Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Beauty and the Beast.
Back in town Kagome arrived at her aunt's house. The door opened and who was standing there, Sota.
"Sota!" she dropped to her knees and hugged her little brother.
"Kagome!" he cried with tears welling in his eyes' "you're back! How did you escape?" he asked.
"Huh…oh, I didn't. He, he let me go." Sota had a confused look on his face.
"He let you…go?" Kagome just nodded. "Just like that?"
"Yeah, he's changed since you met him." She then wrapped her arms around Sota and hugged him tightly. She was so glad to see him again! After Kagome tucked Sota in, she went back to her room and stared out her window. Her aunt hadn't seemed too mad at her sudden disappearance. She actually didn't seem to care at all, but Kagome should have known. For some reason the house just didn't feel right, it felt like something was missing…or someone. Suddenly Kagome felt a sharp pain in her chest, it had been there ever since she left the castle, and she knew it would go away until she returned. If she even returned at all…no she was going back! She didn't care what anyone said, she had only been gone this long and she was already homesick. Then it dawned on her, she was homesick, which meant that this wasn't her home. Her home was in a castle beyond a dark forest. She never thought she would ever think that. But she did. 'I miss the people who lived there, they are much nicer then the ones I live with now. At home I had people who cared about me, who wanted me there… who needed me. But Sota needs me as well, if only I could bring him, then we would all live…' Kagome stopped, she knew what she was about to say, she was going to say they would all live happily ever after. But that wasn't possible. 'I can't live there; I need to wake up! There was no way that would work, what with school, Sota, and… everything! I can't live like they live. I can't let time just pass me by!' Then she thought, 'I can't, or do I just not want to?' she miserably laid her head on the window sill, 'Inuyasha was right,' she thought, 'real people don't live happily ever after.'
In a dark room deep inside a secluded castle there sat a man thinking close to the same thing. After Kagome left Inuyasha had gone to his room had had yet to emerge. 'Maybe,' he thought, 'Maybe I can talk to Sango. Sango was friends with Kagome, maybe she would be willing to go and ask her to come back!' with this thought Inuyasha ran out of his room and through the castle trying to find her. He ran through all the rooms until he came to one with the door cracked and peoples voices coming from inside. He was about to walk in, but what he heard stopped him.
"I can't believe he let her go!" Miroku cried.
"Her brother was sick! What would you have done?" Sango argued.
"He could have brought the kid here, or gone with her, or…something! I don't think he even tried to love her! He's always been so stubborn!"
"But…" Sango tried.
"He does have a point Sango," Ayumi said quietly.
"Yes, if you can remember, the master didn't even want us speaking about the possibilities," Myoga put in.
"Yes indeed, yet she changed him so much, we all started hoping again and that was our mistake," Kaede added.
"I miss Kagome!" Shippo wined!
"We all do sweetie," Kaede said patting him on the head.
"Eight hundred years…and we were so close, and I hate to say it, but I think this is the closest we're ever going to get," Miroku said sadly. Everyone nodded solemnly.
"You know what? I bet he never really loved her in the first PLACE!" Kohaku shouted angrily. But that was all Inuyasha could stand to hear. Look at what he had done.
'I put them all through this misery, it's all my fault. And now they will never have the chance to be normal again… and it's all my fault!' Inuyasha ran back to his room and shut the door tightly. He had waited so long, and hoped so much, now he finally came to face reality. He was finally dragged under by all the sorrow. He knew he couldn't die, but he would never come out of that room again! For the first time, Inuyasha really and truly gave up.
The next day Kagome went about her regular day, but then around six she found Sota playing outside.
"Why aren't you in bed resting?" she demanded. Suddenly a look of confusion crossed his face.
"Uhh…because it's six o' clock!" he said.
"Yeah, but your sick!" she said.
"Uhh…no I'm not," he replied. "Sis, are you alright?"
"But...didn't you write me this note?" she ask as she handed the note to Sota.
"No, I never wrote that!"
"What the heck is going on?" she ask herself.
"Maybe I can help explain that," came a voice from behind Kagome. She turned to see a man standing behind her. Kagome instructed Sota to go inside and stay while she spoke to the man.
"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" she asked nervously.
"My name is Naraku, and I came to help you."
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"See, I know the man who kidnapped you and I will make sure he will never do that again."
"What?! Inuyasha didn't kidnap me! I chose to stay with him!" sure she hadn't had much of a choice, but this guy didn't need to know that.
"Oh, well that does serve as a problem, no matter, nothing I can't handle," then he grabbed Kagome's hands tightly.
"Let me go!" she yelled.
"I'm dreadfully sorry about this, but I can't have you running off to warn Inuyasha know can I?" when he said this Kagome noticed a little gun inside his coat. A rush of fear shot through her, but then it was calmed when she remembered the spell.
"Well, you can shoot you're ugly little heart out!" Kagome sneered struggling against the man.
"Oh, I believe your referring to the spell, correct?" Kagome snapped her head towards the strange man. He knew about the spell? Then Kagome felt drops of rain fall on her worried face. "Well, I assure you, anyone who gets shot by this particular gun will die, spell or not!" The fear was suddenly back! He couldn't kill Inuyasha! Then it clicked.
"Your one of the servants aren't you?"
"Now yes, but as soon as Inuyasha's dead, I will be king!"
"No! You can't kill him! I won't let YOU!" suddenly it started pouring down rain, Kagome tried to wrench free of the man's grasp but he was too strong.
"Listen here girl, I don't want you interfering! So it would be in your best interest if you just let me go about my business."
"You want me to just stand by and let you kill Inuyasha!?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Yeah right!" Kagome yelled.
"I really didn't want to have to do this, but it seems I have no choice!" then the man hit Kagome upside the head with the end of the gun and took off towards the forest leaving her there unconscious. Or so he thought. He hadn't hit her hard enough to knock her out, but Kagome acted like it so he would let her go. Her plan had worked successfully, though she did have a nice cut on her forehead. She got up and shook herself off, then took off running towards the Castle. 'Inuyasha, please be alright!' she thought.
Back at the castle Inuyasha was moving farther and farther from reality. He hadn't eaten, hadn't slept, he just stared out his window thinking 'she's never coming back.' It hurt him badly. Knowing he would never see her smile again, knowing he would never be able to hug her. He wanted to, very much, but his stupid pride wouldn't let him! And he would be too afraid at the way she would react. So here he sat, wishing with all his might that she was with him, beside him, holding him. And what hurt the most was him knowing that it could never happen. Then he remembered his servants, and the hell he had put them through, 'I wish I could just...die, then everyone would be free, Kagome could go on with her life, and everyone who was cursed could start a new… if only I weren't here.'
"Inuyasha get down here! There's a guy out here who has a gun!" Ayumi screamed when she burst into Inuyasha's room.
"So? He can't kill us," Inuyasha mumbled. He was still in a deep depression.
"No, you should see Miroku! He got shot in the arm, and it hasn't healed! A wound that simple should have, but you can sense the magic around it! It can kill us!" she screamed. When he heard Miroku was hurt he got up and went down to see if he was alright.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'll be ok. That crazy man came around back, demanding you! He looks really familiar; I think he's one of the servants." Inuyasha just stood up; his face looked as if he wasn't all there. Of course he had looked like that ever since Kagome left.
"Stay inside, the bullet can't penetrate the castle's spell and our personal spells together," he instructed. He started walking then stopped and said "look after each other." Then Inuyasha made his way to the door.
"No you can't go out!" Shippo squealed! "You'll be killed!" but Inuyasha kept walking when he got to the door way he turned his head half way and said,
"I know," and disappeared through the doorway. They all stood in shock. Did he really not have any hope left at all?
A few minuets after Inuyasha left Kagome came running in through the front door. She was soaked to the bone, but she ran until she found everyone near the back door.
"Kagome!" everyone yelled.
"You have to stop him! Please Kagome!" Shippo sobbed.
"What? Where's Inuyasha?"
"He went outside!" Ayumi cried
"No, he can't, that gun can kill you guys!"
"He knows! He is going to let that guy shoot him!" Shippo continued sobbing. Suddenly Kagome eyes filled with pure terror.
"Why on earth would he do that!?" but she didn't even wait for the answer, before anyone realized it Kagome was gone through the door after Inuyasha.
Inuyasha walked out into the courtyard behind the castle looking for the man with the gun.
"So, we meet again," Naraku sneered. Inuyasha whirled around only to be face to face with his parent's royal advisor. Inuyasha just smirked.
"So you were the one Naraku?" Inuyasha ask, putting the pieces together.
"Yes I was, pretty clever isn't it?" he said referring to the gun.
"Sure if you're obsessed with ways to kill people!"
"Well, isn't that what you've been trying to for the past eight hundred years? Find a way to kill yourself?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"We won't ever die, but if you break the spell, it is like saying we will die now, so therefore you are killing yourself."
"Well, if you kill me then the spell is broken too!"
"Yes, well, it was either kill you and rule for a short time, or be ruled by you forever, I chose to kill you!" When he said this he gave Inuyasha a satisfying blow to the mouth which knocked him backwards.
"Always did want power didn't you?" Inuyasha said wiping the blood from his lip.
"The Kingdom should never have been handed to a selfish brat like you!" then he kicked Inuyasha back to the ground.
"And you think you would be better? Oh yes handing the kingdom to a mad bastard obsessed with power is much more reasonable!" Inuyasha shot. Naraku then kicked Inuyasha hard in the face, causing his head to land hard on the wet ground.
"Not putting up much of a fight are you? What happened? Do I scare you?" he laughed.
"No! I would never be scared of a heartless man like you!"
"Then why are you accepting defeat so easily? It has to hurt!"
"This pain is nothing! I would rather feel this then go on living!"
"As you wish your majesty!" as he said this Naraku began to beat Inuyasha for all he was worth, until Inuyasha lay on the ground unable to move.
"Now I shall finish you off!" Suddenly Naraku pulled out a gun and prepared to shoot, but he was stopped because Kagome came from nowhere and jumped on his back causing him to drop the gun.
"Get off of me!" Naraku yelled.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered.
"I thought I took care of you!" Naraku snarled.
"Obviously not! Did you really think a knock on the head would keep me away! You so don't know who you're dealing with!"
"Why you little…"In a rush of anger Naraku dove for Kagome, but also in that moment Inuyasha's eyes shot open, and they were filled with fury! He found he had more strength and he pushed himself off the ground and grabbed Naraku before he could take a single step. When Naraku turned he saw what was holding him back. Inuyasha was now standing, and he was glaring at Naraku with a piercing look that even made Naraku flinch.
"You… leave… her… alone!" Inuyasha hissed, punching him in the gut. Naraku then swung for Inuyasha but he dodged, and moved over to Kagome.
"Why did you come back!? It's dangerous here!" he asked her. Just then he noticed the cut on her forehead. He whirled around nailing Naraku with a death glare.
"You did that to her!?" He boomed. Naraku just smirked.
"That would have been all I did if she had stayed home like a good little girl," and he just laughed.
"You aren't going to lay a finger on HER!" Inuyasha yelled, and once again punched Naraku.
"Oh, and who's going to stop me? Not you!" Kagome could see the hatred glowing in Naraku's eyes. And it scared her.
"Why don't you shut the hell up!?" Inuyasha yelled.
"My pleasure!" he said as he lunged for the gun. Kagome saw what he was going for. So she ran and kicked the gun further from his reach, but she didn't expect Naraku to take out some of his fury on her by flinging her sideways onto the wet stone.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as her ran to her side. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm ok," she groaned as she got up, rubbing her head. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her protectively as he helped her up. Kagome couldn't help but wish that she could stay like that; he made her feel safe, she hadn't felt like that since…since her parents died, and for the man who gave that back to her, she would do anything.
Suddenly they both noticed that Naraku was now pointing the gun at Inuyasha. Kagome was not going to stand there and watch the man who had made her feel so safe get shot before her very eyes, so before her mind could stop her she reluctantly pushed herself out of Inuyasha's grasp and stood in front of him. Inuyasha was shocked at this.
"Kagome what are you doing!? Move!" Inuyasha muttered.
"No!" she said forcefully.
"Yes! Move!" he said again but she ignored him.
"I won't let you kill him!" She yelled at Naraku.
"Move you stupid girl!" he looked like a maniac, for he was now mad with anger, "Do you really think I would hesitate to kill you too!?" Kagome refused to budge. "Fine you little wench! If you want to die too, so be it!" A look of fear appeared on Inuyasha's face, he knew Naraku was serious! And he was not going to let him hurt Kagome! In a flash Inuyasha grabbed Kagome around the waste and pulled her against him, covering her with his arms as much as possible, then he spun around so his back was facing Naraku.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome began.
"I won't let him hurt you!" Inuyasha whispered forcefully. And right then, Kagome felt the fear of what was happening engulf her and she couldn't help but cling to Inuyasha. He was protecting her; He held her tighter awaiting the shot, but it never came. Inuyasha looked around and noticed Miroku run from the kitchen, jump onto Naraku, and send him to the ground.
"I won't let you hurt my friends!" he hollered as he landed on Naraku.
"Miroku, be careful!" Kagome yelled.
Inuyasha saw his chance and he shoved Kagome behind him protectively, and as soon as Miroku was out of the way he leapt for Naraku.
"You're gonna pay!" He yelled
"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried.
Unfortunately Naraku had not dropped the gun in his fall. He rushed to his feet and stood. Lightning flashed as he saw Inuyasha jumping for him. Inuyasha gathered all the strength reared back his fist... Thunder roared as Naraku pointed the gun right at Inuyasha's heart and scrambled to put his finger on the trigger…
"I'll kill you once and for all!"
"Go 'da hell!"
"INUYASHA!!"
Author's Note: I figured it was about time for a cliff hanger! Hope you enjoyed it! Please RR!