Finally got this story finished. Between intermitted access to a word processor and a few stubborn characters it took me a while to get this all out. Please, tell me what you think. My friends think therapy might help *grin*
Illusions
by Oniko
Characters created by Rumiko Takahashi
"Young Lady, we don't open our doors to just anyone, only the best and the brightest. You show great potential, but we don't tolerate slackers here." Kagome sat in the principal's office and glared down at her clasped hands. The old fart had been chewing her out for the past hour just daring to attend his school. It's not like she had a choice in the matter. She spent so much time 'sick' and she fell so far behind it was a minor miracle that she even got into any high school at all. And when she received an acceptance to Jonan one of the most prestigious high schools in the country, without even applying. Well, she found it all very suspicious and was fairly sure that academic achievement had nothing to do with getting her in school. Somehow, someway, it was Inu Yasha's fault. She hadn't worked out all the details yet but she was sure this was his fault. The bell rang signaling the start of her next class, history. Her stomach growled and she considered ditching class to go get food. She marveled at how her attitudes had changed, a couple of years ago she would have been mortified to find her self in the princepal's office and running out of class for any reason simply wouldn't have crossed her mind at all. And that's his fault too. She grumped, fumed, and tried to look suitably repentant for the old fart. "That will be all I believe you have a class to attend to Miss Higurashi."
She stood, bowed and left. Her stomach growled at her again, that's what she gets for sleeping past breakfast. She walked past her history class and debated on if it was worth the bother. She could hear Inu Yasha's laughter as he joked with his friends and the feeling in her stomach turned sour. She turned and walked away, she barely registered the sound of someone calling her voice. Ice cream, after today she deserved ice cream. Haagen Das would be nice.
"Hi, Kagome!" Natalie called cheerfully. She was always cheerful and was friends with every one. Kagome worried her, she was so quiet and sad, from the minute she saw her Natalie took it as her personal mission to make Kagome fit in. "Kagome? Where are you going? Okay, I'll get your homework for you!"
She waved at the parting girl but Kagome walked on ignoring her. "Strange girl."
She turned to go sit down only to nearly walk into Inu Yasha. He stood behind her watching Kagome walk away. She had a crush on him, but then who didn't? He's been going to this school for as long as she could remember. Rumor had it that he would have graduated a couple of years ago if he wasn't such a delinquent, speculation ran wild as to why he hasn't been kicked out yet, sleeping with the vice principal was a common one. Looking up into his marvelous golden eyes she felt faint, but even as absorbed in her own pleasure at being so close she caught the flash of pain in his eyes, before he turned away to take his seat. She wondered if he even noticed her presence. She looked back down the empty hall. Inu Yasha and Kagome, this took some thinking on. They were both so…sad all the time.
She could pump Kagome for information tonight when she gave the girl her history notes. The Feudal Period was so confusing Kagome was going to need all the help she could get if she was going to keep skipping class like this. She started making plans, she was a legendary matchmaker in Jonan high and this would be a challenge worthy of her skills. The first step was to get more information on them. Boys are easy to manipulate, as long as it's done with a gentle touch. They tend to run like scared rabbits if they think your trying to make them do something, even when it's for their own good. No, the real challenge is Kagome.
She saw them both earlier then expected, and they were talking together. Maybe she wouldn't have to do anything to get them together after all. She casually walked closer, not trying to hide her presence; she had heard stories about Inu Yasha nearly killing a boy for sneaking up on him. With luck, he would just think she was someone walking by and not pay her any attention.
"Where I go is none of your business Inu Yasha." Kagome snapped at him. Natalie grew excited, a lover's quarrel, maybe she could help after all.
"I can't protect you if I don't know where you are. And I have a role to maintain here. I can't just go chasing after you all the time anymore." Inu Yasha sounded calm and reasonable; a stark contrast to Kagome who glared and cursed Natalie had never seen the girl show emotions at all previously. This was definitely an improvement.
"I don't need you to protect me, I didn't ask you to, and I don't want you to." She screamed her voice spiraling into incoherent rage. Then Kagome stalked away and Inu Yasha collapsed on the ground. Natalie puzzled over it for a moment she didn't see Kagome lay a finger on him. But she must have kicked him or something, and some place tender from the pained noises Inu Yasha was making from the ground. Natalie debated her next course of action; if she could win him over, she might be able to act as a neutral go between. Right, first things first, act sympathetic and get him to the nurse. "Oh, Inu Yasha Sempai, are you okay?"
She rushed over to help him up and elbowed him in the gut in the process so he'd lean on her shoulder. Ouch, his stomach was rock hard, he must work out even more then rumor claimed. "C'mon we'll get you to the nurses office."
"No, I'm fine." He pushed her away, staggered and almost fell but he stayed mostly upright with his hands on his knees and breathing hard. He asked harshly "What did you see?"
"Ah…Nothing." She stammered, "Kagome kicked you, I think."
"You didn't see anything, got it." He snarled at her, suddenly dangerous beyond words. "Breathe one word of any of this and I will kill you, got it?"
She nodded speechless, she was wrong about him. Kagome needed to stay away from him. They all did. She took an involuntary step back as he straitened and walked away without even a hitch in his stride. Her frightened gaze turned thoughtful as her imagination went into overdrive. He was dangerous true, but there is definitely something more going on then meets the eye. Something illegal, Yakuza perhaps? No she heard about what happened last time Yakuza propositioned Inu Yasha, the police found a couple of broken thugs on their doorstep the next day. Maybe they were trying to get at Inu Yasha through Kagome. That sounded plausible, except for as long as she'd known either of them they never acted as if they had a relationship. Definitely time to do more digging, but not around Inu Yasha. She was curious, not stupid.
She followed Kagome home at a discrete distance. Inu Yasha was at a basketball game the boys played after school. She had passed by there before circling around to follow Kagome. If he was 'protecting' her, Natalie definitely didn't want him to see her as a potential enemy. Natalie watched Kagome go inside as she continued walking past the shrine she circled around the block for good measure then proceeded up the stairs. She knocked briskly at the door and smiled cheerfully at the young boy who answered. "Hi! I'm Natalie, I've come to see Kagome, is she in?"
The boy turned and yelled at the top of his lungs "Hey, Sis. There's a girl here to see you. She looks normal."
Natalie's smile faltered a bit at the boy's odd statement but returned to its usual brightness when Kagome appeared behind him. "Souta, don't be rude. Can I help you?"
"I noticed you weren't in history class today, and the teacher said there's going to be a big test tomorrow," small fib but hopefully Kagome wouldn't notice, she brightened her smile a watt or two "So I thought I'd come by with my notes and help you study."
"Mom! Kagome skipped class again!" Souta yelled.
"Souta!" Kagome snapped at him, but even that flash of temper was nothing compared to her earlier confrontation with Inu Yasha. "Thank you, but I will be fine."
"Oh, and I saw you talking with Inu Yasha at lunch." Natalie said sliding her foot in the door seconds before Kagome slammed it in her face. Kagome paled, which struck Natalie as an odd reaction to that announcement. "Please, come inside. We can…study in my room."
Kagome led her up the stairs and into her bedroom. She sat down on the bed that was dressed in pink frills and covered with stuffed animals. Natalie wondered what happened about two maybe three years ago, it looked like time just stopped in this room. Posters from bands that were popular about three of four years ago lined the walls. And a small bookshelf was crammed with young-adult and children's titles that were popular among kids a few years younger then herself. The clothes crammed into the closet where also horribly out of fashion. Kagome studied her as carefully as she studied the room that she stood in. "Well?"
Natalie jumped a bit. "Um…I saw you fighting, I wasn't there long enough to figure out what you where fighting about, but it must have been bad. I saw you hit him."
"I didn't hit him."
"He collapsed, in a lot of pain." A strange look passed in Kagome's eyes, pain, sorrow, triumph, Natalie couldn't tell. "You must have hit him."
"Believe what you want. So, I hit him. What then?" Kagome was very good at passive-aggressive.
"Um, you ran off so I went to help him." She shuddered to remember the look in his eyes. That boy was dangerous. "He threatened to kill me. Kagome, I shouldn't be telling you about this but I think you should stay away from him, he's dangerous."
"I can deal with him. You on the other hand should take your own advice."
"Huh. What do you mean?"
"Stay away from him." Kagome said, "You're right he is dangerous. But don't talk about it to anyone, don't act any different. He's a nice guy, really sweet sometimes too, as long as he's not angry. And count your blessings that his temper isn't as short as it used to be." She paused and stared off into space for a moment. Natalie realized with a strange horror that she was gazing toward the school. "You should leave now. He'll be coming home soon."
"H-home?" She gasped. "He lives here?"
"Yes, come I'll walk you to the train station." The walk to the train station was quiet and uneventful; Kagome didn't say a word the entire time. On the other hand, Natalie chattered endlessly about every useless scrap of gossip she could think of to keep her unreasoning fear at bay. Smile at the lady taking her fare, wave to Kagome who probably couldn't care less, smile at the man who bumped into her and get on the train to go far away from here. She tried to walk at a calm yet hurried pace, mannerisms echoed by everyone else heading home on the streets. When she got to the lobby of her family's apartment building she broke and ran, she didn't care about appearances any more she wanted to be somewhere safe. She hopped from foot to foot before the elevator that was moving too slowly for her comfort. Suddenly, she darted down the hall for the stairs. It was only four floors to her apartment. Once inside she slammed the door, threw the bolts and flipped the locks, only then did she pause to catch her breath. No one was home, as usual, but she really would have liked someone today. She shook with exhaustion and fear as she went from room to room locking windows. She didn't notice when she picked up Fox, a stuffed animal that always brought her comfort as a child. She frowned absentmindedly at the layer of dust in her parents' room. For some reason she always thought mom was neater then that. She finally collapsed on the bathroom floor resting against the locked door. Across from her was a full-length mirror she could see how scared she looked. Her green eyes wide and staring, her uniform and neat red hair mussed and ruined. She clutched the stuffed toy tightly and tried to reassure herself that she was safe. Inu Yasha would have no idea that she was there asking about him. What if Kagome told him? No, no, no. She wouldn't do that, they were fighting. She buried her face into the red fur of the stuffed fox, it smelled reassuringly of baby powder and warm earth, green things and liquorish. She slowly relaxed and calmed. She was safe; Inu Yasha was not going to kill her. The adrenaline rush wore off and she slumped against the wall feeling suddenly tired. That was when she noticed the gentle fingers caressing her hair, she tensed momentarily afraid but relaxed again when the other made no threatening moves.
"You are afraid. Tell me what happened" A soft male voice commanded gently. She sighed gratefully, not Inu Yasha. She transferred her tight hug from around her shoulders to him. She was safe as long as he was around. Even from Inu Yasha. Natalie told him everything that happened to her from the strange look in Inu Yasha's eyes to Kagome walking with her to the train. After she finished, she was exhausted and strangely cold, she huddled in his warm arms and shivered. He was silent for a long time, but then he always has been rather quiet. "So he did find her."
The words were spoken so softly that Natalie wasn't entirely sure she heard anything at all. She looked up into his leaf green eyes "Huh?"
He smiled down at her, his warm, happy smile. Odd though it didn't make her warm and happy like it usually did. He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Thank you my dear, you completed your task admirably."
She sighed and relaxed against him. A moment later, he was gone and a silver leaf fluttered to the tile floor in an empty apartment.
Few people took note of Natalie's disappearance. Kagome though was one who did. She frowned at the conspicuously empty desk and let the facts circle around in her mind for a while. Natalie was scared of Inu Yasha, not an unreasonable fear, but since he got full control over his demon blood, he was safer. Well safer in the limited sense that he was in no danger of becoming a mindless animal. He was no less dangerous then ever and growing up as he did easily predisposed him toward the sociopathic killer mentality. Though she didn't want to believe Inu Yasha had become so cold-blooded as to kill the girl just because she talked to Kagome about him. Maybe Natalie was just too scared to come to school. That was entirely possible as she was very frightened when she boarded the train. Kagome frowned harder, she told the girl not to act different and missing school like this was definitely going to draw someone's attention. Maybe she'd go see Natalie after school, just to make sure she was okay.
The rest of the day dragged on. Kagome was constantly reminded by Natalie's absence, it grated on her nerves and made her want to pick a fight with Inu Yasha. Because, of course, this was his fault too. And then, at lunchtime, the opportunity presented itself. "Oi, Kagome. I heard you got called to the principal's office. Was the old man bothering you?"
"Why, what are you going to do? Tell him not to do his fucking job?" Such language, she chided herself, a couple of years ago she would never have spoken so strongly.
"The man should know his place and not be bothering you."
" 'Know his place?' You idiot, he's the principal, he's supposed to lecture erring students."
"Not you." He said, quiet and implacable, a statement as unmoving as stone.
"Why, not me?" she snapped in frustration. "I'm no better then anyone else."
"Yes, you are." He said, surprising her. He grabbed her by the arm and roughly spun her around. He held her in a warm embrace but his voice was cold as he spoke. "Look at them, sheep the lot. They have no strengths, no chance at greatness. They are here to learn their stupid little numbers and facts and get a place doing meaningless work to fill up their stupid little lives until they die. But you are different. You are the Priestess of the Jewel. You are not meant for this meaningless existence. You are a creature of power, and that's why I must protect you. Demons want that power."
"Stop it!" She yelled breaking free of his embrace "What the hell is wrong with you. You never used to be this, this cold."
"Well, I grew up. I'm not the stupid little kid that I used to be. I know how the world works now." He growled at her, they glared at each other in silence until a sudden vicious smile lit his features "I thought you liked them cold. Certainly Sesshoumaru-"
He cut off abruptly as his head snapped back from her open handed slap. "Bastard. Never speak of him to me again."
She turned and stormed away before either of them said something more damaging for what passed as a relationship between them. Why the hell couldn't things have stayed the way they were. She used to enjoy her time spent with Inu Yasha, Sango, Shippo and hell, even Miroku's company was nice at times, when he behaved himself. "Sit! Stay away from me I'm too angry at you."
She smiled grimly to herself, as long as he wore those beads he could still be 'sat' but strangely, he never made any move to take them off now that he could. The bell rung and students dispersed to their classes. Kagome groaned she still had four more classes to suffer through, three of them with Inu Yasha. She shook her head. No way in hell she'd be able to even stand his presence much less for three consecutive hours of enforced civility. Nope not going to happen. Instead, she turned around the corner and walked out the front gate. Her mother was definitely going to kill her.
The train was mostly empty. She actually got a seat. Definitely one of the things she liked about getting around at odd hours of the day. Natalie's file listed her home address; Kagome had looked it up as soon as she conceived the plan. She could sense Inu Yasha's growing panic at her absence. There had been a bond between them for as long as she'd known him. In recent months it's only been growing stronger, she could feel him all time, in her head. It was like when she sensed a demon's presence or shikon shards only this was distinctly Inu Yasha. Whatever it was, he couldn't sense her, a matter of which she didn't understand and didn't question. It was going on to seventh hour or so and he was just beginning to realize that she was not just skulking somewhere on campus. She figured she should be finished talking to Natalie and well on her, way home by the time he finished looking for her in the usual places.
Kagome wandered around the high-rise apartment buildings trying to figure out which one was Natalie's. She was waiting to cross the street when she saw it. It was Jaken. Or at least she thought it was Jaken. She just caught a flash of the short green creature before the crowds shifted and he vanished from sight. And the little toad looked exactly like he did back in the past. Well almost, her mind filled in a ratty looking and rumpled business suit instead of a ratty looking and rumpled kimono. She started elbowing her way through the crowd. Luckily, she had sharp elbows and many a businessman fell before her. She broke free of the crowd and looked around frantically.
"Jaken?" she called "Jaken, you little toad, where the hell are you?"
A flash of movement caught her eye and she turned just in time to see him scurrying around a corner. She took off after him as fast as she could and still avoid colliding into someone. Even so, she could barely keep the little shit in sight. He led her on a merry chase down the streets of Tokyo, eventually they ended up in a very nice looking area of single house lots, some were traditional and some western style. And she was completely lost. She spun around in a complete circle and she caught him closing a wrought iron gate behind him in a very fancy, if somewhat run down house. The house and grounds were a mix of traditional and western. The main house itself was very traditional but the gate was a swirling gothic design and she could see a white gazebo peeking out from under a mass of overgrown roses. Fruit trees of all sorts filled the air with a sweet fragrance. She pushed on the gate and found the damn thing wouldn't budge. However, the gothic scrollwork offered many hand and food holds.
She swung herself up over the fence with an ease and grace that would have escaped her years before. She walked through the wild garden it was very beautiful in an eerie sort of way. The stone wall and trees blocked and muffled the sound of traffic until it was virtually non-existent. She could catch the rustle of small creatures moving around in the plants and every so often a bird would cry out from above her. She made her way to the old house. It was as ill kept as the garden but even she could see that it had once been very beautiful. The wildlife painting on the screens and walls were faded and the gilding peeling off. The house itself looked sturdy, she cautiously walked up the front steps. They groaned their protest at her weight but held. She knocked at the front door to find that it opened at her touch. "Hello? Jaken?"
She stepped inside. She could sense a demon inside. But nothing more concrete. She walked into the front entrance, leaving the door open in case she needed a rapid exit. The old house was decorated in an eclectic conglomerate of styles, cultures and eras. A worn Russian rug in intricate red and black covered the floor and the walls boasted a collection of swords, here a mid-eastern scimitar, there a Scottish claymore, and a Japanese katana. She wandered the halls, her footsteps bring her ever closer to the demon presence she sensed in the house. She was so absorbed in looking at the odd collection that she didn't realize how far and how fast she had come. Until she stood before two double doors. The doors were decorated in an intricate wooden inlay of dozens of different woods stained with hundreds of different colors. The handles were simple silver swirls. She placed her hand on the door and paused. She could sense a powerful demon inside. She knew Jaken could never hope to be this strong, this power rivaled Inu Yasha, or even Sesshoumaru. She felt her heart quicken at the thought and her sight became blurry. She dashed the tears from her eyes and cursed herself. He was gone, she was over him! In defiance of her hurting heart, she turned the handle and pushed open the door. The demon inside turned to look at the intruder, and Kagome felt her heart leap into her throat. "Sesshoumaru?"
Inu Yasha's older brother looked, older. Though it was hard to tell how old, smile lines were starting to edge around his eyes and worry tugged his lips downward, he was still breathlessly handsome. He leaned lightly on a cane and no longer had a 'borrowed' hand where Inu Yasha cut it off so many years ago. His long silver hair was tamed into a thick plait that hung down his back. He wore the same white silk and plum blossom kimono as always but the armor was resting on a rack in the corner. He smiled at her, a sad unsure smile. "Kagome?"
Tears streamed down her face uncontrolled as she stumbled forward to collapse in his warm embrace. "Inu Yasha said you were dead."
"No." He whispered gently with his cheek resting on her hair. "I would never leave you."
"Why would he say such a thing?" She buried her face in his kimono. It was then that she started to feel a nagging warning. Something was not right.
"I don't know, he was always resentful of me. Especially when it came to you." She could feel his hand stroking her hair, fingers wrapping themselves in black silken strands. A claw sliding underneath the fine gold chain around her neck. She frowned and started to pull away as she realized that he was using his left hand. A hand he didn't have.
"Sesshoumaru, what…" She looked up startled, not expecting the cold green eyes that glinted down at her. The demon before her snapped the chain from around her neck and pushed her away from him. She stumbled back and fell to the ground.
"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" She asked, staggering back to her feet she stepped forward with her power coalescing around her. She had grown in her power and was no longer dependant on using bows and arrows as a focus. However, as she stepped forward a wall of power slammed up and brought her to her knees. It was then that she noticed the wards surrounding her. "What's going on?"
"You think you humans are the only ones who can construct wards to contain beings of power?" The demon laughed. She stared at him in shock. He was a kitsune with forest green eyes and bright orange-red hair, and five foxtails fanned out behind him. He sobered and looked at her, with hate flashing in his green eyes. "Don't you remember me Kagome? I remember you. I used to love you, you know? Until you abandoned us. We were a family, Kagome, why did you just leave us? Did you not care? Or where you too blinded by your lust to even think about who you left behind?"
"Who?" She asked, then the realization struck, and she gaped at the kitsune in shock "Shippou?"
"So you do remember me?" Shippou hung the Shikon no Tama around his own neck. "Not that it much matters."
"What are you planning?" She asked.
"I've watched you." He said "You and Inu Yasha. You are so cold to him. All he ever wanted was to protect you. We would have been happy. You and me and Inu Yasha, we could have been happy, a family. But you couldn't be content with that. You wanted that demon. How could you want him? He attacked us time and again, nearly killing Inu Yasha. I was with him, while he healed. He almost died several times and all he could think about was you. When you left he was devastated, then you disappeared he went insane. I was orphaned twice and it was all because of you and this damn Jewel."
"No, it wasn't like that. It wasn't my fault." She protested, but the enraged kitsune didn't hear her.
"You are colder then Kikyo, at least she was honest in her love and hatred of him. Do you enjoy his suffering? It is of no matter any more though. I will make sure that you never hurt him again."
To her astonishment, she found herself staring back at…herself. "My skill with illusions has gotten better and I can hide easily among the human population, even against a dog demon's sensitive nose. But this, the Shikon no Tama is a difficult thing to imitate. Now I have it and Inu Yasha won't look past his precious stone to question the bearer. And you, my dear, will stay trapped behind these wards. Forever."
Shippou picked up her bookbag from where she dropped it by the door and slung it over his shoulder. He flashed Kagome her smile over his shoulder and sauntered out the door. As the double doors swung shut behind him, she could hear a lock click. She hugged herself in misery. She would have cried, but she sternly pinched her nose to keep the tears down, she cried enough today and for all the wrong reasons.
... ... ...
Inu Yasha worried the red prayer beads between his fingers. It was a nervous habit he picked up centuries ago. When he reached the shrine to find Kagome not home, he started searching for her, now it was three hours later and he was no closer to finding her. Why did she have to be so stubborn, couldn't she see that he was just trying to protect her. Demons were no less prevalent in this modern era; they were just better at hiding. He growled softly to himself and headed back to the shrine. With luck, she had her fill of rebellion for the day and went back home. He froze when a familiar scent drifted across his nose. He looked around, scanning the crowded streets. There she was, waiting to cross the street. She was heading in his direction, her face lost in a thoughtful expression. She was completely oblivious to the world around her, and to his presence. He bristled in frustrated anger. The girl was going to get herself killed walking around like that. It was precisely that carelessness that necessitated his watchfulness of her at all times. He forced himself to relax as she crossed the street towards him. But she did look absolutely beautiful with the lost, otherworldly look upon her face and the light of the Jewel surrounding her like an ethereal cloak. He could feel the blood rushing through his veins as his body reacted to her presence and power. Gods, he thought, does she do this to every demon?
"Kagome?" he barked sharply as she stepped in front of him "Where the hell have you been?"
She jumped and looked up at him with surprise etched clearly on her features "Inu Yasha? I'm sorry, I, ah…"
He watched her fidget and stammer through narrow eyes, something was wrong. "C'mon, girl. Lets get you home."
She nodded and turned towards the shrine. Her expression gradually turned back into the thoughtful look that she had when he first saw her. The entire walk home was quiet, he was expecting her to start up a fight, or to finish what they started this afternoon. He could've started a fight, he had several things he wanted to say to her. But not right now. He was tired of all the bickering and wanted to spend some time with her without arguing. Instead, he watched her, the entire walk home.
When they got back to the shrine she ran upstairs and worked on her homework. He watched her through her bedroom window. She sat at her desk and worked methodically through her books with only a brief interruption for dinner, during which she was quiet and pleasant. She teased Souta and her grandfather. She was a bit tense around him but over all she seemed happier then she had in a long time. At first, he was grateful for the change, but a small worry kept nagging at him, throughout the entire evening. He finally couldn't stand it any more and crept into her room late that night. The clock on her bedside flashed three-oh-five at him. He watched her sleeping face for a brief moment. He loved watching her sleep, her face relaxed from the troubled lines they had fallen into lately and she smiled gently in her dream. Sometimes, when she was sleeping like this he could pretend that they were still searching for Shikon shards and that she still loved him. He clenched his fist tightly to wake himself from his daydream and shook her lightly awake. They had to talk about today.
"Inu Yasha? What is it?" She sat up and rubbed her eyes. He frowned, something had changed, if he'd have done this last night she would have decked him.
"Talk girl, what happened to you today?" he asked gruffly. She paled briefly but quickly masked it. She scooted over and let him sit down.
"I'm sorry about that." He started in shock, she hasn't apologized to him since. Well, actually she's never apologized to him. "I just needed some time away from everything, to think."
She sniffed and turned away with tears sparkling in her eyes. "Think about what?"
"About everything. I'm so sorry for what I put you through. I was hurting and angry and I took it out on you. Can you ever forgive me?"
He pulled her into a rough embrace "If you can forgive me. I've become arrogant and cold, you were right about that. I had no right to say what I did this afternoon. I'm sorry. I just wanted to protect you, even if that meant locking you in a cage and throwing away the key."
"I know…I know you just wanted what was best for me it's just that I need to have some control over my own life." She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Shall we start over then? I promise to be more careful and to always let someone know where I am."
"And I promise not to be such a control freak." He smiled down at her. She relaxed and rested her head on his shoulder "We should've had this talk a long time ago."
"Perhaps, or perhaps I needed the time to…to distance myself from everything that happened." Her fingers tangled themselves in his long black hair, freeing it from its customary braid and combing the wild locks. "Inu Yasha, I've missed you so much."
"Love, I have always been right here." He grasped her face gently in his claws and tilted it upwards. Her soft silver-blue eyes were half-closed as he leaned forward to kiss her gently, insistently, with blood pounding in his ears for more.
Truth and Lies
The Demon Lord stared out over the foreign city from his office high in a glass tower. He had been at work here in New York for a long, long time and he looked forward to going back home to Tokyo.