Inuyasha 1. Traitor?

**Summary**: She's a miko that is meant to stay pure and locked away all her life until the stars align so she may be sacrificed to save her people. He's a hanyou who is tasked to taint her. He was born to save demons from genocide. She's the tool to destroy them.  
**Note**: POVs change throughout the first chapter only, the rest is pure third-person.  
**Rated**: M for a reason, some language, and some naughty content in later chance.

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroes of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _1: **T**_raitor_?**|{x}**

"This is Ishii Genji," I still remember the first day that my father said those four words to me exactly a year ago. I didn't think much about him, I have had so many personal guards since before I can even remember but none of them ever lasted long. They either protect me splendidly from whatever assault demons try to make on me and request to be transferred anywhere else, which my father always grants as an award, or they get killed… I try not to become too attached to them either way.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the long, onyx haired boy replied with a bow of his head.

"And you," I had replied with the same bow of my head before I carried on with my daily schedule. It's been like that for three-hundred and sixty-five days now, he's been my shadow. Ishii Genji, a quiet and respectful man. I rarely spoke to him more than the simple formalities, greetings, and nods of conformation. He'd follow me wherever I went and I can't help but wonder if that bores him…

I wake at six in the morning every day, eat, dress myself, pray, and then headed out at seven thirty where Ishii-san meets me to escort me to the sanctuary where I pray from eight to noon to keep my soul pure and that the celestial world finally align properly so that I may save my people from the hell that has been unleashed upon them. Ishii-san is outside the door the entire time; I can feel his aura and know that he never leaves. Those before him didn't know that I knew that they would wonder away from the door sometimes to do whatever it is normal people do... Not Ishii-san, though, is he just an amazing solider or is not normal, like me?

I have a break in the day from noon to one where I usually eat lunch. Ishii-san leaves me for that time so that some other guards can watch over me. From one to three I go to the library—my favorite place in all the world—and study whatever I want, when I was younger my father hired private tutors for me but now… what does it matter? Those that have been trained to watch the heavens say that the starts are slowly moving into place, that soon I'll…

I'm fine with it. I am. All my life I have been told that I live only to die but isn't that how it is for everyone? All die, I will just die for a purpose. Isn't that better? For my life all of humanity will finally be safe, isn't that how… it should be? I try my best not to envy anyone, it taints my soul, but… I sneak out of my room late at night to climb to the highest point in all the castle, it's the only place that's high enough up that I can see out the towering walls that circle around the castle—that I have always been locked away in all my life—to see out into the town that loops around it. Sometimes I can even see people walking around on the streets at night, little daughters running to their fathers, giggling, playing, all of them are so happy… I watch joyful couples stroll around the streets, hands interlocked, kissing, laughing... They are all alive, all with real lives, and… and I envy them.

I've become highly skilled at avoiding my own protection, I've been going up to the top of the tower almost every night, but _never_ before has someone caught me. Until Ishii-san, he caught me the very first time I tried to. Ishii-san, just like all of my previous personal guards, sleeps in a room right next to mine in case anything happens. I thought I was being so silent, too, but I guess he still heard me open my door.

"Oh… I… was going for a snack," I had stuttered out a lie—a rarity for me.

He didn't say anything, he just let his auburns move about me before escorting me to the kitchen and then back to my room. I'm afraid I'm stubborn and refused to give up, it was the night of the full moon which meant I'd be able to see the village better. I had to go. I tried again and got to the tower before I noticed he had been following me all that time.

"What are you doing?" He finally asked, scaring me half to death.

"I…" I tried to think of another lie but I just couldn't think of one, like I said, I'm very bad at such things… so I just told him the truth. I was sure he was going to laugh at me, to tell me that's the stupidest thing he's ever heard, but he just nodded and told me if I wanted to go there then just tell him and he'd escort me there. I assured him I'd done it a thousand times before and that nothing has ever happened and how I'd hate to trouble him with another task but he was very persistent, it turned out that Ishii-san's stubbornness beat mine. He stands on the other side of the stone room as I watch those below me, always. I chance many glances at him yet he never looks like he is judging me or that he thinks I'm odd…

It's been a year now of constantly having him by my side… and I'm afraid I'm very fond of Ishii-san.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"This is Ishii Genji," I still remember the day that her supposed father introduced me to her. It took _so_ much work to get this far, to be awarded the position of Higurashi Kagome's personal guard. Rumors had been flowing for decades upon decades upon the prospect of a human girl being born that could annihilate all demons. As long as that story has existed there has been a council that has been watching for any omen that that child has been born. Twenty years ago all the stars in the sky glowed as if they had merged into one solid sheet of light, it only lasted a few moments before everything went back to normal.

It was _the_ sign. It confirmed all the stories were true. It took a year of searching before the council finally found the child but it was too late, she had been acknowledged by the humans and taken to a castle that was nearly impossible to get into. The only reason I was born was in case the rumors were true, in case I would be needed to stop what she would do… it took nineteen years but everything was set up, the proper people were paid off, killed, or replaced so that I would be assigned as her person body guard.

One year, that was the silent period, the time I had to pretend to be the perfect guard and after that passed I would be able to make contact again with the council. I would be told what to do next, how they wanted me to handle her.

She's very rigid, she has a set schedule that she follows each and every day to the T expect for Sunday, she mixes it up a bit on that day, otherwise she's very boring and would be an easy target. If only someone could break through the barrier that consumed the castle, that is.

We don't really talk, we nodded to each other, greet each other daily, and other small things like that. She has this very strange habit, I caught her on it a little less than a year ago, she likes to go up in the tallest tower to people watch. She's never had a life; I suppose she gets some sort of pleasure out of seeing what a normal human life would be? I don't know… I can sort of relate, I've never had a normal life. My only purpose is to destroy her and I thought I wouldn't have a problem with it, when I was told she was finally born I was excited. After the problem was terminated I could move on to a normal life, right? Well… as normal I could have. I would probably even be a bit of a hero to all the demons out there.

Toashi Inuyasha, the hanyou that took down the shikon miko.

But… besides the fact that she's extraordinary boring I can't… find a reason not to like her. No, that's wrong, I don't like her, I don't have any real feelings towards her, but I don't _not_ like her. She prays for her people each and every day—the very _same_ people that are so eagerly awaiting her death, who can do that? She smiles, all the time, I don't know if it's a real smile but she still does. She smiles to reassure her personal servants that all will be fine. She smiles to be kind to everyone she meets. She smiles to her so-called father as he goes on and on about how grand the day will be when the heavens finally align. She smiles, somehow, in the face of death. I don't get it…

She's _too_ good of a person, if anything, I can find a way to be irked by something so pure but… I am half-demon, I get it, I shouldn't have a problem with killing the girl or whatever it is I'm meant to do. I've killed people before but… I'm having troubles justifying this.

No, what the hell am I thinking? _Obviously_ it's justified. If she is sacrificed than all demons will die. Does that mean I will? I'm part demon… will I die?

I hate this. I really hate this. I detest that I… I'm kinda fond of her.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"Ishii-san!" A voice that found a way to annoying the hell out of him each and every time he heard it shouted, causing a cringe to shot down his spine and him to speed up but a hand still grasped his shoulder to yank him to stop.

"Shimizu-san," Inuyasha muttered back as he turned to see the overly joyous man with a black rattail, "how can I help you?"

"Ishii-san, I would feel better if you called me by my first name, how often will I have to ask you that?" The man chuckled as he retracted his hand to mess lightly with his golden earrings, "anyway, it's not what you can do for me today, it's what I can do for you."

"Is that so?" Inuyasha sighed while his auburn gaze wondered away.

"Please come with me," he requested with a tilt of his head. Reluctantly, he followed him to the first empty room. The monk closed the door and let his violet gaze wonder around quite a bit before he walked all the way into the room to close the curtains.

"What is this?" Inuyasha inquired, his hand moved to grasp the loyal sword that was always at his side.

"No aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu."

That stopped him completely; his auburn eyes widened as he glanced around every inch of the room to verify that they were the only ones there. Did he hear that right? Should he say it back…? Shimizu Miroku… cousin of Higurashi Kagome was…? "I'm sorry?"

"Please," Miroku smiled, "don't make me repeat it. I know who you are and know you know who I am, so let's put the gears into motion finally, ne?"

"Anzuru yori umu ga yasashi," he finally replied, cautiously, the proper proverb that he had to memorize. In a year, his contact would find him and say 'the clever hawk hides its claws' but he had never thought that the inside man was so very, very... connected.

"Perfect," Miroku chuckled lightly, "now, I have a message to relay from your father—"

"Wait," Inuyasha raised a hand to him, his gaze moved all over the silent man, "_you_ are my means for communication between the council? _You_? You, a direct member of the Shimizu family? _Why_?_"_

"What does that matter?" Miroku mused with an arched brow, "let's carry on with this, shall we?"

"Alright," he mumbled back before he sat down at the table in the room and Miroku did the same as he began to explain the plan of action.

For some reason, the hanyou was more disgusted with himself as he listened to the carefree monk explain what needed to be done that he ever thought possible.

* * *

**A/N: **I shouldn't be starting a new story but... again, I don't really care. I'll update stories when I get the inspiration/chance to do so. I've been mulling over this idea for an insanely long time, then I came across a great idea for the title so I decided to finally write it down. Spring Semester started up again, so I will not be updating as regularly as I am known for. I will try to do my best, though, and this along with Beauty & the Blood will be my main focus.

This chapter was also more for setting and background info so I swear the next chapters will be far more interesting. I hope you enjoyed and I hope you review, thank you.

_No aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu:  
The clever hawk hides its claws_

_Anzuru yori umu ga yasashi:  
A wise man hears one and understands ten_


	2. Envy

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroe of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _2: **E**_nvy _**|{x}**

Envy, fornication, gluttony, greed, pride, sloth and wrath—the seven things he was meant to make the purest of priestess feel. If her divine soul was tainted with all of those than she would be rendered useless, even if they _did_ sacrifice her it would be in vain. No harm would come to demons. He had a year or two, at most, before the stars were finally fixed in the location all humans were waiting anxiously for.

Could he really do it? All of it? He hadn't the faintest of ideas how to make her actually _feel_ those seven things. A few, yeah, fornication is the simplest on the list all he'd have to do is rape her—however wrong that might seem… No, no, he wasn't a monster. He couldn't do _that_ part.

"But you don't need to do it all by yourself," Miroku had mentioned to him while he got up to stretch, "just tell me what you need and I'll relay it to the council."

He could ask for another demon to come and do that deed with her… _to_ her.

"Ishii-san," snapped him back to the now, back to the girl that was coming out of her room at seven thirty sharp, just like always, with that stupid smile of hers upon her lips.

Stop smiling! Stop acting as if all is fine, why couldn't she be _mad_ about her fate? Disgusted? Why couldn't just simply hate the whole world for doing this to her? His job would be doable if she was a bitch, if she wasn't such a saint, if she…

If he didn't like her but, damn it all to hell, he did. Not a great deal, he wouldn't call her a friend, but he thought more of her than anyone he had ever come across. She didn't deserve her fate… yet, that didn't matter in the end, did it?

"Shimizu-san," he replied, as always, with a small nod before she began off in the direction of her sanctuary, down the turning, twisting, halls to the first floor, to her left for the length of the hall then to the right where the grand wooden doors that were far too decorated. He knew every etched design of them, every bit of it because he stood outside them for hours each day while she went inside to the dark chapel and prayed _somehow_ for those around her. For those who did nothing but anticipate her death.

How?

Once, he glanced in to see if she was _really_ praying and… she was, devotedly, upon her knees, hands clasped tightly together, eyes shut, and mouth moving yet no words leaving her fair lips. It was then that he… something, just something very odd, clicked inside of him. She was actually glowing, a golden mixed pink light circled around her as if it was a barrier to protect her—from what? So many things, he was one of those things. She just didn't know it yet.

"Shimizu-san," he greeted after her long session, he'd walk her to wherever she wanted to spend her lunch period before they parted ways.

"I think I want to go to the garden today," she hummed as she walked passed him, as always, she took the lead and he followed, his auburn gaze should be scanning all around to make sure that no one was lurking around to hurt her but not today… today his eyes were locked upon her solely.

She always wore simple clothes, a dress that was always just one color—today's was a light green—and her hair was always down. She was natural, she never wore makeup, she never put useless pendants in her hair, she never did anything to make herself look more glamorous or beautiful.

She just was. He was sure she didn't know that, it was just that glow she had about her that charmed so many, the way she could smile even as the world crumbled down around her, and her darling delicate hazels had such depth to them. Some days they were greener than the last, some days they were browner, today they were somewhere in between.

"Thank you, Ishii-san," she always said once they reached their destination.

He just nodded as he snapped out of his haze to see her standing right below the Goshinboku tree, the largest and oldest tree on the entire property and an apparent obsession of hers. She'd sit under it, with whatever food the chiefs had prepared for her and a book forever if she could.

He could find comfort in the fact that if she _knew_ he was truly a half-demon, that it was demonic magic that kept him in his human form all the time, then she'd probably hate him. She wouldn't give him that smile, she wouldn't be relaxed around him, she would probably even want him dead…

Yeah, she would. He was just protecting his kind, he was just doing his job, just like her, so there was nothing to be remorseful about.

Nothing at all.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Every night that they ventured up to her peek she'd rest her arms upon the railing, place her chin up her folded arms, and stare out at the scene before her while humming a tune that he had never heard of. Each time, he'd linger on the opposite side of the stone arena that was only covered by a pointed roof, against one of the pillars; he'd also have his arms crossed as he stared at her.

He'd like to think she was envious already of those around her, then at least one of the seven would already be done for him. But if she was why did she simply muse a melody to herself as she stared out?

"Have you ever been out of the castle?" He couldn't help but ask, though he didn't mean to.

It snapped her out of her fantasy world to stand up straight and look back at him, puzzlement spewed across her pretty features. Did he just ask her something? Did he honestly just talk to her? Oh, how grand! He never said anything, he was a staunch solider and ever so good at it but that meant all work and no play—she had never cared before but…

"No," she finally replied with a bit of a sigh, "no… I was brought her when I was one, so I guess in a way I've been outside but of course I don't remember that at all."

"I see," he muttered and silence set back in, after a while she assumed he was done so she reassumed her previous post. Of course, he sweet and pure mind never noticed that the way she leaned her body forward to rest her chin upon her arms gave him a grand view of her rear and he couldn't lie, his gaze sometimes wondered there for a while, well, maybe a bit more than a while… "Would you like to go outside the castle?"

She popped up in record time and spun around, leaving her hands grasped to the railing, her eyes glimmering over him a few times.

Should he not have said that?

"Take her out of the castle?" Miroku had mused earlier that day when he went to him during his free lunch. "She would love that; she would go with you without a doubt. She trusts you."

"I would love that," she retorted breathlessly, "but… I can't and even if I _could_ get out of here everyone knows my face… I couldn't just go walking around and expect no one to recognize me."

"There is a masquerade party tomorrow night," he informed as he pushed himself off of the wall to walk over to be only a breath away from her, "no one checks on you at night, that's my job… so, if you'd like to go…"

Her eyes locked with his for what felt like an eternity before she _had_ to ask, "really?"

"Truly, if you want to go we can go."

"Isn't that against the rules or something?" She murmured as she glanced away, sinking back into the rail to be farther away from him.

"Yes, but… truth is," he paused until she weakly looked back at him, "you have only a year or two left."

She cringed, everyone tried to keep the talk from her hears but did they _honestly_ think she wouldn't hear all their whispers? All the giddy talk about how the stars are slowly moving into place? That it would only be another year or so before the world would be rid of the savage demons that plagued humanity?

That the world would be rid of _her_?

"You might as well enjoy your time, right?" He asked, gaining her attention once more.

"But… it'd be wrong if I went," she grumbled as her hazels moved from his face to the ground.

"What? You can't go out and have fun for _one_ night?" He tilted his head down some until he could see her eyes once more, "do you think I'd let something happen to you? I'd be there, no one will get you."

"I'm not worried about that," she assured, "it's just…"

"A party," he stated, it took effort but he forced his hand to grasp the bottom of her chin lightly and tilt her face up. "You will not drink any alcohol, you don't even have to eat any food, you can just go out in a gown and mask and you'll be able to see the village you stare at each night."

She bit her lips together briefly before letting her answer burst out, "yes, yes, I want to go."

"I'll come and get you tomorrow night, then."

An eager nod was all he mustered out of her the rest of the night.

In an entire year, that was the most they had ever said to each other.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"_Why_?"

"Why what?" Kagome retorted meekly, she didn't even bother to look up from the very warn book in hand.

"Why are you reading _that_ book _again_?" Her friend groaned as she rolled over on the luscious bed, her loose ponytail almost gave way to allow her burnet hair to go free. She let her arms reach out across the length of the bed and her head hang over the side so she was looking at her friend upside down.

If Kagome ever had a _real_ friend, one that wanted what was best for _her_ and not all of humanity; it was the mahogany eyed exotic beauty that was spread out across her bed. Taijiya Sango, her female personal guard that followed her around where it would be inappropriate for men to—to the hot spring, the bathing room, while she got dressed, anywhere like that. For a while she acted like a proper guard, just like Ishii Genji, but then she gave it up and started to act how she wanted to around Kagome and she couldn't be happier. She loved people showing her their real side, for them to say whatever they wanted to, and that's why she cherished her time with Sango oh so much, everyone of her lunch periods meant Sango would be there.

"I like this book, I feel something new each time," she replied, not letting her fingers that she always pressed lightly upon her lips when she was reading.

"It's a terrible book, I _hate_ it," Sango retorted as she spun around and off the bed so she could walk over and stand behind the chair Kagome sat in. "It's so degrading for women, too! How could you _like_ it?"

"It's a classic, Sango-chan," Kagome argued as she looked up at her fiery friend.

"It's disgusting!" Sango kept up with a hiss, "Genji is _such_ a disgusting person! How could he do that to all those women? To his _wife_? Make her raise a child that isn't hers?"

"Sango-chan," Kagome soothed, her dear friend got railed up each time they spoke of the Tale of Genji and this time was no different than all the rest.

"You know…" Sango dragged out as she leaned over to look at Kagome in the eyes with her narrowed stare, "you've been reading that story a whole lot more over the past year…"

"So?" She snapped quickly.

"Nothing," she said with a smile as she stood up and began to walk around slowly, "just… you know," her smile morphed into a smirk as she twirled around to look at her weary friend, "Genji… Genji… Ishii Genji?"

"So?" Her voice even cracked at the pitch she raised her tune to.

"He's handsome," Sango shrugged, "not my type but…"

"Sango-chan," Kagome muttered as she raised the book up to break her view of her taunting friend, "stop…"

If it weren't for the weakness of that statement, of the pain that laced around her words, then Sango would have most likely kept up her teasing but she couldn't. She let her shoulders sag and eyes soften upon the poor girl in front of her. It was cruel for her to even imply such a thing because… what if it were true? What if Kagome did like Ishii Genji?

Nothing could ever come of it, she could never be with a man, and he probably would never think of her as a woman… she sighed lightly as she walked back over to wrap her arms around her friend, "I wish it were anyone but you…"

It was her usual statement, she probably said it at least once a day, and never before had Kagome actually wanted to reply 'me, too' expect for today.

What did that say?

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"I have everything arranged," Miroku assured as he placed his feet upon the table and leaned back in his seat ever so smugly, "you just have to go—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Inuyasha grunted back as he flipped another page in one of the multiple books that were spread about the young man's room, "scrolls… holy bullshit… and all this stuff, why do you have it?"

"I'm a monk, it's my duty to read these scriptures and memorize them," Miroku retorted.

"You don't act like any monk I know," Inuyasha jabbed back as he raised his auburns up to the man. He guess he had heard that Shimizu Miroku was a monk, he guess if he thought about it he had seen him in his robes once or twice, but… why would a monk aid demons?

"And how many monks _do_ you know, hanyou?" Miroku replied, his smile or calm tone never faulted.

He had him there so he just muttered a few curses to himself and remained quiet as he got up to leave the room, lunch period was almost over and he'd have to go pick up Kagome and take her to her next appointment.

"Inuyasha," Miroku caught his attention quickly.

"How did you know—?"

"Of course I know your true name," Miroku said as if it was ridiculous that Inuyasha thought otherwise, "listen… you are to make Kagome feel those seven things but _not_ hurt her, you understand that, right? Not kill her, if you or anyone else and even _if_ the stars aren't properly aligned it still might have the same affect."

His brows bent, "so… you don't want Kagome hurt?"

"Of course not," Miroku sassed.

"Hm," Inuyasha nodded before he started off towards the door but stopped, "you know the _fornication _part means—"

"Means you have to have sex with her but that _doesn't_ mean you have to rape her," Miroku assured staunchly with his own brows furrowed to create a ripple of wrinkles upon his forehead, "she likes you, you are taking her out of the castle and to a party, you protect her… she's soft at heart and I know she already has a particularly soft spot for you. Eventually… you won't have to force her. All I ask is that once that time comes... that you are kind to her."

He had to look back at the strange man with bafflement upon his before he just shook his head and left. Why did it matter to him to hear that Kagome had a soft spot of him…?

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"This feels so wrong," Kagome whispered harshly as soon as they got out of the gates of castle. It was… empowering, like electricity shot through her veins at that very moment. She was _free_ from the castle in the first time in nineteen years! She was going to see what life on the outside felt like! She was… holding the hand of Ishii Genji, he had taken hers to lead her out of the small exit that she didn't even know existed and towards a hut in the village.

"Do you want to go back?" Inuyasha inquired with a quick glance back to her as he opened the hut door and stepped in, tugging her along.

"No," she mumbled, not even a little bit, "where are we?"

"A friend's place," he lied, it was part of the arrangement that Miroku had made for the night. Their clothes and masks for the party would be waiting there for them in the closet, of course, the mad monk had supplied them with overly extravagant outfits but wasn't that perfect? Perhaps he could get her to feel pride, vanity, and envy all in one night? Three of the seven knocked out in one try? "Where this," he pretty much demanded as he removed the black with purple lace trim ball gown from the closet and handed it to her.

"Me?" She awed, "wear _that_?"

"Well," he coaxed out rigidly, "it's a masquerade party thus you have to wear a _costume_."

"This doesn't feel right…" she repeated wearily as she took the dress to examine it some more, it would reach all the way down to her ankle, cover her shoulders and everywhere else for that matter but… the midsection appeared to be a purple corset to ascent her chest and that wasn't proper.

"Stop saying that already, Kagome," he spat back as he took out the ridiculous tux he was meant to wear, it was mostly black but with gold and red ascents, he shivered when he saw it even came with a _cape_. Oh, the things he did to save his kind from genocide. It wasn't until his initial shock wore off from the sight of his horrid costume that he realized the silence that was around him and glanced over to see the stun upon Kagome's face. Why was—oh! "I'm sorry," he retorted quickly, "I meant Shimizu-san."

Damn it, what was wrong with him? After all this his slip up was in using her first name and not even adding anything to it? It would have been better if he at least said Kagome-_san_.

"No," she whispered as her eyes moved back down to the dress in her hands, "it's alright… you can call me Kagome." She'd actually almost prefer that, was that OK?

"No, it was just a slip up… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have," he dragged out before sighing. "I'm going to go change, come out into the main room when you are done, take your time," he assured her weakly as he folded his outfit over his arms and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

He couldn't help but sigh about a thousand times as he slid out of his usual outfit and removed his armor as he began to put the black dress pants on, white button up shirt, red with gold rim vest and black suit jacket with golden ascents before he picked up the ridiculous cape that no part of him wanted to wear. He could just discard it… his auburn gaze glanced around for anywhere he could hide the hideous thing but the sound of the door opening up caught his attention instead.

His jaw truly dropped as he watched a weary Kagome walk out of the room, her a bit more green hazel eyes wondering around to avoid him. She was… wow, was all his mind could come up with. The way the ball gown hung off her curves, the way the purple corset shaped her torso and lifted her breasts, and the way she put her hair up all enchanted him. He had to blink a few times to look away to gain his senses back, this wasn't how it was supposed to be. He wasn't supposed to be awe-struck by her… he was supposed to destroy her.

"I…" she began timidly, "feel weird in this…"

"You look good," he dared to say as he clipped the current bane of his existence on with the golden clasps.

"Thank you," she mumbled as she fiddled with the extravagant black and purple mask that she was supposed to strap on.

He just had a simple white one to put on, "wanna go?"

"Home?" She misunderstood with a gasp as her eyes snapped up to him.

"No," he shook his head lightly as he picked up his sword—it wouldn't be weird of him to have a sheath at his side if they were going to a custom party. "Do you wanna go to the party?"

"Sure," she couldn't help but bite her lips as she placed the mask on, it was so strange to exit the humble hut to go out into the bustling and bombing streets, it was like a parade was prancing about as usually mundane people danced around with bizarre and flamboyant outfits. The usually dull buildings were lined with lights and colors so all inhabitants could break away from reality with ease, it didn't appear they were in a small village but an extended outdoors ballroom almost.

"Wow," she mouthed as her eyes lit up. Every bit of this night she wanted to engrave into her memory to recall all of it later. Absolute glee flushed through her as she waved in and out of the crowd, swaying about with some of the strangers and laughing all the way. The best part was knowing that Inuyasha was right behind her, as always. "Ishii-san," she gleamed once she stole a long, thin, glass from one of the many trays that were moving about the masses, "can I drink some?"

"Do you want to?" He asked as soon as he was really in ear-shot, of course, just because he _appeared_ to be a human did not mean he was as weak as if it were a new moon. He still had the same abilities, "have you ever had champagne?"

"Is that what this is?" She questioned as she took a sniff, "I've never had alcohol but… I figure that it'll be OK if I just have a snip… right?"

The way her eyes looked up to him, pleading for his approval… how could he say no? Not that he had any intention of doing so, if she became intoxicated it'd be easier to get her to slip up. "Go ahead."

"Do you really think it'll be alright?" she mused as she lifted the glass to her lips.

"Yes," just a few sips probably wouldn't get to her, right?

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"I love this!" She giggled as she spun around and around, another empty glass in her hand as she held her arms high in the air. A symphony of whistles and claps fluttered about her.

"Come down here," Inuyasha whispered harshly as he waved her back down, "now, come on!"

"No, Ishii-san! Come up here," Kagome countered as she moved back on the market table that was in the midst of the streets. "It's fun, I love dancing!"

"Kagome," he hissed and grasped the bottom of her dress to yank her down into his arms, she only laughed all the more as he picked her up and set her down on the ground. "Gods, no more champagne for you."

"No," she protested with the cutest little pout as she grasped his jacket's arm and rested her head against his chest, "you are so cruel _Ishii_-san."

"R-right," he stuttered, this was wrong, this was all backwards… he should have her all railed up.

"Dance with me, Ishii-san," she snapped up as if it was the greatest of ideas. Before he had a chance to answer her she took his hands into hers swiftly and yanked him into the middle of the crowd were most of the dancing was taking place. A few bands had lied the streets so that every bit of it had some sort of music going, to Inuyasha advantage the first slow song in a long while came about so he didn't have to do anything too difficult. "Ishii-san," she dragged out as she swayed, half from the alcohol, half for the dance steps.

"Hm?"

"Do you hate me?" She whispered as she leaned her head against his shoulder. Even an intoxicated Kagome knew she very much enjoyed being in such close proximity of Inuyasha, to have him hold her hand and place his other on her upper torso as they swayed along with the rest of the swarm.

"Why would you ask that?" he muttered back to her, letting her calla lily and roasted hazelnut mixed scent flood his nostril, he couldn't help but close his eyes.

"Because… I'm such a bother, right? You can't have a normal life 'cause you have to watch over me. You must be so bored everyday…"

"I choice this," he assured, though it was a lie and somehow he thought she did, too. "I was born for this," he restated and that got her to lift her head so her masked face would turn towards him and her hazel eyes looked over his covered face.

"Do you really feel that way?" She inquired with a tilt of her head, a few of her loose ebony strands cascaded down to her shoulders.

"I do."

"I like you, Ishii-san," she smiled before leaned her head against him once more.

He had to stop, luckily right when the music did, too.

She liked him… that didn't mean that much, of _course_ she'd like him. He protected her, he took her out of the castle, he allowed her this fun night but… but she only liked him because of the façade he was putting on. That's right, her words were true—ever so _true_. 'I like you, _Ishii-san_'.

She liked Ishii-san, she didn't know Inuyasha, and even if she did she wouldn't like him.

"Let's do something else," Kagome requested as she took both of his hands and led him about, he let her because… he couldn't really think. Then they reached the edge of the crowd where she stopped dead in her tracks, so quickly that Inuyasha almost ran right into her but she stopped.

"What's wrong?" he whispered as he looked down to her wide stare, she didn't answer so he had to follow her gaze to see the scene before them.

A father was kneeling down, the kindest smile upon his face, as he helped his little girl off the ground and sooth her tears from her scrapped kneel. He did everything he could think of, hug her, kiss her forehead, brush her curly hair behind her ear, and even went to the length of going over to the field at the end of the village to pick one of the many wildflowers to come over and hand it to her, telling her what a brave girl she was and asking if she'd like to go back out to the party or would rather go home.

"I wanna go back, daddy," she laughed as she clutched the flower in her hand and smiled ever so brightly.

He felt Kagome lean back into him and shake ever so slightly, he almost asked what was the matter but the salt that flowed in the air gave him the answer.

"Kagome," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her without thinking. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm… a bad person," she said between sobs as she raised her hands to her face to tear away the mask and cover her eyes.

"Why would you think that?"

"I'm so… jealous of that little girl," she confessed, "my father never acts like that with me."

Jealous equaled envy which meant… one of seven was done, but he had to make sure, "Kagome, I have something for you."

"What is it?" She sniffled as she turned to look at him and the silly mask her still wore, she wanted to tear that away to reveal his handsome features but she restrained herself.

"It's a bracelet," he began as he pulled the said object out of his pocket, just like Miroku promised it would be there, and took one of her delicate wrists to put it on, "would you like it?"

"It's…" she awed as she placed her other hand upon her chest, "beautiful, Ishii-san."

"I'll take that as a yes, then," he almost chuckled but… it felt wrong to as he put the silver bracelet with seven mood stone charms upon her. He watched as one of them changed to a solid yet still shimmering green.

So it was true, one of seven was done. She was envious to the depth of her soul over the love a father showed her daughter did that mean…? He looked up to her eyes that had yet to dry of tears but she had the faintest, pleasant, smile upon her lips.

"Shimizu-sama," he began, "your father…?"

"Yes, what about it?" she asked as she looked up to him, he couldn't do it. He couldn't take that from her so he held his breath and shook his head. Apparently he was one of the few within the castle that knew the truth.

Shimizu Kagome was truly _Higurashi_ Kagome, not at all a true blood member of the family.

Miroku knew that, he mentioned it to Inuyasha a few times, obviously Shimizu-sama knew, but who else?

"Thank you so much for tonight, Ishii-san," she whispered as she slowly took off his mask to place one, simple, soft kiss upon his cheek.

In that fleeting moment, she managed to crush his world.


	3. Acrimony

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroes of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _3: **A**_crimony_**|{x}**

The sky was clear, the night was cool, thus it was easy for her to see down into the village she had visited just the other day from her peak up in the stone cold castle. Just like every night before, she folded her arms upon the window seal and rested her chin them to act as a pillow as she stared down at the tranquil scene. Everyone must have been worn from the night before since all was so still down there. She had gotten home and into bed well before anyone noticed she was gone, after all, the only one that would notice right away was the man that she had with her all that night. The man that had warned her _not_ to drink so much and in hindsight she should have listened because she found she did not like the thing many called a 'hangover'.

She spent most of her day in her sanctuary to purify herself, to mediate away her desire to return to the place she should not have even gone to in the first place. Yet… she found it was harder to do her daily prayers when she had thoughts of what life would be like _outside_ her cage.

"Ishii-san," she muttered, knowing full well she had her guard's full attention, "did I do anything silly last night? Anything really embarrassing that I should know about?"

"No," he assured with a weak, flash of a smile, "you were fine… though, you cried."

"I did?" she pondered as she popped up to turn around and look at him, "I don't remember that… why did I?"

"You," he paused for a moment to stare into her puzzled hazels, he could tell her the truth, couldn't he? "You saw the way a father took care of his daughter… you said you were jealous and just started to cry, you got over it in a moment."

"Oh," she whispered while she rested against the wall, her eyes wandering to the ground, "can I tell you something? Will you tell no other?"

"If you want to," he muttered back, honestly, he didn't feel too grand about her sharing secrets with him it just made him feel so… so shitty, he should be proud that he had won her trust since that meant he was doing his job well but instead he only felt a pang of guilt that he'd rather bury deep within him. He _was_ doing the right thing. There was little doubt in his mind…

Before, there had been _no_ doubt.

"I," she sighed as she turned around to look down at the village, "I am very jealous of those in the village. I am most envious of those that have fine relationships with their parents… I know my father loves me, he must, I am sure… but," she just stopped there, and closed both her eyes and her mouth. "Ishii-san, is that wrong?"

"It's normal," he assured, "that makes you human."

Human, she liked that, "thank you, Ishii-san," she replied with a tilt of her head and a smile.

It would have been more bearable to him if she had not glanced back at him and his lies or shined on to thank him more for her beautiful bracelet that glowed such a charming green.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"Kagome-chan," Sango coaxed, a small sigh exited her lips as they walked along the wall that blocked them from the outside world, from Kagome and all the danger that the reality had planned for her, but did she understand that? No, she was in a particularly strange mood that day and instead of going to one of her usual lunch spots she wanted to walk around and as her guard Sango had to follow, though she had a bad, _bad_ feeling about lingering so close from the chilling, looming stone wall.

"Sango-chan, what could possibly happen?" The pure girl inquired while she slid her fingers across the uneven stone, her eyes following the line she made.

There, not more than a few meters before them, was the spot in the barricade that had a secret exit she did not know existed until the other night when Inuyasha took her through it. She stopped right there, her eyes lingering on the area that she could not tell was even a portal to the outside world.

A fleeting feeling fluttered within her belly, _run_ _for it_. She could leave this life and—and what? A smile lifted her lips faintly, what a silly girl she was, what type of life could she have outside of here? She knew no other way, how could she _ever_ be so selfish? She couldn't do that, she shook her head lightly as she turned around, "alright, Sango-chan, let's…" but her tongue was tided when she saw the wide-eyed look that her mahogany gaze friend had.

It was like time was at a standstill when she felt her friend push her away, when she heard the sound of stone crackling, when she hit the ground to spin around and see a metal jawed, armor wearing, monster and a stealthy little thing with a white mask and fog producing wooden container. That was the last thing that was registered before everything faded away, to a never ever land of nightmares.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"How did they get in!?" The brown haired man shrieked as he slammed his fists against a table, "how did two demons break through the barrier?! How did they get in through the wall?!"

"Shimizu-sama," Inuyasha muttered, "I didn't feel any demonic presences until it was too late, I don't—"

"This is not your fault, Ishii-san," Shimizu spat as he spun around to stomp around the room, "Taijiya-san should never have allowed her to be there!"

"Uncle," Miroku soothed as he followed him, "you should not speak so poorly of the—"

"Miroku! What good are you if you do not feel the presence of the demon, either!? Is that not what you are here for!? What if they kill her!? What if they taint her!?"

There was no 'what if they hurt her', there was no 'I am worried about _her_', there was no 'she is dear to _me_,' no, it was all about what she was meant to do. Inuyasha couldn't comprehend why that irked him so, or why he had to hold his breath and clench his fists behind his back to keep himself from doing something he may regret. "Shimizu-sama, I need to go track her down."

"Of course, go," he waved his hand and the hidden hanyou was out of there quicker than they could have expected.

Why was he not informed of this?

"Hey!" He heard from behind but did not stop, if the monk wanted his attention he would have to catch up with him, he had to save Kagome—wait… did he? Wasn't this what was supposed to happen? What he was supposed to _want_? Her gone? Her tainted? That was his goal, wasn't it? Thus he slowed his pace and whispered, "what?"

"Did you know this was going to happen?" He snapped as he grasped Inuyasha's shoulder to spin him around, "no one informed me about this."

"You are my contact with the council, if either of us should have known it is _you_," Inuyasha snickered back as he pried himself free, "what do I do? I have to pretend to search—"

"Don't _pretend_, you fool! Find her or I will!"

That took him back; his brow rose, "you seem genuinely worried—"

"Of course I am, I do not want any harm to come to her. I just don't want her to succeed in her endeavors. I'm going to go find her so at least point me in the right direction," the violet eyed flustered man urged as he took a step closer to the door, "west, east, south, north? Where?"

He… he didn't want any harm to come with him either. He could stop her from 'succeeding in her endeavors' by corrupting her seven different ways but he did not have to harm her in the process, he could do it gently, and he could do what he was born for all the same. That quick rationalization made sense to him, if only for a while, "come with me, I can track her scent."

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"Ginkotsu, Mukotsu, brilliantly done," the long black braded haired boy chuckled as he looked over the unconscious; her wrists were securely locked in their metal prisons which was connected to the wall above her head. The boy walked up to her and tilted her chin up so he could get a good look at the one that all demons loathed with a burning fury of a thousand suns, "she's not bad looking, for a human."

"I don't think so," the one that could easily be mistaken as a girl pouted as he bent down to over the striking specimen, "she's 'eh'."

"What do we get to do with her?" The iron jawed one chuckled.

"Let's just kill her and get it over with," the bald one muttered, "I'd like to burn her—"

"We are supposed to wait for him to get here," the girlish one replied, "how long do we need to wait, Bankotsu?"

"I notified him that we'd have her by nightfall, so he should be here shortly," Bankotsu boasted with a grand grin, "maybe we can have some fun with her before he shows up anyway, huh?"

"Stay away," she whispered weakly, she meant to be brave but… she had never been trained for this, no one had ever thought that demons could actually break _in_ and kidnap her. Most importantly, fighting was a wrathful thing and she was supposed to be nothing but pure, what was _pure_ about battle?

Inuyasha or Sango were always by her side anyway, they were both trained all their lives to _protect_ her yet… one had failed, miserably at that. Not a bit of her could feel betrayed for that, though, since… since, he dear friend, no, she could not think about it, she shut her eyes instead and turned a cheek to the smirking devil before her.

"What can we do with her if we aren't allowed to kill her?" Renkotsu, the hairless one, grumbled, "I have no interest in a human fuck-toy."

"I don't either," Jakotsu pouted, too, as he nudged Bankotsu with his feet, "neither do you, _riiight_?"

"Bankotsu," an ever so deep voice beaconed, with a sigh said demon stood up and turned to see a gigantic ugly, blue haired demon in the door, "our special guest has arrived."

"Already?" He frowned, "but the fun was just about to start."

"Apparently not," Jakotsu grinned before he sang, "let's leave her to him."

"Fine," he huffed with a grunt. It took but a nod from him to get the rest to follow him out of the clammy, chilly, crypt.

It was the first time since she awoke that she was alone in the dim lit dungeon, her mind flew into a fury of worry as she tried to free her chained wrists from the rocky wall behind her but with each pry she only managed to bruise her skin and rip at her skin. Her breath hastened with each yank, this was _not_ happening!

Yes, she had wished to leave the castle.

Yes, she had yearned for a life out in the real world.

Yes, she had wanted something out of the ordinary, _exciting_, to occur in her dull, mundane, life.

Yet… she did not mean this, not at all, was this all her fault, then? She closed her eyes tightly to try and will away the horrors that were slinking around in her skull like an insect. Blood seeped everywhere, splattering the gray stones, the green grass, and little dainty yellow daisies that had sprouted out of the crept in between the ground and barricade.

Crimson coated _everywhere_.

The liquid that belonged to her friend, really, her only true friend. The only person she was certain cared for _her_ because of _her_—not what she was meant to do, not for the sacrifice she would make for all of humanity, but because her dear Sango liked _her_. Now… now because of _her_ Sango's body was tattered by the attack. The attack she had tried to protect her. She screamed out her friends name and meant to rush to her, to do something to help the limp body that was being slammed against the wall _over _and _over_ again.

The most awful crackling echoed out to haunt her dreams—_bones shattering_.

But the little white imp's smoke made her body numb, her lids heavy, all she could see as she faded into slumber was her friend's lifeless body fall to the ground. Forever, _forever, _the dull mahogany eyes that stared back at her through the blots of blood.

"Hello, my pretty," a deep, oddly charmingly coarse voice cooed. She could feel a delicate hand tilt her chin up, she swallowed before she opened her eyes to only meet the most malice filled red gaze. "Finally, we meet."

There was nothing she could think to say, he looked like a normal man if not for the sick smirk and flaming eyes, that was.

"My name is Naraku," he declared as he slid a few fingers down her smooth cheek. "Do you know why I was created?"

She managed to shake her throbbing head for that.

"I was once a human, a lowly thief, then I was recruited by a council that's _sole _purpose is to _destroy_ you. It was painful, but they merged me with a horde of modest demons to create me. I can pass off as human perfectly fine or," he leaned in to whisper into her ear, "I can show my demons… which would you like to see?"

"Don't touch me," she meekly murmured.

"That's not part of the plan," he grinned as he let his lips hover over her skin, "I'm going to taint you, I've been thinking about this moments for years and years… then I will torture you to the brink of death and do it all over again until I am satisfied and you are dead."

_Dead_, the word haunted her as she tightly shut her lids and struggled to get away from his traumatizing touch. _Dead_, someday—and soon, too—she would give up her life. That day would be on her terms though, at least, something akin to them. That day, her life would end with a purpose. That was why she could _not_ be tainted—_raped —_and die with for no cause.

"Stop it," she ordered in more of a whine than a demand as she turned her head from his smothering touch. She could feel the cool breeze from the ever so thin, bar covered window upon her shoulder as she pried her dress down. "No! Stop!"

"Yes, scream," he encouraged in a thrill tone as he moved his nibbles down her neck to her collarbone.

"Stop! Stop!"

Her screams gave him the most satisfying shivers as he pushed up against the wall and ripping away at what covered her body that would cease to be innocent ever so shortly…

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Was it wrong? He was not alone; he had a faction of soldiers with him. All of them were meant to do the same as him, save the girl and thus the world, to kill the demons that got in their way. The band of seven that tried to keep them away from wherever they had their sacrifice were skilled but their hands were full with all of them, so much so that they slowly started a retreat. Their lives were of more importance than their mission. They had proven they could get to her and they would again.

He growled as he broke through the assault line and into the wooden cabin to cut through the hefty, metallic, demon that stood in his way into two.

Was it wrong that he fought against his own kind? That he _killed_ for _her_? Or, was he just trying to save his cover? Yeah… yeah, he would go with that as he burst through the only door and stumble down the stairs until he landed with a thud upon the concrete.

The scene he saw very well might forever be scorned into his mind.

"Ishii-san!" Snapped him out of his stun.

"Get away from her," he growled as he rose his sharp sword in the direction of the leering man that's body covered the nude maiden.

"I suggest you keep your distance or I will slit her throat," the monster replied in such a calm way that it stopped him for a moment.

"Those demons that were upstairs are gone, now there's just an army of humans determined to get her back. If you kill her, you're as good as dead. If you just step away," and, of course, he had not harmed her, "then I'll let you live."

"Is that so?" he pondered with a playful pout, his red eyes scanned back to the trembling girl before he let her go and stepped away. "A wise man never wages a war they know they cannot win, until next time. She'll never be safe, you know, you can never protect her. We'll get her. Little girl," he smirked, "you cannot trust a soul. We have so many within your father's confidence, so many of those upstairs that are meant to 'protect' you really want you dead. Maybe even this one," he chuckled with a nod towards Inuyasha. "You will die but without any reason. Demons will live on."

"Get away from her," he snarled as he cautiously rushed over to block him from the shaking girl.

In a blink of the eye, the creeping creature had disappeared.

"Kagome," he whispered once he was certain they were alone, he sheathed his sword and slid off shirt swiftly to cover her, his eyes wandering up to the chains that locked her to the wall, "did he… are you alright?"

"No," she whimpered as she closed her eyes, allowing a stream of tears to trickle down. He just nodded to that as he held his shirt up to keep his shirt in between the two of them and to grasp the chain, it only took one yank with his might to break it away, she felt to her knees quickly but did not touch the ground. He caught her instead, "no, no… no."

"It's alright, it's alright," he whispered over and over again as he contemplated wrapping his arms around her a few times, each time his hands were mere millimeters away from her skin he pulled away. With her wrists still clasped together by uncaring metal she threw hers around his neck to let the sobs flow out, which was as good as verbal permission to him so he finally pulled her close. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's not," she gasped, "your fault, Ishii-san."

"I shouldn't let you out of my sight; I knew something bad was going to happen—"

"It's fine," she muttered as she sniffled to regain herself and with her sense, her modesty. Hastily, she pulled her linked arms over his head to grasp his shirt over her chest and glance away, even with all that she had been through it still made her blush to know that Ishii Genji had held her while she was nude and his chest bare.

"Here," he murmured as he grasped her wrists gently, "there might be a key upstairs, I'll go look, wait—"

"Don't leave me," she pled.

"Alright," he soothed as he helped her to her feet, trying his best to _not_ stare. He held led the way upstairs and checked to make sure that there was nothing but the severed body there—the severed body that held the key to unlock her cuffs, at that.

She couldn't look, even though the monstrosity was just that—a ruthless, evil, _monster_. It was still a horrific sight so she shut her eyes until she felt the metal leave her skin and heard it thud against the ground, then she quickly slid his shirt on that went just far enough down to cover her bum.

"Let's get you home."

Home, what a strange thought, did she really have a place she could call _home_? But she did not linger on that thought as she nodded her head, "Ishii-san… Sango… Sango-chan, is she..? Did he?" She meekly opened her eyes to glance at the bloody mess near them, "he… he was the one that hurt her… please tell me she's alright… please, Ishii-san, tell me she will live."

For the longest time he considered how to reply to that, and in the end, he decided a simple shake of the head would be enough to suffice. She choked back sobs as she glared over to the dead creature, that thing that had so badly wounded her friend, that thing that had _killed_ her friend.

"Monster," she hissed as she stomped over to kick the smaller half of him, "monster! She was a good person! You disgusting monster! I'm glad you are dead! Monster! I hope you burn in the lowest level of hell there is!"

"Kagome," she barely heard Inuyasha hush as he walked up behind her to grasp her right when her legs gave way, her body shook for so many reasons—fatigue, rage, sorrow… the list went on and on.

Yet, for a moment wrath was the greatest, and so a new charm on the bracelet—the only thing that evil demon did not remove from her—glowed a bright red to reflect her soul. If only for but a moment, it was enough.

"Ishii-san," she cried, "why do these terrible things keep happening? Is it all my fault? Would it be better if I did not…?"

"No," he whispered as he gently rocked her body, "no, it's not. Kagome, I swear I will not let anything else happen to you. Everything… everything will be alright."

"Promise?" She whispered so softly that if not for his superior hearing he would not have caught.

And, though it would kill him to do so, he still mumbled back, equally as low, "I promise."

It was a promise he could never keep, even if a growing part of him wished for nothing else.

* * *

_**A/N**: _Thank you _so_ very much for the reviews. They are wonderful. I'm sorry it took me so long to update this chapter. Coursework is really starting to get in the way of things so I don't know how soon I will be able to update this story again (or any of my other ones for that matter, sorry). But please keep reviewing and I hope you continue to enjoy.


	4. Procrastination

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroes of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _4: **P**_rocrastination_**|{x}**

The fit of rage and cascaded of tears had subsided before he humanistic looking hanyou returned to the dazed damsel in oh-so-much distress. She had taken up refugee in the corner of the little cabin far across from the grotesquely slain monster, her hazel gaze had a dull sheen over it as she lippy stared at the torn body, her arms wrapped around the shirt that covered her otherwise nude figure, and legs tucked in below her to try and stay warm.

"Everyone is relieved to hear you are alright," he divulged on his walk over to hold out a hand for her, he couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the stench hat had began to fester about the dead demon but for the time being only his sensitive nose could pick up on it. "They'll be happier to see you instead of just taking my word for it, though."

"How many are out there?" She whispered in a distant and ever so distracted voice without even bothering to look up to him.

There _were_ fifty but the infamously lethal band of seven had killed enough that the number dwindled to a mere twenty but she didn't need to know all that, "about two dozen."

To that she just shook her head, "I don't… want to."

"You'd rather stay here?" He inquired with a gesture towards the decaying body, "come on, we have to go."

"No."

It was clear to him that her answer was full of dainty defiance, even if her voice was nothing more than a hush. "Kagome…"

"What… what that man—demon, what that demon said… Ishii-san, do you think it is true?" Finally, her outstanding profound orbs drifted up to his auburn eyes with a hint of gold, "do you think that some of those men want to kill me? That demons really have infiltrated my father's people? That a human would really be so petty as to be paid to betray his own kind? Do you think that is true… Ishii-san?"

He was living proof that even the most secure of sectors could be penetrated but he was not a mortal and not betraying his kind—well, half of his but the other part, the portion he had always cherished, was demon. His mother had agreed to bear him so he could do this, too, so he didn't feel he was doing anything wrong, that he was betraying half his blood… not until he met her, at least. "That thing was just trying to get under your skin, don't let him. Besides," he paused, should he say it? Should he lie again? Why not, that's all he did anyway, wasn't it? He never had to stop to ponder about it before… "Even if it is true, do you think I'd let anyone, human or not, hurt you?"

She gave a meek shake of her head to that. No, honestly, she felt completely safe with him around. There was a warm, delightful feeling in her chest—something akin to true excitement—that she had never experienced before when he was by her side. "Ishii-san, could we… could we just go out the back? Could we just run away and say that—I don't know—I was taken by another demon and you had to come rescue me? Could we just procrastinate on returning to the castle? Please?" She knew what she was asking would get him into trouble but she was also fully aware he'd never say 'yes', she had just been thinking of nothing else but avoiding the trek back and _had_ to ask. If it was anyone else she would never dare to make such a request but it was 'Ishii-san', she could trust him never to tell another that she said such impure things.

That was probably a perfect plan, really. If he were to focus on his original task, the farther away she was from the castle the easier it would be to 'taint' her or allow another demon assault so he almost said 'yes' without another thought. Then the small bit of him that had never existed until he met the innocent girl began to whisper of what a bad idea that was, how she could easily be hurt in the process, that he could _really_ lose her to a demon if they did that, and how much trouble he'd get in for letting that happen.

"I'm sorry," she sighed before he formulated an answer, "I shouldn't have asked… is there any other clothes I could wear, though? I'd feel so embarrassed to walk out in front of all those men in just a shirt." She was barely covered in it, the neck hug low, the shirt itself barely reached passed her bottom, the wind could easily blow it up to expose her most precious and private of regions, the very thought of being so bare in front of so many made her cheeks flush to a rosy color.

"Kagome," caught their attention as they both glanced over to the door, "thank goodness you are alright."

"Miroku," she mumbled, how relieved she was to see her most beloved cousin, if there was anyone in her family that she could ever tell her deepest desires and secrets to it would be him—though, she had still never done so. Her desires, her secret thoughts, were all contrary to what she stood for, to what she was meant to do.

"You look freezing," he frowned as he quickly walked over to kneel down before her and remove his outer most piece of wardrobe to wrap around her, "we need to get you home, everyone is so worried."

"She doesn't want to go," Inuyasha muttered, "she wants to slow her return to the castle."

Her hazels widened as they shot up to look at her guardian, how could he tell her cousin that? How could he suddenly betray her trust like that? Sure, she had not told him _not_ to tell anyone but he should have known! She furrowed her brows and bit her bottom lip as she looked back to her certainly upset cousin, no one would ever want to hear such heresy from their 'precious' sacrifice.

"Is that so?" Miroku mused instead as his violets wandered about the room, "is there a back way out?"

"Yep," Inuyasha nodded, "it wouldn't be hard to get passed whoever is guarding it, either."

"There _is_ a quaint little village not too far away, we could go there for some time, allow her to rest, then make our way back to the castle… we could say we were surprised by a demon that still hid himself in here, that it snatched her and we didn't have time to tell anyone, that we needed to peruse her and the kidnaper quickly."

"Sounds good to me," Inuyasha nodded, "if we leave now we could make it there by dark, get some new clothes, and a few rooms at the local inn."

"She does have a right to see the world she will be saving," Miroku assured as his gaze met with her mystified one, "do you want to do that, Kagome?"

Of course she did, ever so eagerly she nodded her head. But why? Why would they break the rules all of a sudden for her, were they really so sympatric to her hardship? Did she deserve such good friends? Apparently, they were, and for that she adored the two all the more. "Thank you…"

"No need to thank us," Miroku countered as he took her hands to help her to her feet.

"Really," Inuyasha added firmly, the last thing she should be doing is thanking the two traitors, the two that wanted her tainted instead of pure, the two that would bring harm to her… it truly did upset the conscious he never knew he had to hear her always expresses her appreciation for things that would simply lead to her fall from grace.

"Thank you," she just repeated all the same with a grand, heartwarming smile, yet, all it did was bring the duo a dash of pain.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"Anything?" She had asked with such marvel.

"Anything," he had confirmed with a nod of his head before he let her go loose in the little boutique filled with beautiful dresses she'd normally never wear—at least, she wouldn't be allowed to. It was of the utmost importance that she emphasized her modesty by donning on simple gowns, nothing that would attract attention to her blessed features, nothing that would express vanity… oh, and she knew it was wrong gawk over all the wonderful, frilly, excessive, clothing. She took a few to try on, some just to play around, and some seriously, but—really—she didn't think that she would actually buy any of them. She had never been allowed such fine garbs, would that honestly change now?

One dress in particular, though, earned her affections as she spun around slowly in the curtained off dressing room. Her little bit more green than hazel eyes locked on the mirror to examine every piece of it. It was nothing gaudy, revealing, or anything of the sorts, it was a humble and ended just above her knees. If she was ever allowed a style of her own she would say the dress was 'her'. It was a sleeveless deep blue with a hue of green dress, slightly ruffled bottom half, a white macramé trim around her neck and down her chest to cover any chance at showing her cleavage.

"Ishii-san," she murmured as she peeked out from the little room, "can we go somewhere else?"

"Do you not like anything here?" He inquired as he dully leaned against the wall; he only purchased a new shirt to replace the one she still wore and quickly at that. Honestly, he couldn't complain about the length it took her to shop, he knew she never had the opportunity before and after ever he had done—and would do—he couldn't feel any malice towards her. It gave him time, too, to speak with the shopkeeper to explain about the demon attack and how it had ruined all of Kagome's clothes, winning sympathy instantly from the kind woman. After all, demons were the bane of all human's existences.

"I do… but it's all so extravagant," she mumbled.

He shrugged, "I don't think so. I thought you'd like this place."

"I do but…"

"Kagome, we're away from the castle, you can wear whatever you want, alright?"

She pouted her precious lips as her gaze wandered about the little store before she reluctantly pushed the curtains open to show him what she had chosen, "what do you think?"

Awestruck was an understatement, if his mind could focus on anything but her he would have been thankful for the fact that her eyes were bashfully upon the floor instead of him or else she would have noticed his blatant staring and partially parted lips. "It… it looks good," he assured as he cleared his throat and glanced away, "but, you might be a little cold."

"Ah, I have just the perfect sweater for that," the eavesdropping shopkeeper chimed as she walked out from behind her small counter to grab a deep beige cardigan. She went as far as to stand behind Kagome and slide on the sweater for her then promptly clasped her hands together to step over to Inuyasha, "now, doesn't she look lovely? Oh, of course she does, look at the way your friend is gawking at you," she laughed lightly as she patted Inuyasha's shoulder, "I have a pair of boots that would go with this outfit flawlessly; too, would you like to see them?"

"What do you think, Kagome?" He questioned as his eyes glanced up her outfit once more.

She just loosely locked her hands together in front before shrugging, "alright… I suppose, if it's OK with you, Ishii-san."

"Perfect," the shopkeeper clapped before she scurried off to get a pair of white stalking, brown leather boots, and even some pretty hairpins to go along with it, too.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"I feel funny," she muttered behind Inuyasha on their walk to the inn that they were meant to meet Miroku at.

"Why? You look cute," he replied with a glance back to her before opening the door to the picturesque inn to let her enter in front of him.

"Thank you, Ishii-san," a blush fluttered across her cheeks at that, it was just a compliment… he probably didn't really mean it, all the same, she had never been called anything of the sort.

"Kagome, Ishii," Miroku beckoned with a wave of his hand. Obediently they walked to the relaxed man upon one of the few cushiony chairs, "apparently this is the peak tourist season for this town. They have a quite reputable fall festival so people come from all over to watch the color of the leaves change and join in the celebrations. Unfortunately, that means that almost all the inns are booked. I purchased the last two in all the town."

"At least we got some," Inuyasha retorted with a shrug, "what's so unfortunate about that?"

"Well, it's fine for me, but the two of you will have to share a room—"

"Why?" Kagome squealed, "Miroku, you and Ishii-san are both males," and, apparently close since her cousin didn't feel the need to add a suffix to her guardian's name. That made sense; she could see how their personalities would mesh well, in a very off sort of love-hate friendship sort of way.

"You need to stay protected at all times, Kagome, that's why you two must share a room. In case anything attacks or tries to bring you harm he'll be there," Miroku explained with an ever so confident nod.

"Then," Inuyasha coaxed, "why don't _you_ do that, Miroku? You two are relatives, after all."

"That's true," Kagome chimed with a nod, "we are and you are a highly trained, _powerful_, priest, you are more than capable of protecting me."

"Yeah, Miroku," Inuyasha grinned, "or are you just lazy?"

"That's exactly it," he assured with a debonair smile, "and you're the one that has been trained since... well, forever, to protect my cherished cousin. I'm just meant to monitor the barrier about the castle."

"A lot of good that did," Inuyasha gripped.

"Just for that," Miroku countered as he stood up and dangled the key in front of the jet-black haired man's face, "you don't get the private room."

"I don't understand why _I_ can't have the private room," Kagome muttered but was ultimately ignored as Miroku walked up the stairs.

"It'll be fine," Inuyasha decided with a sigh and nod of his head to lead her up to the second floor. He glanced to the key number then to the doors until they found the right one and opened it up for her once more; the true dilemma did not start until the door was shut.

There was just one bed in the itty bitty room…

"Uh," he stretched out before glimpsing around the room a little more, "you look really tired… today's been a bad day, you should go to sleep. You'll take the bed; I'll sleep on the floor."

"Ishii-san, that sounds uncomfortable… you should sleep on the bed—"

"No, you were the one kidnapped today, you get the bed, besides, you're the girl," he kept up, "I'll go see if I can get extra blankets and a pillow."

"You should go steal some from Miroku's room," she grumbled as she sat down upon the bed, sinking into the comfy bed right away.

"I should," he laughed, "I'll be right back."

"Ishii-san," she so softly that it nearly got passed him, "do you think… my father is worried about me? Do you think it is wrong of us to slow my return…? Aren't we being lazy? Aren't I being selfish? Aren't you going to be in trouble because of me?"

"No, Kagome," he assured gently, "everything will be fine."

"Thank you," she whispered, maybe he wasn't sure, maybe he was just lying to make her feel better, but it worked, so she smiled softly yet sweetly at his kindness.

"Please stop thanking me," he mumbled, he couldn't take it—it was worse than being stabbed in the heart by an actual knife.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"What goes on at festivals?" Kagome inquired giddily as her head turned constantly about so she could try and memorize every bit of the colorful decorations about the town, she didn't even care when she bumped into mass amount of bodies as they strolled down the center street, laced with booths.

"Lots of things," Miroku began, "there is food, games, entertainment, I'm sure they have whatever you desire."

"Dancing, drinks, all that type of things?"

"_You_ and alcohol don't mix," Inuyasha reminded stiffly, his stare constantly evaluating the scene about them. It wasn't like they were in the village around the castle, quite possibly the most secure place in all the land; there was no guarantee of the same safety in the 'quaint' town a grave distance away from the castle.

"Ishii-san," she hushed swiftly.

"You needn't worry, Kagome, I know about your little venture out of the castle to the masquerade," Miroku reassured, he couldn't help but laugh when he saw the astonishment etched into her face.

"It was his idea I take you," Inuyasha elaborated when he glanced to see the hint of hurt in her hazel eyes. "I didn't tell him," he didn't break her trust, not over that, at least... sort of. "He's the one that showed me the hole to get out."

"Oh," she murmured after her gaze had moved to her cousin, "why… did you…?"

"I believe you deserve a little fun in life, Ishii here is more suitable to protect you so I thought he should be the one to take you."

"Thank you, Miroku."

"Not at all, here, Kagome," and with that, he ushered to the closest booth, "would you like to play the game? You just take the little loops and try to get them around the wooden sticks, if you get three you win a prize."

"I want to try," she gasped, "do you think I can do that, Ishii-san?"

He leaned against the post of the booth and nodded, "sure, go for it."

"Do you think you could do it?"

"Ishii, easily," Miroku declared, "but it's about you today, Kagome. We'll do whatever you want at the festival."

"OK," she gleamed. The first try she failed, the second she got one, the third she got two, and finally on the forth she succeed, with a shrill scream she jumped up and down and clapped her hands fervently, "did you see that, Ishii-san?"

"Good job," he halfheartedly praised, it wasn't that he didn't care; it was he couldn't solely focus on her and monitor their surroundings all at once. She was apparently too enthralled in her own success to notice, though, as she laughed and picked out her prize before Miroku shepherded her off to the next sight to see. Festival food was savored, games were played, and small theatrical side-shows about the myths of fall were relished by the girl who had never known the outside world.

"Ishii-san, isn't this wonderful?" She redundantly inquired as her hazels snapped over to him, swiftly her smile faded, "are you not having fun? You seem distracted…"

"It's fun," he retorted as he reluctantly let his auburns move back to her, "it's just… crowded."

"Do you not like being surrounded by so many people?"

"It's hard to keep a watchful eye for any possible danger when there's so many people," her cousin explained.

"Oh," she awed as her hazels moved between both boys on either side of her, "I'm sorry; this must be such a hassle for you two. I'm sorry, I've had my fun, we can return now..."

"No, we're fine," Miroku swore with a shake of his head, "please, today is for your amusement, what would you like to do next?"

"Ishii-san…?"

"Don't worry, everything's fine, I'm sure nothing will happen, just enjoy yourself," he requested.

"Well…" though, she still felt a bit bad about it all, she couldn't deny that she honestly did not want to leave, "there all these signs about the ceremony tonight, I would very much like to see that."

"Of course, of course, whatever you want, Kagome," Miroku soothed after he gave her a pat on the back.

"Thank you, Miroku—"

"Please, no need to thank me," because he, too, felt that pang of guilt each time she did.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"Looky, Ishii-san," she chimed as she raised her wrist up to her face, "another charm on the bracelet you gave me is glowing. It's amazing how that happens and so pretty. Why do they change colors like that? I noticed the green but now there is a red and a yellow one, how does that happen? Are they like mood stones?"

"Something like that," he murmured as he gently took her hand to look over the trinkets. The red made sense, rage; he had every intention of sparking that but the yellow…? When did that happen, what did that even mean? In such little time he was able to spoil her sweet soul, what terrible things did that say about him? Or was that merely praising his mission, his purpose, his training?

"How does it work?" She inquired meekly; did he not realize how quickly her heart beat whenever he touched her? Now he was taking her hand into his and though his handsome gaze was on nothing more than the gift he had given her it was still a gesture she was not used to… barely anyone was allowed to touch her and the only males that ever had were family, either Miroku or her father and never really in a tender fashion as 'Ishii' always had.

"I don't know," he shrugged and, for once, he was telling the truth. "Kagome…" he mumbled as his eyes moved up to meet hers, he wanted to confess something, to tell her the truth about the bracelet at the very least, maybe about it all—just a small part but… his watch took in the lightly red hue of her cheeks, the shimmer in her eyes. The daunting truth of it was that she wouldn't look at him like that if she knew the truth, of his blood, that he was a hanyou… half demon, half what she disliked, feared, what she was meant to destroy… she liked him because he was _Ishii Genji_, the _human_ Ishii Genji. If he wasn't human—well, he wasn't—but if she knew then… then even her gracious, grand soul wouldn't accept him.

Demons did… humans didn't. Not even her, right?

"Kagome, Ishii—" Miroku called out as he made his way through the thick crowd that had formed around the stage in the town center, as soon as he got close enough to see them he stopped speaking. Their eyes were intimately locked, one of his hands was gently wrapped around hers, but his words broke whatever moment they may have been having as Inuyasha noticed that he was still holding her hand and quickly, with a slight blush, let go and turned to face the stage.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" He grinned grandly and a wink to the glaring Inuyasha as he wiggled his way in between Kagome and the stranger next to her.

"Shush," Kagome scolded as she raised a single finger to her lips, "the show is about to start."

Just as she said that whatever lights brightened the village dimmed so that all focus would go to the elegantly dressed, enchanting woman on stage that began to gracefully sing the ritual festival stories, even though there were no other dancers or actors her melody illustrated the legend entirely on its own. It brought a surreal smile to the deprived damsel's lips; music was not often something she was allowed to enjoy so she soaked up as much as possible and closed her eyes to try and imagine the scenes better. That day was another she'd treasure for the remainder of her life, however short that may be, and, again, her most cherished of memories were spent with 'Ishii' by her side… that only made her smile grow all the more.

"Miroku," Inuyasha whispered after they had stepped back a bit so they were side by side behind Kagome, who both knew was far too focused on the show to pay any mind to them, still they took care to speak quietly. "Her bracelet…"

"I noticed, it means 'sloth', I thought that might happen. She's being 'lazy' in her return to the castle," he shrugged a shoulder at that, "if it counts, it counts. You are doing well, three in such a short period of time."

"Yeah," somehow, though, he didn't feel like congratulating himself. "Should we take her back tomorrow…?"

"They must be in quite the frenzy to try and find her, either we take her back tomorrow or we never do," Miroku asserted, "if she's missing for just a day we can surely spin a story that my uncle will believe, especially if you tell him it," he mocked, "he adores you."

"Whatever," he gripped back, "what if we don't take her back…?"

"Then the demons will get her," that much, Miroku was sure of, "and, I don't know about you… but I would rather do it our way then theirs. I think it's best that we take her back, even if she most likely does not wish to."

"I suppose," he muttered, he had started to truly hate all of this… all that he had been so eager to achieve, but that was his task and he would not divert from his given path, even if a mounting part of him might wish for nothing else.

* * *

**A/N**: Thank you for the reviews, as always, I love to receive them :)

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too. The next one will most likely be considerably longer so it might take me some time to update. I want to make sure it's good before I publish it. Generally, I was just going with the flow and had a vague idea of what I wanted to do, now I actually have at least five chapters planned out so that means this story should get fairly steady updates.


	5. Infidelity

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroes of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _5: **I**_nfidelity_** |{x}**

Promptly on arrival to the chaotic castle the trio was split, the sweet sacrifice was pried away by her furious father and led away to an unknown destination. The hidden hanyou was quizzed on what had occurred along with the suave priest in separate rooms. It didn't matter how many times they tried to trip up their stories they never faltered, they had practiced their tales and made sure that every bit of it aligned—only allowing alternations here and there so it didn't seem _too_ planned. There story went as followed, a demon had been hiding in the cabin and surprised them and before they could even react it stole the 'sacrifice' from them. They didn't have time to go alert the others, it was either follow instantly or lose the track, so they decided to follow. It took some time but they saved her and punctually made their return.

After Inuyasha explained the same false fable to Shimizu himself he was spared any further annoyances along with his comrade, he believed them so that meant everyone had to.

"Where is Kagome?" He had asked Shimizu before they parted ways.

"Don't worry, you've done plenty, you need your rest, she'll be preoccupied for the time being and _very_ protected," the still rather fuming man had replied before he rushed off to whatever he had to do. It wasn't the easiest of jobs to be the 'father-of-the-sacrifice' and leader of the committee designated to kill her, too. Though, Inuyasha was certain that the conflicts in interest didn't bother the man's 'good' conscious at all.

Really, he had nothing to do at all without the task of watching over Kagome so he wandered for a while, trying to figure out _what_ exactly he could do in his spare time. Nothing was of interest, nothing made the mild anxiety that had begun to fester dissolve, he had never had any hobbies, never had a purpose besides training to destroy the girl that would spark genocide against demons, and he had never minded… so he finally found something of interest, within the massive study that belonged to Shimizu's most revered of nephews.

"Everything go well for you?" Miroku inquired as he examined a scroll, barely awarding Inuyasha any of his most valuable of attention.

"Fine, you?" He replied while he leisurely found a seat, though, he had to remove a few books and papers before he could sit down. Apparently the polished priest was anything but organized.

"Perfectly fine."

"I… I have a question for you, Miroku, it's none of my business and you don't have to answer I just… I'm curious."

"Go ahead," he nodded while he let the scroll lower enough that he could see the perplexed man beside him.

"Why do you do it?"

"Why do I…?" He coaxed out, the evasive look his companion gave him answered what he already expected, "ah, why do I work for the council? It's simple, I love her."

There was nothing he could say to express his confusion; his cocked black brow said it all.

"I love her like I would a sister," he explained, "though I cannot deny that she's beautiful I don't think I could ever see her as anything beside a relative. We've grown up as such, she sees me as her loyal cousin, I think of her as I would a sister, I imagine."

"You love her… so you're working for the council that wants to ruin her?" That, obviously, made no sense to the puzzled fraud as his brows flexed together all the more. He tried his best, really, he did, to see the logic in that but the more he thought about it the more it baffled him.

"Yes, I hate the way people treat her, as if she is nothing more than an object to everyone else's salvation. No one sees her as a fellow human; just a scapegoat for what they are too weak or lazy to fix. It would be too hard for them to think of her as an _actual_ person, I cannot stand it. I mean for no harm to come to her, I do not want any demons to get their grimy hands on her; I just want her to be tainted. You see, if that happens then there would be no point in sacrificing her. If that is the case, then she can be _free _from her unfair fate, she can live a normal life like she deserves."

"But demons will still exist," Inuyasha reminded.

To that, Miroku simply shrugged, "I do not care. Demons are merely the universal scapegoat for all that goes wrong. Humans can be equally as viscous and repulsive to one another as demons can be, so what does it matter? If all demons were to disappear humans would finally have to face that truth and they would be at a loss for what to do… and Kagome's sacrifice would actually be for naught. Why do you ask, Inuyasha? Are you having a hard time doing this to her? Perhaps," he couldn't help but allow his lips to curl up into a taunting smirk, "you care for my cherished cousin?"

"Keh," he gripped with a swift turnoff his head as he crossed his arms upon his chest.

"Would you like to hear how I rationalize it? Perhaps it would help you, in case you like her," Miroku grinned as he sat back in his comfortable armchair. "Yes, we are tainting her, but it is for her own good and for the most part she is enjoying herself as it occurs. We received envy in exchange for her being out and attending the masquerade like any girl her age would. She had fun, did she not? Granted, we received wrath under unfortunate circumstances… but a little discomfort now will save her life later. And sloth was achieved while she was having fun at a festival, what is wrong with that? When she is fully 'tainted', when she is just like all other humans, then her death would be meaningless and she will not be sacrificed and the council would no longer have any interest in her since she would be a mere girl that could not affect them. Kagome can _live_ after all of this is done, like she deserves. All I ask, Inuyasha, is that while you complete the other tasks… that you do it with kindness like you have, that you allow her some fun. I can tell she cares a _great_ deal for you, please do not hurt her."

Fun… yes, she was, Inuyasha knew that she was enjoying herself as much as she possibly could as the world was slowly caving in on her. More importantly, Miroku was right, if they did not infect her soul with the same sins that many normal mortals possessed then she _would_ die. He could make peace with that, not only would he achieve the mission that was beaten into his skull since childhood as his sole purpose in life but he could keep Kagome alive, perhaps even give her a _life_. So, reluctantly, he nodded before standing, "it's late, I'm going to bed. Enjoy reading whatever the hell this shit is."

"Until next time," Miroku charmingly smiled as he lifted his scroll up to start where he left off, though his violets dulled at that while his smile slowly faded into next to nothing, "I think he truly cares for her."

"Ishii Genji is on our side?" A delicate hum mused as the mahogany eyed maiden tied the last knot on her uniform before she pushed off the doorway post she had been relaxing against. Leisurely she waltzed over to sit upon the arm of his chair, "I would have never guessed. Shimizu-sama is _so_ fond of him."

"That just proves how well of a job he has done," Miroku replied as lecherous eyes wandered up the perfectly curved body that was ever so _close_ to him, how could he help himself? He was but a man and, unlike his poor cousin, allowed his pleasures and, truly, to him there was no great satisfaction than to know a woman most intimately. He expected her eyes to bulge drastically and _knew_ her strong, open palm would cascaded across his cheek for his little indiscretion but, honestly, she should have known better than to situate herself as she had.

"Don't do that," she growled, "I'll kill you, Houshi-sama."

"I still find it amusing that you call me that," he chimed with a smile, "Sango, my love… we have been avoiding the obvious question all day now… the wall, the break in the barrier, you and Kagome just happening to be by the only other entrance… did you have something to do with that assault?"

"Yes," she simply stated as she slid off the seat, "you do what you do your way; I do what I do my way."

"_Your_ way almost got Kagome killed," he retorted harshly with an unusually hard expression upon the usually carefree man's handsome features.

"Is that not the true goal for the council? We both work for them and they were eager to listen to my idea," she replied nonchalantly with a one shouldered, halfhearted, shrug, "it didn't work, oh well, next time."

"There will not be a next time, not like that," he ordered and to make sure he had her attention, that she knew how serious he was, he snatched her wrist rather roughly, "she likes you a great deal, Sango, you are her friend, she often tells me that you are the only person she can truly call that."

"I'm only doing what Genji—wait, no, it's Inuyasha, isn't it? I am only do what he is," she snapped as she ripped her wrist free, "it is not my fault that she feels that way."

"I cannot let you risk her life like that," he asserted.

"Oh?" She playfully pouted as she took his closest hand and gently laced her fingers with his, raised it to her lips to brush his skin to hers. The entire time her eyes were on his mesmerized violets that followed her every movement, his attention was fully hers as she lowered his hand to place it up her upper thigh, she could easily tell that the perverse man's mind was already elsewhere. "And, tell me, Houshi-sama, what would you do to stop me? You would never turn me in to your uncle, not when you are a sympathizer to the council yourself. You would never kill me, either. You have your reasons for working for the council just as I have mine."

"I would love to know what those are," he requested with firm squeeze of her luscious thigh, "you never tell me anything. I know nothing about you, my dear."

She leaned forward to whisper ever so suggestively into his ear, "you've never cared to talk before. We have a fine relationship as it is, Houshi-sama, there is no point in trying to pretend now that we actually care about what the other." She knew she had him enchanted and riled up so she gave him a parting present, a kiss upon his ear, before she pried his hands from her and turned to proceed into the door that led to Miroku's private quarters, retrieve whatever she had left in there, and existed without another word.

He couldn't help but sigh at that and mutter to no one but himself, "I do care, though…"

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

She cringed severely as her hands grasped the bed tightly, her eyes closed completely, while she bit her lips to the point of actually drawing blood but that mild pain did not overshadow the other, as she might have hoped. It only barely got her mind off what she had to endure, she turned her head away as her legs were spread more, words were muttered but she couldn't focus on them, she just wanted to be anywhere but there. Another cringe coursed through her before it was all over, "get dressed," was the only detached, cold, statement before the man removed a pair of gloves, threw them away and walked out of the small, natural colored, numb room to speak to the edgy man waiting just outside the door.

A swallow of the lump in her throat could not calm her nerves or her shaky body so she wrapped her arms around herself while she gradually sat up. She closed her legs tightly, why couldn't they just believe her? It wasn't fair. Her father was furious with her for being kidnapped? It was out of her control, it wasn't like she wanted that to happen! Then he shoved her into an examination room and summoned a physician to check her, not to tend to any wounds she might have, but to verify that she was still a virgin like she had promised. Why could he not just listen to her? Why did he not just trust her? It wasn't fair…

The procedure was painful and _highly_ uncomfortable, she had never experienced such an invasion… she had barely escaped being raped once, what difference was it really to have a different object inserted into her unwillingly? She hated it… she hated it so much. Groggily she got dressed once more and awkwardly walked to the door to see her father standing there with a nod of approval; apparently she had passed the test. Somehow, she didn't feel warmed by that fact nor did she wish to smile over it, so she just nodded back.

_All_ she desired at that moment was to be alone, _all_ alone, "I'm really tired…"

"Taijiya-san will escort you back to your room," Shizumi assured with a gesture of his arm to her resting friend.

"S… Sango-chan?" She stuttered as her hands lifted to cover her mouth, her watery hazels locked onto her guardian as she pushed off the wall.

"Kagome-chan," she greeted with a frown as she placed her hands upon her shoulders, "I'm so sorry about what happened… I should have been stronger; I should have never allowed them to take you."

"That's right," Shimizu snapped, "don't let it happen again."

"Yes, Shimizu-sama," Sango confirmed with a bow of her head before she nodded for Kagome to follow her down the hallow hallways.

"Sango-chan," she murmured, "I… I thought that you were… dead."

"Me?" She chimed as she glanced back, "I was badly injured, I still don't feel too well and will probably have a scar or two, but I'm alive."

She could see that but she had to be certain so she reached out to touch her shoulder. That stopped Sango, slowly she turned to look at the obvious damaged damsel. "Kagome-chan… it'll be alright." To her surprise, that sparked a trickle of tears and her friend to embrace her as she whispered how happy she was that 'Ishii-san' was wrong. "Ishii-san told you I was dead?" Only a nod against her shoulder answered her question.

"I'm sorry," Kagome sniffled as she pulled away to whip her eyes clean, "I'm so glad you are alright…"

"I'm glad you are alright, too," she smiled with a light pat on the shoulder, "go rest, Kagome-chan."

She nodded as she walked up to her room, reluctantly she opened the door and waved to her companion before she closed the door and rested her forehead against it. By the count of ten she opened her door once more to check to make sure the hallway was empty before she exited to go grudgingly knock upon the door next to hers.

It took almost too long for the polished red oak to open, she almost returned to her room by the time Inuyasha pocked his head out of his room, "Kagome?"

"Ishii-san," she murmured, meekly she twisted away from her door to look at the puzzled man. She meant to be reasonable, to keep her senses, but whatever self-control she had mustered up faded as she shook her head and walked up to him. That perplexed look faded with a swift slap, his auburn eyes were wide after his head swirled to the side from the force of her attack. "You are a liar! How could you be so cruel?"

His heart stopped as his stunned gaze caught her near-tears hazels, she… found out? Somehow, that everything was a lie? That he was not really meant to protect her but pollute? That he was not even a human? That nearly everything he ever said was just lies after lies…? "I…" but, wait, what exactly did she know? Which lie did she catch? It couldn't be them all or else he'd be dead or thrown in jail by then so he glanced around to make sure that they were alone in the hallway, that no one was about to arrest him, then back to her with a cocked brow. "What… are you talking about?"

"Sango is alive," she stated with a sniffle, "how could you tell me she was dead…? Do you know how terrible I've felt all this time? How upset I was? She is my dear friend… how could you, Ishii-san?" She even pounded her fists against his chest, "how?"

"She is?" He replied dumbly, just as he meant to. Yes, she was alive, yes, he knew it, yes, he was sure she'd be fine when they rushed off to find her. She was injured and being tended to, but he knew how upset she'd be when he told her that Sango was dead… he felt bad about it but it gotten _wrath_ just like he had hoped.

"Yes," she returned with another pound and her eyes tightly closed to keep the tears from falling, "you are so cruel!" Everyone was… her father, the doctor, the people that expected her perfection, _everyone_ and now even Ishii-san? Even he would lie to her and cause her such pain? "Why?" She muttered as she rested her forehead against his chest, "why…?"

"Kagome," he coaxed gently as he stroked his hand down her back, "I'm sorry… I didn't know. I thought she was when I left."

"You should have checked before you left!"

"I couldn't," he firmly retorted.

"Why?" She hissed as she pushed him away to glare up at his focused stare, "how could you not? You should have! She was only hurt because of me! You should—"

"Have speared the time?" He snapped as he grasped her upper arms and flexed his brows, "I couldn't! I was too worried about you! Honestly, I'm sorry, but I didn't care, either. I had to find _you_, I had to make sure that _you_ were alright, I _had_ to. I was worried… I was really worried about you." Once in a blue moon he could tell her the truth and that was exactly it. He _truly_ was worried about her, he really did not care if Sango was alright, and he was eager to find her… even if he wasn't sure if that was the right thing for him to do.

"Really…?" She mumbled, "really? You were that worried… about me?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "of course."

_Of course_… of course he was worried. Of course? Her father wasn't 'of course' worried about _her_, no one was so certainly but… Ishii-san? She was a shameless wreck from all that had occurred, from the demon attack, to their assault on her, to all that she had experienced since her return to the castle, to the uncaring welcome… just to know that someone, anyone, was so definitely concerned about her touched her deeply, to the point of tears. She didn't want to cry yet again that day but the warm water escaped her blinking eyes all the same as she raised her hands to cover her flustered face.

"What?" He sped as he let go of her to take a step back, did he say something? "What is it?" That was his real weakness, crying women—demon, human, whatever, it didn't matter. He _hated_ to see it.

She shook her head a few times before she managed to sob, "nothing."

"You're crying over nothing?" He muttered with a cocked brow, once more his eyes shifted down the hallway to verify that no one was around to see the strange show and—more importantly—that no one would notice as he gradually led her into his room to close the door behind her. "Kagome, please, you're killing me here."

"I'm sorry," she choked as she whipped the water out of her eyes so she could see the grand, dark, room that she stood in, nothing but the open curtains and the moonlight that brought brightened it. As soon as she realized where she was her heart sank and breath hitched, she was in _Ishii-san's_ room? That was completely inappropriate, she wasn't allowed in anyone's room for the exclusion of Sango's—particularly any males, she had never even been in her own father's—and _no_ man was allowed in her room yet now she stood in her guardian's? For a long time she remembered feuds about whether it was even appropriate to allow her usually male head protector a room right next to hers—whether the added safety was worth the compromising position it could put them in.

"It's alright," he assured as he patted her shoulder, "come here, sit down."

"Ishii-san," she awed as her hands lowered to her mouth, "I can't be in here."

"Why?"

"You know very well why," she snapped softly but that didn't stop him from tenderly taking her hand and leading her to sit on the edge of his king sized bed.

"Just relax," he whispered back as he sat next to her. The usually cheerful girl he protected seemed so… fragile, she always was, he'd seen her at her lowest, but whatever had gotten to her that day—it couldn't just be finding out that Sango was alive, could it?—made her appear even frailer. He had never felt such a need to comfort her or to treat her with such affectionate care, if he touched her too hard he was almost certain she would shatter.

For a while she didn't say anything, her eyes just wandered around his impersonal room until they met with his. The question had been on the tip of her tongue for too long so it timidly slipped out, "you said… you were worried about me, Ishii-san."

"I was," he assured.

"Were you worried about me-me?" She inquired delicately

"What other you is there?" He questioned back with a raised brow.

"Were you worried about my well-being or… that I was still pure? About _me_ or making sure I'd… I'd still be a good sac… sacrifice?"

Oh, realization washed away his confused features as he shook his head, "I was worried about you, if they had hurt you, if _you_ would be alright."

Her heart sped up at his statement, her cheeks flushed, and she felt another sting to her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he guessed as he retracted his touch from her completely. "Did I say something…?"

"No," she assured a she shook her head, "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," he countered as he wryly rested his hand on her back once more. "What's wrong?"

What was right would have been a shorter list, "my father… everyone… when I got back."

Somehow, much to his dismay, that opened another floodgate for sobs. "Kagome," he soothed as he pulled her to him so she could cry on his shoulder as his hand ran through her hair to calm her a little more. She didn't need to say anything else, he wasn't sure what was wrong but her dear 'father' tended to make matters worse. Would whatever weighed her down be gone if she knew that 'her' father really wasn't hers? Few knew that, though, and he in particular wasn't meant to have that knowledge.

Neither kept track of the time that passed until all her eyes had dried, though, she lingered with her head upon his shoulder for a while longer before she whipped her nose and looked up to his compassionate auburns, "I'm sorry… thank you. I'm being pathetic… I _am _sorry, Ishii-san, I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Don't worry about it," he assured with a small shake of his head. His hand slid through her ebony waves once more before it slid to her cheek, without a thought she leaned into his warm touch—her heart pound picked up pace all the more, she liked to think the throbbing was all in her head and that he couldn't hear it but he could. He liked that, too. It was _his_ touch, _his_ words, _him_ that made her chambers thump so hastily.

"I…"

"You look tired," he whispered, "how about you go to bed and rest. Maybe it'll make you feel better?" A nod was her simple response as she got up but his hands took hers to guide her to stand in front of him, "do you want to sleep here?"

Her eyes widened to grand proportions with a small gasp, "Ishii-san?"

"I'm worried about you; I think it'd be best if you stayed here."

_Her_, he was worried about _her_, that's all it took to weaken her to the idea, "that would be inappropriate…" she replied halfheartedly, "what if someone found out?"

"I'll have you back in your room before dawn," he assured, "no one will notice. I won't even sleep in the bed; I'll let you have it. I'd just feel better if you were here."

"OK," she whispered with a nod as he let her go so he could guide her into the bed and pull back to the sheets. "Ishii-san," she muttered, "stay here…"

"I'm not going anywhere," he murmured back as he sat down on the edge of the bed, automatically she snuggled up in his sheets to wiggle closer to him. He was more than fine with that as he placed one of his arms on the opposite side of her to lean on and let his other indecisively stroke her cheek.

"I'm scared," she mumbled after he was almost certain she had fallen asleep.

"Of what?"

"Of that demon," she whispered so softly that he almost didn't catch it. "I'm scared he'll come back and get me… that he'll do all these things to me…"

"You think _I'd_ let that happen?" He retorted, "I'll never let him get you again. No offense to your other guard but I'm not going to let you out of my sight anymore. Apparently she—"

"Please don't insult Sango-chan," she whispered.

"I won't then," he muttered, though, he couldn't say he didn't hold a grudge. Yeah, she was just a mortal and had to try to defend Kagome against at least two powerful demons of the band of seven but… he'd be damned if he let logic get in the way of his anger. "Anyway, don't worry, I'd never let that happen again."

"I believe that," she smiled delicately, "that's why I feel so safe around you. I'm thankful that we had to sleep in the same room last night… or else I would never have been able to."

"Well," he dragged out, "I'm here, still, so go to sleep."

"You get some rest, too," she requested before she relaxed against the lush pillows all the more.

"You worry too much about others, there's nothing wrong with thinking about just you every once and a while," he lectured lightly and only got a sleepy shrug as a response. It was the hardest thing in the world to know he had her trust, fully, and yet would only betray that in the end… but it was for the best, wasn't it? To save his kind, to do as he was breed to do… everyone else was just using her, so why not him, too?

Her peaceful, slumbering face told him it _was_ immoral to hurt such a gorgeous goddess yet… he would.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Winter consumed the castle along with the rest of the land, the snow piled up, the cold air swirled around and the bright sun often faded away behind clouds before fading sooner and sooner with each passing day beyond the end of the world to allow its nemesis the moon a place in the sky. It was a surreally tranquil and beautiful season, one that's symbol was widely acclaimed—white, purity. It was the season in which the renowned sacrifice was born, a season that so many had hoped would bring about the proper alignment of the celestial sphere so that hell on earth could finally be vanquished. No one kept that a secret, it was the frequent talk about the castle, and few paid any heed to her presences when they mentioned how often they prayed for her end to be near.

It did not matter to her, though; she still frequented her sanctuary to keep up her prayers like she should. More importantly, Ishii-san kept his word to her; he was almost always by her side for the exclusion of those private sessions. It made her nightmares of the cruel creature in the damp basement fade away, his scowls at anyone that dared to talk about her impending death and how eager they were about it brought a joy to her heart she knew shouldn't be there, his protection made her frail, young, naïve, feelings swell. It was all so confusing for her… just as it was for him.

He was not meant to care for her, to actually take her well-being into account but she was so endearing, so… inhuman, so superior to the fools around her yet modestly unaware of that fact, that he couldn't help it. If they had met in another life, if they were different people, he wouldn't have minded falling for her, he might have openly admitted it but they weren't. They were stuck in the lives that pinned them against each other, that would never permit a functional, genuine, relationship.

That didn't stop their fluttering looks, their eyes catching the other, the lengthy silences that their unified, _longing_, stares brought before they were brought back to the reality of it all—there was no hope for them. If, the other even wished for a 'them', that was. Over the winter months he had convinced her that it was unneeded to go up into her tower to stare down at the village below, not only was it icy up there but it was frigid outside and she would fall ill for certain. She, of course, only agreed to it out of concern for him, for _his_ health. For a flittering moment he considered telling her how he couldn't get sick as easy as she, that he was more than a mere mortal but… that knowledge would only evaporate any compassion she had developed for him and, selfishly, he didn't want that.

He wanted her… just as she did him.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"You are peculiarly quiet today, Kagome-chan," Sango coaxed as she uninterestedly fiddled with a few objects upon her ward's desk. Yet another lunch was spent within her room so she could relax and read one of her precious books, again, Sango had noted it was the _Tales of Genji_. "I still hate that book."

"You hate a lot of things, Sango-chan," Kagome chimed back as she lazily closed the book to roll over onto her stomach.

"Perhaps that's true," far more so than the innocent girl might have thought, "but that doesn't answer my question. Why are you so quiet today? Do you have something on your mind?"

Yes, so many things that she was nearly certain it would soon implode on her, but she wasn't sure if she could share her burdens with anyone, not even her loyal comrade. "I'm fine…"

"You don't sound fine," she replied as she walked over to sit on the edge of the frilly bed, "you can tell me anything, Kagome-chan. I will not betray your trust."

Of course she wouldn't, how could she have ever thought otherwise? So she turned her hazels away from her friend's prying mahoganies to her fingers as they pulled at the sheets, "I… this is wrong, I know, but… oh, Sango-chan, do you swear not to tell anyone?"

How odd, what was it that the ever so pure girl could really say that was so scandalous? "I promise."

"I," she bit her bottom lip meekly before looking up at her friend, "I think… I have feelings for Ishii-san. It's so confusing though…"

Perfect, was the first thought to come to the young soldier's mind, Miroku had let her in on his scheme to soil his cousin and how Inuyasha was helping. It would make it all the quicker if she was in love with him, love always brought a disarray of emotions and dreadful problems.

"I know," Kagome retorted, mistaking her friend's silence for something akin to abhorrence, "I shouldn't… maybe I don't. I don't know."

"No, Kagome-chan," Sango assured as she rested a hand upon her shoulder, "what would be wrong with that? Why are you not allowed to have feelings for someone else while the rest of the world is? How is that fair? Ishii-san is a good man, he is highly protective of you, and I think that his feelings for you surpass that of a mere guardian's."

"Really…?" She mumbled, "do you really think that?"

"Yes, I do. I think he likes you a great deal and I don't think there is anything wrong with you feeling the same way. He is handsome, isn't he?"

To that she nodded, she had always thought her an attractive man along with half the staff of the castle.

"He is good to you, isn't he? He'd risk his life for yours, what is there not to like? I am more than sure he would accept a developing relationship."

"But," she muttered, "isn't that wrong? I'm not supposed to…"

"Says who?"

"Says everyone!" There was no reason to play dumb; Sango knew the rules in which she was meant to live by just as well as she did.

"So?" She retorted with a shrug, "truly, what harm could come from you loving someone? Isn't love a precious, pure feeling?" At least, that was the propaganda that was spread about it and probably swarmed around all the books she commonly read.

"I… I don't know," Kagome sighed as she gradually got off her bed, "will you escort me to the sanctuary?"

"Are you going to pray for an answer?" Sango inquired.

"For guidance," she confirmed.

"Has praying ever helped you before?" She couldn't hide the spite in her tone.

Her hazels wryly washed over her friend's frosty features, "I don't know… I've never prayed for myself before."

Sango simply shook her head at that as she got up to open the door for Kagome, "you are _too_ good of a person."

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Spring was just around the corner, the snow had slowly seeped away and the weather had begun to warm so for the first time in far too long she was able to convince her guardian to allow her to go up in the tower to lean against the still cool stone railing and gaze down upon the lit village just outside of the grand, newly fortified, walls. The day had permitted only a sweater and she hadn't rationalized how once the sun disappeared the temperature would drop so she wrapped her arms around herself all the more to try and keep some of her warmth in as she shivered.

Whatever delight she once received from staring down at the village had dissipated, she no longer had to wonder what life would be like below, she knew, she no longer had to simply stare down there to long for that life, she already did every moment of the day. Moreover, her real concern no longer lied with either of those things but the man that had moved to stand behind her. She could feel his breath against her neck, and she relished in the feeling, too.

"You are freezing," he murmured as he placed her jacket over her shoulders, "you should have brought a coat."

"You'll be cold," she whispered back as she turned halfway so she could see his astounding auburns flicker across her face a few times. They were only a fraction apart, their breath before had time to form a push before the heat mingled together. She felt awful about it, somewhere deep down, but her mind had wandered to a place it shouldn't and she hoped that his had to.

It had, but he tried to restrain himself, to keep his eyes from bluntly staring at her lips. It was cruel how much he wanted her, at least in his arms and he could certainly pull that off without her protest. He could play off her compassion, her worry about his well-being, "come here, then," he requested as he took her into his embrace to pull her against his chest, "I won't be cold now."

There was no way she would be, either. Even without the jacket that he so graciously gave her the sudden jolt in blood flow from her speeding heart would have kept her temperature up. Was Sango right? Did he want their relationship to be something more than the odd friendship they shared? Wasn't what he was doing called 'making a move'?

Should she make one of her own?

All the questions fluttered her boggled brain until she decided to tune them out and push them far away, for once, she'd simply act on her feelings—not logic, not what she _should_ do, not what she was _meant_ for. It was selfish, she was certain, but she wanted to know at least what it felt like to be kissed before she died. She had never been, not even a peck on the cheek or upon her head by her not-so-loving father. Meekly she moved her face closer to his, his grip around her tightened, and then she closed that taunting gap between their lips.

At first it was nothing more than a mere lip-to-lip innocent act, but he gave into his desires—desires she hadn't learned of, yet. He pressed his lips to hers more, moved them, sucked her lips and eventually pried them apart to startle her greatly as he pushed her gently against one of the posts that kept the wall absent tower top propped up. Her eyes widened when she felt his tongue invade her mouth and at first she tried to push him away, she hadn't any idea what to do. Was she to move her tongue with his?

Regardless, she gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him back—though, their lips had never parted. She tried to keep up with him, to do as she thought was proper, to do whatever he was doing, and gradually she felt she got the hang of the act and progressively became fond of it as his hands slid down her side to claps her hips. A mutual yearning began to fester in her pounding chambers and for him, that throbbing desire quickly bolted south.

"Kagome," he whispered while their lips parted so she could breathe, "come with me."

She hadn't any idea where they were going but she nodded all the same, she wanted to be with him, no matter where that was—preferably, though, not in the freezing, windy tower top. She assumed he was thinking the same thing as he led her down the stairs and back to their section of the castle, her full attention was on the sole fact that his hand was grasped around hers, she didn't notice all the times he paused at a corner to make sure no one would catch them. She forgot completely how forbidden what they were doing was, she didn't catch the implication, either, when he opened the door to his room for her.

She simply stood in the center of it as he closed his curtains and locked his door; innocent little Kagome thought that was only to make sure no one would notice that she was once again in his room. They would both be in a considerable amount of trouble because of that. He smiled at her inexperienced, awkward stance as she waited for him to tell her what to do. Gently, he took her hands and earned one of her adorable smiles as he led her to the bed.

Their lips collided before either was fully on it, her hands roamed through his hair as his ventured about her body to spark a pulsing sensation below that she had never known. She barely noticed as he discarded some of his clothes and pulled her dress down her shoulders so that his lips could move from hers to her neck, quickly, they moved down to below her collar line so that any mark he might make would be invisible to any else.

"Ishii-san," she gasped when his hands roamed up to her bosom, one sculpted and molded her left in his large hand with the other created a circular motion with a teasing thumb upon her nub. Any further protest was muffled out by his lips as they met hers once more. The feeling he created in her only intensified as he continued his assault, mild moans left her only to be swallowed within his mouth. The throbbing that taunted her below, the constant reminder of that terrible _need_, got all the worse when he pressed his hardened region to her damp one. Her legs had willingly parted so he could move in, whatever restraint he was trying to use faded when that occurred, as well.

He could smell her arousal, it was thick in the air and tormenting his frenzied senses, "I want you."

The profound edge of necessity in his voice didn't go by unnoticed by the girl in the hazed unfamiliar pleasure, with a meek nod she whispered back, "alright."

That was all the permission he required, she had to know what was coming and he was ever so eager for It as he slid off her dress and all that remained to separate their heated bodies. All worries about what _really _separated them, what would always keep them apart—his mission, her goal, his blood—dissipated in that moment as he slid a hand up her inner thigh gently to check if she was ready for him, she was wet enough so he situated himself at her entrance. He wasn't in such a reckless whirl that he didn't take time to prepare her for the first—perhaps last—time she'd be penetrated.

"Kagome," he whispered in between heavy pants as he lifted one hand to grasp hers, their fingers immediately interlaced, "I really want you."

"Ishii-san," she murmured back with pinked, flustered, cheeks as her weary hazels moved about his eyes. She _really_ wanted him, too, whether that was wrong or right at that moment she didn't care—she was, for once, Kagome. Not the sacrifice all her people depended on, not the perfect daughter, not anything… but Ishii's. She nodded her head before he bent down to kiss her soothingly right as he pushed into her.

"Ah," she gasped as she clenched her eyes closed and bit her lips together. Tenderly, he began his slow, shallow, thrusts into her previously untouched pathway. A tear slipped down her cheek, which he promptly kissed away, her fingers had gripped his hand so tightly that her mild fingernails had dug into his flesh. He watched her intently as he tried to keep control of himself and not let the beast in him gain power, he couldn't pound into relentlessly like he yearned to do. Gradually she relaxed, her features, her breath, and even her inner walls.

"Kagome," he groaned, it was fairly difficult for him to speak when she felt so wondrous around him. All his built of desires were finally being released and she felt almost too good—so _tight_—around him. "Are you… OK?"

"Yes," she replied as she lifted her free hand up to grasp onto his neck and pull him down to kiss her once more. He picked up his pace then and began to thrust deeper into her to mimic the intensity of their kiss. Their hands parted so hers could wrap around him while his kept him propped above her. Though it was hard to do, he focused on pleasing her more so than himself. He loved every second of their merger, particularly when she began to move her hips along with him, but she was the one that was losing something that night. She was the one that was being tainted; she was the one that he had deceived only to steal something from her that she could never get back…

He muffled a moan in her mouth, even if his mind was slowly fading away from reality and up to nirvana he knew better than to be too noisy and she did, too. Gasps, pants, and minute moans were all that could be openly expressed as they collided together, his thrusts in over and over again were met with her straddles. He let his lips fall to her collarbone so that he could groan greedy against her skin when a series of ripples cascaded throughout her, his hands clenched the sheets as he continued to pound in only to heighten his own pleasure more and more. She arched her body to meet each assault until the most divine of feelings exploded from below to wash over all of her.

He let her have an open, rather loud, cry of delight at that point as he worked towards his own release that brought him an unrivaled amount of satisfaction as he spilled out within her.

Whether he'd do right by her later or not, she was his and they both knew it while they tried their best to regain their breaths and shake off the aftershocks.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

In all her mere twenty-one years of life, she had never been so anxious as she was in the silent, stone, chamber while she paced around. She had to do it, to check, it was of the gravest importance but that didn't keep the fear from festering within her. What if…?

No, she couldn't think like that, so she shook her head before she finally walked up to the spot so she often frequented, knelt down to claps her hands piously in front of herself and closed her eyes. It took a few deep breathes before she calmed herself enough to focus on her prayers like she had almost every day since she was old enough to speak.

She allotted the same amount of time as always to her most precious of tasks before she got up once more and walked to the door that separated her from the guard she knew was there. The guard that she knew so intimately… gradually she opened the door to see him standing stoically by the door, his arms—as always—crossed upon his chest. It wasn't until she shut the door behind her that his attention returned to the world and his eyes snapped to her.

"I have good news," she whispered while she glanced around to make sure they were alone, "I can still create emanated my purity power so… I think that must mean that all is fine."

Her entire life she was warned that sex would be the ruin of her, that it would destroy her powers and render her useless. That she had to stay far, far away from the act and _never_ be tempted by it. That it was _evil_ and she was meant to be nothing but _pure_ so when the morning came and they both got up to get ready for the day she was nervous to see if that was true, if she had forsaken everyone for one night of bliss. He had been equally silent with a troubled look on his face while he made sure to get her back to her room without anyone seeing her, that's when it become so helpful that their rooms were next to each others. She had assumed his concern, his worries, all stemmed from the same prophecy.

Her ability to create the pink, bright, light around herself while she prayed had always been the sign of her power. Perhaps the prophets didn't know what they were talking about, perhaps the whole world wouldn't go to hell just because she enjoyed herself every once and a while?

"Good," he said as he let out a heavy breath, "I don't know if I can restrain myself anymore." Not that he cared either way if she could, though.

Her heart went wild from his words; did he like her that much? She must have blushed, she guessed, since his attention rested solely on her. If only she knew that he could hear her heart beat perfectly fine and noticed how it sped up from his words once more.

"Come with me," he requested as he took her hand to guide her down the hallway to a part of the castle less frequented and down another corridor that he had never saw the point to—it was a dead end with only a table and a dusty chair.

Without a single care for the consequences he lifted her off the ground gently, easily, she was so slim after all, and sat her upon the table before he leaned in to kiss her. She had to make a mental note to herself that 'come with me' meant doing inappropriate things when it came to Ishii-san, but she couldn't say she was displeased by that as she parted her lips for him. He wasn't certain if he meant for it to progress further than a kiss but it steadily began to as she pulled him closer and his wandering hands made their way up her legs and under her dress.

"Kagome," he moaned lightly after she wrapped her legs around him to pull him and his stiffened region against her. If they didn't stop soon he wouldn't be able to control himself, he had never really been one for self-control anyway. He was more impulsive and she had to be aware of that by then. When she rubbed against him whatever was keeping him from taking her right then and there disappeared as he pushed her down upon the table, hiked up her skirt, and yanked down her underwear before he undid his belt and lowered his clothes so he could position himself again.

It was soon but her aroused aroma intoxicated him, he was just man and at that moment a very horny one. She didn't protest at all and he had given her ample time to, so he leaned into her. She was still raw from the experience from the night prior and another pang of pain came with his entrance but he bent over to kiss her as he began his rhythm of 'in-out-in-out' which calmed her nerves greatly.

She enjoyed all the feelings their encounters brought far too much, she was sure, but she didn't care about the wrongness of it at all as she wrapped her arms around his neck once more. Really, she was at a loss of what she was meant to do—after all, he was the first and only man she had ever been with. She was a novice at the carnal act and all the techniques one could use, perhaps that would change?

The relentless pounding within his chest set the pace for his tempo even though a part of him knew that was probably too much for the girl below him. His heart literally ached at each moan she tried to muffle, his mind was abashed with all of it—was he just using her? For pleasure, and oh, what pleasure she gave him. No, it was worse; he wouldn't hurt so much if he was just content with using her.

He cared for her, so much. He knew her, too well, and that impaired him. It was also how he discerned that, even if they had only made love once, she was wry of what they were doing. Not because of the location, though that might have played a small part, but because all he had ever said was 'I want you'.

She wanted to hear something else, he was sure, and he could give that to her. He tried to quiet a moan as he rested his forehead against her shoulder, one hand grasping at her smooth thigh to pull her closer to his thrusts, it was hard, it would kill a part of him, but he'd tell her—even if, later, it would only mar her all the more. "I," he mumbled between pants and silent groans of delight, "love you."

Worse than all of his other worries… he really thought he might have meant it, too.

She wasn't _not _participating before but once she heard those words her thrill and involvement in their mingling picked up. He honestly wasn't surprised to hear her repeat the very same words to him, "I love you."

He bit his bottom lip and shut his eyes tightly when she moaned it once more. As he tried his best not to lose the rhythm they had finally synchronized he pushed her dress down her shoulder so he could kiss it. She meant her words, he knew it. A part of him was more than happy to hear it but another part felt utter misery from them. He might love her—he probably did… if nothing else, he _extremely_ cared for her so much so that he would never let anything happen to her.

The girl that moaned below him, that fiddled her precious fingers in his hair as he thrust into her, was someone he was willing to protect from anything and anyone. He just couldn't defend her from himself.

At that moment, he vowed to 'taint her kindly' as Miroku had requested and to make sure that once it was done no one would ever hurt her… he'd tell her the truth then and if she hated him, if she was disgusted with the fact that he was a hanyou, so be it, at least his heavy conscious would be cleared finally.

Though, he didn't know what he'd do with himself without her anymore.

During all their frenzy, neither noticed another charm on her bracelet had glimmered a silver hazed white.

* * *

**A/N: **thank you for all the reviews and please keep them coming :)

I hope you continue to enjoy the story. I'm rather eager about the next few chapters so I will probably regularly update this story over most of the others.


	6. Vain or Vanity?

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroes of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _6: **V**_ain or _**V**_anity_?** |{x}**

Warm wind swirled around the tall tower that the no-longer-so-innocent maiden still enjoyed lingering at. More often than naught, though, she had skipped the tour to the top of the castle to simply sneak into the room next door when she was certain there was no one around to catch her. It was so much better to sleep in his protective, strong arms then alone.

She couldn't help but blush when she recalled all that they had done together—it wasn't wrong… was it? It was, obviously, she was meant to stay pure—she was being selfish to want to continue their intimate relationship. Yet, she could still create her pure light so she was probably fine? Maybe… hopefully.

Two years, that was how long she had known him, she couldn't say they rushed things when they really hadn't. Two years she had lingered by his side, and he hers, more importantly he constantly saved her life—how could she not fall for the handsome man?

That was exactly what happened, she loved him. That always wiggled out a smile from her pink and natural lips. Right away, it dissipated when she felt some arms wrap around her waist, she even shot up to stand straight and feel her back pressed against hardened abs.

"You are jumpy," Inuyasha grinned, "you know it's just me."

"Right," she whispered with a whimsical smile as she relaxed into his embrace.

"You're beautiful," he murmured into her ear before he moved his lips down to the neck she so graciously exposed to him, "very, very beautiful."

"Ishii-san," she mumbled back as his hands shifted around her body, when they ventured so far that he began to grasp at her dress to yank it up she knew exactly where his mind was going, "Ishii-san!"

"What?" he muttered back when his fingers began to stroke her bear thigh.

"Th-this is improper, we're outside," she stammered while his other hand groped her bosom to force her to press her lips and shut her eyes.

"Everything we do is improper," he taunted back, "why stop now?"

"B-because," was the best she could come up with as his hand slid up her inner thigh to stroke her threw her panties, the way he pressed her to him, how his hands played havoc on her body, she was already starting to throb for his touch—that only made it all the more controlling.

They weren't meant to have a relationship, they weren't meant to fornicate, they weren't meant to do anything of the sorts but they did it all… so why not?

"Wait," she whispered anyway as he pushed her forward so she was leaning against the railing. Her half-hearted plea went unnoticed as he slid up the skirt of her dress and pulled her panties down.

"Wait?" He inquired as his hand slid up her legs to her fine-shaped bum, "really?"

"Someone will hear us, Ishii-san," she whispered weakly.

"No one will hear us, no one is around," he assured her, there was always an off chance someone would hear them but that only made the thrill heighten the pleasure, at least for him and he was fairly certain for her as well since she stopped her protest before he plunged in. She muffled her gasp and restrained her moans as he began to rock into a steady pace, one she made every effort to match.

"Kagome," he groaned as he grasped her hips to pull her to meet with his thrusts—was it wrong?

The "I-Ishii-san," she moaned back told him it was. That _wasn't_ his name, he wasn't Ishii Genji, he wasn't even human—he was violating her, she just didn't know it. If the truth were found out, if she knew _what_ he was, she'd be appalled instead of enthralled.

She withheld another moan as the thumping toil that coiled in the pit of her stomach started. Her heart sped to, threatened to leap out of her chest from the pleasure he gave her—the constant thrusts that sparked such wonderful sensations. _He_ made her feel like something precious that was meant to be prized instead of pushed aside until the stars aligned. But did _she_ make him feel anything similar?

She hoped.

"Ishii!" She cried as she felt the rapture filled release she learned to yearn for, from him alone.

Tight, it was an amazing feeling to plunge into her as she squeezed around him only one thing could make it better—if _Inuyasha_ was what left her perfect lips. It never would… she'd never accept that part of him.

He could say her name, "Kagome," as he pulled out before releasing.

It was almost sad; she could never know his real name or her own. Shimizu Kagome, it sounded so wrong…

"I love you," he'd say after each of their encounter, it always brought the brightest smile to her lips.

"I love you, too," she'd always reply before kissing her upon the lips. He _did_ love her, probably, but she _didn't_ love him. Not the real him, just the show he put on.

Was that painful? A little, yes… but he deserved the ache for his deceit.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Spring slipped away from them as the stars shifted closer and closer to their proper positions. She was swallowed in the sweet sanctuary but not the cold stone chamber she once knew, a bedroom, the garden, the tower, anywhere could be her haven away from the suffering she endured for being the chosen sacrifice. Anywhere that he was, as long as he was there to shot her subtle smiles when no one else was looking, as long as she could feel his odd aura.

There was something off about it… something absolutely unique, like none she had ever felt before. It was alike those around them but a tinge different, too. Naively, she chose to believe that it was because… they were simply meant to be. That the distinction was a sign to her… how could they not?

He made her feel like she had never felt before, that she was worth something—more than just saving the world, strange, no? What could be more important than that?

His words, the ones that he bathed her with day and night when no one was there to hear.

"You're beautiful," he'd whisper into her ears to spark pink to shade her cheeks.

"How could someone be so sweet?" He'd inquired with his cocky grin as he pulled her towards him when they were alone in his room.

"There is no one in the world that could compare to you," he'd promise her as he kissed her bare skin, after he had finished treating her as if she was the _one_ woman in the whole wide world.

That was what he saw her as—a woman. Not a sacrifice, not a means to an end, but a woman. That was she believed.

Better yet, the one thing he could say that would top all his other endless compliments, "I love you."

Something swelled up in her chest each time he praised her, something that made her… proud of herself, of her looks, of their relationship. That couldn't be immoral, could it?

What was wrong was the way those thoughts consumed her mind when she was meant to focus on her prays… the way he was on his mind always.

Apparently, it showed, "what is it that has you so enchanted always, Kagome-chan?"

"Huh?" She replied as her eyes shifted from the blue and clear sky to her friend, "did you say something?"

A smile shifted up Sango's lips as she shook her head, "you have a whimsical look plastered upon your face lately, what is it?"

"No… I don't," she stuttered as she looked to the gracious tree that provided her shade while spring gave way to fall.

"Kagome-chan," she laughed lightly as she scooted closer, "you can tell me, I can keep a secret."

She had no idea how well…

"Of course," Kagome smiled, "right, I know… I can trust you."

"Yes," Sango chimed, "you can, tell me," she nudged with her shoulder, "does this have to do with Ishii-san?" She laughed at the look that sparked, "it does, I knew it. There's something between you two, isn't there?"

"Is it obvious?" She gasped, "really?"

"No, only to me," she assured, "no one knows you like I do, you needn't worry."

"Good," she sighed, "do you think… it's wrong? It is, isn't it? I'm not supposed to—"

"Sh," Sango hushed as she raised a hand to stroke through her frenzied friend's hair, "you deserve some fun, stop worrying. I'm happy for you; Ishii-san is a fine man."

"He is," Kagome softly smiled, "I'm lucky but... I worry, I feel odd sometimes. He compliments me frequently—"

"Common in relationships with charming men."

"I'm sure but… I have never felt like this, like…" she shook her head as her fingers began to play with her charm bracelet, "he gave me this."

"That's sweet, may I?" Sango inquired as she held out her hand, without hesitation Kagome placed hers there so that Sango could glance over it—green for envy, red for wrath, yellow for sloth, and white for lust. A smile lifted her lips higher as she turned the bracelet to see one more charm glew a pretty purple for pride.

"Indulge yourself in these feelings, Kagome-chan, you deserve to live just like the rest of us," she assured as she patted the hand.

"Thank you, Sango-chan, I don't know what I would do without you."

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

A rushed girlish gasp preceded a deep throated moan as two, sweaty, fit forms collided together over and over and over again. "Uh!" One called out as the two thrust together once more to spark the thrilling sensation of ecstasy to shiver through them both as one fell down upon the other and a pair of roaming hands grasped a firm bottom as they caught their breath.

"Amazing," Miroku sighed contently as his goddess slipped off from on top of him to roll onto her side with no care to cover herself in his purple silky sheets—that was one of the many factors about her that he was so enchanted with, the way she accepted and used her _fantastic _body.

There was only one imperfection to it, a scar she that he had noticed long ago on the center of her back, one of the many subjects he feared she'd forever remain mute about it. Yet that marred mark only made her more appealing to him.

"Yep," she chimed as her fingers danced above his chest.

"Will you be sparing some time so that we can engage in pillow talk or leaving right away, again?" Miroku inquired as he grasped her hand.

A salutary lopsided smile took her lips, "I can spare some time."

"How rare," he taunted as he leaned up so that their lips could briefly touch.

"Inuyasha and Kagome have certainly had sex," she stated.

"Really?" He sighed, "_that_'s the topic you chose?"

"What else do we have to talk about?" She inquired, "I noticed today that pride was gleaming. She's over halfway tainted; I have faith that Inuyasha will complete the task at hand. She is _beyond_ enthralled in him; I never thought the sweet and innocent girl would falter so."

"Tell me," he murmured, "why do you do this? Why do you dislike Kagome so?"

"She's a bit too perfect for my taste," she shrugged before she leaned down to almost kiss him but instead whispered, "we all have our reasons, now don't we?"

He'd love to learn hers but she slid out of bed and allowed him to silently watch as she dressed before leaving without a word.

He dressed half-assed in a loose robe before he left his chambers to enter his study, after his energy wearing sessions with Sango he was never able to sleep—too many questions fluttered around his mind. She was dangerous… yet so sexy, how could he restrain himself? He knew she had him under her thumb, which he should be wearier of her intentions that could harm his beloved cousin, but… she was so fabulous.

"Inuyasha," Miroku gasped as he quickly grasped his robe to cover her rather exposed regions, "you startled me."

"I can see that," Inuyasha muttered as his gaze shifted away from the men to the scrolls that were spewed all around the oak table.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Miroku inquired before he sat down in his luscious red leather chair.

"I have a problem…"

"And what is that?"

He shifted her false auburn eyes away before he bit his bottom lip and sighed, "I'm not… pretending to have feelings for Kagome anymore. I really do… they are only intensifying as time goes on. I don't know what do to, Mirkou…"

"I think that's good," he assured, "don't worry about this, remember? Once Kagome can no longer be sacrificed then all will be fine. She will get to live a normal mortal life and you two can even be together."

"But will she want me?" he muttered as he lazily shifted some of the scrolls around, "can I hide that I'm a hanyou from her forever?"

"Kagome loves you," Miroku stated to earn his attention, "she'll accept you. That's the type of person she is."

"Maybe," he mumbled.

"Well, any plans on gluttony or greed? I noticed pride is already completed."

"Yeah, that took forever, I just noticed it changed today," he grunted, "this isn't easy…"

"And now you have the two most difficult left," Miroku understood. The others seemed reasonable but _how_ was he to get her to fall for those? The very idea seemed absurd.

"I know," he grumbled, "I don't know how I'm going to be able to get those two out of her… I mean, a greedy Kagome? A _gluttonous_ Kagome?" He laughed dryly at the thought, "if you have any ideas please indulge me."

"I'll think about it," Miroku assured him.

"I'm going to go back to Kagome," Inuyasha moped with another sigh before he turned to leave.

What a mess they had tangled themselves in.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

His lips left no part of her exposed skin untouched, just like his wandering hands.

He showered her with affections, that was how she knew that his feelings were true, after each moment of intimacy he would kiss her all over, bathed her to praises, with everything she could have ever desired.

"Ishii-san," she lulled as she pushed herself up on her elbows to look at the man that lied beside her, he grinned as he brushed her somber strands out of her face, "I love you."

"I know," he whispered back as he leaned in to kiss her cheek, "you're beautiful."

"I know," she taunted with a small giggle, "Ishii-san…"

"Hm?" He mumbled as he pressed his lips to her elbow.

"Tomorrow onward… we can't… you know, because it's that time of the month when…"

"You're fertile," he replied, his nose told him that, "I understand."

They held a strict no intimacy policy during those times.

He didn't want children; she had never thought about it.

Honestly, she never even flirted with the concept. She would be dead before the age of twenty-two at the latest, and was never meant to have sex, so why let something so futile flutter her mind? She shifted into his open arms to shut her eyes.

Did he want children and a happily ever after with her? Or was it just about sex, that she was convenient? She bit her bottom lip at the thought… she didn't want to wonder, she didn't want that misery, so she'd test her theory.

"For so long I tried not to think about it, you know?" She whispered, "but I can't deny that one day I would like to be a mother… I think."

"Someday, you'll be able to, just wait and see," he replied.

A smile took her then as she pulled away just enough to kiss him once, that was a good enough answer for her. He wanted her to live on, so he had to love her, right?

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"Kagome," Inuyasha dragged out as they walked deeper into the luscious garden, further from the castle, "we shouldn't—"

"I just want to see it one more time," she pouted as she glanced back to him, "all of this will soon be dead because of fall. It's my favorite time, I love the season, at first everyone is so beautiful in the color changes but it kills everything, too…"

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed, "I don't feel comfortable about going this far out."

"What's the worst that could happen?" She teased as she spun around with her sweet smile, "you are here with me, you'll never ever let something happen to me, right?"

"Never," he assured, "but that doesn't make this a good idea."

"We're in the fortress, within the protective barrier, what could happen?"

"That's what people say before something bad happens," he grumbled as his gaze shifted around.

"Ishii-san," she whispered as she stopped walking until he was all the up to him, her hands grasped his shirt lightly, "I feel safe with you."

"You are making me have naughty thoughts," he warned as he placed his hands on her hips, "and I can't stop thinking about how there is no one around."

"No," she laughed as she tried to get away but his arms engulfed her, "Ishii-san! There are a lot of gardeners!"

"You shouldn't have said that with such a cute face," he replied as he kissed her neck, "I can't restrain myself."

"Ishii-san," she giggled before a crash caught both of their attentions, instantly he pushed her behind his back and grasped his sword. The dust that had gathered in front of them parted to reveal two familiar figures.

"Oh no," Kagome muttered as her hands grasped his sleeve, "Ish… Ishii-san… they're… from…"

"I know," he whispered, "how'd you get in here?"

"Easily," the feminized man chimed back as he swirled around his Jakotsuto before pointing it straight at Inuyasha, "let's play?"

"When I attack, run," Inuyasha murmured as he unsheathed his sword.

"Ishii-san…"

"Do as I say," he ordered before charging at the duo. She watched as he sliced at the debonair demon with braded black hair before she turned to run away—yet couldn't go as far as she knew he'd like, she hid behind the first tree so she could watch as the two tried their best to defeat her Ishii-san.

He was… amazing, faster than any human ought to be and boy could he handle a hit—never did the blades get him, just a smack here and there. _How_ could a mere human handle _two_ full fledged demons? It was a terrible thought, she shouldn't have jinxed him!

The female-looking-male slammed him in the side with his blade to shed crimson liquid upon the withering flowers. For some reason, the braded one stood down then with a cock grin as he rested her heavy sword on his shoulder to watch as his partner tore away at Inuyasha until he couldn't stand and fell to his knees.

"Stop!" Kagome cried out as she rushed up to them, "stop! Don't hurt him anymore!"

"Damn it, I told you to leave," Inuyasha growled.

"We'll allow him to live, if you come with us," Bankotsu wagered as he held out his hand for her. She knew what that meant… where she would end up, but how could she not? How could she left her beloved die because of her? She'd sacrifice herself for the world… so of course she'd do so for her love.

She nodded as she walked up to him and took his hand, instantly he lugged her over his shoulder then leaped away.

Inuyasha barely saw that before he fell all the way forward to cringe at the pain, weakly he watched as Jakotsu walked up to him with a grand smile before squatting, "it's OK, boo-boo-honey-poo, you'll live," he assured with a wink. "I just liked to see your blood. It's such a pretty shade… the way you fight, you are _so_ skilled, _Inuyasha_."

He knew…?

"You've done a very good job; let us take it over from here. Let's dance again some more when this is all over," he whispered before everything faded to black.

* * *

**A/N: **Oh me, oh my, I finally updated this story. Schools finally finished for me, yay, well expect for a few finals but I'm good to go.  
I've planned this story to the end. There will be about ten to eleven chapters it, I'm not sure yet.

**Please**, _please_ review? I'm curious, how do you feel about Miroku and/or Sango?

Thank you to all those who have reviewed, it inspires me to keep up with this story.


	7. Glutton for Punishment

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroes of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _7: **G**_lutton for _**P**_unishment_** |{x}**

Bare… embarrassment etched into the modest maiden who was in sheer distress. No one was meant to see her like that—every part of her—but her Ishii-san… that's why she bit her bottom lip so tightly and she shut her hurt hazels in attempt to try and will her away from the misery that suffocated her.

In her imagination that kept her sane, she was far away, in a warm cabin hidden away in a forest with her beloved Ishii-san, he doted over her like always, and they were together—officially, married. They were allowed to display their affections, they wandered to the village not too far away for dinner and shopping, she'd cook him dinner each night, he had a job of some sort—it was always changing in her dream, nothing fit.

Sometimes there was an adorable little toddler trotting that looked so much like her one day and so much like him the next.

In her head she wasn't locked away in a damp and dingy cellar, no windows to tell her how long had passed or whether it was day or night and hands bound by cold iron pinned to the wall. In her dream she wasn't bare naked for all to see. In her fantasy… he never opened the door to walk down the crackly staircase.

But she wasn't ever allowed what she wished…

She turned her cheek to the monster once he touched her shoulder then allowed his fingers to glide down to her left breast.

"You know why you are here, don't you?" The red eyed devil taunted as he grasped her chin to tilt it up.

As she tried her best to do, she remained silent.

"I'll never understand what it is about mortals that make them _think _they are so selfless, you agreed to come here only to save that guard of yours, you are willing to die for the human race, why?" he whispered, she could feel his hot breath on her ears and felt a terrible convulsion of disgust twirl in her stomach.

"I'll break that pretty feature of yours," he assured, "you'll learn to regret it."

"Leave me alone," she whispered.

"Never," he chuckled, "your mine. I was created purely to taint you… oh; it's thrilling to finally have you in my grasp. To do with you as I please… and there is so much to do."

"Go away," she ordered in a meek hush as she shut her eyes tighter.

Had he raped her in her time down there, with no food and sometimes water? No. Did he come close to it? Often, more like he dangled the possibility over her head to taunt and haunt her with the _what ifs_. What would happen to her if…? Would Ishii-san still want her…? Would this and would that clustered her fragile mind.

"Your purity disgusts me," he retorted, and that was why he held no interest in truly violating her—at least, not sexually. "You are so close to the point of no return, Inuyasha did well."

She held her breath; his smell sickened her—musk, wood, and what she imagined cobwebs would reek of.

"Inuyasha enjoyed every moment of fucking you," he assured, finally causing her eyes to flutter open to look at him through the corner of her eyes. "Oh," he dragged out with a lopsided smirk, "you didn't know, did you? Your precious Ishii Genji is really Inuyasha, an inu-hanyou in disguise. Much like myself, he was created to taint you. He's done a good job at it so far."

"Liar," she hissed.

"No," he coaxed, "I can't imagine you've never noticed something off about him? His _aura_ maybe? You've seen him fight, haven't you? Isn't he far more powerful than a mere mortal should be? You can't say you've never noticed something off about him."

Check, check, and check—the aura, the power, the agility, all of it… "but… yo-you are just lying. You are trying to upset me."

"From that tone, I'd say I'm achieving it because it's _true_," he smirked, "Inuyasha is on our side. He always has been. We've worked long and hard to position him there, _never_ before have we been able to break the barrier, right? Only since _he_ showed up."

"Liar," she muttered, "_liar_, Ishii-san is a good person!"

"Do you see this charm bracelet?" He asked as he grasped the only object he had not removed from her, "have you noticed how they have gradually glowed? It was a gift from him, was it not?"

"Shut up," she whispered.

"Each glow symbolizes a sin, each he has sparked in you—_pride_ from your beauty, _lust_ from your indiscretions, _wrath_ from his lies, _sloth_ from his help in your procrastination, _envy_ from the night he took you outside the walls for the very first time. Can you deny these facts?"

How… how did he know that? How did he know all of those things? It couldn't be true, _no_, it couldn't. Ishii-san had to love her, just her, because… if he didn't, then no one did.

And how was she meant to go on then?

"If you love him then just die, it's best for all of us, he is a half demon, he will die if you complete your task," he declared.

"Lie… it's a lie, he's not," she muttered with a terrible tinge to her eyes before the tears flooded her.

"But he is," he forged a frowned as his red eyes shifted about her watery hazels, "how does it feel to know all those times you fucked, it was with a _lowly_ _hanyou_? That it was just his job, but don't worry," he grinned as he patted her cheek, "he enjoyed it a great deal. There's this thing you do that really turns his head—"

"Shut up!" She cried as she closed her eyes, and clenched her hands together that were tightly chained above her head attached to the stone, cold, rigid wall.

"Unfortunately for you, that's not all," he began as he pulled out a letter from his pocket and unfolded it, "we have another spy inside the walls, another one close to your heart. A Shizumi Miroku?"

"Liar!" She shouted, "liar! Miroku would never!"

"Isn't this his hand writing? Read it, see how he planned all these events, he corresponded with the council to taint you. Here's one for example," he taunted as he dangled a three paged note in front of her face, "it was his idea for your precious _Ishii-san_ to take you outside the village to spark envy, that masquerade party, wasn't that fun?"

She just shook her head and turned away, it was not possible. It could not be… not him, too, never him, why would he? What reason did he have?

But then, how would he horrid creature before her knew all those things if not…?

"Look," he ordered as he grasped her cheeks to turn her face to him, "_look_ at it. Or would you like the other letters? The ones from your precious friend Taijiya Sango," the sparked her eyes to open. "Yes, her too, she's by far the most helpful, she's been part of our crew for a very, _very_ long time. She's the one that distracts those who keep the barrier up so that we can come get you. Each time, she's our greatest asset."

"_No_, no, no, _no_, Sango-chan… never, _no_." All of them…? All that mattered…? No, that couldn't be.

"Here," he plopped a stack of letters down in front of her before unlocking her hands and allowing her to fall fully to the ground with a terrible smack. "Read them, tell me I'm wrong. Tell me that anyone in this damned world is worth saving, that any of them actually care about you… there is no such thing as a good person, you see? Your so called cousin and friend are mortals, _humans_, out to destroy other humans. We are not the monsters, just scapegoats; _you_ creatures destroy each other far more than we ever could hope to. We needn't do a damn thing; you all will destroy each other without our help."

And that was the largest horror of them all… what if he was right? Then what was she meant to die for?

Worse yet, what was there to live for? Why did his words rang true to her soul?

… her crushed heart?

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Was it her? Could it have been _her_? No… no, she wouldn't have done something like that without telling him. Right? That was a pretty lie. There was no doubt in his mind that she was the one solely responsible for what had occurred, both times, it had to be her who weakened the barrier and got word to the council where they had to enter and at what time…

It was his job to keep the barricade up and running, it was _his_ duty—and each time it faltered somehow she had him off his game. Right before her stroll by the wall with Kagome the first time they had just had a rather mind-blowing session that left him in nirvana yet pondering _what_ they would become instead of _what_ was happening to the barrier's energy.

The second time…? When Inuyasha took Kagome out into the garden? She was with him, on him more literally, straddling him into hopeless, horny, oblivion. There wasn't even a shadow of thought in his mind that had been on the barrier's strength.

She was behind it… all of it, Sango, his dear, not-so-sweet but ever so sexy Sango.

That's what logic told him but it was overridden by his foolish heart that couldn't grasp the notion that she'd betray him like that, that he was but a means to an end to her but… that's obviously all he was, that's what all the evidence screamed. She never showed affections, just passion. There was a difference.

Why couldn't he understand that?

"Fuck," Inuyasha cursed for the thousandth time as they carried on their search, "nothing, nothing, nothing!"

"Inuyasha," Miroku countered, "you really shouldn't be up and moving—"

"Screw that! We need to find Kagome!" He barked, "it's been… damn it, what if…? Damn it! I knew we shouldn't have gone out there! I knew something was going to happen! Why are they going around us? We don't need their help! I'm close—"

"They must think we're not close enough," he muttered reluctantly, "I was speaking with my uncle the other day and he said that the stars were almost aligned. It took you all of spring to tackle one—"

"Are you defending them?" He snarled.

"No, of course not, it's only logical explanation." Ha, he could use logic now? He almost smiled at his own idiocy but it would merely hurt too much.

"Where the hell could they have taken her?" He scowled before leaping off again, long ago they had ditched the others searching team. Miroku could run for longer and faster than them and Inuyasha…? Well, they would wonder how he could leap so high.

Together, alone, they felt they stood a better chance at finding her. At least, that was what they had hoped…

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Each ludicrous letter was so familiar, the hand writing, the wording, she could almost hear the voices in her head as she read over each of them a so many times. Her delusions were destroyed to give way to the dismal reality. There was no more fighting the jury in her mind, the truth was shoved into her face.

Ishii-san—no, _Inuyasha_, the name brought fits of convulsions to her already unsettled yet empty stomach—Miroku, Sango, they all… they… all…

For the first time since her arrival, she barely noticed the sound of the door opening and shutting. The dread that usually swelled up in her bare bosom was nonexistent to the sound of the crackling stairs.

"You believe," he stated, it was rather obvious from the way she clung to a letter, shock, revulsion, and so much more spewed across her beautifully dirtied face.

"Why…? Why?" She choked as she dropped the letter to look up to the man that casually strolled over to her with a tray of food and an odd, large, almost flat bowl upon it as well.

She'd refuse the food, as she always did. What if it was poisoned—would it matter? The water she took, as always, whether poisoned or not she could only last so long without the liquid of life.

"Money, mostly, humans," he chuckled wickedly, "it's so simple to coax you into doing something for money. They are willing to destroy their own race for _money_; do you not see the error in it all? Why waste your life for those who will only wreak havoc upon humanity anyway?"

"What's that?" She muttered for she had no answer to his question, she just nodded to the strange bowl as she took another sip of her cup of water.

His devious rouge eyes shifted across her nudity, it was the first time she did not try to be modest in his presence—did she no longer care? A smirk shifted up his lips, her innocence was fading.

"The man that you call your father, Shimizu-_sama_?"

"What?" she murmured as her hurt hazels left his for the bowl, "you going to tell me he is a traitor, too?"

"No, he's devoted to the cause," he assured as he began to swirl his fingers about in the misty water within the almost flat bowl, "so dedicated that he would steal an infant from her parents, so determined that he would kill the girl's true-blooded father that refused to let his daughter before some sacrificial lamb."

"Stop," she whispered while she shut her eyes, "stop… I'm not going to believe your lies."

"My lies?" He cooed, "tell me, what yet has been a lie? You should thank me; I'm being more truthful than anyone you've ever met."

Why did that make her heart skip a beat? Why was she suddenly inclined to believe each of his delicate words?

"Open your eyes," he ordered in a hush, and just like that she did to look down at the scene that mystically appeared in the misty water. Her father was arguing with another man, fervently, the other shook his head and made ever gesture with his hands to say '_no_', then turned his back only for his eyes to widen in pain. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as his hazels shifted down to the sword that penetrated his heart, she watched as her so-called father took it out and pointed for one of his guards to grab the one that was crying helplessly holding a wailing baby tightly in her grasp—but it was no use, her child was torn from her before she was hit upside the head to pass out in a pool of her husband's blood.

"It's… an illusion," she muttered when another sting of tears pulsed through her.

"Is it?" he questioned as he flickered his fingers through it to make it disappear, "I just gave you a gift. Hasn't it always hurt you so, the awful way Shimizu-sama treats you? Hasn't he been cruel, where is the fatherly affections?"

"How is that a gift?" he jeered between clenched teeth.

"Now you know that your father, your _real_ father loved you, that he would have never put you through this, that he was willing to die to protect you, to go against the ruler's word," Naraku rationalized as he lifted a hand to brush her tangled tresses off her face while a streak of tears cleared a path from her eyes to her chin. "How do we know this? We tried to get to you first; we were only a few steps behind."

"You would have killed me," she choked.

"And you would not have to go through any of this," what an obviously tantalizing thought for her.

He wasn't imaging things when he felt her face lean into his touch before she threw the cup of water to the side and let the glass shatter.

"No one really cares for you, what an empty life," he rubbed in, "so tell me, why go back to _Inuyasha_," he paused to watch her cover her mouth to keep from gagging, "Miroku, Sango or anyone else when they are all on my side? Or even those who are not? You know the only reason they care for you—it's more like they care for your _life_, not you. Never _you_. So why return? Why be so selfless and die for a race that will only self-destruct?"

"What?" She cried as her eyes locked with his and brows furrowed, "you want to kill me? Is that it? Then go ahead! I don't care! You've made it all but too clear that no one gives a damn about me, so who'd care if _I_ were to do? Me, not their sacrifice!"

"You have it all wrong," he murmured when he brushed her cheek, "I have no intention of killing you but merely tainting you to the point of no return then releasing you back into the wild. My whole existence revolves around you, what purpose would I have if you were to die?"

"You just want to screw me, is that it?" She hissed.

"Not yet," he countered, but once she was tainted she'd be oh-so-delicious. "What would it matter? One hanyou has already plunged into your core, what difference would it make to have another?"

Her _core_ was sickened severely by the idea yet… wasn't?

"I can't say I care for you," he confessed as he stroked her cheek, "but I am obsessed with _you_."

She heard the implications—not the sacrificial her, but _her-her_.

Was he telling her the truth…?

"Am I supposed to be flattered by that?" She grumbled to cover up for the shiver that coursed through her as he leaned closer to hover his hot mouth above her neck—she could feel _his_ breath against _her_.

And it wasn't an all over appalling idea…

"Take from it what you'd like," he replied before he discontented himself from her to leave her void and cold once more. She watched as he stood and existed without another word or glance to her.

Why did a fragment of her want him to stay?

"I want my clothes back!" She shouted to him before she heard the door shut.

Apparently, he heard her… after an involuntary nap there was a somber dress waiting for her.

Where'd the bump-bump come from?

Either way, she ignored it and slid it on. There were no chains to keep her from walking up the stairs and checking the door—shock coursed through her when she realized it was _un_locked?

Why?

When she opened it up she saw a living room, finely furnished, and Naraku right there reading a paper sitting by the fire.

"Why?" she whispered as she stepped out, he didn't even bother to look at her.

"Why not? Where will you go?" He inquired, he had done well, very well, if he might think so himself. She was a beautiful butterfly caught in his web, there was no escape, the more she struggled the deeper the thread would tear at her wings. He would soon drain her of her essence; soon watch as she withered away—oh, and how the idea enthralled him in all the wrong ways.

His crimson stare shifted up to her as she walked around some before sitting down on one of the chairs, a smirk slid into place at that—she was entangled, suffocating as his web wrapped about her.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Swiftly, she stiffened at the feeling of a pair of callous hands grasping her hips. Her breath hitched as she shut her eyes and clenched her hands upon the desk she had been leaning against while she looked over random documents that she discovered spewed across it. She bit her bottom lip as the coarse creatures moved up then down, feeling every bit of her curves.

"What?" She whispered as she tilted her head to the side to look at the man with a wicked smile.

"You know what," he replied before he yanked her rear to feel his hardened self.

There was no protest after that, no fighting, no request to stop, it happened. He parted his pants enough to pry out his pulsing need, he pulled away the cloth that cover her core before pushing her down so that her luscious bosom would be pinned to the desk before he plunged into her. It was he who picked the pace, who pried her hips to meet his tough thrusts, it was to his pleasure that his hands squeezed her bottom, that he showed such interest in the area as he hit her harder. He was _never_ gentle…

Never would be, either.

Did she receive no pleasure for the encounter? She was but a human, the sensation sparked a building pleasure in her to edge her close to the peek but she didn't reach it—not like she did with the only other she had been with… he paid heed to pleasuring her equally, if not more, to what he received from their encounters.

The violator moaned shameless as he came to his light-headed heaven, the place she never reached when it was his hands that roamed her rear, his length that plunged into her…

It wasn't a horror show, it wasn't as if she was defenseless, she was a woman. A strong one, an independent—ha, if only—one that could defend herself. She would never call herself a victim, she wasn't. She was a player, a master, the one that pushed the pawns around, not one herself.

She could reject him, she could have said no, but it was to her benefit to allow it, each time the young lord held such a whim. For Takeda Kuranosuke had been enchanted in Taijiya Sango since as far back as she could remember, and when did it not come in handy to have a soon-to-be lord twirled around her finger?

He held lust for her, but love, too. There was no denying that, he told her always how he would forever be waiting for her to accept the proposal that he gave her each time they met—marry me? Why not become his wife? Royalty? Why not let him pay for everything, for her to just rely on him for everything?

Simple, she had too much self respect… if you could call it that anymore.

"Why?" he sighed as he held her in his tender embrace, "how many times must I ask?"

"Apparently at least once more," she whispered back. "This is counter-productive, I'll have you know."

"Are we really supposed to be looking for her?" He inquired as he brushed her brunette bangs off her forehead to plant a kiss there instead. "I was under the impression we were meant to _pretend_ that this is a recovery mission."

"True, but we are barely pretending, hm?" She replied as she pushed away but to appease him she returned the gesture and pressed her lips to his cheek.

"Sometimes I fear my heart is but a toy for you," he muttered and let his brown almost green eyes watch for any falter in her features but none came.

An expert in lying, deceit, and so much more stood to dress before walking back over to the table he had taken her on, twice, and returned to looking at the map.

"Why do you do it?" he asked as he rested his arm on his risen knee, with no intent of dressing or getting up from his comfortable position.

"Do what?" She coyly rejoined.

"This, why ask me not to really look for her when Shimizu-sama ordered me to do the opposite? Do you not like Shimizu Kagome or…?"

"Am I traitor?" she taunted with a smile as her mahogany orbs glanced to him, "have you ever _met_ Shimizu Kagome?"

"A few times, she seemed nice enough," he shrugged.

"Ha," she dryly muttered, "she's nice alright. She's _perfect_, so selfless, so…" she shock from the rage that swelled, "aggravating. Anyone is a sin compared to her. And naïve! She's so foolish, thinking the world is some wondrous place when it's really a horrid mesh of misery."

"Rare," he murmured to earn her full attention, "that I get to see a real glimpse at you, my love. Usually you keep a mask up to deflect me but that was the real you, wasn't it?"

"Does it scare you?" She whispered.

A smile answered her along with a shake of the handsome young lord's head, "I accept all aspects of you."

Moron, fool, he knew only what she wanted him to—why were men so easy to tame? Sex, to show them vulnerability, to submit to _them_, and they'd be like putty in her hands—the obedient pawns they thought she'd be. Idiots, all of them. None as much as the violet eyed monk, he had seem more cracks of her front, more glimpses into her the real her, yet he still allowed her to play him?

Was he truly that dumb? Or was it something else…? But what could it be?

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

It was just for a moment, she only got one peek of the faded sunlight through the high tree tops, he had turned his back on her for but a moment… something was sparked in her, the flame of survival perhaps? A crack in the insanity that ensnared her? Whatever it was, she unhinged the front door and ran out into the seemingly endless forest. Her bare feet were stubbed and cut by too much debris for her to actually care. The way her legs ached, her stomach begged for food, and lungs burned for air went on unnoticed by her as she kept running and running farther away.

Where was she going? She had no idea. Who was there to run to? _No _one.

That lonely thought loomed over her as she hit the branches and vines out of her way as she rushed further and further, deeper and deeper, until a root finally tripped her up and she collided with the ground to feel scraps form all over.

She hissed back a wince and shut her eyes as she rolled over onto her back to stair up at the dark tree tops—where had that sun gone with all its glowing hope?

Slowly, her lids began to shut, barely; she noticed the large ominous shadow that cascaded over her before she passed out…

… Something woofed around her and it smelled wonderful, it called her out of the darkness and forced her eyes to open. A hut, that was all she knew at first. She was within a hut, but why? How? Had he caught her? No, if he had she would be restrained, right?

She took a deeper breath in before she sat up to look for the source of the scrumptious scent; a smile took her when she saw the roasting fish over the fire. That was only until her senses snapped down on her, who was cooking fish?

"You're up," a startled low voice muttered. She glanced to the door to see a pair of blue glowing eyes but whoever it was refused to enter.

"Who… who are you?" she stuttered as she crawled back to the corner, "what do you want with me?"

"To help," he guiltily replied, "I saw you out in the forest and thought… you needed help."

"Why?" she grumbled, "why help me?"

His answer took some time, "… Why not?"

"I won't let you trick me," she declared as she got to her feet wobbly, instantly she regretted it from the throbbing pain that the scarred things screamed at her but she tried her best to ignore it as she rushed to the door to open it. She regretted that, too, because a monstrous creature was out there.

He was huge, tan, bulgy and beady blue eyed monster that stood above her. Fear took her as she gasped and covered her mouth to stubble back against the hut, yet… the same seemed to happen to him, too? He lifted his scar covered arms to block his face from her and cowered away.

He was… scared of her?

"Wh… what are you?" She shakily inquired.

"A hanyou," he shamefully replied.

A hanyou… a hanyou like the bastard that betrayed her, a hanyou like the creature that caged her?

"Get away," she ordered as she shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, "stay away from me!"

He must have heeded her cry because once she opened her eyes the creature was gone, only a bowl filled with ointment lay at her feet. A herbal mixture she knew, one to help heal wounds—like the scrapes all over her aching feet, legs, and arms?

Why…? Did he make that for her? No. No, she wouldn't be fooled twice. She just wouldn't…

She pressed her lips together before she stepped around the bowl and rushed forward to the edge of the forest, "wait! Wait! Come back, please!"

At first, she didn't think he heard her cry or simply ignored it but eventually he slowly inched his way out of the darkness, "yes?"

"What's your name…?" She murmured, his eyes widened as he stared at her in astonishment, "what?"

"No one has ever asked me that… no human, at least," he explained, "it is Jinenji."

"I'm Kagome, thank you for saving me, Jinenji-san," again, wonder washed over his face. She bent her brows together and lips downwards, "what..?"

"No… no one," he stuttered as he looked to the ground, as if it was instinctive to him, "has ever showed me… such respect."

The suffix, that was what he must have meant, a small smile lifted her lips, "I'm sorry for screaming at you… my head is… not right," not anymore, "do you live here alone?"

"Since my mother died," he muttered.

"I'm sorry to hear that… that fish smells good," she waved towards the house to wiggle his eyes back up to her, "shall we eat?"

"Together…?"

"Why not? You made it."

"The sight of me doesn't disgust you…?"

She shook her head, his aura was pure—more so then even hers, so why not trust that? And the way he cowered, as if her—a mere, fragile, mortal could hurt him—was touching yet tragic all at once. How many had harmed him to cause such a reaction, such fear?

"I'm the one covered in dirt and in these rags. I should be the one ashamed."

Her small, feeble attempt at a laugh sparked a smile to rise on his oddly shaped face, "then let's go in, it is about to storm."

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

The rain poured down upon the duo as they sped through the muddy forest, the droplets felt like bullets at the speed they carried on but neither cared in the least bit—both their minds were focused, _Kagome_. They had to find her, too long had passed what if…?

They couldn't think like that, Miroku's violets ventured to Inuyasha to see if he was thinking the same thing he was and with a nod he got his confirmation. They could see smoke wafting up from not too far away; they had checked each hut, house, and village they had come across so why stop now?

Once they reached the door Miroku took the lead to knock and put on a friendly smile to prompt the residence for any information, but that faltered the moment the familiar female opened the door. All their breaths dissipated as they stared at each other, his violets on her hazels before the moved to the astonished auburns. After all their searching the finally found her.

"Kagome," Inuyasha started with relief, "thank—"

"Go away!" She demanded before she slammed the door in their faces.

"Kagome?" Miroku called out over the raging storm, "Kagome! It's Miroku and Genji, we've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Liars, traitors, monsters!" She replied from through the door, "stay away from me!"

"Kagome?" He muttered as his confused gaze went to the equally as lost hanyou, "what is it?"

"You work for the council, both of you! I know it so don't bother lying to me!" She cried out as she clenched her fists, "neither of you really care so stop pretending! I'm not even your cousin, Miroku! You… your," she choked, "your name isn't Ishii Genji… you're not even human… it's all been a lie!"

The hurt hush at the end went by Miroku's ears unheard but not Inuyasha's, he stiffened right away.

They had told her…?

"Kagome…" Miroku sighed, "please open up, we can explain."

"How?"

"I do it for you!" he proclaimed, "all of it!"

"How can you say that?" She shrieked back.

"I don't want you to do and neither to Genji! We want you to live! To have a life! We played no part in your kidnapping, either time; we had nothing to do with this! We don't want you to be hurt in any way! I swear! Perhaps you are not blood but that doesn't mean I grew up not caring for you as one!"

His words were so sweet… but he had always been a charmer, so she sniffled back tears and looked over to the huddled hanyou in the corner. He was different, he was damaged just like her, he had helped her. Fed her, dressed her wounds… his scars were from those who did not understand him, did not _care_ to.

"Who are they?" Jinenji inquired.

"Terrible people," she muttered.

"Would you like me to make them leave?" He offered.

"Could you..?"

He nodded before he rose up, but not completely straight since he was too tall for the huts roof. He went to the door and slipped out it to stand ominously above the two, instantly Inuyasha grasped his sword and unsheathed it to point at him.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha scowled, "what have you done to Kagome?"

"She wants you to leave," Jinenji replied, "so please go."

"Not until you give her back," he snarled.

"I don't want to hurt you," he apologetically muttered before he grasped him by the collar and threw him away and into the forest, "so please leave."

"Why you!" Inuyasha growled as he got up, "just wait until I get my hands on you!"

"Ish," she stopped herself as she ran out of the hut to stand between him and Jinenji. With spite she rephrased it and earned his full attention, "_Inuyasha_."

The way he reacted… the shock, the wide-auburn eyes. It was true…? Why did it hurt so much more to have him confirm it?

"Leave!" She ordered, "Jinenji-san has been kind to me, he saved me. Don't you dare lay a finger on him. I hate you both, so go away. I want nothing to do with you or your lies!" To emphasize her resolve she tore off the charm bracelet that he had given her and threw it at his feet. "Everything is a lie!"

"No," he muttered, "no… Kagome—"

"Don't insult me any further by pretending it mattered to you!"

"It did!" Every moment of it had, every encounter, every word, every look, _every_ part of it.

"Kagome, let us explain," Miroku requested as he intervened between the two. A lying lover would be too hard for her to forgive, but blood—at least someone she had always thought was—could be.

"I don't want to hear it," she muttered as she looked away. "You'll just lie again."

"You look in need of a proper place to stay, let's go to the nearby village, you can shower, rest then we can talk—"

"Liar," she grumbled, "you just want me to go back to h-him… you'll make me…"

"No," Miroku stated as he placed his hands upon her shoulders, "I will _never_ let them take you again. It is my fault that happened, it is… I wasn't paying enough attention to what was going on. I should have made sure the barrier was working properly, for that I am eternally sorry. I love you, Kagome. I do. I have always thought of you as family, I have never thought what they were doing to you was right, that's why I joined with the council.

"If you were tainted then there would be no need for them to sacrifice you and the demons would not see you as a threat. You could have a _life_. I swear to you, on my father's _grave_," that finally won her attention, "that all I have done is what I thought was best for you. Granted, some misery has entailed but it is so you can live. I had nothing to do with you being kidnapped either time and neither to Ishii—Inuyasha."

She swallowed and looked up to Jinenji instead before the floor.

"Please come with us, we need to protect you, it's not safe here. We'll get a nice warm, inn room."

The rain washed away some of the dirt from her but she could use a shower… and what did it matter? If she stayed then Naraku would find her, if she went then something else terrible would surely follow, so what mattered…? So she shrugged and turned to look up at Jinenji, "you have been very kind to me, thank you for everything, Jinenji-san."

"You're welcome, Kagome-san," he replied with a bow of his head.

"Perhaps when this is all resolved I can come visit you to show my gratitude properly?" She inquired and truly smiled at the obvious delight that brought him.

"Please, feel free."

She refused to allow either man to touch her, or to hear another word, as they led her out of the forest and to the village. Probably in hopes to appease her they picked the finest inn in all the town to house themselves in and, of course, gave her a room of her own. She slammed her door in their faces right away so she could shower and sleep off the horror the played over and over in her head.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

The shower was divine, steaming, and cleansing. With each hot pelt she felt her sanity slowly slither its way back. She did _not_ want that _thing_ to touch her but… then again what did it matter? Had he not have been more truthful with her than anyone else? Granted, he was evil… right? But he was telling her the truth, not once had he hurt her. Traumatized her, yes, touched her often—her thighs, her cheek, her breast, everywhere—but not harm her, and he not once took it to the extreme level. If not for the fact that he had stripped her of her clothes then she wouldn't—wait. Stop.

She couldn't think like that.

It didn't matter… nothing did.

As soon as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her mind moved to the topic she had tried her best to ignore—now what? She was stuck between two that disgusted her—two that hurt her so, but one far more than the other.

That sickened her to the core as she slid on her tattered dress, she had been violated over and over and _over_ again by someone who's task was to taint her… someone that did not love her… someone she did not even know _what_ he was.

She slipped out of her room and down the stairs to the saloon to sip away at drink after drink after drink, perhaps it was a bit excessive—a bit more then that—but the hazy that wrapped her mind made her giddy instead of gloomy.

Too bad, the more she drank the less that yummy fish was willing to stay down. Unfortunately, the more she gulped down the easier it was for her to trust the absurdly unattractive man that had been so gracious to buy the drinks. It was he that led her outside the inn to vomit in the alleyway; at least he held her hair back for her, right?

"Come on babe," he grinned as he tugged her, "let's go to mine."

"Sure," she chimed as she wobbly followed him only to feel a hand grasp her arm and yank her to harden abs.

"Hey!"

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Inuyasha snarled at the plump man, "you think it's alright to take advantage of a girl when she's in her helpless state?"

"What about you?" Kagome retorted, "huh?"

Mutely he took her took her up to her room and led her in. He wasn't surprised at all that she pushed her way out of his grasp to stumble into the bathroom to throw up once more. "Kagome…?" He inquired after she washed out her mouth and found her way out of the room.

"Go away," she grumbled only to stumble to the side; he had to grab her gently to keep her up.

"You—"

"Don't lecture me!" She ordered as she waved him away, if he had let her go she would have fallen over.

"I wasn't going to," he assured her as he led her to sit down on her bed, "I'm not going to try and reason with you when you're drunk."

"Asshole," she snickered as she plopped down, "like it's _my_ fault."

"No, no, it's not," he tried to soothe as she knelt down in front of her, tenderly taking her hands into his.

"You're a liar," she sniffled.

"I am," he admitted, "I am, I lied about what I am, I lied about my name, I lied about a lot but _not_ how I feel about you. I wasn't playing you."

"Liar," she muttered as she blinked her teary eyes clear, "but… I'll believe all your lies, just pretend you love me."

"Kagome…" he murmured as he leaned over to try and meet her hazels that kept avoiding him.

"Please," she whimpered once she shut her eyes, "just make-believe, close your eyes and pretend you love me. I'll be anything you want me to be, just please, pretend you love me again. Hold me, make me feel better, please."

Guilt had already consumed him, her words only made it swallow him further, so he did just as she wanted and rose up to wrap his arms around her. It allowed her to rest in her embrace and whisper, "I do love you."

Instead of comforting her, it sparked her to hopelessly sob in his arms.

For that and the trust he would never earn back, he hated himself all the more…

All the same, once she cried herself to sleep in his embrace he lied her down on side so she could sleep and if the mass amount of alcohol decided to upset her stomach further she wouldn't choke to death. He sighed silently as he stroked a few of her loose strands out of her face, she looked so peaceful if only for a moment. With a frown he reached into his pocket to pull out the charm bracelet she had discarded earlier to hold it around her wrist.

Was it wrong of him?

Maybe. Just as he thought, though, the sixth charm started to glow an ugly green. Gluttony, an excessive drinking appeared to count. That just left one... and then what?

* * *

**A/N**: Ah, yes, the whole Kagome's feelings for Naraku thing, let me explain before someone gets their panties all in a twist, it's called Stockholm syndrome. Google it if that means nothing to you. Did I tricked someone into thinking that the Sango x Takeda scene was Naraku & Kagome? I also really like Jinenji so I felt like adding him in there, he even served a purpose--not all hanyous are monsters.

I think that from now on the chapters will mimic this one in length (on the longish-side) because this story will only be ten/eleven chapters. Hope no one minds.

Thank you to all those who have reviewed, it's really wonderful :)  
**Please **_continue to review_. It inspires me to keep up with this story instead of neglecting it for other ones, really, I love reviews and it takes but a minute.


	8. Need or Greed?

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroes of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _8: **N**_eed or _**G**_reed?_** |{x}**

A hell of a hanger welcomed her in the morning, topped off by an ache in her heart that made her feel far worse as she laid in the bed she found herself in staring at the curtains of the closed window, trying her utmost to figure out what to do next only to find she could think of nothing straight… there was one thing she knew, at least thought she wanted, truly wanted but… for what? To feel such pain all over again? To hurt with each beat inside her chest? To feel the sting of tears until there was nothing left to let slip out?

Was life worth it?

She didn't budge when she heard a knock on the door, she closed her eyes when she heard his name from the liar's lips, she held her breath when she heard the key turn in the lock, and clutched the pillow when she heard the door open.

"Kagome?" The impostor whispered once more as he stepped in and shut the door behind him, "you awake?"

What made him think she'd reply even if she was? She loosened her grasp and relaxed the best she could to pretend she was, just as he had pretended he loved her…

He stepped forward some to glance over the girl with her back to him; it was no wonder she was still out when she had drunk so much the night before. She'd probably regret awaking once she did, so he sat down on the edge of the bed ad let his light touch brush her bangs out of her face, "Kagome…"

Would a thousand 'sorry's a day ever be enough? Would a million 'please forgive me's ever fall upon sympathetic ears?

It was true; at the start she didn't mean anything to him more than a mission. Kill her, save demons everywhere. Kill her, be rewarded greatly. Kill her, and everything would be perfect—at least that's what he was promised.

What would be, exactly? What was a _demon_'s definition of perfect?

He was never treated like one of them, just accepted because they needed him. He would never become one of them… and who was to say they would keep up their end of the bargain? Who was to say that they would really _reward _him?

Who's to say he would want that reward?

When all he really wanted was supposedly sleeping in front of him, and now that was something he could never have… but something he'd protect all the same.

"I meant it," he muttered as he slid his fingers through her somber strands, "when I said I loved you."

Perhaps it was the first time he ever meant anything he said.

"I'm not going to let them sacrifice you," he whispered, "you can hate me all you want, but I won't let them kill you."

"To protect your precious demon friends?" She grumbled back as she knocked his hand away from her, "I don't want _your _protection anymore Ishi… whatever your real name is."

"Inuyasha," he murmured, "it's Taisho Inuyasha."

"Well, then, go to hell, Taisho Inuyasha," she ordered as she sat up and slid out off bed to walk over to the window which was the farthest point from him she could get.

"I deserve that," he acknowledged as his gaze fell to the floor, "I do. I deceived you from the start and it was for the demons, to taint you, to make you void but… but Kagome—"

"What?" she hissed as she wrapped her arms around herself and glared over to him, "are you really going to tell me you love me? Why should I believe that?"

"I don't know," he admitted somberly as he stood up but the moment he took a step towards her she coward back, "I won't… I won't hurt you, never hurt you…"

"Why not kill me?" She asked with furrowed brows, "huh? Just kill me instead of going through all the work to _taint_ me?"

"They," he wearily started before forcing his gaze back up to her, "were scared that even if you were killed… if you were pure, it would still work."

"Grand," she grumbled, "please leave me alone, Ish… Inuyasha…Taisho, whatever."

"Inuyasha," he requested, "I love—"

"Don't say that," she ordered, "please… you don't. I think I did, but I didn't even really knew you."

"You do," he countered, "probably better than anyone—"

"Do you really look like that?" She inquired coldly, "how can I know you better than anyone when I don't have any idea what you really look like?"

"You're scared I'll look like a monster?" He guessed, "some hideous thing?"

"Don't you dare turn this around on me," she ordered, "you are in the wrong here, _not_ me."

"You're right," he sighed as he glanced away, "but… Kagome—"

"Why Miroku?" She inquired, "why would he do this to me…? You… maybe I get, you are a complete stranger but he's… my cousin. I loved him."

"Because he loves you," he asserted, "because he really, really loves you. He doesn't want you to die; he doesn't think it's fair you don't have a life, no fun. As crazy as it sounds, he's doing this _for_ you."

Maybe… maybe she could believe that, it made sense in a twisted way but...

"My head hurts," she muttered as she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, "I can't deal with this right now… I need you to go away. I need time to think."

"Okay," he nodded, "Miroku and I are just down the hall."

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Not a bit of her wanted to go out of the room and chance an encounter with the boys, she knew she could never sneak by them, so why bother trying? But when the sun was finally faded behind the mountains the hunger felt was eating away at her, before she even got to the door though there was a knock, hesitantly she answered it to see her violet eyed cousin standing there with a tray.

It was the delicious smell of the dish forced her to open the door so more and grumble a, "what?"

"Thought you could use something to eat," he replied with his usual charming smile as she let him in, "he cares about you, Kagome."

"You ought to be defending yourself," she countered as she sat down on her bed and watched ever so closely as he took the top off to show the rice, fish, soup, and something else she couldn't tell. All the same, it smelled wonderful.

"I did what I did for you," he simply stated as he sat down beside her, "I love you. What everyone was doing to you was unfair, I've never met someone so sweet as you, never will, and you don't deserve to die so young. You don't deserve to be lied to…"

"Then why lie to me?" She hissed.

"It was a necessary evil," he declared, "but what I mean is… well, your father is not really your… father."

"What?" she breathlessly questioned.

"You are Higurashi Kagome, not Shimizu Kagome… we're not actual blood, but I feel we are as good as blood," he assured.

"Wh… wha… what?"

"I was thinking… if you'd rather, we could try to find your real family instead of returning to the castle."

"You can't just throw all this on me," she declared in a panic as she stood up and walked over to the other side of the room.

"It's a lot," he admitted, "I'll leave you to think about it."

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"Just go," was what he told her, just go… just give him a chance, just see what it was that _he_ was, that was what Miroku asked her to do just before dawn since she couldn't sleep and neither could he. A part of her was eager, a part of her wanted to see what he really was, but she still dragged her feet—what if she was shallow?

What if the moment she saw his hideous true form she would become disgusted, not with what he had done, but what he _looked_ like… should she really care? Still she found the way out of the hotel they stayed at and down the path to the empty park beside it to see him standing there with his back to her, the sun just rising behind him. At first she thought that was why his hair was a hint shade lighter than usual, but as it continued to rise she noticed that it wasn't just his hair but something was sprouting upon his head as well.

Her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head ever so slightly and took another step forward, he must have only noticed her then because he turned around, that's when she gasped as her hands raised up to cover her mouth.

"Kagome," he mumbled, "you… came."

"You," she barely started as her awestruck eyes wandered over every inch of him, "you…"

"Not as bad as you thought?" He questioned as he took a step forward, "or worse?"

"You look human almost," she whispered as she took a step forward each time he did until they were standing across from each other, just within reach, so she removed her hands from over her lips and held up to tweak the silver squares that had popped up on his head, "expect for these."

"Kagome," he grumbled as he withheld the urge to knock her hands away, "my name should really be self explanatory."

"Part dog demon," she supposed as she slid her hands down through his silver tresses as her hazels met his golden gaze, "you don't look much different…"

"It's a spell, casted by a powerful witch, it's meant to make me look human until I say the counter one…"

"Can you go back to looking like the way you did?"

He shook his head softly, "not unless I find that witch again… you like me better that way?"

"I don't like you much at all right now," she murmured back as she looked away, "I can't just forgive you… not so easily."

"Is there a chance?" He questioned, "that you ever will?"

"I don't know," she whispered as she stepped away to turn her back to him as she muttered, "you're not even human…"

He knew… he did, from the very start if she ever found out he _wasn't_, if she ever learned what he really was then there went all her affections. That she would never care for a lowly hanyou… but he still held out hope, that's why it hurt so much when it came crashing down when he words met his ears.

"I understand," regrettably, he did. A hanyou has no place with the humans or demons… they are stuck somewhere in between.

"I… I don't want to die," she stated as she spun about, "I want to live. More than anything, I want to live… I decided that yesterday. Isn't that selfish? I could rid the world of demons… I could help everyone if I just…"

"Demons are bad," he admitted with a nod, "but humans do just as bad to each other. Why should such a weight have to lay on your shoulders anyway?"

"You just want me not to kill off your friends," she grumbled.

"They aren't my friends, Kagome," he gripped, "I don't have much of those."

"That makes two of us, apparently," she whispered as she walked over to sit upon a bench, "I don't want to die… I want to live, so _badly_," she emphasized as she clutched the bench and bit her bottom lip, "did you know? That I'm not a Shimizu?"

"That you are a Higurashi," he nodded. "I didn't know how to tell you… you taken when you a baby and raised as a Shimizu. Honestly, if they hadn't gotten to you first then the demons would have killed you…"

"Do you know where my real family is?" she asked.

"No, but if you want we could look," he replied, her eyes shifted up to lock with his and she was _almost_ certain in that moment he was sincere… that maybe she could adore those amber eyes again someday but instead a hand wrapped around her mouth and yanked her away and a group of men grabbed Inuyasha while one bashed over his head.

She tried to scream but it only came out in muffles before she was turned towards a familiar female.

"Hello, Kagome-chan," her supposed slayer friend greeted with folded arms and a dull gaze, "you were hard to find. Your daddy wants you back. Keep her mouth covered, I think that the traitors may have brainwashed her or worse, _tainted_, so let's keep her under lock and key. You never know what a hanyou could do. How about you put the bag over her head while we're at it."

"Taijya-san?" the one holding her questioned.

"Who was ranking guard here?" she questioned, "who was raised to kill demons? Who knows about hanyous and who doesn't? Do as I say, I have a feeling Shimizu-san isn't going to mind."

"Okay," he murmured.

The last thing she saw was a roll of Sango's eyes as she turned around before blackness covered her world once more… and no one noticed the final gleam on her bracelet.

* * *

**A/N**: _Reviews will prompt me to update sooner..._


	9. A Use for the Useless

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroes of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _9: A **U**_se for the_** U**_seless_** |{x}**

Groggily, the constant pang from within her head finally made her open her hazels up. At first, everything was but a blur, she barely even realized she was sitting up, until she blinked away the fog to see the dingy stone walls that surrounded her and realized her hands were securely tied behind her back. For a flash of a moment she couldn't remember how she got there until her scanning stare landed upon a displeased man whose eyes poured into her.

"Father…" she warily started as she swallowed back the lodge in her throat.

"You have been a horribly bad _daughter_," he countered with stiffly folded arms upon his chest, "what the hell were you thinking? Running off like that, with a dirty hanyou no less?"

She hadn't an actual answer to that but she parted her lips to try and come up with one only to hear a scream cascaded through the hallway outside, instantly she jerked forward only to realize the extent of her mobility, "what's that? Who is that?"

"That's nothing for you to concern yourself with," he cruelly asserted back as he walked up to kneel down in front of her, taking her chin forcefully into his hand, "you've been terrible lately. You've allowed yourself to be tainted, how could you? After everything I've done to keep you pure! You little harlot!"

"You aren't even my real father!" She shouted back, startling him for a moment, "you've lied to me about everything!"

"So you betray your own kind?" he hissed, "you are no better than that bastard Miroku."

"Is that him?" she asked after hearing another cry, her eyes frantically looking for the door to the room, "leave him alone! He was only trying to help me!"

"He was working with the dirty demons! He sold out his own kind! There's no lower form of _filth_," he growled, "it doesn't matter. The stars are now aligned, the sacrificial ceremony will commence at sundown."

"What?" she gasped, "but—"

"You may be too tainted, but we'll try anyway," he grunted as he let go of her to stand up, "you better pray you aren't. Your crimes will be punished by death at sunrise along with the other traitors if you are not able to function as a sacrifice. Pray that your death will mean something for your own kind instead of a symbol of heresy."

"But… I'm… your," she stammered only to see him shake his head.

"You aren't my daughter, remember?" That was all he had to say before making his exit.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Pain was something he was accustomed to throughout his existence, whispered ridicules of what he was always found their way to his not-so-perky ears, but none of that mattered to him in that moment. _Escaping _was the key; if he didn't then… then she would have no hope. She was but a mortal and he feared with all his heart what they were doing to her for her betrayal almost as much as what would happen at sundown that night.

"Now tell us, hanyou," the solider demanded as he poked him again with the scolding iron rod only to cause a muffled groan, "what has become of Ishii Genji? What did you monsters do to him?"

"Go to hell," Inuyasha growled back, as he always did only to feel them stab him with the rod enough to cause blood to start to spew out, if only it were not so hot. That time he could not withhold a howl of pain.

If it weren't for the constant torture or the uncomfortable way they tied the special restrains made especially for his kind he might have almost found it amusing that they were so determined to find _him_—Ishii Genji—but instead the sound of a scream from the cell down the hall caught his attention instead.

"What are you doing to Miroku?" he hissed.

"That's what happens to traitors," the solider grunted back, "he'll get far worse if the ceremony fails because of his deceitful acts."

That sparked his golden gaze to flicker to the slit of a window he had to see the sky's color had faded from blue to an orange… a coiled fear festered within his gut at the sight which gave him strength to try once more to break the restrains only to feel another jab of the iron rod.

"Take a break," a woman requested to get the man's attention, "no matter how much you pain you cause this creature it will not talk. Go watch the ceremony, it's about to begin."

The guard simply nodded before exiting the cell, he couldn't help but let his gaze glance over the curves of the woman that leaned against the bars before he headed for the stairs.

"Get me out of these things," Inuyasha ordered as his fiery stare shifted to Sango, "Kagome is going to _die_ if the ceremony is successful."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that if I were you," Sango whispered back before walking away—ignoring every curse the hanyou flung at her all the while. She found her spot in one of the balconies to watch the ceremony commence just as the sun fell to give the sky to utter darkness.

"We've been waiting for this for a long time," Takeda Kuranosuke grinned as his hand moved to squeeze her thigh, which she completely ignored, "my beauty, will you—?"

"I'm not in the mood for your idiocy," she snapped back to hush him as her mahoganies watched over the scene below them. Her stare shifted from each of the players, the sacrifice, the priests, and the so-called holy father before they ventured up to the starry sky. It was not until a pink glow caught her attention they it returned to the sacrifice as she fell to the ground, motionless.

"Did it work…?" the boy beside her whispered.

"It worked," Sango responded before standing up only to feel her hand get snatched.

"Where are you going? Should we not celebrate?" he requested with a grin, "now that you are no longer needed as her personal guard you could come with me and—"

"I haven't the time for you," Sango rejoined as she ripped her hand away from his to quickly start through the castle to make her way to her room. Once she reached it she closed and locked her door to pick up a wide yet shallow black bowl that was already filled with water, she set it down on her table before flinging a few herbs into it and whispering a small chant. The water went fogy before she heard a what she sought.

_"Did it work?"_

"Just as you had planned," Sango assured.

_"Thank you for a job well done," _the man chuckled, _"I knew with the right incentive you would be the perfect one for this assignment."_

"Now that I've kept up my half the deal," Sango swiftly asserted, "it's time you do the same, Naraku."

_"I no longer feel obliged to,"_ he rejoined and though she could not see his face as she clenched her fists she was certain that he was showing his despicable smirk, _"I've grown quite attached to what you seek. I think I'll just keep it."_

"You said if I did all this that you would return him!" Sango shouted as she slammed her fists upon the table.

_"I'm a demon, you fool,"_ was all he said before the water cleared up. She couldn't help by cry out as she hit the thing over to allow all the water to cascaded out and even the black bowl to shatter upon impact with the ground.

It was true, she should have known but… that didn't stop the festering fury from finding its way into her heart to eat away at the small hope that it once had held. What was she to do now?

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Her heart had been pounding so hard that she could hear it in her own head as she was walked out into the cold concrete courtyard with her hands shackled together. All the while her hazels wandered every which way to catch a glimpse of a friendly face, hoping for one silver haired hanyou in particular to come save the day. He just had to… didn't he? Was she truly about to die?

Without telling him that it was okay? That she forgave him? That she didn't care he was a hanyou?

That... she loved him all the same?

She was stationed in the middle, her chains locked down to make sure she could not make a run for it like she so dearly wished to. Her so-called father standing aside as the priests circled her to commence the ceremony that all had been waiting since she was an infant to finally see… she swallowed back the fear that had began to fester once the chants of those around her found their way to her ears.

It was really happening… she was going to die so she looked up to the starry sky. At least something beautiful could be the last thing she'd see. She could feel something happening, a sensation so similar to the one that she experienced whenever she made a barrier so the sudden jolt of pink energy from her to shoot up into the sky was no surprised, nor how it began to drain her in mere moments… but just as soon as it started it stopped so she could drop to the ground from lack of strength to stand.

"Did it work?" whispers had begun around them until she heard a curse from her father as he grabbed her.

"The demon we captured to see if this worked is still alive! You are too tainted!" He hissed as he smacked her across the face. "Take her back to the dungeon, lock her away; I'll deal with her later."

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Pain and pleasure generally came hand in hand in the young man's experience; a delightful grip of a maiden's plump bottom was usually followed by a smack across his face. Sex with someone he only meant to use once generally led to angry women throwing things at him as he made his escape. So what pleasure could possibly come from the pain he felt then? His body badly bruised, bones broken, and skin sliced.

It was all for nothing, he had only worked with the demons to save Kagome and the sun had disappeared from the sky. He had seen the glow of pink… he knew the ceremony had occurred. It had to have succeeded, didn't it?

A sigh escaped his parched lips before he groggily opened his lids to the sound of the door opening, surely for another round of punishment before his execution that morning. Instead, what he saw made him stir only to feel a spark of pain as he cringed and rested once more against the damp wall.

"Houshi… sama," Sango whispered as her brows bent together before she knelt down beside the man, "I had no idea… they'd do such damage."

He merely turned a cheek at her for that, the worst damage done to him was something she couldn't see—the crack in his heart that arose from her betrayal. Had he seen it coming? Yes, he knew that his affections was not her goal, not something she even truly cared for, that there was something she was aiming for the entire time. Still, when the time finally came for him to see the truth… it hurt more than any wound the guards could place upon him.

"You're upset with me," she guessed and supposed he held every right to be, "I'd hate me if I were you."

"Why… are you here?" he managed to inquire before he felt her hand gently take his so she could unlock the restrains around them.

"Houshi-sama," she murmured.

"The ceremony is completed, Kagome must be dead, are you pleased with yourself? I just… I can't understand why, Sango, why did you do it?" he asked as he felt the raw skin that was freed once the restrains clinked as they hit the ground.

"Don't seem so hurt," Sango ordered softly, "as if I were using you."

"You were," he asserted back.

"You got sex out it," she reminded, "what more did you really want, Houshi-sama?"

"You," he muttered. It was only fair, he supposed, that the one woman that did not want him back was the only one he ever truly desired. What goes around comes around, he surely made plenty of women feel the way he did in that moment… his attention returned to her when he felt her brush his somber strands out of a wound on his forehead, ever so gently.

"You are a dog, a man-whore, how was I supposed to know that you actually cared?" she whispered back.

"Why?' he asked again, "why did you do it?"

"I," she slowly started before sighing and letting her eyes meet his, "I need your help. I know I do not deserve it but I need it. I am not as awful as you may think I am."

He didn't know what to say to that but when she held out her hands to help him up, he took it, cringing all the while as he stood. In order to stay upright he had to slip an arm over her shoulder, she slid both of hers around his waist to help him.

"What are you talking about?" he finally questioned.

"You know of Naraku?" she waiting for him to give a weak nod, "all this time, he has had my little brother. I have done everything he asked so that I could get him back unharmed… if I deviated from the plan, if I disobeyed him, he would… he would hurt him. You must try to understand, I am the only family he has, he is all _I_ have, it is my job to protect him. I had to do this to… I couldn't live with myself if something I did hurt him. And now… now that we have rendered Kagome useless he will not give him back…"

"You should have told me this from the start," he swiftly asserted, "I could have helped."

"I did not know who I could trust," she whispered back, "you were after all working for him as well."

"Only to save Kagome," he kept up as they exited the cell, "when you say we made her useless then does that mean…?"

"Miroku!" a sweet cry called out to force him to turn his head to see the hazel eyed damsel standing there, the silver haired hanyou leaning against her for support. "You look horrible… I am so sorry."

"You are alive," he sighed with a small smile, "thank Kami for that."

"I was going to be executed in the morning because I survived the ceremony," Kagome countered before her soft smile turned to Sango, "but she came to free me then we got Inuyasha and now we're here. Oh," she whispered when she heard Inuyasha cringe again, quickly her eyes shifted down to one of his wounds, "will you be okay? Do you want to rest?"

"I'll be fine," he assured—there was no better cure for pain then a girl that had been doting over his wounds the entire time. Constantly telling him how sorry she was, how worried, how it was all her fault, how she couldn't live with herself if something were to happen to _him_. It reassured him that she cared; even after discovering he was but a mere hanyou. The way she squeezed him as if scared that once she let go he would disappear was enough for him to ignore the pain that was sparked from it.

"We need to go before someone finds that you are gone," Sango said with her eyes upon Kagome, "there are two horses waiting just outside, if we hurry we can get a head start on them."

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

A crumbled and long ago abandoned cabin in the midst of a so-called haunted forest was the perfect place for the band to stop and tend to the wounded. The help that a barrier which Kagome could still create with ease helped to protect their location on top of that, it was, after all, the one thing she had been practicing to do since she was a child.

"It's a good thing you read a lot," Inuyasha murmured after Kagome tied the knot of his last bandage, "your knowledge on herbs will help Miroku."

"It is," she chimed as her hand reached out for one of his, "and it should help you as well."

"Your brother, then," Miroku began as Sango sat down beside the lying man in the room beside the two others, "is the real reason you've been doing everything the way you have? I was under the impression you hated Kagome."

"I wanted to," she assured, "I told myself I did. It was easier if I did to do everything but… I don't know. I told her everything and without hesitation she said that it is alright, that she forgives me, how can someone do that?"

"That's the type of person she is," Miroku asserted with a smile.

"How do you feel?" she slowly inquired, "your arm will take the most time to heal."

"Broken bones are like that," he kidded only to make her pout transform into a full frown, "Sango… I wish you had told me about your brother from the start. I may have been able to help you. You didn't have to be alone in your endeavor."

"Translation, I shouldn't have trusted a demon to keep her word," she muttered.

"That's not what I meant," he assured as he reached out to grab one of her hands with his only function arm, "I do not have any siblings I can't imagine what you are going through or what you were thinking but I am certain you were only doing what you thought was best for him."

"Kohaku," she whispered as she squeezed his hand, "his name is Kohaku… he is only fourteen. I worry all the time what that man has done to him… someone so young so not have to experience any of this."

"I agree, you shouldn't," that was what finally earned her watery eyes to look up to his sincere violets, "I'm not sure what all you have done, Sango, but I know you couldn't have enjoyed it. How long have you been this miserable? I'm not mad at you; I'll do everything in my power to help you find your brother."

"Why?' she murmured as she blinked to let two tears trickle down, "I have been nothing less than awful to you, so why would you help me?"

"Because you matter a great deal to me," he answered as he lifted her hand up to his crapped lips, "a great deal, Sango."

"Houshi-sama, you have always been such a fool," she choked before leaning down to kiss his lips.

"It is better to be a fool in love than a wise man alone," he replied with a smile as she froze.

"Are you…" she stammered, "in love with me?"

"I believe it's a very real possibility," he nodded, "but for the time being I think we should put all that aside and decide on our next plan of action."

"I agree!" a shout from the next room concurred.

"Inuyasha?" Sango questioned, "are you eavesdropping!"

"I can't help that my hearing is better than your mortals," he countered as he pushed the bamboo dangling door aside to look in on the two.

"Are you upset with me?" Sango couldn't help but ask as she looked up to the hanyou, "I would understand if you were."

"In the end, nothing bad came of it," he shrugged, "maybe a few broken bones for Miroku, some wounds, and whatever else but it'll all heal up. Now Shizumi even knows that Kagome is useless, there's a chance he won't even pursue us."

"That would be wonderful," Kagome chimed as she popped up beside him, "do you think he'd really do that?"

"Maybe," Miroku answered, "if something of more importance arises."

"I hope something does then," Kagome murmured before asking the golden question, "so… what now?"

"We find Naraku, kill the bastard, get Sango's brother back, and then… figure out the next step when we're done with all of that," Inuyasha decided with a nod.

"Sounds good," Miroku smiled.

"But," Sango started shakily before her still stinging mahogany gaze shifted back down to meet a violet one, "we need to give you time to rest, Houshi-sama."

"I agree," Kagome assured, "Inuyasha and him are no good to use in this state."

"Keh," Inuyasha gripped, "I'll be better in three days, four max. It's going to take Miroku's arm at least a month and a half to heal up."

"We can't all have superior healing abilities, Inuyasha," Miroku argued with a heavy sigh, "in a week I'll be good enough that we can find a new place to hide. Do you think you will be able to manage to keep the barrier up for that long, Kagome?"

She nodded before saying, "I think so. You just focus on getting better, Miroku."

Finally, one nightmare could fade into the past... only for another to arise.

* * *

_**A/N: **Hope you enjoyed. Please **REVIEW**._


	10. Traces of the Truth

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroes of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _10: **T**_races of the _**T**_ruth_** |{x}**

Her delicate hands smoothed out the bandages that she had just placed over his almost healed burn marks and single stab wound before they slipped off of the clothe to his warm skin. A subtle smile slipped up her lips at the simple touch, just as one crossed his as he turned his golden gaze to her. Since their arrival in the large town—one a fair enough distance from the castle she almost never escaped from—they had been spending almost every moment together, for a multitude of reasons.

He felt the need to guard her in case her faux father decided to send soldiers out to get him while she wanted to heal the harm done to him that wouldn't have come if not for her. Both just wanted to stay near the other, it felt right and eased away any worry either held about the future. For a while, they'd just live in the now.

It was he who leaned in to press his lips to hers for just a moment before pulling away to see her smile in return. Whatever grievance she had about his mixed blood heritage was gone, on multiple occasions she commented on how she preferred his golden gaze over the auburn one.

She loved the _real_ him—there was nothing that he was more grateful for than that.

"Are you feeling better?" she questioned as she watched him shrug his shirt back on.

He nodded, "I am. You're hands work wonders, Kagome."

She bit back a smile, knowing full well that he meant more than just her helping his healing process. She could tell from the way his stare roamed over her that his mind was thinking of far more intimate moments they had shared within that very room.

"Do you think," she slowly started, "that he'll come after me? It's been a while and no sign so maybe… maybe he doesn't care?"

"I don't know," he honestly answered, "I hope he doesn't, it would be purely out of spite if he did and what's the point of that? After all the ceremony didn't work so he's surely got more important matters to deal with."

That was a sore subject, something they had yet to fully touch on. Somehow, it didn't work but he hadn't asked how and she hadn't been forthright with the information. He wasn't even sure what it was supposed to entail so for all he knew it could have been a traumatizing satanic ritual that left his woman with a scar on her ever so vivid soul.

Still, he finally asked, "What… happened, Kagome?"

She took a deep breath in through her nostrils before letting it go in a puff from her mouth, "I haven't a clue. It happened so quickly. They were chanting something, a bunch of priest around me, and then I felt weird… and I knew my spiritual power was being invoked. I remember looking up to the stars and thinking of you," she paused briefly to smile at him, "then I collapsed. My fa… Shimizu said that it didn't work, slapped me, and sent me away. I thought I would simply have to wait to be excruciated at dawn but then you and Sango showed up to free me and we went to get Miroku-sama."

Her hand reached out for his. He promptly squeezed it before saying, "That's good. I had all these weird scenarios worked out in my mind."

"That's frightening," she laughed lightly as she leaned her head upon his shoulder, "I could only imagine what horrible things you've worked out in that head of yours."

"Yeah," he murmured back as he nuzzled his cheek against her ebony waves, inhaling her sweet scent in all the while. "I wish… things could be like this, easy, simple, and us here together."

"I like this, too," she admitted with a nod. The main reason they had picked the town to hide out in was the size. There were so many people already there that even _if_ the soldiers came in search for her they'd have quite the trouble finding her in the overpopulated place. It was a rather large change for her as well since she had never been to such an enormous place.

Most likely, it could be a cold and lonely location to live. Plenty of people were probably hiding out from their past just like them and she doubted that there was any sort of "get to know your neighbor" type situation there like in a small town. After all, they'd been there for more than two weeks and all they knew was the room rented to the side of them belonged to Sango and Miroku. They hadn't met a single new person and no one made an effort to know them. For the time being, that was for the best.

And though their inn wasn't the nicest around, it was one of the cheapest. It wasn't like they had unlimited funds, just what Sango had grabbed before making her escape and what Miroku was about to scam off of people throughout their time there.

"I hope Miroku-sama's doing better," she whispered as she shut her eyes.

"Sango's tending to him, he's liking that a lot," Inuyasha said with a grin, "that pervy monk grabs a feel at her every chance he gets and since he's injured she never hits him back."

"She _should_ slap him," Kagome insisted, "or else he'll never stop."

"Oh well," he murmured as he wrapped his arms around her to tug her closer, lightly jerking her head to the side so he could plant a kiss upon his neck, "their pervy behavior isn't any of our business."

"I get the feeling that you are suddenly more interested in ours," she whispered with a smile as she felt one of his hands roam up her side to grope her breast, "are you sure you are healed enough to—?"

"That hasn't stopped me yet," he grinned as he began to hike up her dress.

Tentatively their lips touched once more until the desire they shared took dominance over the kiss. Passion brewed inside both of them as it enflamed within to make both ever so hot. She didn't miss the dress that he undid so she could wiggle out of it and feel the gentle breeze against her bare skin. When she saw a small cringe from him as he forced off his pants, she helped him remove his shirt.

A lopsided smirk was her reward for that before he grasped her to plant her back upon the bed.

"Inuyasha," she began but couldn't finish her thought before his lips collided upon hers, his elevated position allowed him an ability to explore the wet cavern of her mouth all the better. He wasn't a gentle man, his tongue was almost rough and provided actions that equaled it but she could tell from the small noises he'd make—a moan in her mouth, the curve of his lips—that he loved every moment of it as much as she did.

That he loved _her_—for her, not because of her powers or that he wanted something from her. He was in it for her, and that made her love him all the more.

Nothing felt as good as their warm skin pressed against the other and for a moment she couldn't help but let her thoughts wander the clothe she also felt. He had subtle scars across his skin here and there, always had even when he was passing off for a mortal, but now… thanks to her, he'd have more.

Somehow, he knew her mind wasn't in it anymore and pulled away to look down at her. When he saw the hint of sadness in her eyes he figured what she was thinking so he shook his head slightly and bent down to kiss her neck.

"I love you," he murmured, "so stop thinking whatever nonsense you're lamenting over."

"Okay," she whispered, just to prove that she could push such thoughts aside she spread her legs to offer herself to him—being with him was always the best remedy to anything that bothered her. The haughty smile that he gave her for the gesture won hers back.

First he slid his hand up her inner thighs to check if she was really ready for him, his nose already told him she was aroused but it was only when he felt the wet confirmation that he aligned himself with her entrance. She lifted her arms up to wrap them around his neck and pull him back down so their lips would meet before he plunged in. Her back rose off the bed at the sudden intake of pleasure as he started to thrust into her. It took no time for her to begin to meet his movements with her own.

The rhythm they found together was brilliant—something that they had grown accustom to over their time together. Something they yearned for when they were apart.

"Kagome," he groaned when their lips finally parted, a sliver of saliva linked their tongues momentarily before breaking. _Her_ name was what he'd moan and she loved it—it never sounded better than then.

She gasped in as she shut her eyes when he struck a favorite spot of hers. They were forced opened once more when she heard his need in a grunt, "_Kagome_."

He liked her looking up to him, he had told her that many times before and she, too, loved seeing the flashes of pleasure and longing look he gave her while they thrashed together.

"Inu… yasha," she moaned back, his name always broke apart before leaving her lips when they were so far into it. Neither seemed to mind, he still loved to hear his names mingled in all her little noises.

Her muscles within twitched, she knew she was already at the verge of the mind boggling feeling only he had ever given her. He groaned from the way she internally squeezed around him, it was almost too much. Her tightness had always been blissful for him, but when she was about to reach her limits… the way she wrapped around him made it mind-numbing good.

Another of his groan infused moans left his lips as she shut her eyes tightly. He gave a few more jerky thrusts before releasing himself within her. He grasped the sheets around her as he took in a couple deep breaths, trying to keep himself from collapsing upon her.

She could feel their mixed fluids inside of her; they even trickled out some as they were still connected. It was a wonderful feeling for her and a moment of pride for him.

"Inu…" she started as she regained herself but no more would come out, instead she just took another breath as she reached up to pull him down to her. Holding him close as he buried his head beside her neck, finally he pulled out of her—a pang of regret pulsed through both for a short while.

Neither really had to say a word, they already knew what the other was thinking.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"You needn't make the face," Miroku pointed out to win her dull mahogany stare up to meet his violet one, "honestly, what I wouldn't give to see you smile."

That only earned a grander frown from her, "Houshi-sama…"

"No one is upset with you anymore," he inserted; no one had been in a long, long while. He had forgiven her the first night in the abandon hut, Kagome before that, and Inuyasha let go his grudge upon arrival at the town they had been resting at. That didn't seem to be enough, though, since she had yet to forgive herself. It was apparent to him when her thoughts drifted to guilt, to the burden of blame she had placed upon herself for his injuries. Her brows would lightly furrow together, her lips would form in a line, and her stare would be locked on nothing in particular.

It was eerily similar to the expression she made when she worried about her brother's well being.

"If I had only done things differently then…" she don't even know all that could follow, but the most important was that he wouldn't be hurt.

"I'm almost completely healed," he asserted as he wiggled his injured arm, "it's just bones take time to heal. Thanks to you, we were able to set it in enough time that it should not be a problem in the future."

"Yeah, thanks to me," she mocked, "your abdomen wound is still concerning."

"It'll heal," he assured with a smile, "you've been taking very good care of me, my dear. I'm a very lucky man."

"Yes, lucky," she grumbled, "wounded severely from a night of torture but lucky. I do not understand your way of looking at the world, Houshi-sama."

"I prefer to see the good," he shrugged as he leaned slightly towards her, "and you the bad. I hope we can change that."

The sincerity in his eyes earned a softer expression from her until she felt his hand grab her rear. Her brow twitched before she raised a hand up to smack across his face, leaving a sore red mark in its wake.

"Ouch," he winced, "just a moment ago you were speaking of my _sever_ wounds and now you are smacking me?"

"Don't grope me," she countered, "you are such a pervert. Even with all your wounds you'd jump in bed with a woman, regardless of what damage is done because of it."

"No," he corrected with a small shake of his head, "that's not true at all."

"Oh?" she dryly questioned with a cocked brow.

"I would jump into bed with a woman, as you say," he acknowledged with a smile, "but not with any, just with you."

"Houshi-sama," she sighed with a roll of her eyes, "you are such a fool."

"You care for me," he stated rather than asked, "or else you wouldn't tend to me like you have been. What's foolish about me holding feelings for you as well?"

Generally, when he was trying to woo a woman with his warm words a soft smile would take their lips as they made bedroom eyes at him but not with her… his words seemed to only hurt her since her brows lightly bent together as she looked at him with a sweet sadness.

"I don't know how to help you," he admitted, "I want to—more than anything. Yet, everything I say only seems to deepen the guilt you are smothering yourself with."

"You want to help me?" she asked with a raised brow, "Houshi-sama, it should be the other way around."

"No it shouldn't, when one loves another their task is to help that person whenever they need it. And right now, you need it."

"You," she choked, "you love… me?"

"Yes," he said with complete resolve.

She bit her bottom lip as she glanced away, did she feel the same way? Honestly, she didn't know. For so long she had been pretending this and that to try and get her brother back that… she couldn't tell if the way he warmed her heart was real or just another illusion. She did know, however, that she felt the need to please him. To repent for her sins against him however she could.

She returned her attention to him to see he was still waiting for her response and since she hadn't a clue what to say in return she leaned in and closed her eyes to let their lips meet. It was soft and sweet; catching him off guard at first but after a moment he shut his eyes too and pressed back.

He didn't care if she meant merely to use him further, the way she made him feel was worth it. He had decided he'd simply be happy when she was there and sad when she left. He wouldn't worry while they were together, he wouldn't regret when they weren't.

He lifted his hand up to cup her cheek as their lips parted so that he could insert his tongue into her mouth. He had tangled with many, explored plenty of woman's wet caves, but none made his chest feel like it was on fire more so than his loins. Usually, only the latter region registered a response with a woman but when it came to Sango… his beating chamber worked so hard that he felt it could explode.

"Houshi-sama," she whispered after she broke the kiss, not opening her eyes or removing her face from his gentle grasp.

"My dear?" he asked once she hadn't spoken away.

"Lie down," she requested as she opened her eyes to meet his curious gaze, "please."

He held back a sigh as he obeyed, thinking that meant the end of their moment. That she wanted him to rest once more—which, he felt he had already done plenty of. His eyes widened when she moved from the chair beside the bed to join him on it. A knee on each side of his while her hands reached out to undo the knot that kept his robe together. He barely dared to breathe, let alone stop whatever she had planned. All he did was rise up on his elbows so that he could watch.

His eyes were so fixated upon her hands that he didn't notice the pang of pain that flickered upon her face at the sight of his tightly wrapped stomach that had been cut constantly during his time of punishment.

Her delicate hands hovered above the bandages before touching the skin of his lower stomach. She slowly, _agonizingly _slowly slid them down to his long untouched length. One of her hands ran all the way from top to bottom as the other stopped at the top to begin to lightly massage his sac.

"Oh," he gasped as his eyelids lowered while she worked, one hand gently tugging while the other kept his sac from tightening too much from delight. He let his lids shut fully while he muffled a moan, but a gasp left his lips when he felt something warm and wet wrap around his staff.

"S-Sango," he stuttered before he gave up on allowing his elbows to keep him up. The sensation that she sparked by sucking around him while her hand _still_ kept messaging him made him forget about every ache he had ever felt. He reached his hand attached to his only good arm down and grabbed her hair to guide her bobbing.

"Ah," he cried out as she sucked harder around him. He meant to warn her how close he was but all that left his mouth was deep throat moan. She could already tell from his pre-release excitement that he was close so she pulled away, leaving him hanging.

Now _that_ was cruel.

"Sango?" he murmured as he looked down to her, she seemed to be struggling with some internal conflict before her eyes lifted to him. Their eyes were locked as she slid her clothes off, rising higher on her knees to slid down her panties.

"Yes," he choked on his anticipation; he knew what she was trying to decide—if he was well enough to go all the way. Honestly, he didn't care if he was or not. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" she questioned as her hands slid over her chest, his eyes following it completely.

"So sure," he asserted with an eager nod.

"Remember you said that," she stated before she positioned his hardened staff, they both took a breath in before she slid down on him. Her mouth could work wonders, that he was sure of, but he preferred her straddling him so much more.

He would have tried to meet each of her jerks with a thrust of his own if he wasn't certain that would open all the closed wounds upon his stomach—even so, he heavily considered the option. His good hand grasped her luscious thighs as he watched her breasts bounce.

He was already wound up and would soon give into the bliss that threatened to take him. That was intentional on her part. She knew it would be better on his injuries if it was that way. A groan got hitched in his throat as his eyes almost rolled back in his head. His fingers clenching her thighs as she gave only a couple more thrusts before he released, crying out a fumbled version of her name in the process.

Gently, she fell down beside him. She smiled as she watched him come down from his high. It took him no time after that to look over to him, a smile on his lips.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Never better," he assured.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

With a hat upon his head the hanyou strolled through the crowded town, the slayer by his side all the while. They thought it best that two were always together and since Kagome was best with herbal remedies she was left behind to check on Miroku's wounds.

"How much longer until the monk'll be okay?" Inuyasha inquired while his golden gaze kept surveillance around their surroundings.

"A little longer, Inuyasha," Sango sighed as she looked up to him, "he's only human."

"Once he can travel safe we've got to go, okay? It'll take too long if we wait around for that arm of his to heal. We've already stayed here too long."

"I agree," she stated before grabbing his wrist and yanking him down an alleyway. He considered asking what the hell before he caught sight of what she was avoiding—a couple of soldiers. "Can you hear what they're saying, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah," he whispered back, "they're talking about Kagome... There is a bounty on her head, Shimizu wants her back."

"Why?"

"Don't know but that bounty is," he paused as he clenched his hands, "dead or alive."

"That's even worse," she muttered, "it means anyone that is looking to make money will be searching for her."

"We'll just have to be more careful," he sighed as he nodded for them to head out the other side of the alleyway. "I could use a drink, what about you?"

"A quick one," Sango nodded before she followed the hanyou into the first bar they found. Neither Kagome nor Miroku drank but both always saw the brighter side of the world while they… they could see the darkness. They had experienced it firsthand.

"Fucking monster!" Caught their attention as the sake shots were set in front of them, they looked to one another before turning to see the crowd of dirty men.

"There was nothing we could do," the other muttered as he took a swig of his liquor, "not a damn thing… fucking demons. I thought they were all suppose to be dead by now, when will they hold that damn ceremony?"

"That bastard, a real red eyed fucker," another cursed, "did you see its mark? After Minoru ripped the guys shirt with his attack? Like a spider on its back?"

"Naraku," Sango whispered as her eyes shifted to Inuyasha, "he has one like that."

"How do you know?" he questioned with a cocked brow.

"Trust me," she muttered before she drank the sake in one attempt. She pushed off the bar walked over to the dirty bunch, "hello, boys."

"Aren't you a fine thing?" one grinned as he glanced over her curves, "looking for a man, baby?"

"If I were I would be looking elsewhere," she asserted. That sparked a glare from him but a laugh from the others, "I overheard you boys talking about a demon with a spider scar on his back, is that true?"

"Fucker killed two good men," the eldest man grumbled, "what's it to you?"'

"Long wavy black hair?" she asked, waiting for them to nod, "red eyes? Purple eye make-up? Perhaps by the name of Naraku?"

"I heard one of his followers calling him that," the one closest to her said as he reached out to grab her ass. Before he got the chance a clawed hand grabbed his wrist to yank it away. "Hey! Who the hell are you?"

"The lady doesn't want to be touched by the likes of you," Inuyasha inserted, "we're looking for that demon, where'd you see him?"

"North of here, two towns or so, I'd warn against it, fella' we thought we could take it but..."

"We'll keep that in mind," he replied before the two turned around to leave. "So, how'd you know about the whole spider mark on his back, Sango?"

"Not important," she muttered with a nod, "I got to meet with one more person before we head back."

He withheld a sigh and simply shrugged before she led him through the crowd to a tea shop. She glanced around the people before sitting down with one of the men in particular, "hello, Iwamoto."

"Taijiya," he greeted while his brown gaze shifted up to see the man that lingered behind Sango, "friend of yours? Don't you trust me?"

"No," she replied with a smile, "got anything for me?"

"Weird request," he grumbled as he pulled out a piece of paper to slid it on the table to her, "you called in a hefty favor for this tidbit of information. It must be pretty important."

"Obviously," she rejoined as she picked it up and looked it over, "three?"

"One has to be right," he asserted.

"I suppose I owe you a thank you then," she stated as she folded the paper and placed it in her pocket. "Bye, oh, and don't tell anyone you saw me."

"Right, you little rebel," he shook his head before taking a sip of his tea.

Inuyasha bit his tongue until they were out to ask, "what was that about?"

"He used to work in the guards with me," she shrugged, "he got kicked out for bad behavior, owed me quite a few of favors, I heard he was living here and called them in."

"For?" he asked with a cocked brow.

"I knew Higurashi was the name of the family Kagome actually comes from," she explained, "he found three. One has to be hers… I figured it was the least I could. I didn't tell her, I'm not sure if she wants it, so I was thinking maybe you could probe that possibility? See if she wants to find her family?"

"A'right," he shrugged, "I'll ask. She's going to appreciate it, Sango."

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"At least we have a lead," Kagome chimed as her hands worked out the knot in the hanyou's shoulders. He tilted his head to the side to allow her better access to a certain sore spot of his.

"One we can't follow," Sango stated as her eyes shifted to Miroku, "you're not well enough."

"We do need to wait for you to get better," added Kagome.

"By the time I am the lead will be cold," Miroku countered, "I am well enough to travel."

"But not to fight," Inuyasha interrupted, "and if we follow this thing we're bound to get into a brawl or two. I can go after the trace and see where it leads so we don't lose it."

"No," Kagome quickly declared as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I don't like that idea. I would rather Naraku be out there alive and in a place we can't find instead of you dead and Naraku somewhere we can find."

"I think… we need to stay together," Sango replied with a small shake of her hand. "Kagome-chan's right, you can't face him alone and we can't go off leaving these two here alone. People are looking for Kagome; she needs you to keep her safe."

"Everything will work out," Miroku stated as he took her hand into his, "Sango, I promise you that. We'll get your brother home."

She smiled even if she didn't believe it since she knew he only meant to make her feel better. They all did... but she didn't believe in happily ever afters.

* * *

**A/N**: _Yes, I finally updated this story. Hope you enjoyed._


	11. A Haze to Avoid the Hurt

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroes of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _11: A **H**_aze to _**A**_void the _**H**_urt_** |{x}**

Each were pleased when Kagome deemed Miroku fit for travel. Even though the trail for Naraku had most likely gone cold since they heard of his last location they still made their way north in hopes to find another hint into where the bastard could be. Finding him, killing _him_ and saving Sango's brother happened to be their only game plan.

Avoiding anyone out to get the useless sacrifice was just something they'd have to work in there. All of them were on the "Wanted" list and that's why they traveled in disguise. Miroku donned on a purple and black monk's uniform, Sango let her hair down into a very lose pony tail and wore a pink and green kimono—even Miroku said he rarely recognized her outside of her form fitting uniform and tight high pony tail. Kagome wore an old priestess uniform and kept her hair in a bun while Inuyasha wore a red fire rats robe and bandana to cover his ears.

They made their way north the slowest way possible, since the main roads and forms of transpiration were the ones that would be monitored most. It was bothersome but they all agreed it was better the journey take longer and they stay out of danger then do something risky to finish it quicker.

"All this walking is making my feet ache," Kagome couldn't help but point out while her eyes ventured up to the sky that would soon start to fuse into beautiful pinks and purples before fading to black completely.

"I could carry you," Inuyasha offered only to watch her smile at him as she shook her head.

"How is your arm?" asked Sango as her mahogany stare dropped to the limb in question. It was well enough to be out of the sling but it surely still ached and having it hanging by his side as he walked on and on and _on_ was probably not in his best interests but… he had insisted they go forth before the trail turned completely cold.

His smile warmed her for a fleeting moment before his words calmed her concerns, "it is fine, my dear. It doesn't hurt often, just off and on. Within a couple of weeks it will be completely healed and there will be nothing for you to worry yourself over."

As if to emphasize the point he took her hand into his and squeezed, proving it still function.

"Hey," Inuyasha snapped to win all's attention, he nodded towards the thick forest that surrounded the path that they were walking towards. Without another word they all ducked behind the thick trees, a humble hush fell over them all. Inuyasha's golden gaze turned from those who he had noticed coming in the opposite direction to Kagome, holding out his clawed hand for hers to take and squeeze. She was always the most nervous when they ran into the problem… probably because she felt so responsible.

"Fuck," one of the soldiers dragged out, "I'm so goddamn sick of wandering around looking for this little bitch. Why does Shimizu-sama even care? She's tainted goods, failed to do any of us any _good_, and won't so why send all of us out in search of her?"

"The fucking _whore fucked_ a hanyou, fraternized with the enemy," the other growled, "the bitch's got to burn for her sins. If we let her get away with this massive betrayal that'd set principle for everyone else who makes the same mistake to just run away."

"I'm not saying the tramp doesn't deserve to die," his comrade countered, "but I'm so sick of searching for the slut. Not to mention we have no fucking idea what she really looks like. Sure, we've got a vague description but that matches half the women we come across."

"Karma's a bitch, the cock sucker has to eventually get what's coming to her," was one of the last things they heard. They all waited in silence for some time before they slipped out into the dirty pathway.

"Ignore what they said," Inuyasha insisted as he took one of her hands, noticing the way her eyes were down casted.

"I know… not to take any of that to heart. They've been told nothing of the truth, I'm certain. But we can't keep going on like this, we keep getting delayed to hide and by the time we get to where Naraku was seen the lead will be ice cold."

"We can't go quicker, it'd be too risky," Inuyasha countered.

"Besides, it's not all on you," Sango stated, "after all, I'm a traitor. I'd get hung to say the least."

"And I am as well," reminded Miroku, "I'd be put to death, after another long night with… the security guards."

"I guess there's no point in talking about this," she murmured as she squeezed his hand back. "Let's get going."

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

The field that Naraku was seen in… it took so long for them to arrive only to see it was nothing special and there was no trace of the monster they sought. Disappointment draped each of them while they looked around, but the youngest was the only one that let out a sigh and said, "now what?"

The rest just stayed silent trying to figure out exactly what to do. They had all been betting on them at least finding a clue to the next step upon arrival instead of absolutely nothing. What were they supposed to do…? They had all the soldiers in the land in search of them, demons lurking in the shadows to destroy them, and a cold trail to the only thing that had them going—_killing_ Naraku.

"I don't know," Inuyasha muttered but before anyone else could get a word in an explosion to their right caught them all off guard and before any could reach for their weapons a blade was thrown towards the former guard, slicing her cheek. That was the first attack, but far from the last, and the rest came all at once.

Demons fell down upon them, calculating separate the four from each other in order to weaken them. Slash after slash, sword slicing time and time again, kept Inuyasha going—his only goal was to get to Kagome. Her purification powers, her ability to keep a barrier around her, was what kept her safe until he could arrive to her side.

But they were not the ones in true danger, nor was the former priest of the court, it was the girl who's only goal was to find her brother.

And that she did, regrettably he wasn't at all like she remembered him. His hazels were hallow, his skin pale, and he had grown since last she saw him—tall, lanky, he did not look healthy at all… and when she choked out his name, "_Kohaku_," there was no reply. It was as if he didn't know it was his, or that she was _his_ sister—the one that was meant to protect him forever and always.

That was why when he started to slash at her with his peculiar crest shaped weapon she couldn't do anything more than defend herself. How could she take the offensive against him? But she was not just having a one-on-one battle with her brother, but demons around him tried to rip her to shreds as well. She'd block his blade only to feel a claw slash across her back. Then he'd try to assault her with a kick or punch, she'd almost always feel at least one of them slam against her—she had, after all, taught him well.

Then another bash came from behind, it dizzying the constant clash of her against what seemed like a hundred.

"Inuyasha!" She could hear her friend cry out, another scream of agony from the hanyou as well. Something horrible was surely happening over there, but she couldn't focus on that.

What she didn't know, was that on the other side of the battle field Naraku had arrived. Catching the hanyou off guard enough to stab him in the side, weakening his strongest opponent, then turning his attention to the no longer so pure girl.

A wicked grin warped his face as he greeted her, "Kagome."

"Inuyasha," she whispered as she clenched his shirt, trying to help him stand straight. "Are you…?"

"I'm alright," he muttered, grinding his teeth to keep from groaning in pain.

"For now," Naraku countered, "but soon you will be dead, along with the rest of you."

"This was a trap," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Very clever," he mocked, "I knew if that rumor spread, you'd come. It just easier this way."

"If Naraku's taken out, the smaller demons will flee," whispered Inuyasha.

"As if you'd be able to do that in your sorry condition," the monster declared.

Maybe not him, but Kagome felt she was fine enough. Truly, she didn't want to let her love go, but he'd just have to manage. As soon as she was a few steps away a grotesque tentacle wrapped around her to yank her close.

"Miss me?" he questioned.

"Absolutely not," she retorted, as much as she detested the idea of him _touching_ her it did give her a perfect opportunity to grasp his shoulders and channel all the energy she could in a burst. One that was big enough to loosen his grasp on her, burst her backwards, and spark a miserable scream from his as well.

"Kagome," Inuyasha called out as she hit the ground.

Within seconds, the monster vanished behind a veil of violet mist, summon what was left of the small demons to follow him in his flee from the scene… even a certain boy.

"Kohaku," Sango screamed but he only hesitated to attempt to disappear from her sight. She couldn't let him go, she didn't know what he did what he did, and couldn't care at the moment. With what strength she had left she threw her weapon towards him—_hurting _him pained her more than anything, but knocking him out was the only way she could keep him there. She only managed to take a step forward before everything faded to black. Perhaps it was from the blood lose, the pain, or just the knowledge that something had warped her brother enough that he wanted to kill her… was it hatred? Did he _hate_ her for failing to protect him?

She'd understand, she hated herself, too.

"Miroku-sama," Kagome smiled in relief when she saw him approach them, limping slightly but otherwise appearing fine. "Are you alright?"

"I'll manage, perhaps I'll be aching the next few days, but I'll be fine," he confessed before his eyes turned to Inuyasha, "and you?"

"I'm going to be fine," he muttered as he threw an arm across Kagome's shoulders in order to stand up straight. "The fucker caught me off guard, I won't let that happen again."

"He surprised us all… but at least the damage Kagome-sama has done to him should slow him down for a while. Perhaps we'll be able to be the ones to catch _him_ off guard next time."

"We can only hope," Kagome sighed as her hazels shifted around the field, "where is Sango-chan?"

"I was hoping she was with you," Miroku muttered as he, too, started to glance around. Once his gaze stopped upon a collapsed damsel his breath hitched in his throat.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"Kagome," Inuyasha grunted as he clenched his jaw, his narrowed eye stuck on said girl as she tried to tend to his wound only to have him pull away each time. "The _hurts_."

"I _know_," she insisted back but luckily she was done with the first part, so she closed the ointment jar and picked up the bandages, "but you don't want to get an infection. I'm done anyway, now let me wrap it up and stop being such a baby."

"Keh," he scoffed as he leaned back towards her, placing his hands behind himself upon the floor so he could relax as she began to close his wound up. "I don't get infections. I have a better system than you humans."

"Whatever," she replied with a small shake of her head, "you could at least just _let_ me tend to your wounds as I see fit, that way I could stop worrying about you so much."

"You don't _need_ to worry," he countered, "I'm fine, Kagome. I'm going to be okay."

"This time," she muttered only to have him capture one of her hands in his, forcing her to look up at him. At first she was annoyed, ready to snap at him for once again getting in her way of fixing _his_ wound, but the look in his eyes made that a fleeting fancy.

"Every time, I'm going to be okay," he assured her before squeezing her hand lightly, "you're can't get rid of me that easily."

"Who says I want to get rid of you?" she answered, wigging her hand free so she could finish one more loop around his torso before tying the knot. "I love you, Inuyasha."

"I love you, too," it was strange to him on so many levels to be able to say that so… easily. As if it came naturally when it truly went against his being completely—he had never _been_ in love. He had never _been_ accepted by another so wholly like he was by Kagome. For that, he was thankful. Yet, when she got out more medicine he decided he wasn't _that_ thankful. "No."

"You don't even know what this is for," she rejoined while she unscrewed the lid, "Naraku's venom probably got into your system, we might not see the effects right away, but this will counteract them if it is in you."

"You're saying I have to _drink_ it?" he gagged at the very thought, the _smell_ alone made him inclined to vomit. "Hell no, no way, not happening—_ever_."

"You'd rather get really sick? Maybe even die?" she awed, appalled by his resistance. Honestly, she loved him but his stubbornness could not be more annoying at times. Sometimes she had the deep deserve to smack him right upside the head for it but... she'd restrain herself. Violence was not the answer and he was already hurt. Was he acting like it did not matter because to him, a hanyou, it really didn't? Or was he just trying to act like a strong badass? "It's just momentary discomfort for your long term health."

"Screw that, you don't even know if I have any of his poison in me. How about this? If I start to get sick, I'll drink that, but not until then."

She shook her head fervently, "This only works _before_ the symptoms start to show."

"I ain't drinking that, Kagome, it's smells like rotten eggs mixed with aged milk," he wrinkled his nose at the very notion as he turned his cheek to her. "You drink it."

"You're impossible, honestly, it's like dealing with a child sometimes," she gripped but she still put the container to her lips and tipped it up just enough for a drop to get on her tongue. Instantly, she pulled it away, her hand up to her mouth, and face contorted in repulsion.

"Ha, see?" he grinned.

Again, she shook her head and though she truly didn't want to she took another swig of the grotesque tasting liquid before placing her hand on the back of his neck and pulling him into a kiss. It was the very opposite of their usual pleasurable one, but it did get him to finally take his medicine. As soon as she pulled away she grabbed her tea and downed it in hopes of getting the terrible taste off of her tongue.

"Fuck, Kagome," Inuyasha gagged after he swallowed the very thing he had no intention of taking.

"You were being difficult," she countered, a small smile still came to her lips at the obvious detest he had for the taste. "You know I only did it because I care."

"I know," he grumbled. She was probably the first person that ever truly cared about him for _him_, not for what he could do for her, not for what sort of tool he could be to her, but because… for reasons beyond him, she liked him.

"Hey," he murmured after a bit, "do you… want to find your family?"

She looked to him in surprise for a moment before turning her gaze to the ground, "yes. I would like that very much but… after all this is done. When… if it's ever safe for them."

"It will be," he assured as he grabbed her hand, "everything is going to be alright in the end. After we take care of Naraku we'll see what we can do about finding your family."

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Comatose, that was how the siblings seemed to be to him. Even though both their eyes were wide open, neither spoke, moved, barely even breathed. Sango simply stared at Kohaku who seemed to be in a trace, leaving the eyes that used to be so filled with life empty and stuck to the floor. No matter how much she had tried to talk to him, to spark a reply, he said nothing, he did nothing… he merely sat there.

"Sango," Miroku finally whispered but she didn't turn her attention to him. His violets slowly shifted over her wounds, all of which were carefully tended to be Kagome before she fully treated Inuyasha's. Both his allies decided that a hurt human had to come first; Inuyasha would be able to manage longer. What pained him the most was the broken bones she received, two ribs, and the slashes. He _should_ have been by her side; he _should_ have protected her yet…

She was injured, because of how terribly he had failed her.

"Sango," he repeated, yet nothing changed. "Darling, I think I might know someone who can help."

That finally earned her to give him a quick side glance before she dully inquired, "with what?"

"With your brother," as he expected, her eyes light up momentarily with hope as they turned to him, silently begging him to go on. "I know a mystic in these parts, if anyone would be able to break the trance he is in or at least give us foresight into how to… it would be her."

Why was she not surprised it was a her? Probably a pretty one at that, but she didn't let her mind go there. She couldn't care about anything but her brother for the time being, her relationship with the former priest had to be put to the side. Being a sister came before being a lover.

"I can take him with me, we can leave tomorrow," he suggested.

"I'm coming with you," she countered only to see him shake his head.

"You are fair to," he paused, pressing his lips together before saying the word, "injured. You _must_ rest, you _must_ stay here."

"I will not leave him again!"

"I understand—"

"How can you?" she snapped, "you haven't any siblings. You don't know what this is like, not at all."

For a while, that silenced him before he sighed and admitted, "that's true but… that doesn't change the fact that you can barely stand, let alone walk. I will be eternally sorry for not being there for you, Sango, for not protecting you or at least aiding you… allowing you to receive so many wounds. Asking for your trust now, for you to believe that I will do everything in my power to keep your brother safe, is not fair but…"

"Houshi-sama," she muttered before looking away, "none of that is your fault. I shouldn't have been caught off guard."

"Still," he whispered, "please, Sango, allow me to do this for you. We will be back in two days, three maximum. I will keep your brother safe."

"It's not that that I worry about," she confessed with a deep frown, "he's not… the same, Houshi-sama."

"Then let me help," he requested, "please, Sango."

Reluctantly, she pried her eyes from her brother to turn them to Miroku. It pained her to part her lips and say, "alright," but she had to. He meant well, and if anyone could truly help her it was him. Parting from her brother so soon was not what she truly deserved but… she hadn't a choice.

None of them really did.

* * *

_**A/N**: Sorry for the belated update. I know what I want to happen in the next two (the final) chapters it's just... finding the inspiration to write them is difficult. This chapter was rather weak due to that. I just knew I had to write it, I didn't really have the __inspiration __to do so. __I really do want to finish this story though. It always nags at me that it's taken me this long to get it even close to completion. I hope you enjoyed._


	12. Love's Let Go

**{.x.o.} | T**_hroes of _**P**_assion_** | {.o.x.}  
{x}| C**_hapter _12: **L**_ove's _**L**_et_** G**_o_** |{x}**

Tranquilly would seem to be what possessed the two travels, at least that's what it would appear to any onlooker. The two could pass for siblings, if need be, and surely quite a few who walked past them thought that was what they were, but they'd be wrong. Kohaku, in Miroku's humble opinion, looked nothing like him. He had paler skin, almost as if for the time that Naraku held him captive he had never seen any sunlight.

Yet, upon his face he held a few freckles. His eyes were the same mahogany color as the women Miroku now openly admitted he loved-really, to him, the similarities between the two siblings were striking. It was quite obvious that they were related.

Miroku taking Kohaku to the psychic and freeing his mind, with what Kohaku remembers he can lead them to Naraku. The psychic says that she can lead them to the Higurashi family as well. In that moment, though, none of that mattered. All that did was that Miroku could keep the comatose boy following him, the trance he was stuck in was like nothing he had ever come across.

Ever moment he chanced a glance to the boy to make sure he was doing alright, he was praying to the gods that the mystic he was going to would know how to cure him of this ailment. Because if she didn't then… he wasn't sure how his dearest would handle it. Her world had circled around him, all the deceitful things she had done was in hopes of saving her baby brother, and if after everything she got him back only to be this mindless child then… Miroku shivered at the thought.

He felt even worse when he thought of how broken she was at that moment, how much damage she had received in their latest encounter with the hanyou called Naraku. Inuyasha, too, was harmed and thus he needed to stay behind so that Kagome could tend to him. The fact that his dear cousin was there to tend to his beloved and his friend made it easier to leave them that morning but… it still wasn't _easy_.

It was hard to be so far from Sango when she was in need, not just physically but emotionally. She found it so easy to blame herself for all her brother woe's. More than anything, Miroku just wanted to see a genuine smile and without Kohaku pulling through, he doubted he ever would.

That was one of the many reasons why he smiled once he finally arrived at the mystics house, if anyone he knew could fix Kohaku it would be her. Hopefully, she would be willing to help. He took a breath in as he reached out to knock on the door, looking between it and the boy that stood just a short distance behind him.

The sound of the door opening caused him to look back to see the rather beautiful women standing there, her dull gray gaze shifting up and down the man before a smile slipped up her lips.

"It has been a long while, Miroku," she started as she stepped aside and motioned for him to enter. Once he did, he waved for Kohaku to follow. Sluggishly, the boy obeyed. "And who is this?"

"The reason I am here, darling. This is a dear, dear friend of mine's brother. A demon has thrown him into this trance and I was hoping that you would be able to save him?" There was always a proper way of how to word things in order to get her to help him. First of all, it had to b a dear, dear friend that was in need of assistance - not a lover - and she had to have the power to _save_ someone, not just help.

"And believe me, If you were to save him, you'd be saving his family as well. I'm not sure what would become of his sister if he were stuck like this forever…"

"His sister, huh? Is that the dear, dear friend?" She inquired, motioning for them to follow her into her living room then for them to sit upon the couch. All she received in return was a nod. "I believe I can fix this. I will need to grab a few items to perform the counter-spell but I should be able to do that with ease. Give me about a half hour, and the boy will be fine."

"Also," he began cautiously, "I have another favor to ask, this one is in regards to my cousin…"

"Well, well, aren't we just full of favors today?"

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

A whole day had passed by before a relief flushed them all, Miroku had returned with Kohaku. All the time they had worried that something had happened to him the entire time he was gone, even though he had specifically told them it would probably take that long. After all, each of them had a bounty of their head for crimes against their country. Apparently, Shimizu had seen to it. It was out of pure vengeance that he went through that effort, getting Kagome back would solve nothing. She was too 'tainted'.

"Sango-chan will be very happy to see you," Kagome assured him the moment he returned, since she was the one to answer the door for them. "She's been very worried."

"All's well, finally," Miroku assured as he looked down to Kohaku, who finally was able to actually _look _at people back instead of lifelessly staring at nothing at all. The boy even showed a smile.

"Hello, Kohaku-kun, I'm Kagome," she greeted with her usual warm smile, "I'm sure my cousin has told you how we are friends of your sister."

"He has," Kohaku said with a small nod, "can I see her now? I remember that she got hurt…"

"She will be fine, just need some time to heal," Kagome explained as she motioned to the room behind her, "she will be _so_ happy to see you."

With a grand smile, Kohaku nodded his head before darting into the room. A loud, yet joyful, 'Kohaku' could be heard from Sango as soon as she saw her brother. "Aren't you going to go see her, too?" Kagome inquired with a nod of her head towards the door that was left ajar. "She's worried about _you_."

"That's nice to hear," he promised, "but I believe they deserve some alone time together. How is Inuyasha?"

"Fine," he heard the gruff declaration from his side, so the violet eyed man turned to see the hanyou standing there. He was upright without any problems and fully clothed, though he could see a bandage of two below it all. "I'm almost all the way healed."

"How long will it take you to become completely healed?" he countered.

"Not long, why?"

"You aren't even completely healed," Kagome countered quickly to catch both boy's attention, "you're arm hasn't healed all the way, if you put too much pressure on it then it'll break worse."

Miroku resisted the urge to sigh as he looked down to his left arm, it was true, from his night of being tortured for treason his arm had been broken. It would take more than a month for it to heal properly, but he didn't feel as if they had the time. So he merely shook his head lightly and said, "I'm fine, you worry far too much."

"The kids a'right?" Inuyasha inquired to change the subject since he agreed with Miroku on that. When it came to injuries, Kagome worried her pretty little head too much.

"Yes, his memories are still very vague from his time with Naraku but…" he cautiously paused to look over his supposed cousin before turning to Inuyasha, "he remembers where Narkau's main home is. I believe we only have a short time before Naraku decides he should move from there, in case we were able to get Kohaku's memories back. It's a day's journey to the east."

"What the hell are we waiting for then?"

"Inuyasha," Kagome harshly whispered, "you aren't in any condition to go fighting, look what happened to you last time."

"I wasn't prepared last time, he ambushed us, this time it'll be different."

"This time it will be we who ambush him," Miroku declared, "Kagome, I know this must be awfully difficult for you but… we have to go now. Or else we may lose this opportunity. Once Naraku is dead we will have one less thing to worry about. We haven't the time to heal up properly."

"You'd rather go damaged?" she countered, "this is not a good idea at all."

"I think it is," Inuyasha asserted, but of course he did, he always was ready for another fight. That and Narkau had always rubbed him the wrong way - he kidnapped his women twice, and tried to hurt her more than just that.

"Of course you do," she muttered, "Sango-chan won't agree to this."

"That's why…" Miroku murmured as his attention turned to the door she was behind, "I won't be telling her. We should leave now anyway, we could be there by dusk tonight if we hurry."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"Inuyasha," Kagome whined as she grabbed his arm tightly, "please, don't go, don't do this. Rest, we'll have another chance sometime in the future."

"I won't this over with now," he countered as he tugged his arm free. "Just trust me, I'll be fine. I'll even make sure to bring this idiot back with me unharmed."

"I'm going to go tell Sango-chan," Kagome threatened as her hazels turned to Miroku.

"We'll be leaving either way," Miroku stated.

And it was true, regardless of how much she would argue, they'd be gone in time to making it to their destination by night fall. Whether that was a good thing or bad…

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Night cascaded through the sky before they got to the fairly large house in the midst of an opening within the forest. It reeked of Naraku and the aura around it was terribly warped, he was there… he hadn't moved just yet. To them, it seemed perfect. They had the upper hand, there was no way he could have known they were coming. Could he…?

They had discussed various tac-tics the entire journey there, different ways they could work together to defeat this beast. There were two of them and only one of him, granted he was a merger of many demons but he was still merely one man. And mortal, he could die.

They all could…

"Killing him won't solve all our problems," Miroku had mentioned earlier that day, "we still have a bounty on our heads. We'll never be safe here."

"We'll be safer once he's gone," Inuyasha had answered. It was the truth, after all. Narkau had an obsession with Kagome and Inuyasha wouldn't allow that. He wasn't about to let that dirty bastard try to 'taint' her further.

He unsheathed his sword, ready for a fight. He didn't care if all his wounds weren't completely healed, he didn't mind that he wasn't fighting at his best, because with Miroku's help, he felt like he would be. Together they could take this challenge, he was sure of it.

Though, he wasn't so sure that they'd both live through it. He sure as hell hoped he would but… there was always a chance that would fail.

He slashed his sword in the air, causing a cascade of yellow lights to fly towards the house and destroy its outer wall. A deep throated chuckle could be heard after it fell, out of the dust arose a figure. In a flash, tentacle like appendages began to emerge from him only to strike out at each of them. It was surely meant to try and keep them apart, but both knew he would try that so they moved to the left together to avoid the attack.

In a swift and unified movement, Miroku threw a couple of talisman in Naraku's direction. When they stuck on him they froze him for a moment, which was long enough for Inuyasha to continue on with his attack, another slash forward to slice off a few of his extra parts. A scream of pain was welcomed to their ears, until something came out of the ground to stab Miroku in the side. Another root attempted to do the same to Inuyasha, but he saw it coming and avoided it.

Finally, that broke the two apart, which started a frenzy of uncoordinated attacks and plenty of blood to be spewed across the ground.

In the end, there were three stilled bodies upon the ground.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

Two days.

Two whole days had passed by before Kagome allowed her worry to consume her, her hazels to constantly stare out the window longingly - hoping, praying, that those she loved would return. The man who was not her blood but might as well be, that was who she was so very worried about. Granted, she did love Inuyasha ever so much but he was a _hanyou_ and had proven time and time again that what hurt a human was just a scratch to him.

Miroku… he was just a human.

She wasn't the only one that worried about him, she could tell every time she checked on her friend that her heart was heavy with worry, too heavy to be joyful over the return of her brother. Relief coursed through her veins, since she knew she had Kohaku back but… an equal amount of pain pulsed in her heart. Miroku had left without even saying goodbye.

Without her even telling him that she loved him… she did. No one would ever do so much for him as he did, no one would ever endure all that he had for all the horror she had put him through. Yet, he still loved her. Still praised her, still told her how beautiful she was.

For a brief moment she had thought her world would be fine, perfect even. She would have her brother and her lover, the two most important people in the world to her. When she didn't hear Miroku follow Kohaku into her room she called out for him, when she didn't hear him she worried just briefly… when Kagome came in to tell her what the boys were up to it crushed her.

They didn't know what they were going up against. She had seen Naraku do his worse and she knew that both boys were hurt. Maybe Narkau was mildly injured from their last encounter but nowhere near as badly as Inuyasha and Miroku.

"What will we do if they don't come back?" Sango finally asked, breaking the silence of both women's worry.

Kagome was quite a while longer, then she swallowed and looked to Sango who was lying on her side due to her injuries. "I don't know… how long should we give them?"

"It's been two days, Miroku said it shouldn't have taken them more than a day to get there?" She waited for Kagome to nod, confirming what she had thought. A sigh left her lips before she continued, "well, if they aren't back in another two I think we should do something."

"You can really get up and walk around yet," Kagome reminded.

"I could," Kohaku interrupted, earning both their attention. "I know where it is, I could go find them."

"No," Sango staunchly stated, "I refuse to risk losing you again."

"I would say that I could try and find them but I shouldn't leave you unattended, Sango-chan."

"I'm very worried about them…" Sango stated as her eyes shifted up to the sky, it was the second day since they left and the darkness was once more taking it. "Maybe they couldn't find him… maybe they decided to try and find him somewhere else?"

"I think they would have come home to tell us that," Kagome muttered, she would like to think they were safely wandering around, too, but she was aware that they would have returned to tell her what their next plan of action was.

A thud at their door caught their attention, they both turned their attention to it before Kagome rushed to the door to see who it was. When she opened it she held her breath and covered her mouth. Quickly, she stepped aside to let the one at the door in.

"What happened?" Sango inquired as she sat up, wincing in pain all the while. There Inuyasha was, lugging in an unconscious Miroku - at last, she prayed he was just unconscious.

"Naraku," Inuyasha grumbled as he lied his friend down, "we got him… he's gone. But Miroku got pretty badly injured, I was able to patch up his wounds enough to get him back. I was hoping you could work some magic on him, Kagome?"

"I'll try my best," she assured as she knelt down to the raven haired man to look over him. Blood was all over him… she really hoped it wasn't all his own.

She couldn't work actual magic, but she did all she could to tend to his wounds. First she had to unclothe him completely to try and find out where all his wounds were, then she lathered on plenty of ointments. She had a jar for preventing infections already prepared, a jar for helping wounds heal, a jar for numbing the pain, and a more bandages than she could possibly need in case they came back with injuries.

Quickly, well, at least as quickly as she could while still being thorough, she worked on him. It took hours until she finally felt she was finished, and even through all of that he hadn't awoken. He had lost a lot of blood, his arm was broken again, and he surely had some venom in his system. Unfortunately, the medicine she had for the venom had to be drank which meant he would have to awaken for some relief from whatever pain that caused. It also had to be consumed _before_ the symptoms started to show… she doubted he had much time.

"Please, Kagome-chan, tell me that he'll be alright," Sango whispered from behind her.

"Sango-chan, you shouldn't be up," Kagome countered as she looked to her friend who had to cling to the door to stay upright.

"That's not a very reassuring answer," Sango muttered as she made her fumbled way over to sit next to Miroku on his bed.

"I want to believe he will be fine but… really, with all his injuries, only time will tell. I was able to reset his arm, so if it heals it should heal properly."

"_If_ it heals?"

"I mean, _when_ he heals," Kagome corrected with a forced smile. She had to believe he would make it through this… he just had to. "Call me if he wakes up."

Sango just nodded at that request before Kagome got up to go check on Inuyasha, when she saw the way he was holding his side she knew he was injured as well so she grabbed her gear and led him to their room. "Take your clothes off, now, Inuyasha."

"Jeez, Kagome, you really missed me, eh?" he questioned with a grin only to receive a dull stare in return.

"Stop pretending like you are not hurt." She ordered and then pulled out an awful smelling liquid. "I'll kill you if you argue with me, just drink this."

He frowned deeply, he knew very well what that was supposed to be and he also knew he had poison in his system so he reluctantly took it and drank it. Gagging so much that he hurt his wound further and winced as he grabbed his side.

"Take off all your clothes, Inuyasha," Kagome ordered once more. Unwillingly, he did just that. Exposing far more wounds that she had thought where there. With a frown, she let her hands hover over the ones on his chest, then his stomach, then her eyes glanced at the ones up and down his legs. She shook her head, "why didn't you tell me how hurt you were from the start?"

"Miroku was far worse off, I'm not going to die," he rejoined. Miroku could have… Miroku got hurt a lot worse than him in the fight.

She just leaned in to kiss him upon the forehead, she then began to work on his injuries. There were quite a few, she figured it would take just as long as it did with Miroku. The one advatange this time, was that Inuyasha was awake enough to tell her which hurt the most. That was always a helpful way of deciding which needed to take priority over the other.

Either way, when she was done, she had to tell him exactly what she needed from him. "Go to sleep, don't you dare get up for anything for a while. If you are hungry, call me, I'll get you something to eat. Do you understand me?"

"I understand, Kagome," and for once, he'd listen to her.

His body ached too much to protest, it begged him to listen to her, and the moment he shut his eyes he was out cold.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

It took a full day for Miroku to finally awaken, to finally tell her how he felt, what hurt and what didn't, and from the sounds of it the poison had already started to take effect. She would have to find some other herbs to counteract it, since it was too late for the strongest remedy she knew. At least he was alive, for the time being anyway.

Sango had refused to leave his side for anything, so Kohaku and her had gotten a cot to put in the room so that Sango could sleep on it. It was rather pointless in hindsight, she only ended up using the same bed as Miroku. It was what they bother wanted.

Neither were well enough to move around too much, so when it came to doing just about anything it was either Kohaku or Kagome that got them water or food, that helped them bath or get to the bathroom. It wasn't always glamorous but it was what mattered and what helped them get better.

It would take a couple weeks but Sango would be fine, it was Miroku everyone worried about.

"Kagome," Miroku began on one of the many ties that she decided it was time to change his bandages, "I want to tell you something."

"Alright," she said as she looked up from what she was doing to see that look in his eyes. She hoped he wasn't planning to confess anything to her 'just in case I die', he had been saying that often after his fits of coughs from the poison.

"When I went to see the mystic, I asked her for another favor," he explained, cringing when she pried some of the bandages from his wounds. "I asked her to tell me where to find the Higurashi family, the one that was yours."

She pressed her lips together before she looked him the eyes, "and?"

"They left the country after you were taken from them, they live in the bordering one. If you could get there, if you could get past the border, then that bounty of your head would be rendered useless. The two kingdoms are feuding after all and anything that Shimizu says wouldn't be held in any sort of regard there."

"Why do you say it like that?" she asked with a frown, "if _I_ get there, don't you mean we? If _we_ get there then the bounties on _our_ heads wouldn't mean anything?"

"Right, of course, we," he smiled weakly at her.

"In a month, I swear you'll be alright, I promise that you, me, Kohaku, Sango, and Inuyasha will all be crossing that border together."

"Sounds good," Miroku murmured, though he knew how difficult of a task that would be for one person let alone five.

"I love you."

"I love you as well," he assured as he squeezed one of her hands. She was practically the only family she had in the world, and really the only one that ever mattered since the passing of his parents. He just hoped that someday soon, she could know her _real_ family. And he prayed that they would open their arms to her. That they'd accept her.

That'd she get a happily ever after.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

The borders were severely guarded, most of what split the two countries were rivers and up and down each of them were boats that would catch anyone who tried to cross illegally. Any chance they had a crossing legally went out the window when bounties were placed on their heads, even though _if_ they got to the other country they would not be honored, it still meant they were dangerous and they didn't want to allow them into their country.

"Bribing someone would be the easiest way, I suppose," Miroku had mentioned after he was well enough to at least sit up and go out into the living room around. A month had passed by and whatever funds they had to support themselves were nearly gone, they would have to be gone in a couple days. Which meant, "yet, we have no money."

"If we were able to get over there would we be alright?" Kagome questioned, "I mean, we wouldn't be citizens."

"I hear they don't check papers often, and your family is in a small village so it would be simpler there than in a large city I believe."

"I see," she murmured as she looked over to Inuyasha, he was almost completely healed. Anything that hadn't disappeared all together wasn't any worse than a paper cut. "Any ideas over there?"

"I have a… friend," he supposed, he could use that term, "who owes me a favor. I think he can help."

"And who is this friend?" Kagome questioned.

"A demon, and at the time being they all owe me, they think it's thanks to me that…"

"I failed," she supposed.

He just nodded at that.

"Would humans need to be harmed?" Miroku asked, "your demon 'friend' wouldn't be in need of harming anyone, right?"

"He has a lot of money, he could bribe someone," he answered. "He'd feel like that's the easier way. If he killed someone it would just spark a demon hunt, after all."

"How long would it take you to contact him?" Sango inquired.

"I already sent him notice of what I want to do," he stated with a shrug, "he should be getting back to me soon."

"And you didn't tell us?" Kagome questioned.

"I guess not," he really didn't want to get her hopes up just in case his friend failed me. He doubted it, but he wanted to hear back from him before he threw that idea out there.

Luckily, it took just a day more to hear from him and only two more to get across the border.

Then, all they had to do was just make it to the Higurashi house. A simple two story home next to a tranquil temple…

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

"We'll need to find jobs here," Miroku mused as he leaned against the door to the inn that they were staying at, with money that Inuyasha had received from his friend. A flee demon, it just so happened to be, by the name of Myoga. "And then somewhere to live…"

"Together?" Sango inquired, winning his attention back to her.

He smiled, "I was hoping so. You, me, Kohaku, all under one roof. I would like that, very much."

That earned a smile of her own, a _genuine_ one, one that warmed his heart. "Well, on the way in, I did see that a shop was looking for a physical trainer. I feel like I could do that job fairly well."

"Of course, a demon slayer has to be in tip-top shape, am I right?"

"Exactly."

"I saw that there was a school here, if you would like we could try and enroll Kohaku there at the start of the year," he suggested.

"That sounds like a very good idea." Just then, their attention turned to Kagome who was fully prepared for what she was about to go and do. She wore a white shirt and a green skirt, with a red scarf, and looked ever so nervous.

"You'll do great," Miroku assured, "I'm certain they will be happy to see you."

"It's been over twenty years," Kagome muttered, "they've probably moved on…"

"No mother could ever move on," Sango stated with a smile, "I just know she will be happy to see you."

"Wish me luck," Kagome requested before she left to go across the small village and to the two story house that she had tried to go up to already twice since she had arrived. It took a series of breaths and constant mental reassures to finally get her to knock on the door. What if no one was home? What if they really wouldn't care anymore? What if they didn't want her? What if they didn't believe her?

All of her questions died when a woman answered the door, she appeared to be in her mid to late forties with short wavy black hair and sweet brown eyes. There were a few wrinkles upon her forehead and cropped around her eyes. It was probably just her imagination, but her voice seemed so familiar to Kagome as she spoke.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

Kagome swallowed before asking, in stutters, "a… are you… Hi… Higurashi-sama?"

"Yes, that's me," she assured.

"I… I'm… Kagome," she held her breath then, wondering if that was good enough or if she had to explain it further. She didn't know if Kagome was the name that her supposed father gave her, or one that she already had.

A gasp came from the women as she covered her mouth and looked over the girl in front of her. Finally, she took her hand away and said, "of course… of course you are. I should have known. I should have... but… but how?"

"It's a really long story," she assured, softly, but with a smile. It seemed to be going well enough.

"Come in," she requested as she stepped aside, "and please, take your time in telling me it."

She would, she had planned it out time and time again. Exactly how she would explain everything to her family.

|**-**{**x**}{**o**}{**x**}**-**|

She was going to stay, that much he was certain of after he heard how well her family had taken it. Apparently, her mother had remarried a couple years later and had a son with her second husband so she had a half-brother. He had never seen Kagome so excited when she went on and on about her night at the Higurashi household, then to hear she had a grandfather! One that was her father's father made her so happy. He could tell her countless stories about her dad.

And, what made her happiest, was to hear how her grandpa said she looked so much like her dad. Well, that was, if her father was a girl. Apparently she had his nose and complexion. She was happy, she would certainly be happy there… Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku were already talking about setting up their lives in that very village.

They wanted to get jobs and a house together, apparently the village was in need of a spiritual guide and an exorcist and Miroku was more than fitting for that. Sango had already applied for the physical trainer position at the health clinic. Kohaku was excited by the idea of getting into school there and making friends his own age.

Everyone was so happy, so ready to move to the next step of their life, but… what did that mean for him? He was fairly certain he couldn't stay there, that he wouldn't be welcomed. He was a hanyou, after all, and had given up his human traits when he revealed himself to Kagome. And her family probably wouldn't approve of her relationship with him… did that really mean, after everything, he had to let her go?

That he would lose her?

The very idea made his heart collapse upon itself. At least he knew she would be happy there… that she'd finally have a family that loved her for her. That her live would be a good one.

"Where are you right now?" Kagome questioned, earning his attention back as he looked to her.

"Right here," he replied with a weak attempt at a smile as he held her closer on their bed. She had yet to move in with her family and out of the inn, but it was surely in the future. They were just getting to know each other better before she made that move.

"It's cute, isn't it? How Miroku and Sango are right now."

"I guess," if she wanted to use the word 'cute', he wouldn't use that word. He'd say he was jealous of how they acted, jealous of how they could so easily be together.

"Inuyasha," she murmured as she looked up to him, waiting until he looked to her to continue, "I love you."

"I love you, too," he assured, he could say it a hundred thousand times and it wouldn't express the love he felt for her. The adoration. The need.

"So…" she dragged out as she began to draw a random design on his bare chest, "why haven't you asked me to move in with you like Miroku has to Sango…?"

That stopped him for a bit, with a raised brow he looked over her to ask, "you… want me to? You want to live with me?"

"My mother," she always smiled when she said that, or 'brother' or 'grandpa', "said that she usually rents out the two floor of her house to tenants since there is plenty of room for them on the first. She said she'd rent it out to us. Of course, she offered to let us move in for free but… I feel better about doing it this way."

"Did you tell your mother we're together? That I'm a hanyou?" Surely, the moment she heard either of those she wouldn't allow it. She'd put her foot down. She'd refuse to let her precious, beautiful, daughter be with a man that had demon blood in him.

"Yes, and I told her how you saved me from everything, from the ritual, from the castle, from Shimizu, from Naraku, from _everything_, and that I loved you very much. She was completely fine with it."

"She… she was?"

Kagome smiled all the more as she nodded her head against his head and closed her eyes, "she was."

It was a crazy thought… that somehow, through everything, he had finally found a place that would accept him.

Somehow, he finally found everything he ever wanted. Everything he could ever need. And it was a wondrous feeling.

* * *

**_A/N_**_: I'm not good a fighting scenes, hence the lack of one. Anyway, I'm really glad I finally can say I finished this story. I know I said it'd take two more chapters, but I decided to just put the two chapters together so I can finally have it finished._

_I really hope you enjoyed the story. Thank you everyone who has reviewed and who will continue to review.  
_


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