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I don't own Inuyasha; all rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Vermillion

It was approaching rapidly; all of them could sense it. Like an ominous cloud looming over the horizon, the threat of it was ever-present, and now it was simply a matter of time before the storm arrived. Soon, the battle for the future would begin.

Inuyasha gripped Kagome closer, his arms snug around her waist. His brows furrowed, and he rested his chin atop the young miko's head. She smelled of citrus, the sweet, airy aroma of her conditioner. Yet beneath it, he detected her turmoil.

She wasn't very good at hiding her distress, he noted. Even without the ability to scent her, anyone would have picked up on the way she would sporadically clench her hands into fists, or sigh deeply.

"Stop worrying so much," he whispered into her ear, chuckling when she jumped a little.

"It's hard not to," she responded after a moment's time.

He combed his fingers through her hair, grumbling back, "I know… but there's no use getting yourself all worked up about something that has yet to happen. How does that saying go… the one with the bridge?"

Kagome smiled crookedly, pulling her knees to her chest as she replied, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

He nodded. "Yeah, that's the one."

Kagome paused, staring out across the horizon, where the sun lingered just over the hills. It blazed a radiant vermillion shade, and she recalled an old saying her mother had once told her.

'Red sun at night, sailor's delight; red in the morning, sailors take warning…'

So… that meant that tomorrow's weather would be fair. At least she had that to look forward to.

Her mother… Kagome wondered if she would ever see her again.

Upon her last trip home, she had said her precautionary goodbyes, explaining that she would not be coming back until the task of finishing the jewel was complete. She had not let them know of the coming danger, telling them instead that she was not certain the well would remain open once they had acquired the final shard.

She felt guilty, having lied to her family like that, yet at the same time, she knew it was best. If hers fears were realized, and she died in the final battle… she didn't want her family to mourn over her. At least this way they would be content, thinking she was safe and happy in the feudal era with Inuyasha.

Kagome placed a hand over her portion of the Shikon, the small, half-orb growing warm beneath her touch. She had long ago ceased wearing it as a necklace, deciding the thin glass bottle was not sufficient enough protection. Now she carried it in a small pouch in her pant pocket, the string of which was tied to her belt loop.

Skirts had also been abandoned some time ago, after one-too many incidents leading to her undergarments being exposed at inappropriate times. The last thing she wanted was to give someone like Naraku a free peek at her panties.

She shuddered at the thought.

In place of a skirt she wore jeans, shorts, cargo pants… anything that had pockets. Of course she was slowly running out of things to wear. Her tussles with youkai often left her clothing in tatters, and a third of the time they were not salvageable. Soon she would have to settle for the apparel from this era… though the idea of a kimono was highly unappealing.

She did not like the constricted feeling that came with the traditional attire, preferring garments that allowed her movement. Perhaps she would acquire something like Sango's uniform… or even a pair of loose traveling pants… One thing was for certain, she refused to wear the traditional miko garb. That path brought back innumerable unwelcome memories, and she did not intend to travel down it again.

She and Inuyasha had come together, though the journey had been a treacherous one. She did not wish to open old wounds or set them back at all. He loved her, she knew, even though he had yet to say it. She simply didn't want to do anything that might rattle their blossoming, delicate relationship.

Kagome retrieved the pouch from her pocket, dumping its contents into her palm. She stared thoughtfully down at the small shape cradled in her hand, wondering to herself over how something so tiny and seemingly infinitesimal could cause so much upset.

The meager little jewel had turned the lives of many completely upside down, and she silently cursed the Shikon for its unholy influence on people. She knew it had not been intended for the relic to be the cause of so much distress, but the fact remained. Until it was disposed of properly, the Shikon-no-Tama would continue to pose a threat to humans and demons alike.

The minds of some were fickle and easily manipulated. The tiny pink sphere offered them their deepest desire, a lure that almost no man could resist. Even the most holy of beings could turn to the darkness at the promise of its power, beguiled and hypnotized by notions of becoming stronger, smarter, better in every aspect.

That was why it needed to be disposed of. As guiltless as it was, the Tama was a menace, the power that resided within its depths far too great for the likes of mortals. It was their duty to see that it was erased from existence, so that it could no longer influence the denizens of Earth and blacken the souls of all those who fell under its spell.

By the gods, she would give her very last breath to ensure that it was forever banished from this realm… it was the least she could do for humanity. She had been charged with the fate of the future, and she refused to let chaos befall the innocents of the world.

Kagome clenched her fingers around it once before sliding it back into the pouch and slipping it into her pocket. She felt Inuyasha's arms tighten around her again, and the young miko twisted her hand into the material of his sleeve, her face buried in the crook of his arm.

Her eyes flitted to the sky one last time before sleep claimed her, capturing sight of the fading vermillion rays that illuminated the silhouette of the horizon.

How many more sunsets would she have the privilege of watching? Kagome wasn't certain, but instead of worrying over it, she simply allowed herself to slip into blissful oblivion. At least she knew that she would have one more sunrise to look forward to, while held in the safe, comforting circle of her hanyou's arms.

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