I don't own anything Inuyasha.

For dancingfingers- your support is legendary. And KuranKumiko- you are amazing.

I took the Hemingway approach... if there are glaring mistakes I will get to them later. Until then, enjoy the story.

…

Tokyo

Once, the Sunshine Shrine was well-known for the strength of the governing shrine maidens and the legend of the Shikon no Tama, but the importance of holy place was lost centuries ago to all those who did not serve the temple.

Kagome was one who knew the truth.

There was a time where humans and demons alike would visit. Those who sought the holy advice of the strict miko left unharmed with a sense of serenity, but all who came for the jewel were never given the chance to leave. After hastened trials, their bodies were either thrown down into the Bone Eater's Well or burned alive, depending on their race. It was against the nature of a priestess to devalue life, but their orders were to show no mercy to anyone who attempted to steal the Shikon jewel.

However, one miko, one day, did not heed this rule, and her soft heart set in motion the dark history that prologued the intolerance of today.

The Feudal Era had hardened many people and made victims of more. But, despite the hostility, Edo had remained practically unchanged. It was a balmy summer day when an odd traveler wandered through the village. His arms were scarred, his voice was gruff, and the town wisely paid him little notice. The katana strapped to his back was old, but well maintained, and his long, black hair pooled on his shoulders disgracefully. A smile never left his young face, but his eyes were too sharp for his liveliness to be genuine.

His name was Onigumo, a thief from the southern lands, who knew nothing of the Shikon Jewel.

Contrary to his profession, Onigumo had paid for his wares as he casually went through the town. Out of respect, he journeyed to make an offering at the shrine when he first saw her. So taken aback by one of the miko's beauty, he remained in Edo, sleeping in the wild outside the village and visiting the shrine house daily. The thief knew he was too corrupt for the priestess, yet he remained in town, desiring to be close and opting to only glimpse at the object of his affection.

As a side-result, he gleaned information about the true purpose of this holy place.

This priestess guarded a power more dangerous than any god and had the capability to be purer than any miko. If it were to fall into darkness, the world would be subjected to its deceptive will. She was to be unloved and untouched by any man to remain untainted for this cause. The beautiful woman was to spend the eternity of her life in service of the protection of the Shikon no Tama.

The selfish nature of the thief resented her duty. He began to plot a way to free her from it and questioned the village throughly. No villager had any pertinent information, and no maiden would speak directly concerning the jewel. He lamented, and was about to give into resignation, when he was approached by a demon.

The spider youkai cooed and coerced Onigumo into allegiance. He promised the young man not only the woman of his dreams, but the power to give themselves any life he desired. Desperate, he accepted, and the demon instructed Onigumo on what he had to do.

That night, the dull bangs of warning bells stirred the village from their deep sleep. During the length of his stay never once had Onigumo used his skills against Edo, but tonight he stole the Shikon no Tama and tried to escape with it. He was a strong and capable fighter, but was soon was overrun by the highly trained miko and trapped before he could reach the edge of the forest. While attempting to plead his case, he was dragged back to the center of the village. He did not want the jewel, he screamed. He claimed he had wanted to rid the world of it. His desperate cries offered to free the priestesses of their service. However, his attentiveness at the shrine and the inquiries about the Shikon alone was evidence against him. Bound, he knelt in the dirt and the eldest miko delivered his sentence.

He was to be burned alive for his crime.

Never once during that night did the beautiful shrine maiden appear and, as his face twisted with his misfortune, he thought he would die without ever seeing her face again. As hot flames licked and enveloped him, Onigumo tried to think about her clever eyes and small smile, but the pain warped his adoration into resentment, and he screamed until he was unable.

But he did not die.

Since he was not a demon, his mangled and deeply blistered body was not offered to the Bone Eater's Well. Instead, he was discarded in the woods and left to perish in the same place he slept for the weeks he had settled in Edo. The agony was unbearable as each breath tortured him. He lay there, bleeding in the dirt and wishing for death, when someone approached from behind. Onigumo could only move his eyes their way to see who would dare come near one so shamed.

And suddenly, he felt blessed.

The beautiful miko knelt at his side, carrying a pack overstuffed with bandages and large bowl that sloshed with cool water. He could not acknowledge her, only stare, and began to cry when she dipped a cloth into the water, cleaned his wounds, and smiled.

She sang a melody he had never heard before as the hours passed. She tended to him gently and wrapped his body in clean bandages. His elation at her presence dimmed into despair with every passing moment. Finally, she was near, as the demon had guaranteed. The woman was close, smiling and singing just for him, and he could not reach out to her.

She left, promising to return the following night. The young man could not argue or beg, just painfully accept the corrupted fulfillment of his wish, and internally begged for death instead.

The demon spider crawled up his bandaged chest and chuckled. In his hatred, Onigumo found the strength to rasped curses towards him, but it had only brightened the youkai's demeanor. 'Is this not what you wanted?' he accused. 'The miko will be by your side for the rest of your life,' the spider teased. 'She has shown you mercy, what else could you have possibly hoped from her?' The thief was trapped, but the demon had once again offered an alternative. He wish could still be fulfilled. Lost, broken, and hopeless, Onigumo agreed and countless demons devoured his body.

Thus, the hanyou Naraku was born.

When the priestess returned the following night to find her patient missing, she was too distracted by her concern to notice the woody appendage from the demon behind her. Once she detected his intent, it was too late. She had cried out, but was too far away from the village to be heard, and collapsed without another sound. Naraku stood over his kill, her heart in his hand, and smiled wickedly.

With his new power and the jewel protector's blood on his hands, Naraku succeeded in obtaining the Shikon no Tama to begin his quest for domination. Over time, the legend had twisted into a mythical lore before finally falling into little known children's stories, allowing Naraku to rule his empire with a human face due to ignorance.

Kagome had been told the story countless times. The priestess's name was Kikyo, and her merciful soul was now reincarnated within herself. The mistake of her past life was to be rectified through her, and she felt the weight of the troubled centuries on her shoulders.

The woman Sesshoumaru knew as Ocean stood listlessly in front of the pink glow of the Jewel. Her family's failed legacy and the cause of so much hate in the world were embodied within the small, smooth crystal that rested reverently on its stand. It had been the source of fearful childhood stories and the driving force of her adult life. Born into duty, she was to return the Shikon no Tama back where it should have never left. The completion of this task was supposed to be fulfilling, but it was directly in front of her and she could not acknowledge it. Whenever its power beckoned for veneration and gleamed innocently at its keeper, Kagome would never answer. She could not bring herself to when she remembered the look in Sesshoumaru's eyes the night she had shot him. He was so shocked, and so hurt. The moment she called him by his true name, one that he had never given to her willingly, she saw the centuries of pain cloud his eyes and the realization of her betrayal break him. She had cried, although she did not have the right, and pulled the trigger anyways.

Kagome remembered the first time she had seen him up close. It was in this very city, on a cloudy night, when they acquired the Staff of Two Heads. It seemed like it was ages ago. It felt like it was only yesterday. Sure, she knew he would be watching the building she invaded intensively. From the profile they could gather on him, he was probably gazing over it like a battle field to be conquered. No wonder it irked him so badly to witness her repel down and break in before him. No sooner did she enter then he had pinned her to the ground and covered her mouth to impede any protests. The thick curtain of his hair had blanketed around them, shutting the world out and making the intrusive moment almost intimate. He had stared into her, shocked and irritated. His hips were pushed into hers and she had glared dangerously at his audacity. His eyes responded in kind, and then he spoke.

"What are you doing here?"

She couldn't answer. The low timbre of his voice, even in his hushed tones, shook her. Never had she heard anything so intimidating and dangerous. He had removed his hand, adjusted his position, and she took full advantage.

Well, almost full advantage.

Even with the extensive studying of her shrine's limited knowledge on the demon, she immediately found herself respecting him. It had been tricky to bring her knee into his stomach rather than the groin, but she just couldn't bring herself to debase him. Kagome did not even realize the effect that first night had on her until much later.

His every movement appeared effortless and controlled. Whether because of his age or because of the stern way he handled himself, he had reminded her of ocean waves. In her eyes, the push and pull of the sea- with its strong crashes, rippling surfaces, and majestic power- personified the inu. Both were violent, steady, and alive… and she was uncontrollably drawn uncontrollably to the serenity they naturally offered. It was why she had picked the code name Ocean for herself. She meant it as a game, but if Kagome knew how tenderly he would call it out when they touched or how venomously he would one day curse it, she would have given him another name.

She wasn't entirely too sure that it wouldn't have been her real one.

Even after securing her partnership with the elusive taiyoukai, the shrine was unable to calculate the amount of power he was capable of. The Tashio history was hidden and almost complete unknown to humans. They had been the youkai rulers of the West long before anyone had thought to document the fact. Unlike most demons, they once had found an amicable balance with humans, and the Sunshine miko believed the best approach was to cater to that weakness through the last remaining full-blood son.

But he was unbreakable. Kagome felt she could not get close. It wasn't until the Wales job, when she dropped all pretenses and realized she had true feelings for him, that any success was gained. Then, she began to see Sesshoumaru for who he was. He was quietly fervent. The unreachable standards he had set for himself were not out of arrogance, but were in an act of atonement for the degradation of his kind. The lord had only wanted to be the best for his people when the time came. His mission was just and with every successful treasure recovered he lit up in a dark way. The manner in which his golden eyes burned for her the first night they shared a bed was only a hint of the passion that lay beneath his closely guarded surface.

God, she missed him. Yet, Kagome knew, after the New York job, she would most likely never see that side of Sesshoumaru again.

Kagome's English skills were lacking compared to Sesshoumaru's, which caused her to be more dependent on him than usual. He didn't seem to mind. As they stayed and navigated around the chaotic city of New York he took pride in assisting her. His chest swelled with the opportunity and at night would teasing whisper nonsensical English phrases into her hair as his weight pressed down comfortably against her. Kagome would giggle back and silence his game with heated kisses. Even if it was in a diminutive sense, Sesshoumaru clearly enjoyed being her Alpha.

She tried not to think about her orders to kill him.

Their two month stay in New York was to end that night. Sesshoumaru had just placed their get-a-way bags into the bathroom stall as Kagome kept look out, then situated the 'Out Of Order' sign before making their way to Shikon Enterprises: North America. It was an impressive, sleek building with dark windows and a lit spire that pulsed in a pure, pink glow like a beckon for peace and security. Kagome scowled, as she did every time she saw it, and her steps quickened. As planned, cameras were disabled and their entry went unnoticed. They reached the top floor and a bevy of security personal blocked their way. Since alternative routes were no longer an option, Sesshoumaru grinned, revealing a fang and a glint in his golden eye, as his claws twitched in preparation for mass killing. She reached over silently and gripped his wrist, rolling her eyes before holding up a small grenade. He glowered, but acquiesced and halted the release of his sticky poison before Kagome pulled the pin. They tucked into a corner and he wrapped her in his arms after she secured a gas mask to her face. He growled in satisfaction when she had leaned back into him unprofessionally. The guards had no time to scramble. The silent, odorless gas that expanded throughout the hall was sufficient enough to knock them out for the next three hours, if they were lucky enough for the guards to be of human birth. When the last of the unconscious bodies fell, Sesshoumaru rose and continued to the next room with Kagome quick on his heels.

It was heavily protected with several security measures that Sesshoumaru had no problem disabling with a cocky quirk in his brow. Kagome never thought she would find arrogance sexy. Perhaps it was his over-abundance of it that sent her over the edge. Or maybe it was because he actually deserved the recognition that made her stomach flutter. Whatever the cause, it took a moment for her to realize he was waiting on her to follow.

When her eyes first caught their prize her breath caught. It had been surreal. The Shikon no Tama was finally within arm's reach, yet after a lifetime of training and scheming she still hesitated. A small part of her mind tried to argue. It told her she did not have to take it. She could disappear with Sesshoumaru to fight the battle his way and ignore the orders of her shrine.

She could turn away.

But, she knew such hopes were impossible. As long as Naraku had the jewel, he would be unstoppable, and if the jewel wasn't returned to where it belonged there was no stopping the amount of peril that would come her way. She knew her duty and what was required of her, but at this moment she no longer felt pride. Her hands moved automatically, taking the necklace and slipping it over her head.

As graceful and trained as she was, Kagome did not expect the sentient invasion from the Shikon.

It whispered to her, calling out to the soul it recognized from so long ago, and she tried to ignore it as they rushed out of the room.

Sesshoumaru held her close as they fell down the stairway corridor and she found his amber gaze, never wanting to look away. Again, the Shikon spoke to her. It told her she had love in her heart. It chided her for allowing such weakness to impede in its protection. She pushed back tears to silence its disparagement.

They had successfully escaped and entered the previously arranged public restroom to change into civilian clothing. It was dark when she walked in but the glow of the jewel lit her away. In that moment, it chose to bargain with her heart.

'Do you wish for this youkai to live?'

She paused, briefly. Yes, of course she did, and it had read her mind.

'Then make your wish. He will live. You can be with him. Forget about this war and run. Make a wish and be happy with your demon, priestess.'

Its offer was tempting. Was it so simple? Could she make a wish and all would be forgotten?

Could she be free to love him without guilt?

They lights flickered on and she turned to Sesshoumaru. Gently, she placed her hand against the jewel and smiled. There was sadness and relief in her voice, but there was also love. "Thank you, Moon."

He nodded and slowly approached her. With each step, her hope heightened.

'We can run away,' she thought.

'Yes,' the Shikon agreed. 'You will never have to betray him.'

'I can give up being a priestess.'

'There are other guardians to attend me.'

She wilted. '… But what about him?'

Sesshoumaru was so close now. Even though she smiled he knew she could sense her tear. Tenderly, he tucked loose hair behind her ears and looked at her with all the trust in the world.

In that instant, her resolve solidified and her heart shattered.

"Come, Ocean," Sesshoumaru had beckoned. "Let's prepare."

After a few moments Kagome was in her stall, listening to the tiny movements of her demon lover and professional target undressing through the wall as she argued with the cursed gem still hanging from her neck.

'What about the demon?' it attempted to charm her.

'That is not what he would want.'

'He would not want to live!?'

A navy sundress slipped over her head. 'He would not want to be subdued." She buttoned the dress with shaky hands. "He would want this fight.'

'If he is the warrior you claim, you will dishonor him more with a death by your hand than fleeing together ever would.'

The thick leather of her jacket vaguely constricted her shoulders once it slipped on. 'I know.'

'You are foolish,' it chided. 'Between a life with you or death, do you honestly think you have the right to make such a decision for him?'

The straps of her handgun holsters bit tight into her thighs. 'That is my point; I don't have the right to make either of those choices.'

He must have scented her anguish, because Sesshoumaru suddenly said, "Ocean…" with a question on his mind.

Kagome knew what she had to do now. It was an option that crossed her mind before, but she had been too selfish to give it any heed. She zipped her bag and left the stall, quietly loading a round in the chamber of the heavy pistol she lamented in her grip, and almost smiled at the easily identifiable bullet he had once ridiculed.

From inside his stall, Sesshoumaru asked, "What was your job before this?"

Her tears fell freely as she lifted her weapon in time for him to swing the door open. For that brief moment he did not stare at the pistol in his face, but into her eyes, and she had never before seen such chaotic confusion.

"You," she answered, deciding she would rather him live and hate her than take his life's cause away from him. "Sesshoumaru."

Then she fired, deliberately avoiding a killing shot.

There had to have been a cacophonous eruption of noise, but her weeping had drowned it out. The gun smoked from her hand and Sesshoumaru flew back, colliding against the steel door of the stall and sliding down the tiled wall. There was so much blood, his blood… that she had caused. Her free hand muffled her scream and she fought the urge to collapse onto the ground. The Shikon snickered when her body almost went limp. It was no time for torment. She could do plenty of that later. With her remaining strength, she purposefully avoided looking at his body and walked calmly out of the bathroom. Her lungs burned, but she used the best English Sesshoumaru had taught her over the last two months to call in an anonymous tip to 911. Afterwards, she ditched the mobile and Kagome felt the remnant pieces of her heart finally shatter when she fled to the only place she had ever called home.

She tried not to think about that night much, but her mind could not wander to the taiyoukai without remembering how she had crushed him so completely. When she would reminisce about the soft, silver curtain of hair, it became tainted with the crimson stain of his blood. The eager breaths and content moans he had made when they were intimate now only sounded like the painful gasp forced from him when the bullet hit. His eyes… those deep, golden eyes that looked at her with such fire and trust iced over in her memories. Kagome assumed it was only fair for every part she cherished about Sesshoumaru to twist her stomach. After what she had done to him, it was probably only a small portion of the resentment he was feeling.

From the corner of her eye, she glared at the Jewel.

For such a small thing, the Shikon no Tama had caused incalculable damage. Although it was crafted out of the strength of a pure soul, the Jewel was not benevolent or true. The small gem was conscious, yet had no conscience. There was evil residing inside, just as there was darkness within everyone, and it called out to those vulnerable enough to seek out its false promises. The Shikon was strong, but only as powerful as the heart that held it. Sadly, it was only human nature to give into weakness and it fed on the natural shortcomings of imperfect beings. The human heart from which it came from would weep knowing what destruction had been wrought from her honest intention.

Kagome's proximity allowed the Shikon to make its way into her mind and it chuckled. The priestess knew she did not have to stand so close, but the punishment felt cathartic.

"Do you covet the jewel, Kagome?" an aged voice questioned from the doorway behind her. The young woman had been staring at the Jewel, but not out of worship.

"I curse it," she answered, her eyes still fixated on the troublesome gem.

The old woman nodded and adjusted her worn eye patch that hid an old scar. "Many in our line have believed it to be just that. At least it is in our care again. Although," the click-shuffle of her limping steps echoed in the poorly-lit room as she approached Kagome's side, "it is a shame we could not board the other… items." The elder miko peered at her from the corner of her good eye.

"I still don't know how he could have moved them without my knowledge, Kaede-sama."

"I am more surprised we have not heard news about their whereabouts. If the silver inuyoukai had possession, wouldn't he have used them by now?"

Kagome didn't answer.

So Kaede only bated further. "That is, if we are to believe the rumors about Saint Petersburg."

She had been receiving such passive-aggressive accusations since her return over a year and a half ago. The prodigy miko had reclaimed the Shikon no Tama to the rightful keepers, including her, but the mission had been considered a failure. The demon swords, the gateway staff, and the underworld stone were all lost once again. A meticulous recon proved Naraku had not gained them back, yet it seemed no one in the world knew where they were.

"As I said," Kagome answered, "I did not see him with any of his weapons."

"His weapons?"

She paused to consider the consequences and finally looked to the short, old priestess. "Technically, they are his."

"Do you empathize with the demon?"

Not bothering to withhold her condemnation, she scoffed. "He would disdain empathy."

The elder eyed her skeptically. "But, you do care for him."

"No." The younger woman fought to maintain her stoic calm; a skill she had learned from Sesshoumaru.

Kaede fully turned at Kagome, glaring up as if she could see right through her, and hissed, "Then why didn't you kill him?"

The reincarnated miko almost wavered under the other maiden's scrutiny. "You know just as well as I do how powerful the Taisho clan is."

"Was," the elder bitterly corrected. "And you should have shot more than once."

A heavy silence strengthened the distrustful tension. Kaede was the shrine's leader, and she was a good woman, but Kagome believed she had lost sight of what truly mattered in the underground war their ancestors had been preparing for since Naraku had stolen the Shikon no Tama.

"Are we fighting against demons?" Kagome prodded.

Kaede was unfazed, and her condescending sigh felt like a scolding. "We are fighting against Naraku. Don't let any personal ideals make you forget that and do not become one of those revolutionaries who gets lost in their own agendas until they are as self-righteous as the people they challenge." Kagome's eyes shifted to glare at the elder, but she was already walking away to leave the reincarnated priestess to wallow in her passing words. "Do your duty, Kagome, and leave the politics for others."

Left alone again in the Jewel's reverent room, the young miko attempted to calm herself a few more minutes before her heightening aggravation got the better of her and she stormed out for a much needed fight.

Thankfully, a demon huntress was already training in the dojo.

Five minutes into sparring, Kagome's oldest friend began to berate her. "You knew what would happen if you didn't get the Taisho treasures." The brown-haired woman blocked a sloppy, impassioned strike to her side. "Kaede-sama will not let up and that demon won't ever stop hunting you."

She scoffed. "'That demon' has every right to hate me, and I should be grateful to him for interrupting the England job." Her contempt caused her shoulders to shudder and a punch to land weakly. "I'm not to be whored out."

"But that Chinese target would have known how to get close to Naraku," Sango tried to rationalize, though the assurance wavered in her voice.

Kagome barely pushed away a powerful kick and took several steps away from the other woman. "We will just have to find another way to get that crystal away from Naraku. There is no point of bringing him down before he is exposed."

"Obviously." Sango grunted as she guarded against a hailstorm of reiki-powered, but blunted, sebon with her oversized boomerang. "But it hides his demonic aura and its own presence. Plus, you have to think, Kagome…" Sango unleashed a flurry of small dagger from a hidden compartment in her arm and then shook her head. The miko had almost been hit by the easily noticeable attack. Clearly, her head was far away from their training. "Pay attention. Mistakes on your part will get you killed, not your opponent's skill."

The aggravated priestess brushed her black bangs away from her face. "Yes, sensei."

Her mocking earned her a pointed jab to her ribcage.

Pulling back after the successful hit, the huntress continued to reason. "As I was saying, Naraku has had centuries to manipulate the world, and he has done so correctly. Shikon Empire has advanced technology and improved our quality of life by demoralizing demons. There are even factions of youkai who empathize with ningen hate now, especially with the uprising of terrorist demon cells." Both females rushed towards each other. "As much as it hurts to say, our kind is not going to want to see him go. There will be a backlash, from both sides."

The attack affected them both, and they tumbled on the mat with painful groans. Kagome was the first to stand and pointed her wooden katana at Sango. "Do you want out?"

The taijiya rose a brow. "From the shrine, or…"

The priestess nodded, knowing her friend would understand her secret meaning.

"I am with you, Kagome," she answered, "but I want to spare as many as possible."

The miko smirked and both women stood down.

"What is your next move?" Sango asked as they walked toward the dojo's exit together.

She breathed in deep and cryptically said, "Surveillance."

The brutish woman nodded, effectively ending the conversation. If Sango knew Kagome's true intent, she did not voice against it.

…

A/N: This chapter was originally supposed to be over 10,000 words. HOWEVER, it has been so long since an update already, and I wanted to answer some questions about Kagome's character for those who have been anxious for a bit of resolution.

Thank you guys so much for the support. Every time I see the read meter go up or get a review it makes my heart happy. You are the best.

Thanks for reading/reviewing. :]