound. But I have an important question I must ask you, Sakura." Blinking, she dumbly nodded, not knowing what he was planning, unlike the others who were advancing on the poor guy. "Would you bear my chil-" He had no chance to finish because the other girl had come up and knocked him out clean. She stood over his unconscious form, her fist twitching as she glared at him.

"You must ignore him. He has the tendency to be a complete pervert and ask every girl that. I'm Sango, glad to have ya back, Sakura." She had dark brown hair in a high pony tail, brown eyes, and was slightly taller than Kagome. Her form was that of an athlete, fit but still feminine. She was dressed in blue jeans and a black shirt. Sakura nodded in comprehenshion, making note not to get on Sango's bad side.

The last person of the bunch looked at her, arms folded and a smirk on his face. Like Miroku, he was also well-built and tall as well. His silver hair tumbling down his back, stopping just below the waist. What caught her attention was not his hair, but two triangle ears atop his head. 'Are those...real? They look like-'

"Dog ears. Yeah, they're real alright. Couldn't help but notice you staring." Looking down, she blushed with embarassment. The silver-haired man panicked, thinking that he had upset her. "No, no. Don't be upset! Everyone tends to stare at them so it's uhm, ahh." Seeing as how he was trying to apologize, Sakura looked up and smiled, showing that she was alright and not upset about it. Letting out an embarassed laugh, he introduced himself. "The name's Inuyasha. Great to have ya back. About the ears, I'm half demon. My father was a full dog demon and my mother was human." Everyone haveing a good laugh at his explense made Sakura feel like she belonged with them. It made her feel that even after all the time that had passed, they still welcomed her.

She floated there, staring at several men in labcoats standing before her. Her hair floated around her like a cape as she figured out she was in some sort of glass tube. A mask was attached to her face, enabling her to breath as well as several wires scattered about her exposed skin. One such man stood out, with flowing black hair and piercing red eyes that looked deep into your very soul. A manevolent smile crossed his face as he nodded to one of the men at one of the many machines scattered about the room.

A mechanical arm appeared beside her and through the corner of her eye, she could do nothing but watch as it drew closer. Closer it came until it came into contact with her arm, injecting some sort of liquid into her system. Wincing as the strange liquid now coursed through her veins, she felt pain start to grow within her. It started small, but grew, sending pulsing pain through her body in rythem with her hearbeat. The pain grew still, numbing all her of nerves, sending her into a world where pain was all she knew. She looked up through tear-stained eyes at the red-eyed man. His reaction was that of a laughing man, who enjoyed the pain of others. Closing her eyes, she slipped away into darkness as she heard a faint word drift into her conscious.

"Welcome."

Sakura gasped as she held her head as the image appeared before her. The pain had returned, rippling through her like water, causing her to tremble where she sat. Just like in her vision, she pain pulsed in rythem with her heat. Her back felt like it was on fire. Closing her eyes shut tight, tears fell as her mouth opened in a silent scream.

They didn't kow what was happening. One minute they were laughing, the next, Sakura had a distant, unfocusing look in her eyes. Then came the trembling as she held her head between her shaking hands. Tears fell from her eyes as the bandages around her torso unraveled. She was wearing a hospital gown, so her back was exposed, revealing two parallel gashes on either side of her shoulder blades along her back. What surprised them most was that they were glowing a sickly purple color.

Before they knew it, Dr. Takemura was in the room, ordering them to give her space. Upon seeing Sakura, he pushed the button that summoned the nurses. A few came in; one gave him a needle ful of what they beleived was sedatives. He took it and injected Sakura with it. After about a minute or two, Sakura fell against the doctor, unconscious. He had one of the nurses rebandage her back and soon she was laying down in a troubled slumber. Turning towards them, Dr. Takemura gestured towards the door and the complied. Once in the hall while the nurses tended towards Sakura, they asked questions that they knew he had answers to. He held up his had, silencing them.

"I know you have many questions, but first let me explain. When she arrived at the hospital, the first thing we noticed were the long cuts on her back. They were glowing tha same sickly purple as you saw just a moment ago. We took a blood sample and it revealed why it glowed like it did. Her blood was infused with that of another: Naraku. He is a demon, half demon to be precise." Everyone went rigid at the mention of his name. "You know of him?" Silence washed over them as they remembered their troubled past. He looked toward Kagome, whose eyes were downcast, processing this new information.

"Boss wants someone new. Your daughter just happened to be at the wrong place at the right time."

'He was behind Sakura getting taken. He is why she is like she is now. He's the reason dad died. he's the reason Sakura lost her memories. He's the reason why everyone has lost a loved one. He is the cause of all this grief.' Looking up, everyone saw her unshed tears and her eyes held something they never held before: disgust.

"Was there anything else you found out?" she asked, her voice in a deathly calm voice.

"Oh, right. We have found out that having his blood in her will, at times, overwelm her. These occurences are triggered by her reeaction to some unknown source. Do you know what triggered the reaction?"

"Uhm. Before it happened, she had a blank expression on her face, then she was clutching her head." Sango offered.

"I see (I hate it when doctors say that). She might have had remembered something that might have triggered it. Did anything traumatizing happen to her in the past?"

"When she was nine, we were at the park playing, when a guy with a gun came to us. He grabbed her and held her at gunpoint, saying his boss needed someone new, and she was at the wrong place at the right time. He shot and killed our father then ran off with my sister. We haven't seen her since until we heard she was here yesterday."

"Oh. That may have something to do with it. I believe she will gradually remember eveything in time. Like I said before, try not to stimulate anything that might trigger another reaction. Also, with the whole Naraku-infused-blood, we are unable to remove his blood without harming her in the process. It is also a risk having her keep his blood but it is out of our hands. Even thought the blood in her is a bad thing, it has sped up the healing process for her. Given the circumstance, and taking account the extent of her injuries, I think we will be able to let her go in about a week or two." He looked down at his beeper as it went off and let out a sigh. "I have to go. One of my older patients is terrorizing the third floor with his bedpan." With that, he just walked off, leaving them to their thoughts.

"NOOOO!!"

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"Kagome! Come play with me!" she called, waiting for her older sister to reach her. They were having a day at the park with the family. As Kagome reached her, she got an evil idea in her head. "Tag! Your it!" She yelled, runing away from her sister, who was now chasing her. They had fun, tagging and chasing eachother around the small park.

A sudden shriek was heard before a gunshot resounded throughout the park. Unsure what was going on, the two ran for eachother. Sakura, seeing her sister, darted forward, only to get cut off by a large man with a gun. Turning to run away, she tried to evade the man's grasp but failed. Now struggling in his clutches, the man turned around, coming to face her sister and parent's concerned faces. Tears streaked down her sister's and mother's faces, as well as her's as her father took a hesitant step forward.

"LET HER GO! SHE'S JUST A CHILD!" her father yelled. The gunman just laughed as he pointed the gun at her.

"Sorry, no can do. Boss wants someone new. Your daughter just happened to be at the wrong place at the right time." No one had time to blink, or even grunt, as her father shot forward as an attempt to free her. Everything seemed to slow down in those few moments. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man shift the gun to point towards her father. Squirming and trying to scream at her father, she watched as the man fired, hitting her father right in the chest. The man holding onto her turned, and as he ran, she saw her father slam to the ground, a pool of blood started to form below his limp form.

"DADDY!! DADDY NO!! LEGGO OF ME!! DADDY!!!!!!"

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"NOOOO!!" Sakura shot straight up in her bed as the fading images from her dream replayed in her mind. Her breathing ragged, she placed a hand over her heart. Her heart was pounding at the dream, or was it a memory? She didn't know. All she did know was that it was the most terrifying thing she had ever dreamt, or witnesed; she didn't know which at the moment and that kept her mixed up.

At her scream, the others had dashed into the room. Looking towards the, tears welled up in her eyes and she let them fall, feeling as though it would take away the pain. Kagome rushed to her side, pulling her into a hug, which she happily returned, crying silently into her shoulder.
"Dad...shot..no.dad...he.can't...shot....blood..so much blood.....gone.." were the only words she heard from her sister's sobbing form. Knowing what she had dreamt only caused Kagome to hug her closer, knowing what a traumatic event it was. The others watched on, tears in their eyes as well. Miroku comforted Sango as she moved to hug him, for once not trying anything. Inuyasha walked over and sat on the other side of the bed, bringing the sisters into his embrace. For a while, they cried; cried for their friend, their father, and for the loss they all had suffered.

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"She got away. How? This is the most guarded facility in the world. MORE GUARDED THEN THE WHITE HOUSE! HOW CAN A GIRL GET PAST FIFTY ARMED AND TRAINED GUARDS? TELL ME! HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY LET A GIRL, LET ALONE A TEENAGE GIRL, GET PAST YOU, FULLY ARMED AND SPECIALLY TRAINED ADULT DEMONS?!" All his personnel cowered before him as he yelled. They all knew that saying he was pissed was definately an understatement. "YOUR INCOMPETANCE HAS LET HER GET AWAY! YOU ARE LUCKY THAT WE HAD ERASED HER MEMORY COMPLETELY THE NIGHT BEFORE!"

As her boss ranted on, she seeked entertainment via opening and closing her fan. She knew he would slip up eventually, giving the girl a chance to slip out towards freedom. 'Wish I was that lucky.' she thought bitterly.

If she should ever figure out how to control her newfound abilities and turn against him, he was done for. The girl was a threat to Naraku, she knew it and he knew it. Luckily, she had been able to help her last hope escape by distracting the guard on duty. The cameras in that secture had been mysteriously disabled, leaving her free to distract the guard without being caught on tape. 'Knew those skills from repairing electronics would pay off.'

Closing her fan when Naraku was done ranting and barating his employees, Kagura pushed off against the wall she had been leaning against and stood to her full height. Without a second glance at him, she walked out the door, followed by cowering guards itching to get out of the path of destruction their boss had made to blow off some major steam.

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'Go od. My plan is working out just as I anticipated. Soon, very soon'

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She walked over to the balcony of her room, knowing full well that she would get an earfull if they caught her out of bed. The bright stars contrasting against the darkening sky somehow made her feel a sense of peace and contentment. These past two days were anything but dull to say the least. Meeting her family, her friends, all in the span of those two days. But, what was most interesting what the things she remembered.

Most would think that meetin people after losing one's memories would spur joyous memories rather than horrible memories that would send one into shock. She began to remeber more of her past, childhood times with her father and friends, as well as the dark memories that lay dormant, better off forgotten.

The earlier event of the day were still fresh in her memory. 'Who was that man. Where is that place. Why do I feel unimaginal fear when I think of that man, that place? Is that why I cannot remember? Is it that I chose to forget to survive the pain? Why do I not remember that which brings me pain, but why is it that I am pained by the fact that I do not wish to remember?' All these questions and no answers began to frustrate her a bit. Seeing as how asking these questions she looked down at the lights that danced in the busy streets below. 'If only things were as simple as they appear to be.' Letting out a heavy sigh that most would interpret as depressing, she turned and slowly made her way back inside as exhaustion took weighed down on her weary shoulders

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Kagome looked up at the starry sky, enjoying the sense of relief that flooded over her in a comforting blanket. She still could not get over the fact that they had finally found Sakura after these long years of waiting. She felt as if she was whole again, a feeling she had not felt since that day she had lost her father and sister, all in the same day. She had to admit, it frightened her a bit, having the empty space in her finally filled, yet at the same time, she embraced it with opened arms.

The others had long since gone to bed, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Today's earlier event were still fresh in her mind, scaring her. 'What had she gone through that had caused her so much pain? Knowing how this Naraku person has destroyed everyone else's happiness, it must have been aweful. But I will do as much as I can to help her regain her memories and help her through the tought things she went through.'

She fingered a small bracelet around her wrist. It was a present from Inuyasha when they were younger. The trinket, no matter how plain it was, had sentimental value. This small object helped her get through the tough period that was the six years without a sister. He was there for her the whole time, making it difficult for her to just see him as a friend. She knew all too well that he was still saddened by the death of his former girlfriend, which prevented her from ever tellinghim how she truly felt. In his eyes, all she would ever be was her reflection, a replacement, at least that what she thought.

Everyone else in the household knew that he cared for her, and that she returned the feelings. But the fact was, they were either too stubborn or too blind to admit it to themselves or eachother. Sango and Miroku, another such couple who had been oblivious to the obvious fact that they care for eachother more then they think, have tried various plans to get their two friends together, each resulting in the couple (both of them) to become closer. Glacing into her room at the digital clock on her nightstand, she found it it was well past midnight, meaning that if she didn't get some sleep now, she would never be able to get through classes in the morning. Stretching her arms over her head and hearing a satisfied crack, she walked back into her room for some well needed sleep.

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The soft sounds of the early birds' chirping called her from her blanket of sleep and with a muffled moan, she turned away from the offending alarm, wanting to get more sleep. It seemd as if the fate was against her as the door opened and in came a nurse, bringing in the morning meal.

"Time to wake up. I have your medicine and meal here for you." She said, opening the curtains to let the sun shine in. Letting out a frustrated grumble, she pulled the blanket from over her head to glare at the orffending woman, wishing that looks could kill. Apparently, she wasn't a morning person, that much was sure. Knowing all to well that this was a normal routine for them, she gave in and moved her bed into a more comfortable sitting position. The nurse, who seemd all to cheery to be normal, pushed the cart over to her and laid the food down on the sliding tray she had. Glaring at the back of the nurses head as she left and then at the food before her, Sakura let out a few colorful curses under her breath. She began to eat the poor excuse for food, which she now dubbed 'medicine in disguise', as Dr. Talemura entered for his morning checkup.

"Ahh, good morning Sakura." He said in a voice that mad her think that he was on happy pills, just like the overly cheery nurse. "Feeling any different today? Remember anything new?" He talked to her as if she were a small child, who had scraped her knee on a rock and it began to get on her nerves a bit. She had limited patience in the morning, as she came to notice, expecially when it came to doctors. Sakura decided to play it innocent as she let an annoyed smile, that went unnoticed by the doctor, grace her face as she tried her best not to let her short morning temper get the better of her.

"Good morning, Dr. Takemura. I feel a bit better than yesterday, and I have remembered some more things as well. Although, I am not sure what to make of them. They always seem to be just bits or pieces of memories."

"Well, that is better than no memories at all isn't it?"

"I suppose." He called in another nurse and began his morning checkup on her wounds. She winced in pain as he applied some sort of salve to her cuts and began the process of rewrapping them.

"You seem to be healing faster than I anticipated. At the rate of your recovery, you could be out of here by the end of the day!" She blinked her eyes in response. 'Didn't it take longer for somone to recover from bruised ribs and a fractured wrist? I know I'm no doctor, but how can I be healing at this fast a rate?' "Well, I'm going to phone your family. I'm sure they would want to hear the good news." Without even a backwards glance, he walked out of the small room, the nurse trailing behind him.

"I'll be out of here by today." She said to herself. "Good. I'm not sure if I'm positive or not, but I really hate hospitals and doctors." With a small smile she looked out the window, the only thing that she seemed to be able to do given the current circumstance. "I'm going home."

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Kag ome came home with a brilliant smile on her face. Dr. Takemura called, telling her the good news and they needed to get the house ready for Sakura's arrival. Her smiel faltered a bit when she found out that no one was home, but still held her smile. Like before, nothing could darken her day. Her sister was coming home and she wanted everything to be perfect. Picking up the phone off the receiver, she dialed the number needed and began the preparations.

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< br> The day drifted by all to slowly for everyone. The sun was beginning to set now as they awaited for Dr. Takemura to come with Sakura. Impatience got the better of most of them, or better yet Inuyasha, while everyone else just sat there patiently.

"Where is he? We've been waiting for ten minutes already!" Inuyasha finally broke, growling in annoyance. He was about to continue but a hard stare from Ms. H. quieted any further outbursts. Finally, a few minutes later, they heard the ding of the elevator and got up to stratch their legs and to make sure this time it was them. They didn't want to get overly excited if it was the old man with the bed pan again.

It seemed like an eternity passed before the door opened and out came Sakura, dressed in some clothes that Kagome had brought, leaning slightly on Dr. Takemura, who seemed all too happy about that. Everyone waited excitedly as they slowly made their way over to the bunch. Sakura was wrapped in a group hug as a soft smile made its way onto her face. After everyone let go, they all turned to the doctor, who was waiting patiently for a chance to talk.

"Well, she is all ready to go. Juss come back in a week for a final check up, ok? That's about it. Oh, before I forget, " he walked up to Kagome and whispered into her ear "make sure to bring her back in case she has another episode. I'm sure you haven't told your family yet, hm?" Receiving anod in understanding, he pulled back. "Well, it was a pleasure having you under my care, even though it was only for a short while. I hope you won't have to come here for a while. I bid you all a good evening." Like all of his departures, he walked away without a second glance.

"Well, as homey as this place is, I suggest we get out of here." Ms. H. led the group out of the hospitals towards the cars. "Sakura," at her name, she looked towards her mother "who would you like to ride with?" She was slightly surprised the question, not knowing how to answer it.

"I get a choice? Well, um, with you?" Everyone laughed at her nervousness, which caused her to blush. Everyone piled into their choice vehicles and drove off towards the four friends' home.

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The ride there took roughly twenty minutes, with a few small conversations along the way, but relatively silent. As they drove up the long winding driveway, Sakura couldn't help but stare in awe at the size of the house. The driveway was lined with lush green trees. The house itself was about two stories, painted a soft cream color, and each room on the second floor with a balcony.

The cars came to a stop and they gradually got out and made their way inside. The inside was just as elaborate as the outside. When you first walk in, you were in a small corridor which let to the living room. The living room itself had three couches, looking to fit about four people each comfortably, two recliners, a firplace, and a large plasma screen tv hanging over the firplace. To the left of the living room was a large, fully-stocked kitchen and to the right was a study. By the kitchen were sliding doors that led to an even bigger backyard and next to the study was a large set of stairs.

She walked in circles, taking in the sight before her, not knowing what to say. She felt a tugging on her arm and saw that everyone else was making their way upstairs, Kagome staying behind to wait for her with a mischivous smile on her face. Grabbing her uninjured wrist, she hurriedly made her way up the stairs and to the end of the hallway that was right of the stairs. She finnaly stopped at a door, the last one the left side of the hallway. With an even wider smile, Kagome opened to beautiful set of double doors and walked in, followed by Sakura and everyone else.

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the room. To say it was huge was an understatement. You could fit roughly fifty people comfortably. The walls were painted a soft blue color, the same color as the clear blue sky. The balcony entrance was directly across of the door, whic was in the bottom left corner. The bathroom was to the right corner and the walk-in closet to the left of the door. A dark blue desk, with a indigo lap-top sitting on it, was to the right balcony entrance. Her bed was to th right, convered in a baby blue comforter and matching pillows, facing the door and a cedar chest at the foot of it. In the upper left section, there was a couch and entertainment system, complete with a tv, dvd player, and several dvds.

"This..this is my room?" came here stuttered answer as everyone turned to her. Kagome walked back over to her and embraced her.

"Yes it is. You'll be living here, with me, Sango, Miroku, and Inuyasha. Welcome home, Sakura." The others came and joined her as well ans joyful tears slowly fell from her eyes. 'I'm home.' was her only thought as she felt a wave of content run through her.

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After a couple hours of talking in the living room, they all sat down for dinner, curtesy of Ms. H., Kagome, and Sango, in celebration of Sakura's return. The dinner was delicious, as to be expected when those three were the cooks, and afterwards, they bid the Higurashi family, minus Kagome and Sakura, a farewell and turned in for the night. Well, most of them went to sleep, but Sakura and Kagome stayed up and talked a bit more in Sakura's new room.

"So, what do ya think?" Kagome said, a triumphant smile on her face as Sakura looked around again.

"Words can not describe how much I love this room. Thank you."

"No need to thank me. Just doing my job, literally and as an older sister."

"Your a home decorator?"

Yes. And I'm surprised that most people enjoy my work. Most the houses in this district were decorated by your's truly."

"Wow. That's so cool. What do the others do?"

"Well, Sango's a martial arts teach. Miroku's getting his digree to become a teacher, but works at this business, I forget which, as a consaltant. Inuyasha is training to become part of the CIA of FBI, always saying something about how the pathetic police doesn't do their job right." Sakura sat there, surprised that they all had successful careers and here she was, practically a freeloader. She felt bad about living here and not being able to help pay for anything. a small voice in her head made itself known. 'You choose not to remember that which hurts you.' Confused, she looked up, seeing that Kagome was standing on the balcony, lookin up at the stars. 'Looks like we have more in common then we thought.' Getting up, she made her way and leaned her arms against the railing next to her sister.

"I always stop to think about why I don't remember my past. Was it so horrible that I chose not to remember on my own? What happened? Did I chose not to remember? Or is it just that someting is preventing me?" Kagome, surprised at what she said, looked at her sister, waiting for her to continue.

"In the brief memory flashes I've had, the ones that so far have scared me, there is always the same person. Dark, wavy hair and red eyes. I don't know who he is, but seeing his face sends a shiver down my spine. Other times, I have memories, of us and dad. Those are the things I want to remember, but instead, I end up with memories of him and it scares me."

"We all want to help you remember the times we had when we were little, but if you can't, then we could always make new memories, ones that don't scare you. As for the red-eyed man, we believe that he is Naraku, the one that took you from us six years ago." She looked from her sister to the sky, watching as the stars twinkled. "I usually come out on my balcony and just stare at the stars. I forget about everything bad and just enjoy the peace that floods over me as I look at them." Sakura smiled at her sister, looking up at the stars as well.

"Looks like we have a lot more in common then we thought." The two shared a good laugh, their previous conversation lost. Glancing at the clock, Kagome stretched her arms above her head, hearing a statisfied crack.

"Well, it's almost ten and I have class in the morning. I'll see you later." With a hug and a swap of "good nights", Kagome left Sakura's room and headed towards hers. Sakura stayed outside and closed her eyes, but instead of seeing that face that haunted her, she saw a new one. She saw a young man with her back towards her. His face was blurred, making it impossible to figure out his identity. She has seen his face several times before, in her dreams, but it was all the same: his face blurred. Whenever she saw him, she felst safe and secure. Opening her eyes, she looked to the sky, confusion etched onto her face.

"Who are you?"

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"Hel lo. This better be important."

"It is, trust me. She's been found. She's staying with her sister"

The man let a smile grace his lips at the thought of seeing her again. "Are you positive?"

"Positive. She has the scent of jasmine and rose."

" Good. Thank you, Ryuu. Make the arrangements I told you about before. I will leave in the morning. Send me the address."

"Alright, but do me one favor."

"What is it?"

"Give her at least twenty-four more hours. She's been through a lot. Seeing you might just send her a little overboard. You know what I mean? Just give me at least a day before you see her."

"Fine, twenty-four hours is all you got, not a second longer. After it is up, I'm going to her and there is nothing you can do about it."

"I expected as much. Goodnight my friend."

Hanging up the phone, he picked up a childhood photo of her. "After all this time, I get to see you at last. I hope you are ready for me." Placing the photo down, he left the office room, planning on making sure that his arrangements were met.

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She slowly crept into the dark room, her victum still nestlesd beneath the covers in peaceful slumber. The sigh almost made her rethink her ida, almost. Another one of her mischivous smiles crept its way onto her face as she motioned for her accomplances to enter with the 'stuff'. After everyone was in position, she walked over to the balcony and grabbed a hold on the soft blue curtains that were drawn closed. With a nod from her partners in crime, she sucked in a breath at the same moment she drew open the curtains, allowing sunlight to pool onto the slumbering figure, awaking them instantly.

"Huh? What's going on?" Sakura asked, her voice laced with sleep as she looked at everyone. She noticed the mischivious smile on their faces, meaning that they had something up their sleeve. "Uhh...guys?" Their smiles grew wider, if possible, as Kagome walked up, sheilding her eyes with her hands. "Huh? No seriously, what's going on?" She was about to romove the appedage before Kagome spoke up.

"It's a surprise! No peeking!"

"Ok?" She heard some shuffling, a few muttered curses on Inuyasha's part, whispered directions from Kagome, and the ever familiar slap and call of "pervert" from Sango before she felt something placed into her lap. She felt the slight pressure from Kagome's hand lessen and opened her eyes to look down at her lap and gasped.

"I-I don't know what to say. You really didn't have to." In her lap was a tray with a complete breakfast. It consisted of orange juice, french toast with a light coat of powdered sugar and syrup and a strawberry to top it off, scrambled eggs, two pieces of bacon, and sliced oranges to the side. "Really, this is a little much, but thank you." Kagome, who could not contain herself, beamed at her sister and enveloped her into a bone crushing hug.

"It was out pleasure! Wedon't have very many guests spend the night or anything and the guys aren't up early enough, leaving only me and Sango, so we were all more than happy to cook for you!"

"Can't...really...breath..." came Sakura's reply, reminding Kagome to let up.

"Sorry. Anyways, don;t worry about the breakfast, we all had fun."

"Speak for yourself. You blackmailed us into this." Grumbled Inuyasha who got wacked upside the head by Sango for his comment.

"Quiet you. Don't make me remind you why you 'did this from the bottom of your heart'." Sango had a menacing look in her eyes that caused Inuyasha to yelp and dart behind Miroku, who, in turn, saw the glare and decidced to switch places with Inuyasha, thus ensuing the two to run around in circles. The trio of girls couldn't help but laugh at how childish they appeared. A brisk knock at the bedroom door drew their attention away from the two idiots, who also looked towards the door at the red-headed man who walked in.

"Morning everyone."

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He sat there, impatiently tapping his foot while glaring daggers at the small clock on his office desk. 'Twelve more hours.' A smile formed at the thought of her.

"Ryuu better be ready because when that clock hits 8, I'm there, whether likes it or not."

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"Mor ning Ryuu!" everyone called back, returning to what they were previously doing. Sakura stared at the man they called Ryuu as he walked over to them, holding something behind his back.

"Hey, Ryuu. What's behind your back?" Kagome asked, finally noticing it.

"Ohh. A friend wanted me to deliver something ot Sakura." He smiled as he pulled the concealed item from behind his back. As his arms came into view, he revealed a bouqet of blue tulips and presented them to her.

"These are beautiful! Who's it from?" Sakura asked happily, bringing the flowers closer to take in the fragrance. They heard footprints head towards the door and saw Ryuu try to slink his way out of the room unnoticed. Seeing his plan fail, he decided to just run for it, only to be caught by Inuyasha. Walking back to the others, he deposited the suspect in question on the floor.

"Now talk. Who sent them?"

"I'm surprised you had to ask. I figured a laf dog demon like you would have sniffed out the scent by now." Inuyasha, aggitated by the anser, took a whiff of the flowers. Below the fresh fragrance, he found the scent he was looking for.

"Who is it, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, curious as to who sent the flowers.

"It's the wolf." Everyone slightly stiffened or nodded in acknowledgement. Sakura, confused as ever, spoke up.

"Who's the wolf?"

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"Ha ve you located her yet?" Kagura looked at the demon, who was working speedily on a computer, in front of her, a bored expression on her face.

"Not yet, but we found out that she is in the vacinity of Tokyo.

"Perfect. I knew she would go there. I know exactly where she is. Stop the search."

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A figure watched as the clock stuck 9:00, silently counting down the time until he could see her. He told his secretary to hold all of his calls and to not to disturb him. He smirked as the sound of the seconds passed, ticking away time.

"Eleven more hours."

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Af ter figuring out that no one was planning on telling her anytime soon, she ushered them out so she could get ready for the day, leaving her with her thoughts. Closing her eyes, she saw the stranger's face once again, stilled blurred and unidenifiable.

"Hey come back here! Give it back!" Sakura ran after a boy who ran off with her flower. "That's mine!" The boy just laughed, and sped up a great deal, making it harder for her to keep up.

"You have to catch me first!" He calle dback with a laugh.

"No fair, Kouga! You're a demon and I'm human! That's cheating!"

As the memory faded, the man's face reappeared, this time as a child. his face was clear as daylight. his teal blue eyes flashed with mischief as a smiled worked its way on his childish face. his long black hair was fastened in a ponbytail and a fur headband kept his bangs away from his eyes. Realization dawned on her as his name repeated itself in her head.

"Kouga."

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A doorbell drew their attention from the man in the corner. With a dissappointed sigh, they left Ryuu and answered the door. A deliveryman greeted them on the other side (no they didn't die), offering them a clipboard. Kagome's hand seemed to have a mind of its own as it reached for the pen and signed it. The man asked where to put it and it seems her voice betrayed her as well, saying "living room" without her consent. He gave a nod in thanks and went back to his truck and started to bring in the items.

"Who is it from?" asked miroku.

"I'll give you three guesses and the last two don't count." replied an annoyed Inuyasha as he turned to glare at Ryuu, only to find the man missing. Looking around, he heard a whistle from outside and saw Ryuu, with his sunglasses on and windows down, waving at them before driving off. They heard Inuysahs's growl before turning their attention to the several items being brought into their house, the line never seeming to end.

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He was off daydreaming and reminicing about the past when he heard a faint whisper.

'Kouga'

His heart leapt for joy as he heard it. She remembered now, making it impossible for him to sit still. He jumped out of his chair ad darted out of the room. He barely had time to tell his secretary bye before he was in the elevator.

'Screw the twenty-four hours!'

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Sa kura walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a bathrobe, feeling completely refreshed. Removing the towell from her head, she started the long process of drying her hair and getting ready for the day. She walked into her walk in closet, marveling about the amount of clothes it held. She picked out faded blue jeans and a grey beater (for those of you who don't know what it is, its like a tank top) for now until she finished drying her hair.

"It feels good to finally get out of that hospital, even though I was only there for two days." Her brows furrowed together in concentration. "Come to thnk of it, my wounds are practically healed. How did I heal so fast? Was I really there for two days? Or was I there for longer?" She shook her head in confusion and aggitation. A soft chuckle drew her attention to her as she frantically looked around. She saw no one and wondered where the laughter came from.

"Hello Sakura."

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" So, is that all if it?" Kagome asked, trying to manuver around everything to the door.

"Yeah, the deliverymen just left. Man. Where are we going to put all this?" asked Inuyasha, scratching his head while staring at it.

"I dunno. how abou-" Miroku was cut off by a sudden crash from upstairs. Instantly fearing for her sister, Kagome's protectiveness took over as she flew upstairs.

"Sakura!" they all yelled as they threw open the doors, taking in the sight before the,.

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"So nice to see you again. Let's hope that leaving won't happen again, hm. Don't want you running free now do we?" He stepped off of the balcony and into her room. Nnice and cozy. Seems like you have it made here. Too bad I have to take you back. What? Don't remember me? What a shame. Oh! That's right, I erased your memories. How could I forget? Here, let me remind you." His eyes glowed red as his smile grew. He laughed as she hunched over in pain, dropping to her knees and cluching her head.

"Wha-what's happening? What are you doing?!" She ground out each word through clenched teeth.

"You have my blood coursing through your veins. It did wonders for you. Enhanced healing, acute hearing, heightened sense of smell, faster, stronger, and so much more. One would think you would be greatful. Also," he said, walking up to her and kneeling before her, grabbing her chin with his hand to make her look at him, "I have complete control over you." His eyed glowed brighter, sending emense pain through her to a point that it was almost unbearable.
"Perfect."

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As he closed the door to his car, he smelt something amiss in the air. Taking a sniff, he smelt that dreadful smell and growled. He followed the scent to a second story window, jumping up on the balcony with ease.

"Naraku!" At his name, he turned around.

"Ahh, the young wolf leader. Kouga, so nice to see you. I'm sorry to say that I have other business to attened to. He stepped aside, revealing the struggling form of Sakura. Kouga let out a growl, charging at the demon, and slamming him into a wall. The wall let out a graon before caving in on itself from the pressure.

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The sight before them left them all speechelss. One wall was destroyed, letting you have a clear view of the next room, a furious Kouga, which they all wondered how he got here, fighting someone dressed in a baboon hide, and finally, the struggling form of Sakura trying to sit up while watching the fight. Kagome rushed over to her to help her up. Miroku and Sango took up a defensive position in front of the sisters while Inuyasha joined the fight.

"What are you doing here wolf?" Inuyasha calle dover his shoulder, dodging a few tentacles and landing a few hits of his own.

"Nevermind that, just fight Naraku!" came Kouga's reply.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Kagome asked with concern, looking her over.

"I'm fine." she answered, wincing at the receeding pain. She looked up, seeing her savior and Inuyasha fighting against a cloaked figure they called Naraku. Both parties jumped to opposite sides of the room, her savior and Inuyasha by them and Naraku by the balcony.

"It seems like I can't bring you back at the moment. But don't be sad, I will return. And here are a few lovely parting gifts." He smiled, his red eyes ablaze, sending a blast of energy and miasma into the small room.

Sakura shut her eyes and pitched forward as another wave of pain rippled through her as she slumped to her knees. Kagome rushed toward her sisters form, coughing a bit after inhaling some of the miasma.

Sakura's form glowed an eeri (sp?) white as her body lifted a few feet off the flow and her head lifted, revealing pure white eyes. The light around her body glowed brighter, pushing the miasma back towards Naraku. He frowned at the sight, his eyes glowed a deeper red, sending the light back into her body. Kagome looked on in shock as sakura's eyes kept flashing between white and a light red.

"You shall always under my control, whether you acknowledge it or not. It is only a matter of time before my plan takes action." With that said, he sent forth another cloud of miasma towards the group, making his escape. The miasma disolved a wall, destroying the main support beams.

"We have to get out of here before it collapses on us!" Shouted Iuyasha, ushering everyone out of the room. Kouga carried Sakura's now unconscious form out of the room behind the others just as the room caved.

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'It 's is only a matter of time now. She shall never figure out what I have in store for them. This plan is full proof.'

"Kagura, keep a close eye on them. Let me know if anything strange occurs."

"Yes, master Naraku." 'It's only a matter of time until your demise. Then I shall be free.'

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"Ma n." Miroku complained as they sat in the crowded living room. They had moved all the delivered stuff into the storage room and partly in the small corridor. They had managed to get rid of all the miasma that flooded Sakura's room. Now they had to worry about damage repairs, plus Sakura was still out cold. Kagome kept a close eye on her sister, watching for any signs of awakening while Kouga watched from a distance. He wanted to be next to her but the angered half-demon thought otherwise.

"What are you doing here anyways ya mangy wolf?" Inuyaha said, finally breaking the silence that hung over them all.

"It isn't any of your business if I want to visit Kagome and the others or not, they are my friends after all, not just yours."

"You know as well as we do that you didn't come just because of a friendly visit. You just happened to come at the same time that Naraku showed up, plus, why send all this stuff to Sakura. That just screams suspicious."

"Hey, I knew Sakura just as well as you did! I had the right to know that she was back! You can't stop me from seeing her!" Kouga stood up, furious at the idiotic man in front of him. "You have no right to keep me from finally seeing my friend after six years! Don't be selfish! How would you like it if I didn't tell you Kagome was back after she was missing for six years!" Inuyasha backed down at the statement, which surprised everyone. He normally didn't back down from anyone, even if he was wrong.

"What's with all the yelling?"

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She finally caught up with him tackling him in the soft sand of the beach. She grabbed her flower in triumph and got off of him.

"I got it! I win!" She said, a toothy grin on her face as Kouga sat up as well. What she didn't know was that he let her catch him. She giggled as she danced around in victory. "Ha! I beat a demon!" He loved her laugh and childish antics.

She was four when she met him, finding out he was two years older than her. She met him when him when his family came for a visit. At first, she was a bit shy, and he followed Kagome around all the time. He would always delcare his undying love for her and brought her flowers, which made Inuyasha mad and they would always fight. Kagome and her would just sit on the sidelines and watched the fight with mild Interest. Kouga, being a wolf demon, was faster than Inuyasha and always won.

After some time, Kagome would spend more time with Inuyasha and soon Kouga got the hint and left them alone. He then turned his attention to her. They would always play together and tease eachother. They became fast friends and she got over her shyness and came out of her shell.

All the times they spent together brought the two to where they were now, five years later, sitting on the beach like they always did. It became their secret spot over the years that they knew eachother. His face became serious as he looked her in the eye, drawing her out of her victory dance.

"Kouga, what is it?" She asked, her voice sounding concerned.

"Sakura," He walked up to her and held her with his mezmorizing gaze, "We've been best of friends for a long time. Over the years I've known you, I knew that we would be best friends all our life. The thought of being just friends made me sad. I don't want to be just friends, I want to be more. Sakura, when we are of age, will you marry me?" She was taken aback by his sudden question, not really knowing what to say. His face fell a bit at her silence, turning his gaze to the side. She saw his saddened face and softened her gaze. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she drew his gaze back to her.

She was being drawn out of the memory. She fought back desperately, wanting to see what she said. Failing to recover the lost memory and losing against the pull of consciousness, she gave in. The sound of two people yelling back and forth was what she heard the most, making her head pound. The memory was still fresh in her mind and left her wondering what happened next.

'What did I say?' was the only thought running through her head as she opened her eyes. She saw that she was in the living room, laying on one of the couches. She could see and angry Inuyasha yelling at someone she could not see because Kagome blocked her view. As the two continued their bickering, her head gave a groan of protest at the volume of their voices, deciding to make herself known.

"What's with all the yelling?" she asked as she sat up, drawing everyone's attention to her and instantly ending the fued. They turned their confused gazes upon her, wondering when she had awakened. Kagome, who snapped out of it first, gave a smile and trapped her in a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm so glad your alright, Sakura." Kagome said as she tightened her hold, making he a little bit uncomfortable.

"Um, I was unconscious, not dead. If it isn't to much trouble, I would like to be able to move my arms again." she replied with a laugh as Kagome instantly let go. "So, what'd I miss?" She glanced around the room and noticed the several wrapped gifts in the corridor. "And why are there so many presents over there?" Someone coughed, drawing her attnetion back to them and noticed the man who had saved her.

"It's a pleasure to finally see you again, Sakura. My heart soars at the thought of seeing you again." The man who had saved her before walked up to her and held her hands in his, a charming smile on his face as he awaited her reply. His teal eyes sparkled, making her remember the boy. She smiled at him, remembering him from her dream/memory.

"Kouga, its good to see you again." He couldn't contain himself a moment longer as he swept her up in a hug, twirling her around the room in pure, uncontained happiness.

"You remembered me! I missed you so much! Now we can fulfill what you promised six years ago!" He set her down and she swayed a bit in dizzyness. Her mind processed what he had said, remembering back to the memory of them on the beach. She mentally cursed herself for waking up before finding out what she had said.

"Sorry to say, but I don't remember that much yet. Just bits and pieces here and there. I'm sorry." His smile faltered but he regained his happy composure and hugged her again.

"It's ok, I can wait a bit longer. Just the fact that you remembered me makes me happier. How about this." He pulled back and his tone became formal, "Would you like to accompany me to dinner Wednesday at seven?" She was taken aback by his sudden forwardness but smiled in return, nodding her head.

"I would very much enjoy that." She was pulled into another hug by her savior and she couldn't help but laugh at his actions. Everyone else, who seemed a bit clueless about the whole thing, just watched on at the scene before them. Inuyasha, who's eye was twitching uncontrollably, growled in annoyance before deciding to break up the mushy scene.

"If you have forgotten, Naraku's still out there, which it makes it dangerous for her to be out alone." Kouga turned to face inuyasha, his happy mood never wavering.

"Don't worry, she won't be alone. She'll be with me. She'll be just fine." Inuyasha made move to further protest until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked down to see Kagome by his side, shaking her head.

"Let them be, I'm sure she'll be fine. Let her have this. She's been through enough. I don't want her to feel like she can't do anything." He felt himself nod in agreement as they turned and watched the happy two converse about where they were going to go and what they would do.

"PERVERT!" -SMACK, WACK, CRASH, BOOM-

They all turned at Sango's yell and saw their unconscious friend on the floor, three new lumps on his head and a small crater in the shape of Miroku now imprinted on the marble floor. The looked at Sango, who was panting after the beating she gave and glaring daggers at his limp form.

"Great, more money spent due to damage repairs."

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After prying Mirku off of the floor and holding a still fuming Sango back, they cleaned up the rocks from where he landed away and called their archetector. Miroku woke up some time later, keeping his distance away from Sango, who's brow twitched in anger whenever he was near. An hour passed as they lounged around until they heard the familiar sound of a car pulling up to their driveway. A few moments later, they heard his trademark knock before letting himself in.

An old man walked in. His eyes were big and looked like that of a bug. He was slightly bald and had what was left of his hair tied into a ponytail. He stroked his mustache as he took in the sight of the damaged floor before him.

"I take it Miroku was at it again?" His scratchy voice said as he looked at said person. Miroku squirmed a bit before sighing and nodding his answer. "When will you learn? These kind of actions are not to be expected of an ancestor of a long line of monks."

"More like line of perverted monks." Sango mumbled under her breath.

"Well, I take it this wasn't all that was damaged. Seeing as you only call if the house was blown up or something of the sort."

"Hey! We don't break down the house on a regular basis! Stop giving us a bad name ya old man!" Inuyasha yelled at the old man, who just turned to Kagome.

"Where is the room that was damaged that you mentioned over the phone?"

"Oh, upstairs. I'll show you, just follow me, Totosai." Kagome replied, escorting the old man towards Sakura's room, everyone else following, leaving a fuming Inuyasha behind. "Are you coming or not, Inuyasha?" Kagome called over her shoulder, not looking back. He grumbled a bit more before following everyone else upstairs.

"So this is the damage? I thought it would be much more...destroyed. You made my work easier than I anticipated." He looked over eveything that was damaged before pulling out a small pad of paper and a pen. He wrote down something before clicking his pen shut, ripping of the piece of paper he previously wrote on. "I can have it done by next Thursday." He handed the paper to Kagome, who in turn, looked down and read what the paper said. She let out a sigh and nodded.

"Inuyasha, here's the bill!" She called in a sugary sweet voice, causing Inuyasha to stiffen, afraid of what she might do next. Walking to him, she handed him the paper and walked out of the room. It was close to seven and they were all starving. It took the better part of the day to clean out the ramains of the crumbled walls and the miasma. By the time they finished the task, the sun had already set and it was quickly turning eight. Inuyasha let out a groan as he looked at the paper before glaring daggers at the back of Totosai's head.

"Keh, It better look better than before or else I'm not paying." He said, loud enough for everyone to hear, before he walked out of the room, intent on getting some food into his empty stomach. Everyon else, minus Totasai, looked at eachother, shrugged, and walked out of the room as well.

Once downstairs, Sango and Sakura entered the kitchen as the men were left to entertain themselves. Sakura looked around the kitchen, seeing that it was fully stocked and very clean with some of the best kitchen equipment and appliances known. She looked towards Kagome, who was already cutting up vegetables, and felt a bit out of place.

"Anything I can do?"

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After the girls had left them in the living room, Inuyasha sat there silently glaring daggers at Kouga who was conversing with Miroku.

"Ya know, I don't appriciate you glaring at me. If you keep pouting that way, your face will stay like that, even though your face would look better than it was before."

"Well, if you just leave, maybe I wouldn't have to pou- Hey! I'm not pouting!"

"Really? My mistake. Why don't you stop sulking then, hm?"

"Your really starting to piss me off!"

"I can say one word and it would piss you off. That's how short-tempered you really are."

"That's it! You, me! Right here, right now!"

"Sorry man, I don't swing that way." Miroku couldn't help but laugh at the two. Inuyasha set himself up for that one. While he was easily angered, Kouga just replied in a bored tone, disinterested in the whole ordeal.

Letting out a growl, Inuyasha moved to tackle Kouga. Kouga, knowing this would happen, took one step back, letting Inuyasha grash right into the unsupecting monk. He chuckled at the sight before him. The two were crumbled into a tangled heap up against the wall, which now had a brand new dent in it.

"That's another hundred, Inuyasha!" called a voice from upstairs, which only cause Kouga to laugh out loud this time. He walked into the kitchen, seeing if he could help the ladies in the kitchen. Upon entering, he was faced with a picture of Kagome, Sango, and Sakura swinging a knife down to cut vegetables, making him make a hastey retreat back into the living room.

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Kago me let out a frustrated sigh at the sound of something colliding with the wall.

"Looks like they're at it again. If they keep it up, we won't have much of a hosue afterwards." Sakura looked at Kagome, who had an amused smile on her face. "Well, at least we're not the one's paying for the damages right?" They all had a good laugh as they finished up what they were cooking.

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D inner was served about a half hour later, Kouga staying for the meal, curtesy of Kagome and Sakura's offer. Inuyasha fumed from his spot inbetween Sango and Kagome, who chatted non-stop throughout dinner. Sakura talked casually with Kouga, who was to her right next to Inuyasha, while Miroku, who was on her otherside next to Kagome, let out a sad sigh at the seating arrangements. Dinner now over, Kouga walked over to the group and cleared his throat, drawing their attention to him. He straightened up before he spoke.

"Well, it's late and I need to get going." He looked around their house, seeing tha damage that was done due to him getting Inuyasha riled up. It looked like the ceiling would cave at any moment. "Um, seeing as how your house might cave in at any given moment, why don't you spend the night at my penthouse?" Of course, Inuyasha was quick to protest.

"No way! No way are we going to stay at your house ya mangy wolf!" Much to his dismay, everyone had already left to pack their things, leaving him there to stand like there like a complete fool. Letting out his trademark 'Keh', he left to pack his things as well.

With their things all packed and getting into their choice vehicles, they followed Kouga's car to his penthouse at the edge of the city.

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Fift een minutes later, they drove up the small mountainside towards Kouga's penthouse. They all believed that it would look like a normal, everyday appartment. Boy were they surprised when it came into view.

Coming out of the side of the mountain was the most luxurious looking penthouse they had ever seen. It appeared to be resting on a deck-type thing that stuck out of the mountain. It was white in color and had a deck that could be used for BBQ's or just lounging in the sun.

Upon entering, everyone stopped and took in the interior. In front of you, there was the large living room. To the left was and open kitchen and to the right was the enterance to what looked like an entertainment/game room. In between the two was the entrance to the hallway that led to the bedrooms.

"Wow! This place is huge!" Kagome said as she turned in circles, taking in the sight.

"Yeah, being the co-owner/manager of Tashio Industries pays well." Kouga replied casually, grabbing a soda from the fridge. Inuyasha stiffened and growled at him at the comment.

"What do ya mean 'co-owner'?! My stupid brother doesn't co-own anything with anyone! He even changed his last name because he wouldn't be compared to our father!"

"I mean what I said and I'm not repeating myself because an idiot like you can't put two and two togther. And yeah, I work with you brother. Nice guy. Tends to be keep to himself at times, and ability you don't possess." Inuyasha's growl grew in volume, causing Kouga to smirk.

"Oh, and I want to keep this penthouse in one piece." Inuyasha 'Keh'ed and plopped down on a nearby chair, glaring at Kouga's smug form.

"Hey! Come check out the view!" Sakura called from the deck. Everyone, except Inuyasha, came at the call. They gasped at the site. From there, you could see all of Tokyo, illuminated by the many lights, making it appear as if it was glowing.

"Wow."

"Amazing."

"Beautiful."

"Hey! I can see our house from here!" Three girls turned and glared that the monk, sending him cowering behind a chuckling Kouga.

"Well, enough of that. Let me show you to your rooms. Hope you don't mind sharing."

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It was close to four in the morning and he still could not sleep. He got up with a sigh and walked out onto the deck, leaning caually on the railing by his elbows and looking at the city before him.

"So, what happens next? Kinna hard for it to be just like it used to. She doesn't recall anything at all about her life. Will it be the same? Or will everything be different now?"

"Can't sleep either?"

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S hw awoke to the sound of footsteps outside of their room. Seeing as how she couldn't sleep much either, she got up and silently followed the sound of the footfalls. They led her to the deck, where she saw him, standing there talking to himself. He was leaning his elbows on the railing while looking at the city. He didn't seem to notice her presence. Her lips turned up in a sly smile as a plan formulated in her mind. She silently moved towards him, stood up on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear.

"Can't sleep either?"

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H e nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice, almost knocking the person behind him over. Her laugh drifted into his ears, reminding him of their carefree past.

"Jeez, Sakura!" he called, holding a hand over his racing heart and bracing himself against the railing. She laughed harder now, making him laugh as well.

"That...was....priceless!" she replied between fits of laughter. An idea formed in his head. He smiled a cunning smile that went unnoticed by her still-laughing form as he started towards his prey. He tackled her onto one of the lounging chairs (its cushioned) and started to tickle her non-stop.

"No...haha...stop...haha...mercy!" Her soft laughter grew in volume as he now found himself the new victum, his plan backfiring. After some time, they wound up sitting there, a cup of tea in hand, talking as they watched the early morning sun peak over the horizon.

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A groggy Kagome walked into the hallway, a bit upset on the fact that she could not get more sleep. As she made her way towards the kitchen, she heard the faint noise of laughter coming from outside. She made her way over towards the entrance, hiding behind a plant watching the two before her.

"...and then, he would throw a hissy fit whenever Kagome would talk to me instead of him. Then, he would run up to me and challenge me to a fight. The prize being that whomever one, which was always me, would be able to play with Kagome."

"Are you serious? I figured that Inuyasha liked Kagome, but I didn't know he was like that! That's kind of embarassing. Wow. I didn't know that everyone knew eachother that long." Her voice dropped in volume at the statement.

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Kouga looked at her, her head slightly bowed as she stared at her warm cup of tea in her hands. He knew what she was thinking about and didn't want her to feel left out.

"Sakura." Her head rasied at her name, lcoking eyes with him. Her eyes widened slightly, before becoming unfocused.

"Kouga." She saw his saddened face and softened her gaze. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she drew his gaze back to her. He stared back into the pools of violet, unable to look away. "I know how you feel. I'm not ready yet to commit a promise like that. Maybe when we are older, yes, but now, we are still young. Only time will tell. Let's wait until we are older before we finalize anything. As time goes by, people change and we might not be the same ten years from now. I want to wait and see what fate has instore for us. My answer now is that I'm not sure, but if I had to answer, I would say yes." He smiled at her and she returned it. He brought her into a loving embrace, and held her like that for some time.

"But fate is never final. We decide what we want our fate to be. We can change our destinies." He whispered in her ear.

She almost cried at the memory. As her eyes refocused on his face, she saw worry on his face, as plain as day. She shakily placed her cup down on the table next to her, never breaking his gaze. She remembered that day. Her smile grew as she threw herself in his arms, knocking his cup of tea onto the floor.

"I could never forget our promise that day. I'm sorry it took me so long to remember, but now I know." Small tears of happiness fell from her eyes and onto his shoulder. He tightened his hold on her, never wanting to let her go.

"Sakura. Don't be sorry. I'm just happy you remembered." He whispered back, gently stroking her hair.

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Kago me took in the sight before her with a smile Sakura remembered a bit more everyday, making her feel relieved. At first, she thought that Sakura might never regain her memories, but was proved wrong. Here she was, witnessing the scene before her made her doubt wash away. If she could remember that, then she can remember everything. 'Only time will tell.' With that, she left the unsuspecting two alone and went off to tell Sango of her findings.

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One by one, everyone awoke and sat down for breakfast. Kouga and Sakura parted ways for the time being a little after Kagome left. All throughout breakfast, Kagome and Sango gave Sakura this look that she didn't quite understand. It was a you-got-some-explaining-to-do look as well as I-know-what-you-have-been-doing-and-now-you-have-to-spill look. She was confused beyond reason as to why they were giving her that look. On the otherhand, Kouga kept flashing her a charming smile, which resulted in her receiving the other two.

After breakfast was done and over with, Inuyasha and Miroku for work and training. Kouga also left, saying he had to go to work before he was out the door in a flash, leaving the three girls alone. Sakura didn't like this situation one bit after the look she received and made a hastey retreat for the bathroom, saying something about a shower.

"Don't worry, we have plenty of time." Kagome said slyly to a grining Sango.

"Your right, we have tons of time. Today's my day off." Sango replied to Kagome, who was girnning like a cheshire (sp?) cat.

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An hour passed before Sakura finally emerged from the bathroom, fully clothed and relaxed. She had a smile on her face, remembering her conversation this morning as well as the date planned for tonight. Kouga had said that Wednesday was too far away and changed it to tonight, in celebration of her recovered memories and coming home. That left her the whole day to plan out what to wear.

"Oh, Sakura." Kagome called in a sing-song voice, causing her to cease her movements and hault all thoughts. She panicked, remembering the looks she got from the two girls. She turned around to run, only to be tackled by Sango. 'Ow, she should become a football player. That hurt!'

She was now sitting on the living room couch, being stared down by Sango and Kagome, who refused to give up. Letting out a sigh, she looked up them, her eyes showing her submission. The two let out a squeal of glee before plopping down on either side of her.

"So what is it that you wanted to talk about?" she finally asked after they had calmed down.

"Oh, nothing really. Just wondering about what you and Kouga were talking about this morning that had led to his looks at you at breakfast." Kagome said all to casually. Sakura must have blushed five shades of red, causing the older girls to laugh.

"Uhm. Uh. You see...uhm...It's just that...I uhm...remembered a bit more today." She finally stuttered out, causing the two to stop their laughter. "It's not much, but it was something that was important to the two of us. I remembered the time when we first met him." Kagome looked at her, a smile on her face.

"I'm glad that you remembered."

"Oh yea, andthedatewaschangedfromWednesdaytotonight." (and the date was changed from Wednesday to tonight.) It took a moment for them to actually process what she said. Once it sunk in, they squealed with joy and crushed her in a double hug.

"You have to let us help you get ready! You'r gonna look so beautiful tonight. Come on! Let's go shopping!" Kagome and Sango each grabbed an arm, and pulled the submissive form of Sakura out the door and to one of the cars. They drove off into the city, fully-bent on gettin a dress just for her date.

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Koug a entered the office building with a new air to him. A bright smile on his face brought his attention to some of the workers. Some whispers like "What's got him so happy" and "That smile's kina creepy" didn't bother him at all as he made his way to the elevator.

A 'ding' told him that he had reached his floor. As the doors opened, he walked down the hall towards the door at the very end. He casually walked in and took his seat.

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They dragged her all over the mall, from shop to shop. They had found several dresses that were very close, but they didn't live up to Kagome and Sango's standards. Letting out a sigh, she followed the two in front of her.

"Kagome!" Said girl let out a groan as three girls ran up to her. "It's been so long! How have you been?" Kagome turned to the girls and gave a small smile.

"I've been great Eri. You remember Sango." Kagome pointed to Sango, who gave a small wave in return, before gesturing to Sakura. "And this is my sister Sakura." All three gave a squeel before pouncing on Sakura, throwing and endless barrage of questions at her. Kagome let out a nervous laugh at the display as she watched on from the sidelines while her sister try to answer as many questions as possible. Sakura glared at Kagome, and gave her a look that practically screamed "SAVE ME!" Seeing her sister's distress, she decided to intervene.

"Guys." -silence- "Guys." -more slience- "GUYS!" The three turned at her call, cowering behind Sakura, afraid that the twitching vain in her head might pop.

"We are kind of busy here so yea. Sorry but we gotta go." Kagome looped arms with Sango and Sakura and beat a hastey retreat into the nearest store.

"Wow. Even I was scared." Sango admited, taking a look around the store they were in. "Uh, Kagome. I think we should leave."

"Why? What's....wrong...with......this....." Kagome's question was left hanging as she saw that they were in a maternity clothes store. Blushing, the three slipped out unnoticed and headed to the right store this time.

"This is going to be a long day." grumbled Sakura as she was pulled into a changing room, shoved some clothes in her hands, and got locked inside.

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Ar ound three in the afternoon, they finally decided on what she should wear, bought it, and left. Arriving back at Kouga's penthouse, Inuyasha and Miroku were already back for the day. They were confused when the three of them walked in, carrying several bags. With barely even a 'hi', Sango and Kagome pushed a relictant Sakura into the room that they shared. Pushing her into a chair, they looked at her, wondering what to do.

"How should we do her makeup?" Kagome asked, looking closely at Sakura's face.

"How should we do her hair?" Sango asked, staring at her raven locks.

"Do I get a say in this?" asked Sakura, who was figiting nervously in her seat. "I know that it's a date and all, but that's just it. It's only a date."

"Actually, it's your first actual date with Kouga if my memory serves me. So it is a big deal. We're just here to make sure you look prettier." Kagome answered with a smile. Glancing at the clock, Kagome let out a sigh. "Your date's at seven and its only three. Well, we should lounge around for a bit and start getting you all dressed up at five. By the time we're done with you, Kouga won't even recognize you."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

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It was close to seven when he got to the penthouse. He only had twenty minutes to get ready. His mouth turned up into a smile at the thoughht as he walked into the front door. He noticed Inuyasha watching TV on the couch with Miroku, the girls no where in sight.

"Where's everyone else?" he asked Miroku as he romoved his tie.

"Helping Sakura get ready. By the way, you only have twenty mintues. Better get moving."

Twenty minutes later, he emerged from his room, fully dressed and waited for his date. Kagome and Sango walked out of their room, proud smiles on their faces. Kagome walked to the end of the hallway while Sango stayed back by the door. All men present were confused and watched the two, curiousity getting the better of them.

"The moment you've been waiting for. Better hold onto something because the sight to come will wipe you off your feet." Kagome said, immitating an announcers. "We are proud to present our feature presentation! Nah, just playing. What I mean is, we are now proud to present!: Sakura Higurashi!" There was a sound of shuffling before Sango walked up and stood next to Kagome, blocking the men's view of the hallway. The shuffling stopped and the two let out a girlish giggle before stepping aside; two surprised gasps were heard.

Sakura stood shyly at the entrance of the hallway. She was dressed in a strapless red dress that stopped midthigh on one side and flowed to her ankle on the other. The dress's color brought out her violet eyes and accented her curves perfectly.She wore a scarce amount of make-up and only had a golden necklace around her neck. Her hair was up in an elegant bun of curls, a few loose curls framing her face.

"Wow." was the only coherant thing Inuyasha and Miroku could come up with.

"Nice to know your vocabulary has improved." Kouga smirked at the two. He stepped up to Sakura, bringing out a bouqet of white roses from behind his back. He was dressed in black slacks and black dress shoes. He was in a white button-up, long-sleeved dress shirt. His long hair was pulled up in his trademark ponytail. "You look beautiful. I am honored to have you as my date." Sakura blushed at the statement, taking the flowers from his hand.

"Thank you, Kouga. You look handsome." Kouga held out his arm for her to take. She looped her arm in without hesitation and they both smiled at eachother.

"Allow me to accompany you to our ride, miss. Shall we?" Sakura giggled at his playfulness and played along.

"Why thank you. We shall." With a backwards wave, the two left for their date.

"I think they will have a great time, don't you?" Kagome asked Sango.

"I agree. Did you see the way his mouth dropped at the sight of her? And the way that he was so romantic? Wish we had someone like that." Sango complained, Kagome nodding her head jealously. "But no, we are stuck with those idiots over there, arn't we?" They two shared a laugh before finding something to do until the couple got back.

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