Natori's eyes fluttered open just as the sun broke through the sky. She found herself within Inu No Taisho's room, and she sat up slowly. She remembered her and Inu No Taisho resting in the cave for a while, and redressing and coming back to the mansion. They had fallen asleep in each other's arms, but when she woke up, he wasn't there. Sliding out of bed, Natori looked around the room. She noticed the balcony doors were open, and made her way over to them. Inu No Taisho was leaning on the railing, looking into the sky quietly. She could feel that his aura was peaceful, but sad. It was confirmed when she saw him wipe something off of his cheek. She wanted to ask if he were ok, but she didn't want to disturb him at the same time.

"Do not worry… I will be fine…" He told her without turning.

Natori crossed her arms and lowered her head. She leaned against the doorframe of the balcony, letting him know that she was there, but would still give him his space.

"I've… Been pondering your words last night… Do you remember what you asked me?" Inu No Taisho spoke.

"What did you think that your parents were thinking?" Natori answered softly, walking out onto the balcony and standing beside him. She looked up at him, and wiped away the tears that slid down his face.

He sliced his eyes at her, and she pulled back and bit her lip. He turned to her fully, and pulled her into his arms. Natori wrapped her arms around her waist.

"How long have you been out here?" She asked him.

"I woke up not too long after we came back from the cave… I needed to think, and the balcony is my usual thinking spot."

Natori pulled back immediately. "Oh! I'm sorry! I should not have disturbed you like this."

Inu No Taisho pulled her back to him. "It's fine… I need the comfort… I think… He's happy with me. I wanted to be just like him when I was younger, and I think I accomplished that. There are some things he's disappointed with however. He would have never kidnapped someone's daughters because of a lie… But he understands… I've hated liars since I was a child. I got into many fights because people lied to me… My father knew that trait would never change, but I think he sees the good that came out of it."

"I love you." Natori whispered suddenly, and Inu No Taisho's eyes widened.

His heart began to throb in his chest, and he tightened his grip on her. He buried his face into her shoulder, and Natori's eyes widened at what she had just revealed. She tried to pull away, but Inu No Taisho wouldn't let her. Instead, he fisted his hand into her hair and gently tilted her head back before kissing her passionately, letting his actions tell her what words couldn't explain. Tears began to slide down Natori's cheeks, and they finally pulled back for air. Inu No Taisho wiped the tears from her eyes with a smile, which then turned into a frown.

Natori wrinkled her brow. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Inu No Taisho sighed. "There's… There's something you must know… About Jasiris… Akiko asked me to wait until he returned but… I can't. I can't sit here and watch you and your sisters grieve over someone who… Deserved what happened to him."

Natori's eyes widened and she felt that familiar bubbling of anger that always came when someone insulted her family. However, something told her that she needed to hear him out. So instead of verbally attacking him, she nodded her head. "Alright… I'll listen to what you have to say. But my sisters need to hear it too."

"Of course."

Inu No Taisho had called a private meeting, consisting of only him, his sons, and their pets. They had been filled in on the situation, and both men dreaded having to tell their pets the truth. Natori sat between Kagome and Rin, and all three were nervous about the information they were about to receive. They were holding each other's hands, and their eyes held both fear and uncertainty.

"Thank you all for coming in a timely manner. I understand that what I'm about to tell you might risk the relationship we've built… But it must be done. Jasiris wasn't the man you thought he was. I know that you all knew of his gambling problem… But there was more… Enough that his death was actually requested."

Kagome's eyes narrowed. "His death was requested? By whom?"

InuYasha sighed. "… Your parents."

The three girls were floored by this new revelation, and Kagome shook her head. "Why would my parents want Jasiris dead!? They didn't even know him!"

"Or so you thought." InuYasha replied smoothly.

Inu No Taisho reached behind him, and pulled out a picture. He slid it down the table, and the girls looked at it with astonishment. It was a picture of their parents, along with Inu No Taisho and… Jasiris.

"Kagome… Your parents' death was a product of foul play, not sickness. Rin, your parents' misfortune was achieved through cruel means and false intentions. Tori… Those rouge youkai… Were paid to do what they did." Inu No Taisho told them.

Natori's heart clenched and she looked to her sisters. Kagome was frozen, and the lights in her eyes wavered as she processed the information given to her. Rin had tears streaming down her face, and her fist was clenched tight over her heart. Natori took a shuttering breath, and she felt her eyes bleeding red once more. The tears began to fall from her face, and she looked up at Inu No Taisho with hate-filled eyes. She searched his mind for any signs of untruth… But found none.

Kagome spoke then, her voice no higher than a whisper. "… He's not lying… Is he? He's telling us the truth right now…"

Rin glared at her elder sister. "How can you just accept what they're saying so easily!? Who knows Jasiris better than us!? He would never do that!"

Kagome glared right back. "I can accept it so easily because of the fucking picture! I was in the photography club in school! I know photo shop when I see it and that, is not fake!"

"There are memories…" Natori mumbled shakily. "Memories I made myself forget… We all have them…"

Kagome and Rin lowered their heads, all remembering the very things they wanted to so badly forget.

"Jasiris took my virginity…" Kagome whispered, making both Natori and Rin turn to her. "H-he told me… That if I didn't… That he'd toss us all out… He said… That we should grateful for taking us in… That without him… We'd all be either dead or struggling in the streets… Th-that I should be honored to have him as my first… I-I didn't want you all to be thrown out… So I… I…" Kagome covered her face, and both of her sisters stood and hugged her tightly.

"What the fuck…!? Why didn't you tell me!?" Natori cried, holding onto Kagome as if her very life depended on it.

"That's why you couldn't walk that time…" Rin whispered in horror.

"Please… Please tell me he didn't do anything to you two!" Kagome exclaimed, looking up at her sister through her teary eyes.

Rin looked away. "No… He just fondled me… Tori, what about you?"

Natori bit her lip. "He told me that I was too ugly for him to lust after… But he's slapped me around a few times… Heh, he even broke a bottle across my head… He told me that I was weak… That I was stupid… That all I would ever be good for is being his punching bag… He strangled me one night… And one time when he was drunk he grabbed a knife and started cutting me… I wanted to fight back… But I thought of him as my savior… I thought that if I fought back that would throw all of us onto the street… So I let him abuse me…"

InuYasha growled. "The bastard was a menace! How the hell were you friends with him!?"

Inu No Taisho scoffed. "Please. I never liked him. I was only cordial because the rest of my friends asked me to be."

Sesshomaru sighed. "Do you all understand now why we took you away? Jasiris' loan was just an excuse."

Natori's eyes resumed their usual amethyst, and she nodded, as did Rin and Kagome.

Kagome turned to Natori. "Is that why you're so self-conscious now?"

Natori nodded. "Yeah… We were so in denial… But I would have never guessed that Jasiris paid off youkai to murder my parents! That bastard!"

"But my question is why…? If Jasiris were friends with our parents… Why would he orchestrate your parents' deaths? And why would he ruin my parents? And the stories about how he found us… Those were lies? He's not the good Sumerian he portrayed himself to be."

"Why now?" Kagome asked. "Why tell us this now? Of all times!"

"Because…" InuYasha blushed. "Things are getting pretty serious… And m personally, I got sick of you shedding tears for some monster who doesn't deserve it."

Natori stood to her suddenly. "I'm going for a walk." She said as she left the room. She walked down the hall with her head lowered. She crossed her arms as she made her way briskly towards the gardens.

'You would let him replace your love for me with hatred?' A voice asked.

Natori turned to the sound, and her eyes widened. Standing before her, wearing the same clothes he wore that fateful day. Blood covered his shirt, and she could see that he's throat had been harshly slit. His translucent body glowed with a light all souls possessed.

Natori's eyes narrowed. "What do you want? Jasiris."