Cocktail of blood and mud

Kagome looked down at Inu-yasha, a blurry crimson image that lay sprawled before her, her heart tearing with each beat. She was dying inside and she didn't even know it, for her feelings were numb, only the sharp pain consuming her body could she feel as she sank down to her scarred knees. Blood was everywhere, seeming to ooze from the very earth floor they lay on as she looking at Inu-yasha's soulless eyes, his dead corpse mangled, ribs protruding from him as raw flesh glistened with blood.

It had all happened so fast, one moment he was leaping out the hut with her in his arms, but that was his downfall. He didn't think, just acted, and now because he had his hands and mind occupied with her he was dead, for an ambush was evident. An arrow through his neck, his hot blood splattering Kagome's face, and she savoured the metallic taste on her lips, wanting nothing more but to scream, yet the shock left the hurt to take over as someone ripped her away from his arms and starting hacking him in brutal blows as she watched in horror. Then she screamed, the sound so full of pain all who heard it knew she was dying. Angels cried as they heard her from above and rain started pouring down, mixing blood with mud in a bitter churn.

He was dead. Her Inu-yasha.

He was dead.

(A/N I'm just kidding, you can blink now O.O)

The sweetness of revenge

Shizuka closed her eyes calmly.

"No. it is no trap." She said, her voice so steady all of them faltered in their angered stances, but they regained the blazing in their eyes in a second, all hands upon weapons, ready for attack. Shizuka, however, sat perfectly still, confusing them all by closing her eyes and baring her neck to them. Truth be told, she was quite relieved the group had reacted like it had; defences up, hackles bristling, for, what kind of enemy was trusting and so desperate to help that they put themselves in danger?

Not a very good one.

She could understand if Kagome, who was a Miko and could sense auras and treachery from newcomers, added to an open heart, trusted more easily than the rest, and, indeed, she had been right to trust Shizuka and her intentions, for they were all noble and true, yet even the young Miko was tense and ready for battle. She smiled inwardly.

She had done well in calling them over.

Inu-yasha growled. All fucking messed up, that's what it was. He was confused as hell, and he hated that. Shizuka was not giving off the scent of fear or any other that would make him think it was a trap, on the contrary, she held herself proud and unfaltering, a pose that demanded respect and patience.

None of which Inu-yasha would supply easily.

Over his dead body was he going to succumb to entrapment. Not in a million years would he die if Kagome was in danger. It just wouldn't happen. Not only would he die for her, he would kill anyone too.

Would you kill Kikyo? A voice taunted from the shadows of him mind, but he brushed it off quickly with a wave of denial.

"I swear, I won't hesitate in killing you and anyone in this village if you put them in danger." He growled at Shizuka, ignoring Paloma completely as she entered the room to clean the shattered cup that had fallen earlier, but suddenly he heard rapid movement behind him, his senses told Inu-yasha he was in danger, his ears flicking backwards, but he also knew he was too late to stop the attack. He moved as far as possible to the right, propelling himself with his foot. At least the attacker could miss their target, and he tensed for a blow that never came as a loud smacking sound came from behind him. Gasps and a hiss of pain following it and he whirled around, claws ready for attack, but the sight he beheld froze him in his tracks.

"Coward. Don't even think of hitting him, especially with his back turned, or I will be the one you will have to cross." The hissed words came from none other than his innocent and kind hearted Kagome. And not only was the threat coming from her words, put she had an arrow millimetres from her exposed throat. Inu-yasha deduced from their pose, wide eyed Paloma with her neck as far as possible from the closed in arrow, holding a broom which was making a cross with Kagome lifted arm, blood trickling from what Inu-yasha knew was the impact that had caused the smacking noise and hiss of pain between arm and broom stick. How did she change so much?

"Paloma." Shizuka said her name with no emotion, neither warning or explanatory, but Paloma backed down at once and Kagome let her, stepping back herself. Inu-yasha looked at her incredulously, but for once decided to keep his tongue and enquire her about it later, he wouldn't let the, in his mind, foolish act pass.

"Paloma, be seated. That was no way to act." Shizuka ordered, her voice slightly scolding and Paloma did as was asked with her head bent down, but she spoke nonetheless.

"He threatened you, my lady." She said, her angered green eyes flickering towards Inu-yasha for a second before they trained on the ground again. Paloma looked at her, her expression a mixture of understanding and reproach.

"He thinks this is a trap." She informed her calmly, her expression back to such a stoic state it resembled Sesshoumaru's. Paloma looked up at her in surprise, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

"Why? We are trying to help them, and this is how they repay us?" she asked, outraged, but Shizuka remained calm and unfazed.

She is so young, and gone through so much. She has a lot to learn about the real world though.

Shizuka thought with unchanging expression.

"They have good reasons." She said, and turning to look at the group went on. "And I have good reasons for calling you to this village, but as I have said before you will go unharmed if you do not wish to assist me, but you must listen to me first." She said, her voice sterner. Everyone looked at her for a moment and she saw as they backed down, Inu-yasha sitting beside Kagome, casting her unattended arm a concerned look, then an angered one at Paloma who did not meet his eyes. Shizuka sighed inwardly, but made no outward signs of relief. Looking at them she decided to tell them the whole story, leaving details out.

" My parents died when we were young by a group of common warriors in my home village far to the north. Or father and mother were outcasts, tainting us with them, and we had no other family that we knew of, so we had little option but to turn street urchins. We scavenged out in the streets for a few years, but my brother was completely obsessed." She said, her eyes glazing over in memory as her story deepened. She sighed and paused and everyone looked at her expectantly.

"Obsessed with what?" Sango asked. She could relate to her in many ways. Her family killed, only hope in her brother, both who ended up dead, but being used in some way.

In Kohaku's case, he was dead, a puppet to be used for the amusement of evil hands, the strings snapping Occasionally, with little care, and she wondered if Shizuka's heart broke each time she saw her brother.

In Shizuka's case her brother had ended up so desperate he had given himself to demons, turning into a maniac killer who's idea of a costume was a baboon pelt, and was so lonely he had to create incarnations of himself, and even those hated him…

Shizuka looked up at Sango's compassionate voice and smiled slightly.

"Obsessed with revenge. I guess you can all understand about it, but I couldn't, and still can't."

"He saw them being killed. Our parents I mean." She clarified, even though no one gave the impression of not understanding. "He was bent on it. Always asking, always searching for the tribe that had killed our parents. I could hear him at night, murmuring, whispering. I didn't even know if he was dreaming or awake. I never tried to find out." Her voice was low, and everyone except Inu-yasha was leaning forward to capture every word, and even him showed signs of interest, with his dog ears trained on her, only flicking to the sides occasionally.

"One day he found out who they were, and went crazy with glee. I had never seen him so happy since the day of our parent's death, but it was a twisted kind of happy, for his eyes became blood shot, his smile too eager. It was the first time I was afraid of him, but by far not the last." She confided. She seemed so lost in the memories she didn't even look like she knew she was telling someone her tale anymore.

"He told me we would kill them. 'We will kill them all. Every single one of them' he said. But I…I just couldn't." She shook her head, and looked up at them with pleading eyes, as if asking them to understand. "Maybe it seems wrong, that I didn't-don't- want to avenge my parents but I…I just don't believe in revenge." She said, and then laughed bitterly, startling them all as Paloma looked at her worriedly.

"But I don't suppose you would understand, that is what you are searching for." She said to the group in general, who exchanged glances. Shizuka shook her head again.

"I'm sorry. I just…bad memories." She said with a strained smile. Nobody said anything and she sighed.

"Onigumo had a pent up bloodlust he had held up deep inside, and because he had a target he was set on reaching it. He was outraged I would not help him. He struck me, spit on me, told me I was a disgrace to our parent's memories and let without a backwards glance…" She said. Kagome gasped quietly. She remembered when the fake Inu-yasha had hit her and touched her cheek self consciously. Inu-yasha spied on her through the corner of his eyes and frowned. The way her fingers lingered over her cheek and her glazed eyes suggested she was re-living something and he growled, making Kagome look at him and as their eyes met, his angered with the thought that someone had hurt her. Something flashed through her eyes and she flinched back slightly before quickly looking away. His heart constricted painfully.

Was that fear he smelt on her scent?

He stared at her, eyes softened with hurt, but Shizuka's voice interrupted his thoughts and his head snapped back to look at her.

" While he went off in the look of revenge I worried myself with surviving. One day, I found a wounded, almost dead, half-human, and saved him. He turned out to be from this village and brought me here after he was healed." She said. They all looked at her curiously. She had shared that piece of information with no need, indicating she trusted them, but what perked Inu-yasha's attention was the term she used for a hanyou, a half-breed.

Hal-human. Not half-demon. He frowned slightly, but she kept on talking as if she had said nothing out of the ordinary.

"I gathered information on him before he became Naraku. I even spied on him myself. I think he never suspected I would, he was so lost in his blood filled world." She sighed.

"He became a bandit and recollected outcasts and people he could threaten in some way. It took him years as he rose in stature. He had always been a smart boy, but cruel too. He loved to see moth's wings burn as they grazed the flame of his candle. I was always covering them up or putting them out, just too save them." A frail silence followed before she spoke again.

"At the end he rounded up a large number of demons, and even though most of them were week, they were grate in number. In the end not only did he kill the warriors, but the villages as well. Man, woman and child alike." She shook her head mournfully. And looked at Paloma. Her long black hair was let lose and was flowing down to her mid back in a pitch black wave. She was looking down to the floor, making her hair fall forward and hide her face in an almost frightening way. Everyone was startled as her low voice was strained out through clenched teeth.

"My family died in that massacre. I was in a nearby village buying materials ours didn't supply and was spared." The harshly said words made them understand the anger in her eyes as she spoke about Naraku and Onigumo and Shizuka turned her eyes back at the group.

"After that battle he seemed to calm down, but didn't retire off being a bandit, yet he did not kill as ruthlessly as before. He led a hard life, and he was by far not a good person, but was nothing compared to Naraku." She looked up at Inu-yasha.

"Can you not understand why he gave his body to demons? Why he sold his soul? He was in love with Kikyo." Inu-yasha snorted at that, but his eyes were serious, his expression tense.

"In love? He was not in love with Kikyo. He was obsessed with her, which is a completely different thing." He growled. Shizuka looked at him calmly.

"No." She said firmly. "Onigumo's heart is the only part that remains of him in Naraku, his memories, the only thing that makes the demon half human. And that part is what protect Kikyo, for she holds dirt of were Onigumo died, died, and Naraku was born. And that is what protects Kikyo from Naraku. His love for her is why neither Naraku or his incarnations can touch her." Inu-yasha's eyes widened. That was news to him. Kagome looked from Inu-yasha to Shizuka and back. Each time her name was mentioned something stirred inside Inu-yasha, she could see it clearly, and it hurt her almost as much as it did him.

"So in your opinion Onigumo is dead, so why do you want to kill Naraku?" She asked. Shizuka looked at Kagome.

"To set my brother free." She said, her words firm, as if the result of many sleepless nights. The note in her voice was final, signalling the end of her tale, and everyone was deep in though when she clapped to get their attention and smiled at them. Seemed all idea that it was a trap was out of their heads.

"I do not want an answer now. You have rooms for tonight and as long as you want to stay in the Inn. Paloma will take you there." She said, but before she could stand up the paper screen slid open and everyone turned to look at a handsome man standing in the doorway. He was probably in his mid forties, but he was strongly built, his skin tanned, his face with dog like features. Kagome was amazed to see that on top of his black hair flicked two grey furred, pointy and graceful dog ears, and though he looked nothing like Inu-yasha, being bigger with more graceful features instead of Inu-yasha's rough looking ones, he had many similarities. Apart from the dog ears his nose was slightly upturned, giving the impression of a dog even though it looked nothing like a dog nose. He also had glistening fangs and sharp claws, and like Inu-yasha, he had a smile that was more of a smirk than anything else, but the most Shocking feature were his eyes. One was shocking clear blue with a black slit for a pupil, whereas the other was deep purple, which contrasted magnificently with the other. Inu-yasha looked up at him in slight surprise. A snow wolf half-demon, his nose told him.

"Bitch, I've been looking for you." He growled, his voice low like a dog's bark, startling Kagome with the insult, and he stepped into the room, sliding the screen close behind him, yet Shizuka acted as if she had not just been called a female canine. He nodded at Paloma as greeting before looking back at Shizuka and she nodded back with a smile.

"Oh, and you thought of looking home last?" She asked, her eyebrows raised, but everyone could see as she changed completely. Her stance relaxed, her eyes were open and unguarded, shining like sun through clouds in their grey depths. The hanyou narrowed his eyes, but they could see the amusement flicker through them.

"You didn't tell me we had guests." He replied and everyone looked at him in surprise.

We?

Kagome smiled. The snow wolf demon must be the one she rescued when she was younger. How romantic.

"I told you they would be coming any day now, didn't I?" Her voice was stern but the smile betrayed her feelings, and he snorted as he sat beside her. Shizuka turned to the group, a glow around her they had not seen before, and then knew he was no friend. She introduced the group, each nodding in turn, and finally him, her husband, her mate, Shigeru. When she finished she sighed lightly, her hand under his, and she smiled at them.

"You have a bed, food and a bath awaiting you, it is late and I am sure you are exhausted. Paloma will take you to the inn where you have rooms reserved. We will talk again tomorrow." She said, standing up with Shigeru and everyone followed suit. With goodbyes and parting bows Paloma slid open the wooden screens, led them through a small hallway set as separating, and led them outside to the cold night air, causing them to shiver and put their coats and jackets on, hugging the extra clothe to their bodies. Miroku walked close to Sango and Inu-yasha to Kagome as Paloma led them silently through the subdued village. Once at the door of the inn, looking like a big, Japanese style wooden house, she told them to head through the door and tell the inn keeper that Shizuka's rooms were for them and with a low goodbye and a bow she set off into to walk through a torch lit street. The group did as she asked, entering the warm inn, and in an instant a little plumb man scuttled over with a warm yet tired smile on his face.

"Travellers?" He asked simply and Inu-yasha nodded once. "Shizuka's rooms." He replied shortly and the man's eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, lady Shizuka's? Come with me, come with me. You have two separate rooms, one for the ladies and another for men, the woman's baths are through here and the men's through there, and food will be served to your respective rooms. You will-" But he was suddenly cut off by Inu-yasha.

"Wait, what did you say?" He growled, stopping. The group stopped with him and looked back. The man looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Er…should I repeat everything?" He asked and squeaked slightly when Inu-yasha's growl deepened.

"About the rooms, old man. I will not be separated from Kagome." He warned and Kagome's eyes widened, but before she could say anything the inn keeper spoke.

"Oh. Oh right, I'm sorry, I thought you were just travelling together, I didn't know… Will you two have a room together also?" He asked Sango and Miroku. Sango's eyes widened and she blushed almost as much as Kagome, but Miroku placed his charming grin at once and replied with a nod.

"Yes." He said. Sango looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"Monk…" She warned but he put his hands up in defence.

"Please, I'm of the cloth. I merely want to protect you my lady, just like Inu-yasha wants to protect lady Kagome." He said calmly as they began to move. Kagome was still speechless and Inu-yasha was avoiding looking at her. Sango growled lightly.

"Can't we sleep in one room?" She whispered at him. Miroku shrugged, looking forward, but Sango could see the mischievous smile lighting up his face.

"Maybe lady Kagome and Inu-yasha want privacy…." He said suggestively and Sango's blush deepened. They followed silently until they reached two separate rooms not far apart from each other and the inn keeper departed with the message that food was going to be sent up after they took a bath, which they affirmed they wanted, and each one left their possessions in their room and quickly left for the baths they had been showed earlier.

OoO

Sango and Kagome slipped into the steaming water with a sigh of relief as muscled relaxed and sweat, dirt and grime from days of hard riding travel had accumulated in their bodies and hair was washed off. After they had scrubbed themselves along with lathering and rinsing their hair with Kagome's supplies they settled back into the cleaned water. They thought about everything that had happened, everything that was to come, and Sango looked at Kagome as she stared into the water.

"You and Inu-yasha have grown closer, haven't you?" She asked, a smile lighting up her face. Kagome looked up and smiled back, blushing slightly.

"Yeah…I guess we have." She said shyly and Sango's smile widened.

"About time!" She laughed and Kagome laughed with her.

"What about you and Miroku?" She teased, and it was Sango's turn to blush.

"What about me and Miroku?" She said stubbornly and Kagome laughed.

"Oh, come on Sango! How many times! It's crystal clear that you like him and he back!" but Sango sighed.

"He likes every woman he sees." She said, frowning. Kagome shook her head.

"His eyes may wonder but he's groped only you for months now. Probably a year! That means something Sango." She told her friends and Sango smiled slightly.

"Yeah well…He's a pervert anyways." She sighed, and Kagome caught the double meaning.

"Sango, I know he may be a hentai, But I'm sure that if you two were together he would be faithful. Don't you trust him?" She asked. Sango looked at her with wide eyes.

"Of course I trust him it's just…" She blushed. "I don't even like him!" She said but as Kagome burst out laughing she couldn't help but laugh with her, but when it subsided Sango's eyes turned serious.

"Kagome…" She started and the girl looked up at her and, seeing her expression, turned serious as well.

"What's wrong?" She asked, but Sango shook her head.

"Nothing's wrong I just… When we collect the Shinkon No Tama…What will you do?" She asked, and Kagome's eyes saddened and looked back into the water.

"I don't…I don't know." She sighed. "Whether you admit it or not you and Miroku will create a family, have your own house, be happy. I don't fit there." She said, and as Sango's mouth opened in protests Kagome held up a hand.

"No, no, I understand." She said and Sango looked at her guiltily, but Kagome waved it away. "Really Sango. I do." She smiled, and Sango smiled back, but it quickly turned into a frown.

"What about…Inu-yasha?" She asked hesitantly and the hurt in Kagome's eyes appeared back tenfold. She shook her head.

"He will die with Kikyo. I don't want him to Sango, but what can I do?" She exclaimed with despaired eyes. "I would give my soul to Kikyo, just to bring her back to life. I would give her my life!" She said and Sango gasped. Kagome remembered what the copy cat Inu-yasha had asked of her the first time they met. He asked for her to give Kikyo her soul, and she had thought about it. Part of her wanted to, yet the other rebelled against the idea. She was extremely confused.

"Kagome! You can't do that. Kikyo is dead, it's not fair you sacrifice yourself to give her a second chance!" She fought back, but Kagome just shook her head.

"What if that's what I was meant to do? What if it's true, that I'm just and incarnation, and my life is here so I can sacrifice it? So Inu-yasha can be happy." She added in a whisper and Sango had to hold back tears.

"Oh, Kagome…" She whispered. "What about Shippo? He needs you." She asked. Kagome looked at her guiltily and Sango saw that no matter what she did that's what Kagome would be. Guilty. Because she wanted to help everybody, make everyone happy, except her. Kagome sighed.

"I know you and Miroku would look after him." She whispered and Sango was the one to shake your head.

"You're not really going to do it, are you? It's not fair Kagome! We need you. This is your life, not hers! She died, and no matter how tragic it was, it's not fair she is given a second chance. I know it is not fair for Kohaku or any of my family or village to be brought back to life, because they are dead, and that's how they should stay." She said firmly, and Kagome smiled, and Sango smiled back.

"You know, Kagome, you are the protector of the Shinkon Jewel now. Once it is complete you will be it's rightful heir." She said without a doubt in her voice that they wouldn't defeat Naraku in time. Kagome smiled.

"I guess so…" She mumbled. Sango frowned once again.

"What if Inu-yasha still wanted the jewel to become a full demon? What would you do?" She asked, and Kagome frowned thoughtfully.

"I don't know…I know I should find a way to purify it, and I have an idea of how to do it, but…" she trailed off and Sango understood. Kagome was about to speak when someone started banging on the door.

"Wench? Are you still in there!" The unmistakable growled voice of Inu-yasha was heard through the screen door. Kagome rolled her eyes but stood up nonetheless.

"Don't get your panties in a knot, dog-boy. I'll be out in a sec." She teased, getting out of the water and grabbing a towel as Inu-yasha snorted in response. She dried herself off quickly as Sango did the same and put her pyjamas on, chatting quietly with Sango about nonsense. Finally, they finished and, picking up their dirty clothes, went out of the room to find not only Inu-yasha waiting, but Miroku also there, leaning against his staff. They straightened slightly. Kagome and Sango exchanged glances and smiled.

"Well, come on, dog boy, what are you waiting for?" and with a wave to a smiling Sango and Miroku took off to her room. Inu-yasha narrowed his eyes and 'feh'ed' but followed her, if not a little grudgingly, but appreciated the sway of Kagome's hips as she sauntered along. They reached their room and Kagome slid the paper screen open and Inu-yasha entered, closing it behind him and frowning slightly.

He had things to talk about, like why she had stopped Paloma and gotten so angry, who had hit her, when, why. Why she hadn't objected to being in a room alone with him. What if she asked him to lay down with her? He blushed, that was just wishful thinking. Kagome put her things down and turned to him, and he could see she had things to ask too.

This was going to be an interesting night.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

A/N

Disclaimer: la la la la la la la, not listeniiiing.

Did you like my little joke? Ha-ha, I'm so funny. Well, hope you liked the chapter, it was really just talking, but I don't mind speech. I think it right not to taint Onigumo's name so completely, it really is what protects Kikyo, and that must mean something. He did die for love…

Would Inu-yasha do the same?

What about for Kagome?