DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: This author has no financial or non-financial relation nor do they possess any right to "Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale" franchise. Full ownership of all characters is the sole intellectual property of Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 10

All Magic Come With A Price

"Okay, would you rather give up ramen forever," Kagome continued their little game - cringing at the hoarseness already creeping into her voice as she snuggled back into Inuyasha's warm chest, "Or let me kiss someone else?"

Inuyasha groaned playfully as his arms tightened around her waist.

"Neither," he scoffed after a moment, "I choose neither."

"You have to pick one," Kagome teased and Inuyasha snorted.

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. That's part of the game."

"What if I refuse to play the game?" Inuyasha chided playfully, "What'll you do?"

"Please?" Kagome pleaded as she leaned forward and gave him the best pleading doe eyes she could manage, "I just really want to play this game with you."

Scowling, Inuyasha set his jaw and glared for just a moment before huffing in frustration.

"I need more facts. Like who are you kissing? Why are you kissing them? How are you..." Inuyasha argued miserably and Kagome snickered.

"Romantically. A romantic kiss. One time. With tongue. And someone attractive," Kagome clarified and Inuyasha wrinkled his nose.

"What is wrong with you?" Inuyasha huffed in amused annoyance, "Fine. You know what? I pick ramen. Go stick your tongue in some bastard. See if I care."

"You'd pick ramen over me?" Kagome gasped in mock offense and Inuyasha shrugged.

"Better seeing you kiss someone else one time than go without ramen," Inuyasha teased, "Besides not like you'd actually kiss someone else. It's just theoretical."

A moment passed while Inuyasha chewed the inside of his cheek as he tried to match Kagome's awful question with one of his own.

"Would you rather...have your weirdly shaped head be bald the rest of your life," he proposed wickedly, "Or never wear clothes again."

"I have a weird shaped head?!" Kagome squeaked hoarsely as one hand shot up to squeeze her skull.

"Oh my...you don't have a weird head, okay? I was trying to make the choice harder," Inuyasha huffed in frustration, "Why you gotta be so sensitive?"

"You're the one who..."

"You started this stupid game so you aren't allowed to get mad," Inuyasha clipped defensively, "Hell woman, you told me I was short a few questions ago!"

"I just asked if you'd rather be taller. That doesn't mean you're short," Kagome corrected with a wheezy sigh, "Who sensitive now?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes before glancing up at the skeletal canopy above. The nakedness of branches equal parts beautiful and sinister. Snow would be coming in the next few weeks. He only knew that because he remembered snow had fallen the day after he buried everyone and the ice left behind had glazed over the small freshly carved stones.

The fact that they'd made it to the end of the natural progression of things was part of what had panic attacks washing over him in waves. The only comfort was that he couldn't remember if they'd made it this deep into winter during the first quest. Or even how long the quest had been. Maybe it had been longer. The weather something beneath his notice before.

Except Kagome had been talking about changing up her wardrobe since it was getting cold. Had asked him what she wore last time that helped on the journey and he honestly didn't know what to say. After some painful mental calculations, he'd realized they'd only been together roughly nine months - which had come and gone since he got sent back - and that short period of time had been more than enough to get him to fall irreversibly in love. This go around he loved Kagome way more than he had the first time. Which was a problem. A giant, terrifying problem. More and more he found himself almost begging Kagome to do something to awful so at least he'd get a chance to breathe before getting pulled in deeper. All things considered, Inuyasha did not want or need to love her more. The level he had when he first got sent back was more than enough. And no amount of reassurances that this ending would be happier could convince him that being more in love with the miko was a good thing. Yes, finding jewel shards was taking longer, yes; the journey was easier, sure; but things were all out of order and the problem was similar events were happening with more and more frequency and that wasn't necessarily a good sign. It could just be that Naraku was out there plotting and the longer everything took the more time that bastard had to plan. The more jewel shards they got the more likely it was that Naraku would show up! If their journey ended the same...what would happen to him this time? He'd all but died last...

"Listen I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. I didn't mean...mean..." Kagome treated before a rasping wet cough escaped her and she groaned in disappointment, "Ohno."

"Told you," Inuyasha agreed as he mentally shook himself and drew Kagome's small form closer to his chest, "It doesn't take long to recover though. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried," Kagome managed hoarsely after a moment, "I know you'll take care of me."

A faint blush and strained smile were her reward for the compliment.

"Always," he promised - however shallow a promise that was. After all...

He had failed to take care of her. He had let her die on his watch. Horribly and painfully and...

Closing his eyes, Inuyasha tried to focus on his breathing like Miroku had been training him to do whenever something hit him the wrong way - meditation being one of the monk's areas of expertise. In the past, Inuyasha had often wondered why anyone would waste their time sitting under a tree doing nothing quietly for hours but Miroku had given his friend the key to keeping one's sanity. Meditating was apparently what kept the monk sane in the face of his inevitable and imminent demise. Since then, sitting in silence under trees focusing on breathing had been the two men's dirty little ritual while the girl's went to bathe. Most days anyway. It struck the half-demon as strange how much things had changed since his friends had come into his life all that time ago. Even with Kikyo he was always skittish. Distrustful. Afraid that she'd change her mind about him and decide to purify him.

So he spoke softly when spoken to. After the first few encounters, once he realized he had feelings for the late priestess, he'd never raised his voice. Honestly, Kikyo's ability to purify the ever living daylights out of his controlled much of his behavior both before and after her death. Especially when it came to Kagome truth be told. For all he knew, Kikyo was both insane enough and powerful enough to find a way to take all of Kagome's soul and there'd be nothing to be done about it. Mix in a little guilt and self-loathing and Kikyo found herself a sad little guardian who both hated and loved her. A blindly loyal, pathetic idiot who wasted good and invaluable time doing…

"It's getting late," Kagome mumbled lazily as she settled back down and tucked her head beneath Inuyasha's chin, "We should probably get down. Set things up."

Exhaling slowly, Inuyasha tried to slow down his mind and keep it firmly in the present. This go around would be different. It had been different. Thinking back to things that weren't happening this time didn't help anyone. If the final battle was supposed to end differently, he'd need to be focused. Clear headed. Calm.

"Sun won't set for a while. We've got time," Inuyasha hummed as he passively drug his fingertips across her stomach - his eyes still closed as he focused on controlling his breathing.

"We'll need a fire," Kagome reminded him gently and Inuyasha nodded absently. Rolling her eyes, the miko pressed back into him earning a pleased hum which wasn't her desired reaction.

"Fires take time to get started," she added and, again, Inuaysha didn't react other than a flex of one arm across her waist.

"Since the sun is setting, maybe we should…"

"I will fix the fire woman but it doesn't need to be done right this minute so shut it," Inuyasha huffed in frustration, "Besides we have that fluid shit you bring over to get it going. In case you forgot, instant fire is a thing."

"The lighter fluid is for emergencies only," Kagome teased hoarsely, "Me being sick…"

"Counts as an emergency far as I'm concerned," Inuyasha interrupted, "So calm down and wait. Sun won't be going down for a while."

"We could go back inside where there's already a fire," Kagome pointed out and the half-demon's eye twitched.

"You told me the others would get this shit if you were nearby. We're out here because of you woman!" Inuyasha scoffed, "Some friend you are."

"I beg your pardon!"

"You heard me. Wanting to get everyone sick so we don't waste fluid. Get your priorities straight," Inuyasha clipped before rolling his eyes and scooping her up, "Fine. Know what? Fine. You want a fire. I will make you a god damn fire. There."

"Why do you have to be so dramatic all the time?" the miko breathed irritably as the half-demon none too gently deposited her onto the forest floor.

"You're the one who…"

"Yes yes I'm sick but you've just got your panties in a twist over god knows what so…" Kagome interrupted hoarsely as she rubbed at her increasingly sore chest before a loud, obnoxious snort cut off her train of thought.

"My what are what now?" Inuyasha snickered as he folded his arms across his chest and bit his lip to keep from grinning like an idiot.

"I just meant…"

The smile broke free but somehow the half-demon was keeping his laughter in check despite visibly shaking from the effort.

"Okay so…" Kagome sighed as she clapped her hands together just under her chin before pointing her touching fingertips towards the half-demon, "That is something people say when…"

"Wait, people just go around saying that?" Inuyasha snickered as his grin widened to the point of becoming painful, "Like they'll just go up to people and ask them about their undergarments?"

"Okay that is not the…"

"You didn't answer my question…"

Realizing that under no circumstances would Inuyasha let this go and focus on the matter at hand, Kagome covered her mouth with her clasped hands before clapping again once and sighing.

"Just make the fire."

"Well, I'm gunna," the half-demon clipped with a bemused sigh as he knelt down and looked over his shoulder to give her a quick wink, "So don't go twisting your panties."

It seemed rather strange - truth be told - to know from whom you came and why you were created. To know if the heartbreak and agony that once pervaded moment of your corporeal existence. To know that this was not the way it had been .

In many ways, her existence was borderline torture. She really should've realized all wishes come with a price. Yes, her wish had been granted and certain events had indeed been avoided thus far but in their absence, consequences accrued. More had died- not that she necessarily cared about that but someone must have suffered that loss in exchange for the salvation of others - for where there is death there will always be death. The end true to its nature - fickle, arbitrary, unfair. Entire villages that survived the previous events decimated in a single evening. Others spared in the absence of outside interference. A life for a life. Just different lives so it would seem. Not that she ever kept track of them all but most everything seemed unfamiliar the more time went on.

The fact that so much had changed begged the question on who would die when Naraku made his final move. After all, the way the jewel had phrased her wish seemed, in retrospect, rather ominous and far too vague. Desperation and heartbreak had not been her friend in that moment which felt like a lifetime ago. Made her accept something she didn't fully understand. Made her help certain people she'd didn't particularly wish to help. All in all mistakes were most certainly made. She should've been more specific. Clarified a thing or two. Especially considering Naraku remembering was most certainly not part of her wish but lo and behold the bastard knew far too much for her liking. That unwanted and unforeseen side-effect – one among many - seemed to entirely defeat the purpose. The only thing that brought her any sort of comfort, albeit the most confusing piece of all, was that Naraku hadn't killed her before she could warn...

"It's in Naraku's hands. Both life and death," a small emotionless voice suddenly whispered from beside her as empty black eyes glanced up in a face devoid of color, "We are all merely Naraku's tools..."

"Naraku controls nothing" the wind sorceress spat hatefully as she gracefully got to her feet and let out a long disgusted sigh, "We're not his tools any longer. I'm certainly not his..."

"He is us," Kanna corrected as she turned to walk away, "And we are him. One cannot exist without the other."

"The wind will always exist," Kagura corrected defensively - turning to follow the small little girl with an irritated huff, "With or without that bastard."

"The wind but not you," the void-like girl countered tonelessly and Kagura immediately bristled but soon settled for a disgusted glare rather than escalate their conversation into a one-sided brawl. As much as the wind sorceress found the porcelain child annoying, she would begrudgingly admit she loved the little urchin and it was clear that Kanna loved her big sister in her own way. As much as she was capable of feeling anyway. It was a nice feeling. To know someone, at least, cared…

"Well, it doesn't matter. I got what I wanted and..."

"Wishes are never truly free," Kanna interrupted eerily - her feet still walking soundlessly across the leave covered forest floor, "Of responsibility, of consequence or of cost. All wishes come with a price."

Kagura snorted derisively but didn't otherwise argue as they continued their aimless wandering.

"The question is who pays it..."

"Kanna please be quiet."

Miroku fancied himself a man who knew how to read a room. A very capable converser and usually very charming when he wasn't…being himself. Maybe that was the problem. While Sango had never truly been appreciative of his typical aggressive techniques, on some level he suspected she liked them which was entirely the reason he had kept doing it for so long. There was something in the way her lips twitched upwards afterwards although that might simply have been because she'd cracked his skull.

Or maybe it was because, despite the brutal beatdowns, he kept coming back for more. Maybe it was the fact that her strength and agility wasn't a deterrent but honestly, now, he was too terrified to test out that theory. As far as he could tell, Sango tolerated him at best and loathed his presence at worst. And the most painful part of it all was that his theory that she settled for him way back was quickly becoming the most likely scenario. There were absolutely no signs that she even found him the least bit appealing.

In some ways, Miroku now understood some of Inuyasha's hesitancy about expressing his affections back in the day. Better to have Sango be a friend or even an acquaintance than lose her entirely. The risk was too high and honestly, the monk didn't have it in him to walk away from her. He wanted every moment he could get before…well before this ended. However it ended.

"May I help you?" Sango sighed exasperatedly as she glanced up from her little potions which she was still meticulously organizing.

"Simply wondering how I could assist," the monk offered with what he hoped was a charming smile, "You are determining which ones you need to replenish, no?"

"I'm perfectly capable of…"

Miroku's smile faded as he winced in pain and averted his eyes – missing the way the slayer's face softened and a twinge of regret played behind her eyes.

"Do you know where hemlock grows?" she finally amended as a peace offering and Miroku glanced up with a short nod, "Good. I need as much as you can find. That and pieris. Both might be hard to find this time of year but…"

"I'm also familiar with pieris but I doubt it grows in this region. Perhaps at a village…"

"You think your usual village marketplace will sell poison?" Sango scoffed as she shook her head like that was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard, "If you can't find it, we'll need to go back to the slayer's village. I'm running low on some other things as well so that's probably what we need to do in any case."

Wincing again at the utterly defeated and miserable look on the monk's face, Sango cursed herself for her quick temper and wicked tongue. All he was trying to do was be helpful but something about the way he was going about it was absolutely maddening. She hated how afraid of her he was. How intimidated. Even back home, the men didn't seem all that worried about her strength but Miroku…

Miroku seemed to be walking on eggshells at all times. For once, she'd like him to argue with her or do something that showed he wasn't afraid of her. Just once. Instead, he acted like she was more terrifying than this Naraku fellow even. This monk was boring and dull and…and just seemed so weak. There was no way she would have ever fallen in love with someone like him. Losing her village must've broken her in unimaginable ways for that to have happened.

Except…except a small part of her wondered whether he was acting this way because she was different. If he was unsure how to respond. How to react. Perhaps he was doing things that worked between them last time which didn't work this time and now…now he was floundering. There were times she could see how deeply he loved her – little glances when he thought she wasn't looking. Once she'd even came upon a written prayer for her safety that he must have dropped by accident – she'd noticed him patting inside the front portion of his robe the rest of that day with a very disturbed expression and that evening had set about the task of writing many new 'sutras' just in case. Still, it was hard to imagine how he acted now would have ever been appealing. Why would she want someone who didn't think of you as an equal. He obviously thought very little of himself.

As Miroku got to his feet with a sad little sigh and was walking out the door with a miserable expression, Sango felt a little stab of pity.

"Be safe, okay?" she offered and he gave her an adoring glance over his shoulder with a little nod of thanks.