InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Zero-G ❯ A Nail in the Coffin ( Chapter 7 )

Author's Notes: Thank you all for waiting for this chapter. I got a litte delayed over Christmas and new year with lots of relatives coming over to visit and take me out shopping (oh, the horror!), but now things are back to normal.

Zero-G

Chapter Six

A Nail in the Coffin

Kagome woke with a yawn and a stretch the next morning. For one blissful moment, she thought she was back at home in her bed… but the instant she opened her eyes, the reality crashed down over her head once again.

She was still lying on the sofa where she'd fallen asleep yesterday. The last thing she remembered was crying… and a certain someone taking advantage of her position by resting a bowl of peanuts against her back. And why had she been crying?

Because she'd just remembered that Kikyo was capable of more terrible things than she'd originally presumed.

When Kikyo had sabotaged her sponge cake by sprinkling a fine topping of worms and leaves on the mixture while it was baking in the oven, was that really what her mother had called `friendly competition'? When Kikyo had told a five year old Kagome to go out and buy an ice cream from the vendor two streets away, across two roads of heavy traffic, had that really been in Kagome's best interests and personal safety?

What about the time when Kikyo had pushed her into the canal? Everyone, including Kikyo, had sworn that it was an accident… and Kagome had believed them all. But did the fact that she had just said that Kikyo's skirt looked like a belt before she'd fallen have anything to do with the `accident'?

And was there something odd about the way that Kagome's presents went missing - usually on the day after Christmas when Kikyo went home with her parents? Particularly the presents that Kikyo had already expressed interest in?

But it hadn't always been like that, otherwise Kagome was certain that she would have hated her older cousin. Undoubtedly, there had been times when Kikyo had taken her to the park, and whenever Kagome had fallen and cut herself, Kikyo had always been there to patch her up and kiss the injury better. It was only last Christmas that Kikyo had sent her a laptop computer of her very own!

Her cousin seemed to have boundless generosity one minute and then bitter spitefulness the next. Did that mean she was capable of murder?

Then Kagome thought of something even more horrific.

Oh my god… I cried myself to sleep in that jerk's lap!

It was almost too embarrassing to dwell on. At some point in her angst-ridden reverie, she'd slipped from his chest into his lap. She even remembered him muttering something along the lines of "Careful with those fingers, pet," before she'd passed out.

"Gah… I'm such a bimbo…" Kagome pressed her hands against her face and slumped back against the sofa. She peeked through her fingers to survey the living room and suddenly realised that she was very alone.

The cuffs still chained her wrists together, and the door was probably still locked - but Inuyasha had gone.

"Hello?" Kagome called tentatively. "Mr Kidnapper Guy?"

She received no response, so Kagome guessed that he had probably gone to work again. This gave her another delicious opportunity to try and escape. Again.

Pushing off the sofa, Kagome padded over to the door to check that it was indeed locked like she'd suspected. Her suspicions proved correct when the handle refused to budge. She gave a frustrated sigh and kicked the door angrily.

He'll forget one day, she reassured herself, and then you can escape. Just lull him into a false sense of security.

Kagome pottered aimlessly around the flat for the next couple of hours, checking all the nooks and crannies that she could find in case she stumbled upon a miraculous escape tunnel. She checked the windows again, just in case the pavement outside had grown any closer than yesterday, but found to her disappointment that it hadn't. And someone, namely Inuyasha, had taped a black bin bag over the kitchen window.

The schoolgirl stopped her search to lean against the wall next to the fridge. She thought carefully about her options as she tapped her knuckles against the hardboard.

So maybe Kikyo had tried to do away with her… but that didn't mean that her whole family was out to get her. She knew for a fact that her mother, brother and grandfather would never do anything to harm her. Kikyo was the black sheep anyway - she'd probably planned it alone. So why was this guy trying to stop her from contacting her family altogether? Surely, the moment she explained the situation to her mother, they would go to the police and have the matter investigated. The police would protect her, right? Even if the Coalescence had tried to bump her off on Kikyo's behalf, then they wouldn't try the same thing twice or risk getting implicated…

But maybe it wasn't that simple.

Kagome gave the wall a hearty tap of annoyance, then stiffened as the sound echoed back to her.

Was that wall hollow?

What was on the other side?

If Kagome's memory served her correctly, then the catwoman's apartment lay on the other side. A few good blows from something like a sledgehammer - or a metal table leg - and the wall would probably crumble.

Without knowing exactly how much time she had left before Inuyasha returned, Kagome leapt for the cutlery drawer and drew out her trusty friend - the knife. She immediately began attacking the table again, whitling away at the screws she'd softened up the last time she'd done this. It was only a few seconds before she could yank the leg free and let the table pitch sideways. Then it was back to the wall, hacking away at the thin plasterboard and making promising dents within the first few blows.

She was so caught up in striking the wall that she failed to register the sound of the motorbike pulling up outside, or the sound of unhurried footsteps in the hall, or even the front door being opened behind her.

"Damn."

The one word had her spinning around guiltily, wielding the table leg like a weapon. At the sight of Inuyasha, she only tightened her grip.

"I never know what to expect of you." He dumped a bag on the sofa and moved around the dismantled table to reach her. "You're either scrubbing the floor or creating mass destruction."

"Stay back! I'm warning you!" Kagome hissed as he drew closer.

"You know, from anyone else that would have sounded threatening." He smiled mildly as he caught the table leg and wrenched it out of her hands. "From you, it's just cute."

Bastard! Kagome seethed privately as he stowed the table leg on top of the fridge before heading back to the sofa.

"Here. I got you something." He picked up the white plastic bag and tossed it across the room to her.

Kagome fumbled as she caught it. "What is this?"

"A dress," he answered simply at the same moment she pulled it from the bag.

Kagome eyed it with distaste. "I don't like dresses." She preferred to wear skirts. Then again, the school uniform offered very little choice in the matter. But this one was even more conservative than what she was wearing at that moment - albeit a lot cleaner.

The dress in her hands bore long sleeves and a small rigid collar. It seemed close fitting down to the waist, with single button pockets on each breast, and then splayed out from her hips to her knees. A typical style in black and much more… adult… than Kagome liked. She turned an unimpressed glare on her captor. "What do I look like, a seventy-five years old?"

"There's so many ways that I could answer that," he told her as he dropped onto the sofa with a sigh. "You should be more grateful. Do you know how much that thing cost?"

Kagome held up a plastic tag that was attached to the dress' sleeve. "Why is the security tag still on it?"

"Uh… no reason." He clasped his fingers together and cracked the knuckles.

"I see," she said coldly, glaring at him. "Well, you can just take this straight back. It's illegal for me to wear anything other than my uniform."

"But as of now you don't attend school, so you're free to wear what you want," he said, yawning to himself. "Besides, if I took it back we'd be late for your funeral."

Kagome stilled. "What?"

"That's your funeral dress," he informed her breezily. "And you better scrub up because we're leaving in ten minutes."

………………………& #8230;………………………… ;……………………..

"This is screwed up on way too many levels." Kagome hissed as she tugged at her tight collar.

Ten minutes had given her only enough time to rush into the bathroom and change her clothes. She would have preferred a decent change of underwear, or at least a shower. Blood still stained her hair - which was in need of a wash anyway - and she had resorted to spraying herself with `Lynx' for lack of any girly perfume.

But at that moment, she didn't really care…

She was about to see her family again for the first time in nearly a week. She missed them all so much that it was painful. The homesickness made her irritable and depressed, and skipping a shower and clean undies were only a small price to pay for the chance to get in touch with her loved ones.

However, Inuyasha had other plans.

"When we get there, you are not permitted to talk to your family," he lectured as he carefully combed her hair back into a bun. Compared to her mother, who had been plaiting her hair since she was a toddler, he was 98 percent gentler. "Talk to them and you will be dead come evening."

"What?!" Kagome shrieked. "You can't forbid me from talking to my family! They have to know I'm alive!"

"Their ignorance is the only thing keeping you alive," he reprimanded. "If your mother found out, how long do you think it would be before Kikyo found out too?"

"But they're suffering!" she ground out, exasperated. "They're grieving when there's no need!"

"Kagome, you can't show yourself to them," he snapped out. "Even if you told them to keep the truth from Kikyo, it would only be a matter of time before it leaked to her. Even if they tried to get the police on her, she would find out before they caught her and she'd order you dead. Your only chance is to forget them all and start a new life."

"Then why are you taking me to my own funeral?" complained Kagome, sagging in the kitchen chair. "Are you just trying to torture me? Bringing my family so close but not letting me touch them?"

"Even if I was to send you away into hiding right this very minute, you would ignore my warnings and go back to them anyway. I know you would." He eased an elastic band around her bun for lack of a real hair clip. "At least this way you get to see them and say your personal farewells… under my supervision."

"I don't believe this…" she griped. "There's no way I'm going into hiding. If what you say is true then I'm going to fight this!"

"Fine. Go ahead. But like I've said, if you ever come clean about your survival, my dead body is what will break your fall into the ditch."

"But why would they kill you?" Kagome turned to frown at him. "All you did was save my life…"

"That's my crime." He shrugged nonchalantly and handed her the black hat and veil that he'd `bought' alongside the dress. "But you won't give yourself away at the funeral."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "What makes you so sure?"

He smiled without humour. "Because this is perhaps your one best chance to find out for yourself what Kikyo's real personality is like." He took the hat and slanted it carefully on her head, so that the veil fell across her face. "Now, even if your family won't see your face, there's still a chance they'll recognise you."

Kagome turned her head away, thoroughly annoyed at his attempts to make herself and her family as unhappy as possible.

"They'll probably recognise the way your walk, or your posture, or even the way you hold your head. You've got a habit of slouching to one side with your head tilted to the left, so you have to watch yourself-"

"You've notice my habits already?!" She whirled on him. "But you're like the most unobservant person ever!"

"Yeah, and you also have this habit of grinding your teeth when you're mad… so that's pretty much constantly." He walked away from her to fetch his jacket. "Anyway, those heels that I gave you should eliminate the walking problem, but try and sashay your hips a little."

Kagome's teeth clenched. "Sashay?" she repeated.

"Yep." Inuyasha nodded as he shrugged into his black bike jacket. "The way you walk is a little straight and direct, quite quick with not nearly enough hip movement. So try and walk slowly," he informed her.

Kagome stood, glaring at him, then proceeded to walk across the room - about seven strides in all. With each step, she swung her hips and deliberately moved slowly and seductively.

Inuyasha seemed less than impressed. "Yes, alright, but try not to look like prostitute who's turned up at the wrong party."

With a loud sigh, the schoolgirl jammed the veil over her head and folded her arms crossly. "I can't believe this-"

"Ah ah!" Inuyasha raised a finger. "You're standing the `Kagome' way."

Kagome stiffened and was acutely aware that he was right. Her head was tipped to the side and she rested most of her weight on her left foot with her right knee bent. Consciously, she corrected herself until she was standing perfectly straight. "Is that better?"

"It would be better if you didn't fold your arms like a grumpy child at a funeral, but I won't be picky," he said loftily. "Now, I don't want you speaking to anyone under any circumstances, but in the off chance that someone forces you to converse with them, it would be good to adopt a slight accent. Just to throw them off." Inuyasha moved forward to straighten the veil that she'd applied messily over her hair. "Maybe a southern one would do nicely."

"Whatever…" she muttered with a roll of the eyes.

"Ok, we're already late." Inuyasha looked at his watch. "Let's get going."

………………………& #8230;.

Kagome stumbled for what was probably the eighteenth time since they'd left the flat. The heels she'd been given were beginning to grate on her heels, leaving blisters, and turning her walk from a seductive wiggle into a pained hobble. "Whose shoes are these?"

"Ex-girlfriend," Inuyasha responded, hands shoved deep into his pockets as he nonchalantly watched the street for danger.

"They remind me of this pair that Kikyo used to have." Kagome paused for a moment to adjust the shoes. "You always knew when she was going out on a date because she'd wear a pair of monstrosities just like these and she'd always complain about blisters."

"Hm… interesting," he intoned in a voice that implied it was not.

Kagome sniffed. "You wouldn't understand because you're a man."

His fingers touched her elbow, causing her to look down at their point of contact with irritation. "We're here," he said suddenly. Kagome followed his gaze and saw that the entrance of the cemetery was only a hundred yards up the street from their position. There were several cars parked on the curb and a dozen or so people dressed in black, waiting at the archway. A service was in session…

Kagome made a noise akin to a whimper, and Inuyasha gave her an encouraging nudge. "Your chin's wobbling."

The schoolgirl did her best to remain inconspicuous as she approached the cemetery entrance with her kidnapper, but her determination began to dissolve as she noticed that her grandfather was one of the men standing by the gate.

"Don't look at him," a voice advised near her ear.

Kagome frowned slightly, wondering how on earth he'd known who she was looking at. Did he know that the man was her grandfather?

As they drew closer and her grandpa's eyes landed on them, Kagome was almost certain that she would be recognised instantly. In fact, she was vastly disappointed when nothing happened, and her grandpa only nodded in greeting as they passed. "Thank you for coming," was all he said. Kagome couldn't help but stare at him as Inuyasha pulled her through the gate. The old man looked worn out and pale, a sign that grief had taken a heavy toll on him.

It was hard for Kagome to stop herself from tearing off the veil to see life colour his sallow cheeks again. One tug of the elbow from Inuyasha reminded her that she had to watch her step.

"Well done," he told her quietly as they headed down the wide path through the cemetery. Tall, red beech trees overshadowed their walkway, casting dappled yellow light along the tarmac. Kagome squinted ahead and spotted the congregation of mourners in the distance, gathered on a grassy slope outside the funeral home.

There had to be over a hundred people there, all dressed in black with a white band of colour around one arm to show that they were mourners rather than just normal city workers. Kagome suddenly felt a prickle of nausea crawl up her throat. Something about this whole scenario just seemed wrong…

"Well, look at that," Inuyasha cooed, looking ahead at the crowd. "Weren't you the popular one?"

"Shut up." Kagome felt sicker than ever.

"Kikyo's probably up there so here's where I split," Inuyasha said as he casually began distancing himself from her. "Remember what I said about talking to people and remember what will happened if you do."

He peeled away from her completely and began walking faster to get ahead. Kagome watched him with mixed feelings. Part of her wanted to run after him and stick close… but her sensible, logical side reprimanded her urges. She'd been wanting to escape from him for days - what sane girl would want to stick close to him?

Giving herself a mental shake, Kagome continued on alone, heading towards her funeral. She saw Inuyasha reach the congregation first, blending in with the crowd while still keeping a safe distance. Kagome took a deep breath, feeling shaky and uncertain. She knew that this was her big chance to tear off her veil and go running into the arms of her mother. So why was she sticking to the plan that Inuyasha had laid out?

I'm crazy. I have to be, she thought to herself as she left the path and started to climb the gentle slope towards the gathered people. Familiar, yet miserable faces started appearing throughout the crowd. Her aunt and uncle, her five cousins, a few of her neighbours and some of her mother's friends were consoling each other towards the back of the group. Her school friends were there as well. Yuka, Eri and Ayumi were weeping without restraint in each other's arms, and it was all Kagome could do to stop herself from running over to join them.

Then she saw her mother holding her brother's hand, and something akin to a strangled whimper nearly escaped her mouth. They both looked as ill and drawn as Grandpa. But at least Kagome reckoned that they didn't appear to look any worse than herself. If it wasn't for the veil, Kagome was sure that a few of the guests would have leapt back in horror to see a zombie coming their way.

Passing through the rows of graves was like walking through a miniature city with dwarf skyscrapers. The heady scent of burning incense teased her nose, and she had to fight back a sneeze. It would do no good to have a sneezing fit and draw attention to herself… not when her life depended on her passing through this ceremony without being noticed. Supposedly.

Sliding discreetly past a serene Buddhist statue, Kagome joined the back of her funeral parade. She did her best to blend in, mingling with the crowd and keeping her distance from those she'd been close to. She situated herself beside a group of people she didn't recognise - probably distant relatives that she hadn't met since she was a child.

She scanned every face in the crowd, but to her disappointment, she didn't see Kikyo among them. She wanted to see her cousin - to see if what Inuyasha had said was true. Would Kikyo appear calm and untouched by the funeral, like the heartless killer she'd been depicted as? Or would she cry along with the rest of her family? And if she did, was it sincere or just a lot of rather good acting?

But Kagome had no chance to wonder about Kikyo's lack of appearance as everyone suddenly began moving through the doors of the funeral home. They were going inside…

Looking ahead, Kagome saw Inuyasha passing through the doors, but just before he did, he turned and found her watching him. He winked at her, as if they were sharing some sort of sordid secret. Kagome fought the wave of repulsion that rose in her throat as she shuffled after the crowd that were gradually filtering through the doors.

No one seemed to notice the teenage girl as she slipped into the building amidst the other guests. Kagome wondered what they would do or say if her veil fell off now and they all saw her for who she was. Perhaps they would assume she was a ghost? Or perhaps they would think her sick and twisted for coming to her own funeral to watch her family wallow in grief?

The last thought left her stomach twisting in guilt. She couldn't show herself to her family now… not when she'd come to see them in disguise like some kind of peeping tom.

"…such a shame, at such a young age…"

"…I hope they catch the fiend responsible…"

"She had brains, that girl. She had a future laid out before her… so much potential wasted…"

The lump in her throat returned as she entered one of the larger rooms with the other guests. Instantly, her eyes were drawn to the casket on the other side of the room. She was shocked to see that it was open, leaving whatever body was inside on display. Not for the first time, Kagome wondered which unlucky girl had taken her place by mistake.

Everyone was queuing up to sign a registry book by the doorway, and Kagome fell into line to avoid sticking out. When it came time to sign her name, Kagome was so distracted that she almost signed her own name. She furiously crossed out the name that she'd started to write out and glanced angrily towards the top of the list where Inuyasha had already signed his name. Inokku Yoshikawa, huh?

Unable to find the imagination at that moment in time to think up a brilliant new alias, Kagome wrote down the first name that came into her mind that sounded natural.

Kasumi Yoshikawa.

Still feeling faintly disturbed, Kagome left the registry and headed across the room towards the rest of the mourners who were gathering near the casket. She was desperate to see who was inside, but at the back, all she could see were several pairs of black clad shoulders.

"Having a good time?" someone inquired next to her.

Kagome didn't need to look over to know who it was. "What do you think?" she snapped quietly.

Inuyasha sidled closer to her. "If you want to take a look, you need to be a bit more forceful."

Kagome opened her mouth to snap at him a little more when his elbow suddenly jabbed into the small of her back, making her leap forward. He drove her between the other guests forcefully, and no sooner had his elbow left her back then he was he gone. Kagome glanced behind her to hiss at him, but he was already moving away, distancing himself from her.

Glad that the veil concealed her angry blush, Kagome turned back towards the coffin and stopped dead.

There lay Kagome Higurashi.

Or so the plaque declared. In fact, it was just a fifteen year old who shared the same height, build and weight. The dead girl was dressed in white from head to toe with not one patch of skin to be seen. Over her face rested a pristine white cloth, held firmly in place by a band that went around the head.

How was anyone supposed to tell who this girl was? There was no way of knowing that this was her!

One of her mother's friends who was standing next to her was leaning over to whisper to his companion. "That monster shredded her face, poor thing. It was so bad that the police didn't want the Higurashis to identify her. They had to rely on dental records alone…"

"My word. Who could do such a thing to such a sweet girl?"

The flattery was lost on Kagome. All she could feel was a consuming sense of remorse and guilt. The poor girl…

"What's the matter with your legs?"

Kagome stiffened and inched her gaze to the boy standing directly beside her. It was none other than her little brother, Souta. He looked up at her veiled face with a strange petulance that she'd never seen before. Was this what he was like when she wasn't around, or had her death done something to him?

I can't talk to him… he'd recognise me in an instant! So Kagome kept her mouth shut and tried to ignore him. She turned back towards the coffin and pretended not to have heard him.

Her heart ached badly.

"I said," Souta repeated, as if talking to a deaf old woman, "what happened to your legs, missus?"

Missus?! How rude! I don't look that old!

But it looked as if her brother wasn't going to leave her alone, and she knew from experience that he could be very insistent at times. Everything Inuyasha had told her previously about talking to people rushed through her mind, and consciously she shifted her stance so she would appear less like Kagome. An accent… she needed an accent…

Unfortunately, whilst aiming for a distinct southern intonation, she ended up with an Australian Crocodile Dundee accent. "I burnt them." Oh no! I'm an Aussie!

Souta gave her a perplexed look. "On what?"

"Uh… bomb." Kagome cringed and tried to lower her voice an octave to elude the boy.

"Bet that hurts," he responded bluntly.

"Not anymore." She aimed for a slightly masculine shrug.

Souta's eyes narrowed at her. "Where are you from?"

"Um… Australia." Might as well keep to continuity.

"Oh yeah? Then where's your pouch?"

If smacking her little brother around the head wouldn't have drawn attention to her, Kagome would sorely have liked to give into the temptation. You little brat… "I uh… I think you're mistaking me for a kangaroo."

"What, those things with big feet and long noses?" her brother asked.

"Yeah."

"Right. So where's your pouch?"

Kagome's hand was lifting to cuff his ear for talking to a stranger like that, but fortunately her mother saved the day. "Souta." Mrs Higurashi called out to her son, holding her hand out. "Stay close to me, Souta."

Souta gave a loud sigh and a roll of the eyes before heading back towards their mother. Kagome worried her lip slightly. She'd never seen her mother so anxious or doddering around Souta before… it was almost like she was scared to let him go.

No wonder. Not after what had happened to her first born.

The guilt hit Kagome with full force again. If only she could turn back time a few days and stop all this madness from ever being set in motion.

Then Kikyo arrived. "Aunt Mai! I'm so sorry I'm late." The young businesswoman came hurrying forward to give her aunt a tight, comforting hug. Kagome stood stock still and she saw her cousin for the first time in months.

She looked a little different from the last time they'd gotten together for a summer vacation. Kikyo had grown her hair out since then and now had a fringe. But she was still wearing the same designer labels with the same expensive shoes and a few thousand yen's worth of make-up on her already beautiful face. That face was now shot through with grief and misery. Tear stains tracked down her cheeks, carving paths in her foundation.

Was this the girl who had issued her death?

Around her, people were beginning to pay their respects to the dead girl. They got on their knees on the cushions provided and began saying prayers and burning incense, making Kagome's nose twitch again. Joining them, Kagome got down her on knees and bowed her head, uttering a prayer for the unknown girl before her.

Behind her, somebody sneezed, having also inhaled a bit too much incense. By the sound of it, it was a certain hanyou kidnapper. What surprised Kagome most was that Kikyo, who had been offering her mother condolences, suddenly stopped talking and paused before saying. "Excuse me, I'll be back in minute."

Kagome stopped her prayer and whipped her head around to follow Kikyo's progress through the crowd. And low and behold, as she'd suspected, it was Inuyasha she stopped next to. Inuyasha smiled an unfamiliar smirk as her cousin struck up conversation with him.

They knew each other. It was obvious. But how?

If only they weren't so far away, she'd be able to hear what they were saying.

"Are you done here?" A woman tapped her shoulder.

"No." Kagome said quickly and turned back around to face the casket. This may have been a fraudulent service, but Kagome was determined to show the dead girl proper respect. She began to pray again, wishing that the girl would soon be recognised for who she was and given a proper send off by her own family. But who knew when that would be? Perhaps around the same time it ever came out that Kagome wasn't actually dead…

Finally she stood up and started moving back through the crowd, keeping her head low as she made her way closer to where Inuyasha and Kikyo were conversing. Even though the funeral held a very quiet and sombre atmosphere, there was still a light murmuring from the hundred odd guests. It made it difficult to hear what Kikyo was saying to Inuyasha without getting dangerously close. But she tried anyway, winding her way closer until she thought she heard Kikyo give a light laugh.

Numb rage settled in Kagome's stomach. Kikyo was laughing at her funeral. And by the look on her face, she wasn't all that miserable either. She was still too far away to hear their low conversation, but she could already see that Kikyo was in `flirt' mode. She held her cool and composed stance with a coy smile on her lips. One hand toyed with a lock of hair while her other clutched a set of car keys and a mobile phone.

If this wasn't disconcerting enough, Inuyasha was responding to her flirting like most men would. But as Kagome watched him looking at Kikyo, there was only word she could find to describe the look in his eyes…

Predatory.

Kagome stopped when she was finally within earshot and hid herself discreetly beside a tall man who was from her grandfather's chess club.

"…it's the least I could do," she caught Kikyo murmuring to Inuyasha.

"Kikyo, you spoil me." So, they were on a first name basis?

"Mmm, I'd like to take you outside and really spoil you," was Kikyo's purred response.

Kagome's eyes widened and she clapped a hand to her mouth. Oh god! Kikyo's talking dirty and I'm listening! Oh god… and that means… him… and her… they're…

"Tempting, tempting." Inuyasha sighed regretfully. "But I'm tired of flogging the dead horse. Besides, I have a busy day ahead. I shouldn't even be here, you know."

"Yes, especially when I don't seem to recall anyone inviting you."

"Really? I could have sworn that when you told me about the funeral yesterday, you were almost begging me to come along."

"I'd never dream of begging you for anything, Inuyasha. I've never needed to and I never will," Kikyo told him haughtily before holding up a vibrating mobile phone. "Now excuse me, my phone's ringing and I need to take this call."

Kagome nearly had a heart attack as Kikyo turned and strode past her, passing within a few inches of her cousin. In her wake, a draft of perfume washed over Kagome. At once, she was hit with nostalgia and old memories of last summer when Kikyo had worn the exact same perfume.

It was also the one that Inuyasha had been wearing last night.

Kagome suddenly felt very sick.

A strong hand caught her elbow, and Kagome jerked around to see Inuyasha standing next to her. He looked serious as he jerked a thumb in the direction of the doorway that Kikyo had just exited. "Follow her."

"What?" Kagome blinked, too stunned from all the recent revelations to really keep track of current events.

"Go after her, but make sure she doesn't see you," Inuyasha told her, then quickly dropped her arm and went to join the people paying their respects with prayers.

Kagome watched him for a moment before suddenly moving into action. She hurried through the door after Kikyo and trotted down the empty corridor. Just as she was coming up to a bend, she realised Kikyo was only around the next corner. She'd stopped to take her call.

"…yes… yes… I'm aware of that, yes."

Kagome bit her lip and tiptoed into an alcove beside a statue, just in case Kikyo reappeared around the corner.

"Well, I don't care about that, the contract has to be pushed through." Kikyo was demanding out of sight. "Do whatever it takes. Bribe them, blackmail them, whatever!"

Two B words that a businesswoman of Kikyo's position shouldn't be uttering. Kagome started to frown as her assurance of Kikyo's innocence began to fade.

"So they're clean? Is there nothing you can use against them?… Well, they must have families," Kikyo reasoned. "Threaten their children or their spouses or something… that will get them moving… Yes, I'm serious. You know what to do."

Any doubts that Kagome had had evaporated in an instant.

So this was the real Kikyo?

"No, I'm not busy. I'll be there right away… of course. See you later."

The sound of a mobile phone snapping shut was following by purposeful footsteps. Kagome shrank further into the alcove as her cousin strode past, leaving another trail of perfume in her wake. Without a sound, Kagome slid to the floor and pressed her hands over her eyes.

It was almost too terrible to be true. But Kagome had heard it with her own ears, and now there was no denying what Kikyo was capable of. The teenager sank back into depression and shook with silent tears.

This really was where her life ended after all.

A shadow fell over her, but Kagome knew who it was instantly. She had been so acutely aware of his presence over the past few days that now she was attuned to it. It could be pitch black, but Kagome would still know who he was.

"Check it out, they've got this free buffet thing going." Inuyasha told her cheerfully as he chewed on a chicken leg, once again demonstrating his wondrous ability to be oblivious to her pain. When she didn't answer him and continued crying, he paused thoughtfully, wondering how to cheer her up. He held out the half eaten chicken leg. "Want a bite?"

"I want to go home." Kagome whispered fiercely.

"Well, that's not going to happen." Inuyasha sat down on the floor beside her, crossing his legs as he tucked into the free food on the plate he'd swiped.

"These shoes…" Kagome wrenched them off her feet angrily. "They're her shoes. You're involved with her."

"Was. Now she just stalks me. Or I stalk her. Maybe both." Inuyasha shrugged at her. "Neither of us are very good at getting over stuff."

Kagome fixed a glare on him. "Why did you save me?" she demanded. "Are you trying to get back at Kikyo? Or did you just save me because I look like her."

"Maybe both, maybe neither. Who knows?" He tossed the chicken bone over his shoulder. "Or maybe I just saved you because I could, and that's all there is to it."

"But why?"

"Why does there have to be a why?" Inuyasha challenged her. "I did it out of the goodness of my heart."

Kagome snorted.

"I did! I'm a tree-hugging pacifist, and if you snort at me one more time I'm going to stick you in that coffin where you belong," he grumbled.

Kagome reached out and took his plate, setting it on the floor before holding her hand out to him. "I don't like it here," she said quietly. "Let's go back… to your flat."

Next Update: Another Chapter: Leaving on a Jet Plane.

More Fackyews. Because… well, it entertains me, if no one else.

Was Sango one of Miroku's wives?

No. If she was, she wouldn't have been bitchslapping the other wife, she would have been bitchslapping the corpse.

How old/young is Inuyasha?

Uh… Look over there, an eagle! ::runs away::

Why don't you ever tell us his age?

Because I'm under contract. If I reveal how old he actually is, he'll beat me to a bloody pulp and then sue my remains. Oh, and it's also coming up in a later chapter…

Did you make up the names of the chemicals for Zero-G?

Nope. They're all real ingredients that go in cosmetic… thingies… Just don't ask me to pronounce any of them.

Did you know you're funny?

::sprays diet coke:: I AM??!!!

So what is it exactly that the Coalescence hopes to achieve? And why would Inuyasha join such a group?

The Coalescence Money, publicity and equality for demon-kind. Except they're a bunch of nasty buggers who would rather rule the world than be on equal terms with humans, so it's a good thing that no one listens to them. And as for Inuyasha joining them… well, did I mention that Naraku sends all his employees off to Hawaii every Christmas? Not such a bad boss now, is he?

How old are you?

Oh look, another eag-! Wait… you're asking me? Well then! I'm seventeen at the moment, but I'm due to turn eighteen next April. April the 12th to be exact.

Why are you so rude to people who ask you simple questions?

Because I'm an evil bitch and because some people just don't have a sense of humour (or perhaps that's just me). ::cough::