A/N: This is just a one-shot. Thank God. The idea came to me while I was trying to go to sleep a few nights ago. I don't even know how my mind got on this track, but oh well. Um, the ending certainly won't be satisfactory to many of you, but hey, it's not suppose to be.

This is, as you can see, set in modern day Japan. No idea where in the country though...Not everyone is a human. The characters I borrowed from InuYasha retain their normal physical characteristics.

WARNING: CONTAINS CHARACTER DEATH. EXTREME OOC.

Now you can't complain that I didn't warn you.

Disclaimer: I own nada of the below mentioned characters, except Itah and Setar (I can't even remember if that's how I remembered I spelled his name...), and the plot is simply a work of mi mind muy cansada. Little Spanish for you right there. I'm just saying this: mi-my; muy-very; cansada-tired(feminine version of cansado)

End A/N.

Setting: Modern Day Japan

The laughter...the sneers...the beatings...When will they stop? Kagome asked herself as she tried to fight off her attackers. But she knew it wouldn't do any good. There were too many. She curled into a ball, simply trying now to protect her face and chest.

Kagome prayed that they would soon stop, but she knew deep down they weren't going to this time. She had pissed them off too much. They were going to kill her this time.

She hissed in pain when a foot found an old bruise on her back. Soon, as she began to fade in and out, Kagome felt someone grappling with her school's uniform skirt. She felt fear seize her heart, afraid of what they were going to do, but when her head was struck by a shoe, Kagome found she didn't care as long as she wasn't conscious to witness it.

"HEY! Hey! Yeah, I'm talking to you five!" A boy about her age that Kagome barely registered ran over. But she did recognize his voice. Help...Help me, InuYasha, she thought feebly. "What are you guys-oh my gosh! Are you all beating up on this girl? HOLY CRAP, is that you Higurashi Kagome?" InuYasha asked Kagome, bending down to be eye level with her.

Kagome cracked open a bruised eye and rejoiced mentally that it was InuYasha. She didn't know him all that well, just that they went to the same school, but he could be pretty intimidating. She would often catch him scowling at her in class, sending shudders down her spine.

But at least he seemed concerned now. Possibly helpful. Maybe he would help her?

InuYasha grabbed hold of Kagome's bloody hands and tugged gently. She winced but allowed him to help her up. Glancing around her in fear, she leaned into InuYasha. She heard him gasp and looked up at him questioningly. He just shook his head and asked, "Why are your hands so messed up?"

Kagome looked away from his curious expression and strange amber eyes. Staring over his shoulder into the distance, she told him in a quiet and monotone voice, "When they were-were kicking me, I held my hands up to cover my face. Their shoes must've tore 'em up."

"Why? Why would they beat you up so bad?" InuYasha questioned.

But before Kagome could give him an answer, one of her tormentors, a cat youkai by the name of Itah, stepped forward and, while lunging for Kagome, yelled, "Leave, Taisho. This is none of your business!"

Kagome tried to sidestep the attack but was instead knocked into the surrounding crowd of demons by InuYasha. She felt hands grab her shoulders and looked up to see one of the cat demon's friends, Koga the wolf demon, grinning devilishly down at her. She squirmed and tried to break free, but the youkai was too strong for her, a mere human.

Koga abruptly stopped grinning and leaned down to whisper into Kagome's ear, "Stop fighting me. I'm here to help you. I will do you no harm."

Staring disbelievingly at him, Kagome exclaimed, "What are you talking about? You were with the rest of them, kicking me nearly to death!"

"No, I wasn't," Koga protested, wincing at how loud her voice had been. "I was pretending to. When I heard them saying back at school that they were going to go pick a fight with you, I decided to tag along so it wouldn't be too rough. But listen, there's a way for you to get away from this right here and never have to worry about Itah or any of his friends beating you up again."

Kagome continued to stare incredulously as he explained to her how to earn her safety. She was about to comment about how he had failed miserably at helping her out when she heard a loud groan from where the crowd was gathered around. Turning away from Koga's face, Kagome spotted InuYasha on the ground, much bloodier and bruised than a few minutes ago.

Surprising Koga, she quickly broke free of his grip and ran to InuYasha's nearly unconscious form. She threw herself over him and yelled at Itah, "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you that hell-bent on killing someone?" She looked down at InuYasha and whispered, "I'm so sorry. If you hadn't tried to help me, this wouldn't have happened."

InuYasha turned his head to look at her. He told her in an equally quiet tone, "Don't worry. I'll be fine. And at least I got to be your knight in shining armor. Before..."

Kagome felt sadness seeping into her heart. She knew Itah and his demon friends were going to beat them to death. Her because she hadn't submitted and given 'due respect' to them and InuYasha...well, because he had tried to help her, although that seemed kind of extreme to her.

You don't have to die though, a voice whispered in Kagome' mind. You can get off scotfree.

No! Kagome told herself. How can you do that to him? He risked his life to help you, and you'd abandon him like that?

But what's the point in both of you losing your lives? You have the chance to survive. He, on the other hand, is already condemned because of what he is.

What he is? What do you mean?

Look for yourself.

Kagome looked curiously at InuYasha's slack face. Sure, his eyes are a strange color, but that doesn't mean-

Look closer, stupid.

Her eyes roamed over InuYasha's body, and finally, she spotted it. She didn't know how she had missed it in the first place. But apparently, her subconscious had caught it. What cute little doggie ears! Kagome squealed mentally.

Thinking out loud, she said, "He's a-what? A demon?"

Itah sneered. "No. He's a half-demon, therefore inferior. He's an affront to me and other full-blooded demons. While we're getting rid of you, human, we might as well kill him. It's gonna happen sooner or later. And who's gonna miss him? The gods know his brother, Sesshomaru, won't. His mother's a drunk, and his father ran off years ago with some human." Nodding to Setar, a donkey demon, Itah and his group began closing in on Kagome and InuYasha.

Kagome looked around, hoping to see a sympathetic face. All she found was Koga's. He gave her a look and nodded his head once. Kagome felt despair closing in, choking her, making her eyes well up with tears.

With one last apologetic look at InuYasha's unconscious face, Kagome stood and turned to face Itah. In a clear voice, she told him, "I agree with you. He shouldn't be allowed to live." Itah gave her a disbelieving stare. Kagome said, "Allow me, Lord Itah, to rid the world of this pathetic half-breed."

Before Itah could overcome his shock and respond, Koga stepped forward. "I agree. Why should we waste the energy when the human will do it?" he stated in a bored tone. "Besides, if his brother does decide to retaliate, he cannot harm a human. It is against the law. Plus, who's gonna tell him who did it?" Koga asked, letting his gaze slide over everyone gathered.

Itah stood silent with a contemplative expression, his tail swishing in an agitated manner behind him. Finally, after several moments of quiet, he came to a decision. "The human, Higurashi, will be the one to end the life of Taisho, the half-breed. No one will tell who did the deed, understood?" Everyone quickly nodded in affirmation. "Good. But just in case, so as to protect Higurashi, I think she should have a mate. I feel she is deserving of one, seeing as she has the backbone to kill Taisho." Looking around the group, his eyes lit as he found who he was looking for. With a smirk, he declared, "Koga, I think you shall be most fitting!"

Koga opened his mouth, but Itah interceded any possible protests. "Come, come! You spoke up for her, so you must at least respect her." When Koga said nothing, Itah continued. "It's not as though it is for the rest of your life! A few decades, seven tops, and you're free again!" Itah's expression darkened considerably as he stated, "But be forewarned. Any children you have, seeing as they are destined to be half-breeds as well, will be taken care of." Itah motioned for everyone to take a step back. "Higurashi, it is time. Finish off the mutt."

Kagome had second thoughts now. Now I have to be mated to Koga? I hardly know the guy! I don't know if this is worth it.

Shutup already! It's going to look weird if you hesitate! the voice inside her head screamed. Besides, it's not like by you not doing it, InuYasha's life will be spared. You just get to live. Before Kagome could continue the arguement, the voice commanded her, Now. Do it now.

Feeling as though she had no control over her body, Kagome stepped closer to InuYasha's body. She bowed her head so the others would not see the tears streaming down her face. They could smell them, but she didn't know they were able to.

Kagome clasped her hands together over her head and formed a fist. Bringing her hands towards InuYasha's head, she felt a new voice inside her head. NO! This is wrong! You and he are destined to be together! You two are the definition of soul mates! But it was too late. She had too much momentum to stop. Besides, Kagome felt something foreign inside her. It was what was driving her muscles, her hands down on the white-haired boy's head.

As her fist cracked InuYasha's skull, she heard Itah scream, "This is what you get, half-breed, for having Inu no Taisho as your father! The man who stole my mother from me!"

A/N: Told you the ending was sort of sad. Hope you enjoyed my first one-shot!

And another one is on the way!

Yay?

Hey, I know it was at least a smidgen depressing, but at least we can all agree that this is original. Right?

If you have CONSCTRUCTIVE criticism, maybe send it in. No one better leave a mean review. I replaced the original chapter with this just so I could take out the part where I asked people what they thought about the story. And no more anonymous reviews, at least for awhile.

I know a lot of people probably don't like this, but I warned you at the beginning that you weren't going to, so get over it.

Let me know what you thought Itah meant by that last line. And in case anyone is wondering, no, Kagome is not crazy. I just guess her conscious split into thirds. Who knows.

And yes, it was supposed to be confusing.

End A/N.