Most Important Mission - Chapter 16 By: Sakura Katsana

Sakura: Hey everyone! I'm back with the next chapter of MIM and I hope you all like it! A few things before you start reading though, if you don't mind.

How are all of you?

Good? ^^

And . . .

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ok, I've changed my author's note format; hope this is more effective for answering people's questions!

1) Lugia-mew: So, is it like Kagura *was* Sesshy's girlfriend in this fic? Or are they just close to each other?

Sakura: I think everyone probably has a vague idea of what kinda happened between them but just incase some of you are fuzzy on it I won't ruin it for you just yet. Great question though!

2) The whole "yasha" thing . . .

Well I've gotten a few responses about that. I went to a great romanji site I know of and looked up demon for another of my stories (Original, not fan fiction) and saw yasha indeed mean demoness, ogress, along with another thing. I have a feeling everyone was right though, because the darkness and night translations could relate to that also. Well lets not dwell on that, instead, let's dwell on the story. LOL.

3) When are Kagome and Kikyo going to meet and why does Kikyo want to find Kagome so much?

I don't like to ruin surprises, you'll see soon. Maybe even this extra- long, took-two-weeks-to-write-because-I-wanted-to-give-you-guys-a-special- thanksgiving-treat will have it. Who knows how carried away I'll get.

I think those are all the questions I had this chapter, ne?

. . .

Yup. ^^ Well I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and those who didn't for reading last chapter.

Thanks to: WhenImoveyoumove, JustAnotherInu, Sun Light Hajime, killersmurf, angel81, Red Rose Scandal, molly, Kohana (Hope you passed your test), Yun Fei, sacredmist, Silver Moon Megami, koni, deathboo, animecrazed101, InuShemeeko, Michelle the miko Fan, and Lugia-mew.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving vacation and enjoy the chapter! Here it is.

***

Chapter 16: Lost Memories

Kagura stirred slightly and her arm began to involuntarily twitch.

"Kagura?" Kanna stood, tightly gripping her mirror.

Kagura just groaned slowly trying to move her muscles once again.

"Kagura? Can you speak?" Kanna laid down her mirror, a rare action from her, and walked up to where Kagura lay.

"Sess . . ." She whispered, "Sesshoumaru . . ."

Kanna's eyes widened. She grabbed a wet cloth to wipe her sister's forehead. Her sister was sweating profusely. "Kagura?"

Kagura's eyes darted open to reveal her crimson eyes. There was something different about them . . .

'. . . Emotions can be seen in them now . . .' Kanna stared down at her younger sister.

'The way they used to look before Naraku.' Kanna, her thoughts interrupted by her sister's shaky words, looked back up from the white-tiled floor.

"Kanna . . . What am I doing here?" Kagura groggily spoke trying to hoist herself up into a sitting position, but was discouraged when Kanna's hand was placed on her shoulder forcing her to lie still.

"You don't remember?"

"I remember . . . Thesscorpion . . ." Kagura's words began to slur.

"Kagura, don't talk. Rest." Kanna whispered clutching her mirror so tight her knuckled turned as white as her attire.

"I remember what happened." Kagura whispered before falling into a deep sleep.

'The dart that poisoned her must have awakened her old memories of how things once were.' Kanna glanced over her shoulder at her quiescent sister. "Thank you, Inuyasha."

***

"Kagome, gods, if you're going to have the bright idea of walking into pitch black darkness then at least tell me so I can make you're not going to knock yourself unconscious first!" Inuyasha growled grabbing the girl's arm to steer her away from yet another inanimate object.

"Aw, Inuyasha, I didn't know you cared," Kagome winked in his direction knowing he could easily see it.

"I don't!" Inuyasha insisted, with a hint of doubt in his voice, "I just don't want you knocking yourself unconscious and leaving *me* to carry you out of here." The was a brief pause as he contemplated the situation, "Which I won't be doing."

Kagome just chuckled at the annoyed hanyou continuing through the darkness with a simple, "Uh huh."

"I don't!" He growled reluctantly following the girl.

"Inuyasha, if it weren't true you'd have let it go already," Miroku smirked.

"Shut up," Inuyasha growled quickly changing the subject. "Sango's close."

***

"Nnnh . . ." Kagura opened her eyes to be greeted by bright lights.

"She's coming to," Kanna whispered to an unidentified youkai.

"Kagura?" The low voice automatically registered in Kagura's memory.

"Brother?" She spoke just above a whisper, her voice hoarse from sleep. "What the-"

"Kagura, do you remember what happened?" Another voice, raspier, not to mention louder, questioned her.

"Kageroumaru?" Kagura sat up; surprised her sister hadn't forced her back down.

***

" . . .Mekurumeku mainichi no katachi kaete, Setsunakute mo tashika na ima o kanjiyou." Yura finished her rendition of 'I Am' continuing to hum the ending as she stepped out of her shower. Wrapping her towel around herself, Yura strode out of her private bathroom onto her black-carpeted bedroom.

Satisfied at the lack of her boss' pick-pocketing thugs, Yura turned her attention to her sixth sense for sensing others in her area.

Someone was in here, proving her first room-scan report false.

So much for no pick-pocketing thugs . . .

"I know you're in here, so why don't you save both of us some trouble and hall your pathetic self out here right now." Yura walked to her dresser to retrieve her spare knife from a drawer.

"You shouldn't leave your weapons in such obvious hiding places, Yura," a young woman around her age dropped silently to the ground.

"Nazuna, what the h*** are you doing in my room?" Yura stood still clutching her knife tighter in her free hand.

"Is that all you have to say to your sister?" Nazuna dodged to the left as Yura spun around slashing the air Nazuna had been breathing seconds before. "Your surprise attacks need some work."

"You're NOT my sister, so stop calling yourself that." Yura snarled grabbing up her silk black robe and walking behind her dressing screen.

"I might as well be," Nazuna shrugged. "I was like an aunt to-"

Yura stepped out from behind the screen, a scowl on her face. "Don't," she threw her knife at the assassin, "Ever speak of that again."

"Touchy, touchy," Nazuna 'tsk'ed the temperamental girl in front of her. "Before I left for my mission in China you weren't this easy to get to."

"Too bad you weren't killed there," Yura smirked at the thought. "So," she said conversationally, "why are you in my room, while I'm in the shower, hiding on my ceiling?"

"To surprise you," Nazuna stated obviously.

"You never surprise me, you only annoy me," Yura growled collecting her clothes from her drawers, "You think a little mission in China is going to change that?"

"'Little mission'?" For the first time Nazuna's smug look hardened, "I wouldn't call having to collect forty grand worth of black market weapons 'little', Yura."

Yura only shrugged, "I guess you think you've reached my level have you?" Yura grabbed up a black skirt and walked back to the screen in the corner of her room.

"I surpassed it long ago," Nazuna's smug grin returning.

Oh how Yura wished she could slice those lips right off Nazuna's face every time that grin appeared.

"Oh really?" Yura remarked as she pulled on her black tube top. "You did, did you?"

Nazuna just scoffed, "This last job alone caused that."

"I still remember the time when Naraku sent me to get one million *American* dollars worth of black market goods," Yura sighed remembering the payoff for that little mission of hers, "oh, I almost forgot, I had to get some other thing, I have no idea what Naraku wanted it for, 100 mil or it, if I remember right." Yura smugly grinned pulling her see-through black jacket on as a final touch.

She could just imagine Nazuna's look right now.

"My first job too," Yura added for effect as she stepped out in her new black-clad ensemble.

Nazuna scowled, "It isn't important."

" . . . Now that you've been beaten once more in mission stories." Yura added thoughtfully.

"Shut up Yura," Nazuna growled throwing her a small velvet pouch, "From Naraku." With that Nazuna opened the door and stalked from the room.

***

"Sango!" Miroku rushed forward as he heard rigid breathing in front of him. "Sango, are you ok?"

Silence.

Then, "Miroku . . .?"

"Sango," Miroku squinted his eyes trying to focus on the woman in front of him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine-OW!" She grimaced as she tried shifting her left leg. "You know what I just said about being fine?"

"Oi Sango!" Inuyasha sighed. "What happened?"

"Well since I guess you were knocked out after me, I woke up first. I tried breaking out of the truck but I couldn't, instead the driver stopped and decided he was going to make sure I couldn't kick the truck again."

"Truck?" Kagome interrupted, confused. "What truck?"

"Well when I woke up we were in a truck sprawled across the floor. I got up and looked around trying to see if you guys were ok but it was too dark. So I kicked the back hoping it would give and I could get us out." Sango explained, her chains jiggling with each movement. "By the way, Inuyasha how's the bullet wound?"

"I thought you couldn't see anything," a hint of amusement was in the hanyou's words.

"I smelled it," Sango shook her chains in exasperation. "You don't know how strong that blood of yours is, especially to the kin of a taiji-ya."

"I thought you said you woke up first, why were you out when we got here?" Kagome squinted trying to see Sango but only helped worsen her already splitting headache.

"They knocked me out when they twisted my ankle," Sango explained.

"Um, Kagome?" Miroku nudged her in the ribs.

"Yeah?" She answered causing everyone to look her way.

"Maybe you should free Sango from the chains . . ." he drawled bringing everyone back to the matter at hand.

"Oh yeah," Kagome gave a nervous chuckle before she stepped forward trying to place the key in the lock.

There was a moment's silence.

Then,

"It's too dark over here," she admitted annoyed.

"Here," Inuyasha grabbed Kagome's hand which contained the key and, using his keen eyes, inserted it into the hole with ease. Then repeated this action with the other lock.

. . .

"Oh yeah," Inuyasha hastily let go of Kagome's hand and took his place at helping up newly-released agent.

"Thanks," Sango breathed rubbing her arms as the two guys helped keep her up.

"We gotta get out of here," Kagome allowed Inuyasha to lead them as she took his position next to Sango.

"Follow my voice," Inuyasha directed walking slowly back towards the small sliver of light in the distance.

"How did you guys get free?" Sango looked at Kagome in the now brighter cell.

"An assassin, Yura, came and freed us," Miroku paused in thought, "What if she set us up?"

"Like I care, we have our weapons now," Inuyasha scoffed. "Who knows what she was thinking letting us out, but thank the gods for it."

The others agreed as Inuyasha leapt into the air above the exit and kicked it open. "All clear. Help Sango up here."

Miroku and Kagome propped Sango up on their shoulders before allowing her to grab Inuyasha's hand to pull her out.

Miroku and Kagome followed suit into the light of the headquarters.

"Where are we?" Sango eyed her surroundings, her hand blocking most of the light out, with the utmost interest.

"Don't know," Inuyasha admitted, "I think we're still in Tokyo though."

***

"Come on Rin," Jaken grabbed the girl's suitcase from the luggage carousel and turned to face Sesshoumaru. "We are ready to go to the hotel then, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Hai, Jaken." Sesshoumaru sighed apprehensively when Rin insisted on holding his hand.

As they walked outside to their awaiting limo Sesshoumaru stopped, "I smell something."

"Well, sir, there are many things to smell." Jaken pointed out obviously.

Sesshoumaru gave Jaken a cold stare before taking another vague sniff of air. "I smell him."

"Smell who Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken opened the door to the limousine allowing Rin inside.

"Inuyasha."

***

"Welcome to Tokyo," the young flight attendant smiled as Ayame left the plane.

"Arigatou," Ayame gave a slight bow and headed to collect her luggage.

Then her phone rang.

"Mushi mushi," Ayame held her phone to her ear with her left shoulder as she grabbed up the last of her bags.

"Ayame?" The voice sounded doubtful.

"Who's this?" Ayame readjusted her stuff on a dolly as she exited the airport and signaled a cab.

"So you're really here, huh, Red?"

"Kouga?"

Silence.

"Kouga? Don't toy with me . . .," She warned.

A click could be heard on the other side showing whoever it was had hung up.

***

"Come on, we don't have all day!" Inuyasha hissed raising his gun over his head before turning another corner.

"Calm down, dog boy, we'd be out of here already if it wasn't for my ankle almost getting shattered," Sango sighed, "It's not their fault."

"Feh," Inuyasha signaled for them to stay where they were. "Hold on."

"What is it?" Kagome whispered loud enough only a dog's ears could hear.

"We have company," A smile tugged at the edges of Inuyasha's lips. "Miroku, take the girls out of here. NOW."

"What about you?" Miroku whispered back.

"I have something I need to take care of first," Inuyasha nodded towards the advancing group of assassins.

"I'm not leaving you," Kagome warned, her eyes focused on the same place his amber orbs were.

"Yes you are," Inuyasha stated casually. "Don't worry about me. Just head down that hall until you reach the doors, then get out. Sango knows how to find Fang."

"How do you know if they even brought Fang?" Kagome argued. 'Why am I stalling for time to stay with him?'

"Have you *met* Fang? They seem the type who would try selling 'er of the black market to me," Inuyasha shoved Kagome towards the escape hall and then turned back to face the oncoming attackers. "Go."

This time his voice was more urgent, and this time Kagome gave in.

Miroku and Kagome quickly readjusted Sango and hurried down the hall, each saying a silent prayer for their friend.

***

Yura sighed laying back in bed, eyes closed in deep thought. 'He said when she turned eleven he'd come back . . .' Yura sighed looking at her calendar where a large, red circle surrounded the 15th. 'He should be coming soon.'

There was a loud knock at her door causing the young assassin to jump. "Yura!"

"What is it now Goshinki?" Yura rolled her eyes sitting up to face the door.

"Father wants you," Goshinki grunted in distaste. "Says he has something to discuss with you."

"One, he's not *my* father so don't make it sound like he is. Two, tell him to shove it, I'm busy," Yura snarled lying back down and shifting until she was comfortable.

"If you don't come on your own I'll drag you out." The doorknob jiggled with this said.

Yura smiled in satisfaction, "That's what locks are for," she jeered.

"Why you-" Goshinki paused. "Yes father, she's inside."

Yura's eyes turned to slits when the sound of a key being inserted into one of her locks could be heard. 'Naraku . . . That yarou . . .'

Moments later the door swung open and a very agitated looking youkai entered, a sinister atmosphere surrounding him. "Yura."

Yura stayed where she was but slowly allowed her hand to creep down her thigh to where her favorite dagger was sheathed. "Naraku," she acknowledged casually.

"Do you mind telling me the reason Kageroumaru is still with us?" Naraku's eyes glowed a blood red.

"Hold your horses, *boss*," she used the term lightly, "If you're referring to why one of them isn't dead yet it's because I haven't been able to locate your precious *sons*," Yura rolled her eyes but other than that lay perfectly still.

"Do you take me as a fool?" he seethed.

"The truth?" Yura smirked. "Or do you want me to lie and say no?"

Naraku took a moment to register what her sudden cockiness might represent. "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?" Yura's smile disappeared to be replaced by a humorless stare.

"What brings this sudden cocky attitude?" He growled clenching and unclenching his fist.

"Nothing but realizations," Yura said, "Nothing but realizations."

Naraku glared at the woman in front of him, "You'll regret this Yura. You don't undermine my authority and expect me to walk off leaving you unscathed."

"So I'm guessing I should be expecting some kind of beating again, is that it?" Yura shrugged off her leather jacket and tossed it to the side. Yura turned her back to both youkai to expose the scars from her last ordeal. "I'm immune to it now Naraku, expect nothing but blood shed, no pain."

Naraku smirked, "You have no idea." Naraku turned on his heel and exited the room, his son close behind.

"Yarou . . ." Yura hissed plopping back down on her bed. "It's not safe for them to come here, not now."

***

"Where's Fang?" Kagome panted, resting her hands on her knees.

Sango leaned her head back against the wall with her eyes closed, "Fang can be tracked by this," Sango revealed a necklace, a small emerald-like teardrop at the base.

Miroku looked over at her to see for himself, "How, is it tracked by-"

"There's a tiny transmitter inside, or at least that's what Inuyasha told me." Sango shrugged, "I've had to use it before, when we were on lower missions for practice they were always trying to take his car."

"Well it is a very unique car, I can't see why they wouldn't." Miroku admitted staring at Sango with deep concentration.

Apparently Sango hadn't noticed because she hadn't tried to kill him yet, instead the young agent twisted the bottom of the 'jewel' and a low hum was emitted. Eight small green lights shone through the 'jewel' and went out one-by-one until only one was left glowing.

"That way," Sango pointed to the west.

***

"What do we have here?" Inuyasha smirked at the group of a dozen or so assassins. "A group of pathetic men who want to take a chance at killing the hanyou?"

The men charged at him, bullets whizzing by him as he focused in on one specific enemy; it seemed he was the leader of this little 'assembly'.

"This is too easy," Inuyasha smirked dodging yet another pathetic attempt of knocking him unconscious. 'Now that they aren't in the way I'm the only one they're after. They have nothing holding me back.'

***

"Where are we going Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin's wide eyes took in her surroundings from the inside of the limo.

"To a suite," he drawled looking out the window himself.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken gave nervous glances to his master as he spoke.

All he received was a slight nod.

"Will we be going to get Kagura-sama soon?" Rin's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Sesshoumaru didn't answer but he thanked the gods when the limo stopped at the hotel ending the conversation for him.

***

"Which way now?" Miroku asked, "All I see are these crates."

"We'll have to check behind them, the transmitter doesn't lie," Sango braced herself for the pain she would endure walking alone on her ankle as she let go of the others.

"Sango, don't-" Kagome stopped with Sango's grimacing face.

"It's fine," she winced limping towards the crates, "Just help me look."

Kagome nodded sticking close by Sango the whole time, just incase she might stumble and fall due to the pain. 'I hope Inuyasha is ok.'

***

"Make sure she doesn't leave this room Jaken," Sesshoumaru's icy glare caused the small youkai to shiver slightly.

"I will Sesshoumaru-sama," Jaken bowed his head respectively before making sure Rin was asleep in the bedroom, "Where exactly are you going?"

"Nowhere you should be concerned about," Sesshoumaru said closing the suite's door behind him.

***

"Kagome-chan!" Sango signaled her friend to come, "Look."

Both Japanese agents rushed to their injured friend's side to see . . .

. . . Nothing.

"Um . . . Sango-chan, maybe you're hallucinating?" Kagome walked forward only to slam into something and fly back into Miroku.

"Fang?" Kagome climbed off Miroku.

Sango nodded, "But I want to know how they figured out it could turn invisible."

"Someone must have known beforehand," Miroku looked at the invisible car and felt for the handle. "It's locked."

Both girls gave an disappointed sigh, "When is Inuyasha coming?" Kagome gave a nervous glance back towards the building.

"Don't worry, Kag-chan, he can take care of himself," Sango's words didn't ease Kagome's mind.

'What if they captured him again?'

'I won't think about it. I won't.'

'But what if-'

Kagome shook her head to rid it of the terrifying thoughts that were forcing themselves in.

"Kagome, are you ok?" Miroku waved a hand in front of her face, "If he isn't out in the next five minutes I promise I'll go check on him."

"No," Kagome shook her head slightly in disagreement, "I'll go, you need to stay with Sango."

"But Kagome! I can take care of myself fine without Miroku here, stay," Sango tried walking towards her friend from where she had been leaning on Fang seconds before but only succeeded in wincing.

"Miroku, you're staying, I'm going," Kagome pulled out the dart gun Inuyasha had given her earlier, "Do you think they could have screwed with the weapons?"

Miroku and Sango were silent, a new idea hitting them both in the face full blow.

"If they did Inuyasha wouldn't know!" Kagome's heart beat faster as she began to imagine what was going on inside. "I gotta go!"

"Kago-" Sango sighed when Kagome reentered the building despite her protests.

"She'll be ok," Miroku soothed. "We both know it."

Sango nodded although her concerns still lingered.

***

"Do you remember . . . Anything?" Kageroumaru's raspy voice caused Kagura to cringe.

"Yes," Kagura nodded, standing up, "Everything."

"Kanna, what could have caused this?" Juuroumaru's own softer, calmer, voice resurfaced.

"The agent's dart must have had the Naraku's poison's counterpart included inside," Kanna looked at her sister's shoulder, "The infection's gone."

"Aren't his poisons supposed to cause paralysis?" Juuroumaru stared at his elder sisters.

"When he was with Kikyo they were," Kagura admitted causing her siblings to eye her with disbelief.

"You remembered?" Kanna's eyes brightened a tone.

"I told you I remember everything, nii-chan," Kagura spoke with some annoyance.

"So you remember how you were . . . Before?" Kanna spoke just above a whisper.

It took a moment for Kagura to speak, "I do." She paused, "He made me into a heartless b**** didn't he?"

The brothers stayed silent.

Kanna only nodded.

"Where is he?" Kagura growled with menace.

"Don't Kagura, he would only brainwash you again," her younger brother held her back.

"I don't care! After that I never saw Ses-" Kagura stopped, turning around to face the wall. "I need to be alone, come back later."

Kanna nodded turning to leave, grabbing her brother's sleeve before sliding the disc into the wall.

He wasn't leaving on his own for anything.

Kagura heard the hidden door slide open and closed signaling she was definitely alone.

~Flashback~

"What do you want?" Kagura leaned up against the wall, looking at her nails with great interest.

"I have something for you," Naraku's tone bordered on amusement.

"And that would be . . .?" Kagura drawled dryly. 'Gods, he can never just go out and say it, always trying to be so dramatic.'

"A partner." Naraku stated simply, snapping his fingers causing the door to open allowing a man about her age to enter.

"WHAT?!" Kagura screeched causing her father's lips to tug at the sides showing that he was fighting back a smile. "A partner?!" Quickly Kagura took a deep breath to calm herself.

The stranger looked from Naraku to Kagura with great interest, although his eyes showed deep, incomprehensible boredom.

"I work alone. I don't need a partner." Kagura spoke as if uninterested, pulling out her fan.

Naraku rolled his eyes in a very lady-like fashion before giving his full attention to the other assassin in the room. "You *will* be working together, so deal with it Kagura," Naraku ordered, "Kagura, meet Sesshoumaru."

Kagura's eyes widened in surprise before quickly covering up her emotions as she was trained to do. "Sesshoumaru? The son of the Lord of the Western Lands? Why would the heir to the West become an assassin?"

"Is there a problem?" Sesshoumaru spoke jadedly.

To jadedly for Kagura's liking.

The agitated yasha scowled.

"Incase you haven't noticed the 'Lord of the Western Lands' title was taken from the youkai back in the Feudal era, it's only a light term used by youkai now," Naraku leaned back in his chair, cracking his knuckles as a sign of strength.

'Who do you think you are?' Kagura looked at Sesshoumaru with distaste.

'But his eyes . . .'

'What . . . In all the hells . . . Was THAT?' Kagura berated herself for acting like a fool.

"Is something . . . Wrong?" Naraku's smirk widened.

"What would make a fool like you think that?" Kagura snapped back, glaring from youkai to youkai.

"You, Kagura, of all people, don't usually daydream," Naraku pointed out, amused.

"I work alone." Kagura glanced over at Sesshoumaru before storming out of the room.

"Go after her, you WILL be working with her, no matter what she says," Naraku waved a dismissive hand as he swiveled to face the wall.

Sesshoumaru lazily left the room, leaving the door open behind him.

Naraku hated when people left the door open.

Kagura heard Sesshoumaru walk to the door so she quickly left her favorite eavesdropping spot and began stalking down the hall.

'How *dare* he get me a partner?! I'm the best one working for his sorry-'

She stopped brooding realizing someone was following her.

Kagura turned on a dime, "Why are you following me?"

Sesshoumaru stopped as he leaned against the wall feigning disinterest. "Orders," he spoke in monotone.

"Unless you want to be an unknown gender I suggest you stop," Kagura growled taking a step towards him.

'Those piercing gold eyes . . .'

Kagura froze, 'What the-'

"You don't seem to need a partner," Sesshoumaru spoke, eyeing Kagura over carefully.

"You're right, did you get that on your own or did your *mommy* help you?" Kagura rolled her eyes and continued to stroll down the hall.

"You're fifteen aren't you?" Sesshoumaru scoffed with aversion.

A lot of that was going around . . .

Kagura stopped mid-step, "Why?"

"I could have guessed as much. Based on your juvenile attitude."

"And what is *that* supposed to mean?" In one liquid movement Kagura grabbed her fan and was at Sesshoumaru's throat. "You're new here so I don't expect you to know this, but no one. NO ONE, messes with me."

"Oh-ho, what a quaint little 'tough-act' you're pulling," Sesshoumaru drew one of the swords at his side. "You haven't known me, so I don't expect you to know this, but no one's. NO ONE'S tough act scares me, not even that nice little fan you have there."

Sesshoumaru placed his sword at Kagura's torso, "We're partners, like it or not. I know I don't. But we are, live with it or suffer the consequences."

"What consequences?" Kagura lowered her fan before placing it back in it's place; the belt of her leather pants.

Sesshoumaru took a moment to respond, contemplating whether or not he should.

"The consequences your father informed me of earlier."

Kagura's eyes widened before staring daggers at her father's office. "What exactly-"

"Don't ask," he spoke in monotone again, the interest was gone.

"Disgusting . . ." Kagura spat at the door before continuing down the hall.

After a few steps Kagura groaned in woe, turning back around. "I have a job to do, so if you don't mind . . . Or even if you do, just go somewhere."

"Sadly, if you have a job, I do too," Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword before following the 'girl' down the hall.

"You're not filled in on it, you'd only screw it up as well as you get us both killed." Kagura passed a teenager about her age. "Thanks Yura," she whispered as she accepted the item from young assassin.

Yura nodded, stopping her friend by placing her hand on her shoulder, "Hey, who's the hottie?"

"You're so guy-oriented," Kagura rolled her crimson eyes before turning to face Sesshoumaru, slipping the item into an inside pocket of her jacket.

"So what? Who is he?"

"His name is Sesshoumaru," Kagura got a wicked look in her eye, "Why don't you go flirt with him for a while? You know, keep him busy?"

Yura eyed her friend oddly with this.

"I'm his new partner, I can tell; he's absolutely into you!"

Both girl's shared a squeal before Yura gave her Kagura a hug. "Arigatou Kag-chan!"

Kagura rolled her eyes, "Ok, ok, calm down." Kagura straightened her leather jacket. "See you later."

"Only if I don't score a date," Yura winked at her friend.

"Yeah, heh heh," Kagura fought back the urge to vomit and gave her friend her best 'I'm-so-excited-for-you' wink.

It's not like she really was.

She was actually quite angry and annoyed . . .

'Wait,' Kagura's thoughts halted as she ordered herself.

'Was that a surge of jealousy that just ran through me?' Kagura shrugged it off, "Whatever."

As she entered to get her gun she could hear Yura shamelessly flirting with the youkai and his annoyed and rushed responses.

"I haven't lost it," Kagura whispered to herself.

~End Flashback~

"I can still remember how I came back to find Yura still nuzzling up against him in the hall," Kagura scrunched her nose, "We really used to hate each other then."

"But then . . ." Kagura sighed looking down at her shoulder.

"What a long time ago that was . . ." She sighed, "That we fell in love."

***

"So . . ." Sango averted her gaze from the pavement to the clear blue darkening sky.

"Yeah?" Miroku looked at Sango for the third time since Kagome had gone inside, hoping to catch her eye.

"What cha doin'?"

Miroku's face faltered.

What kind of question was that?

"The same thing I was doing last time you asked . . . Two minutes ago," Miroku sighed in disappointment, "You know, sneaking a lean on Inuyasha's car."

"Oh." Sango sighed turning to look at him. "Sorry."

"What for?"

"I'm boring you aren't I? Why don't you go check on the others, I'll be fine here." Sango gave him a look of self aggravation. "I think they probably need some back up, taking this long."

"You're not boring me," Miroku said just above a whisper.

"Whatever," Sango allowed herself to chuckle for a moment.

"So, you're a taiji-ya?" Miroku pushed for conversation.

"My mother's side," Sango answered, "Modern times rarely need them, but mother stayed true to traditions . . ." her voice trailed off.

'Mother . . .'

Miroku's eyes filled with understanding, "My mother died too."

Sango's eyes widened, full of surprise, "How did you-"

"I know that look, I've worn it enough times to know."

"How young?" Sango's eyes became soft and compassionate.

"Same day I was born," Miroku said looking up at the stars, then into Sango's eyes.

'Gods, her eyes are brighter than the stars.'

"I'm sorry," Sango's undamaged leg stumbled, causing her to lean on Miroku for support.

Neither seemed to mind.

"My parents were both killed by Naraku," Sango spat out the word Naraku as if it were a deadly poison.

"As was my father," Miroku spoke softly, "I am sorry for your losses Sango."

"Don't be," she whispered looking into his eyes. "Pity doesn't help heal the heart, it only helps deepen the wound."

She took a moment to force the tears back.

"Besides, my parents are in heaven now, and I know they're watching down on me. They were a great couple you know, a demon exterminator and a Buddhist monk. An odd couple, but they were perfect for each other."

"A Buddhist monk?" Miroku's eyes widened.

"Yeah, why?"

"My father, if he hadn't been killed, would have brought me up as one, just like he was."

Sango's eyes widened before looking down at her feet, "Coincidence, huh?"

"You could say that," Miroku paused, "Or you could say history repeats itself . . ." With that Miroku put his hand under Sango's chin and brought her eyes to meet his.

"Miroku-" Sango was cut short by Miroku bringing his lips to her own in a long-awaited kiss.

***

Well, there ya go, my second favorite couple on earth finally kissed! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. R&R! See you soon.

~Sakura