No Longer Alone

Disclaimer: Yeah, I WISH I owned Inuyasha. ::sigh:: That'll be the day…

I was inspired! I have new ideas! Yay! LOL, but the Internet wasn't working, so it took a while for this chapter to come out. But anyway… enjoy!

Ch. 9

"It seems," Inuyasha began after seating himself on the sofa across from Sesshomaru, "I've come across an artifact that once belonged to our dearly departed father. This sword called the Tetsusaiga. Does it ring a bell?" He inquired.

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed with surprise for a split second before he retained his poker face. "What is a lowly half-breed like you doing with the great Tetsusaiga?"

"Hey! What…" Kagome interrupted at his insult, but she latched her lips closed from the look Inuyasha was shooting her.

Sesshomaru turned his even gaze to Kagome, "What's this? A human girl? You buffoon, Inuyasha. Don't you remember what happened the last time you tangled with a human girl? Or is your memory span really that short? Let me refresh it. I believe it had something to do with the fact that you were almost killed. Am I correct?"

"Shut it, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha seethed. Kagome looked at the two in confusion. Not even five minutes and Inuyasha was already worked up? The half demon in question was clenching and unclenching his hands, trying to regain some semblance of control. His eyebrows were lowered in anger and his ears were flattened against his head as he growled.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome placed a hand on his arm comfortingly, though she was still confused. He continued to glare at his brother, but placed a hand on top of hers and squeezed gently in reassurance. This action didn't go unnoticed by Sesshomaru.

"Ah, but this young lady hasn't a clue what we are talking about, does she? After all, this happened way before she was born. Let me fill her in. You see, girl, Inuyasha used to love a woman named Kikyo a long time ago. But then, he must have done something stupid as usual and the woman shot him with an arrow. I must say, you have a striking resemblance to her. I wouldn't be surprised if my little brother is just using you to take her place. Are you sure he actually sees you when he looks at you, instead of his old love?"

Kagome felt a dull pang of hurt in her heart that showed clearly across her stunned face. Sesshomaru smirked slightly in satisfaction. All of her heart and most of her mind told her that this man was lying and just trying to make trouble, but that small fraction of her mind was doubtful. What if he's telling the truth? She thought.

"Shut UP, Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha barked angrily. "That isn't true!"

"Are you sure?" Sesshomaru gave a humorless smile.

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha growled in warning, "I came here to talk about the sword."

"Ah, yes, and I ask you again, where did a lowly half-breed such as you get such a great sword?"

"I found it," he ground out.

"But of course," Sesshomaru agreed, "It certainly couldn't have been the prize of the outcome of a fight."
"Actually…" Inuyasha sneered, "It was."

If Sesshomaru was surprised, he didn't show it. "Tetsusaiga is a family heirloom made from father's fang." He began reluctantly, "It is extremely powerful and is rumored to be able to slay one hundred demons in a single swing. Until now, I have never seen it before, so I have no further information. I suggest you see Toutousai about it. He is the sword's forger and lives in a cave about fifty miles north of here." He finished.

"If this is such a great sword, why aren't you trying to take it for yourself?" Inuyasha asked.

"Because full demons cannot touch it. If I didn't know any better, I would say that father made the sword especially for you. You may be a filthy half-breed, but you are still his son."

"Fine, I'll go see Toutousai. Come on, Kagome."

Kagome stood up and seeing that Inuyasha had no intention whatsoever of thanking his brother, she thanked him instead, though her head was still clouded with thoughts about his suggestion. She had barely been able to follow the conversation afterward. When they exited the office, Inuyasha saw the conflict across Kagome's face.

"Shippo, go down first and play with Rin," he ordered. Shippo nodded obediently. The elevator took him down to the ground floor and Inuyasha waited patiently for its return. When they boarded the elevator, he pushed the emergency stop button just as they passes by the in between level of floors 41 and 40. Kagome was silent though it all.

"Kagome, you aren't actually thinking about what that git said, are you?"

Kagome turned her face, not meeting his intense gaze. He hooked a finger under her chin and forced her to look back at him. As she stared into his eyes, her vision watered. "Inuyasha," she sniffed, "I don't know what to think!"

"Kagome…" He put his hand on her shoulders, "Listen to me, Kagome! You aren't a substitute for anyone! Kagome is Kagome and that's all there is to it! You are your own person. And even if your soul once belonged to a woman centuries ago, your heart is your own. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He quoted her words with a smile.

"Oh, Inuyasha!" Kagome sobbed and collapsed against him. Inuyasha drew his arms around her automatically and hugged her tightly. She clutched his shirt and wept. Truthfully, she didn't even know why she was crying. There really was no reason to after all, but his words had touched her deeply and a good cry once in a while always made her feel better. But, she wanted some answers and made a mental note to talk to Sango as soon as possible.

Inuyasha pressed his cheek against her forehead and stroked her silky hair comfortingly. I seem to be doing this a lot lately, he thought to himself. Comforting and hugging Kagome seems so natural now. It's a weakness, but… it feels good to do something nice to someone else for a change.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." She dried her eyes.

"You ready to go?" He asked and she nodded. She gave him a grateful smile as they rode down in the elevator. They retrieved Shippo from Rin's office and found that his pockets were bulging from the candy Rin had stuffed them with. Together, they left the building.

~*~*~*~*~

"Hey, you have mail, Inuyasha." Kagome called from the kitchen. Inuyasha had reclined on the couch the moment they came back from seeing Sesshomaru and, to an insistent Kagome and Shippo, eating out. "Here," she placed the envelope on his lap and he sat up from his sprawled position with a small groan.

He ripped the letter open crudely and read it quickly. Kagome sat next to him and leaned against him to read it. "Hmm," Inuyasha mused, "it says we're invited to a formal party, courtesy of this apartment complex."

Kagome lifted an eyebrow in surprise, "Strange. Who else will be there? It seems like we're the only ones that live here. I've never seen or heard anyone else. But it sounds fun, let's go, Inuyasha!"

"Wha…? No way! We've got to see this Toutousai fellow about the sword. Sesshomaru said it could slay a hundred demons with one sweep and I haven't gotten even close to doing that! Plus, it's a demon sword and demon swords can be tricky, there may be a catch or something. It's important that we see him." He protested.

"Please, Inuyasha? It's tonight and we can be gone by tomorrow. I really want to go. It'll be fun, I promise. Please?" Kagome pleaded.

"Fine, whatever," He folded his arms crossly.

"Thank you! It'll start in a few hours, so I'm going to go get ready." She stood up.

"Kagome, the party starts at 6:00 and it's 2:30 right now."

"I know."

Inuyasha shook his head. Women.

In a few hours, Inuyasha left to change as well and waited for Kagome to finish.

"Hey, Inuyasha," he heard. Inuyasha turned his head and for a minute, he didn't recognize the woman before him. She wore a light blue dress with a low décolletage and matching gloves. A thin double strap on one shoulder held it up. The dress stretched tightly over her curves, clinging to them and leaving little to the imagination. Her hair was pulled into a bun resembling Rin's and had two locks of her raven hair curled and framing her slender face. Her full lips were lined with a sparkling red and she wore a bit of blue eye shadow that brought out the blue of her eyes.

Inuyasha stood frozen and stared at her. Kagome blushed under his gaze. "You look… beautiful," he managed to get out after a few awkward seconds. She gave a heart-warming smile and walked up to him.

"You look very handsome yourself." She complimented. In fact, he was breath taking in his tux, but she wasn't about to tell him that. "Where's Shippo?
 She asked.

"I sent him to Sango. He probably would get really bored it he went." He extended his elbow to her, "Are you ready to leave, milady?" He asked with a smirk.

Kagome hooked her arm around his, "Quite," she smiled in return.

~*~*~*~*~

"Hello, my name is Inuyasha." Inuyasha told the woman standing by the entrance of the building with what looked like strained politeness. Kagome gave him a warning look. The woman held a clipboard in her hands. Her short, black hair was tied into a small ponytail with black ribbon and decorated with beads and fancy feathers. Her earrings were made of a long chain of green beads and black feathers at the tips. Her dark eyes had a cold look to them even as she smiled at them.

"Ah, yes, Inuyasha. You are the last guest. My name is Kagura and I am the head of the apartment complex. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Inuyasha nodded his head stiffly in acknowledgement.

Kagura led them to the main room where many couples were dancing or sitting at the tables laden with food. "Be on your guard," Inuyasha whispered out of the corner of his mouth after Kagura left. "These people aren't normal. They dance mechanically and aren't talking at all. They give off a strange scent, but it's well covered. This could be a trap of some sort."

"We'd better not act out of the ordinary then. Come on, let's dance!" She giggled in spite of the situation and pulled Inuyasha to the dance floor.

He looked embarrassed. "Um, I don't know how."

Kagome smiled warmly, "Don't worry I'll teach you. Just follow my lead." She clasped one of his hands in her own and put his other on her waist. She placed her own free hand on his shoulder. She directed him in the footwork and he got the hang of it within minutes.

Kagome sighed. It felt so good to be dancing with the man she loved. She blushed from her thought. Did she really love him? Her answer without hesitation was yes. He protected her, comforted her, and cared for her. Even though he always put on a tough image, she knew deep down he was a sweet caring guy. And she loved him for it. She leaned against his strong chest and closed her eyes to savor the feeling. At that moment, only she and Inuyasha existed. She didn't care about anyone else but the man in her arms.

"Aw, isn't this a sweet moment?" A cynical voice cut through the soft music. "Well sorry to break it up, but I have to break it up."

Inuyasha snarled and clutched Kagome to him protectively, "Kagura."

"Correct!" The voice said enthusiastically. A figure materialized by the entrance door, and it was without a doubt Kagura. She was leaning against the doorframe with her arms folded in a carefree position. Her ears were now pointed and her eyes had turned into a blood red color. "And your grand prize is a fight with my beautiful corpses! Corpse Dance!" Kagura whipped out a black battle fan from the folds of her dress and snapped it open. She gave an elaborate wave and a strong gust of wind swept through the large room.

Inuyasha gave a growl of disgust and covered his sensitive nose. Even without a dog nose, Kagome could smell the awful stench. The air smelled of decaying flesh. The dancing people in the room, whom had been completely oblivious to the conversation between Inuyasha and Kagura, stilled. Their image wavered and dissipated, exposed their true form. They were indeed corpses. Their flesh was a dark brown color and had shriveled grotesquely. Their once fancy clothing turned into threadbare rags that hung from their rotting bodies. They advanced toward Inuyasha and Kagome in unison. Inuyasha hugged Kagome tightly and slashed any of the zombies that came too close. But even as they were dismembered or decapitated, they merely picked themselves off the floor and continued to advance as if loosing body parts were a part of daily life.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha growled as he battled the dead fighters.

"My name is Kagura the Wind User. But it doesn't matter who I am because you will be dead soon." Kagura smirked.

"Not likely, these corpses are no match for me!"

"Well, mister big shot, maybe you should know that the Corpse Dance isn't the only attack I have. After all, to use the Corpse Dance, I need dead people, and how am I suppose to kill people with only an attack such as the Corpse Dance? I am a Wind User and now you shall witness my true power. Fuujin no Mai! Dance of the Wind Blades!" A furry of tornadoes ripped through the air toward them. In an attempt to protect Kagome, he pivoted his body and took the hit. The blades dug deep into his back, tearing at his clothes and flesh.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, hugging him tightly.

"Not… so loudly… bitch," Inuyasha grunted half-heartedly and twitched his ears.

"This isn't a time for jokes, Inuyasha," Kagome said, tears streamed down her face. Another round of wind blades hit him. "I'm not going to let you do this like you did last time!" She tried to make him move.

"Yes," Inuyasha agreed angrily, "I'm going to make sure to don't get hurt at all!" He gripped her to him as physically possible. His back was now bare and raw from the attacks but he didn't care. As long as Kagome was safe, he didn't care about anything else.

Kagome felt her heart speed up. She couldn't help notice how close she was to him, but she shook her head to dispel those thoughts, this wasn't the time. "Inuyasha, please, don't do this! If you can't fight her, then just flee for now! You're unarmed! It's not a fair fight!" She begged.

"There's no way I'm going to run away!" Inuyasha yelled rebelliously.

"Inuyasha! Please! I'm begging you!" Kagome cried.

"Alright, alright." Inuyasha jumped up into the air and crashed through the glass ceiling, shielding Kagome with his arms, and leapt away from the battle.

Kagura prepared herself to leap after them in pursuit but a baleful voice stopped her. It echoed through the now empty and silent room. "Kagura, forget them, you bought me enough time. Now I expect you to return to me." The voice faded away and left Kagura with goosebumps on her arms.

Naraku, she snarled in her mind. How she hated him, yet she was forced to serve him like a slave. She could still remember their first meeting as if it was only a day ago.

~ Flashback ~

Kagura collapsed on the ground. The battle had been a tough one and had taken all her energy to take the enemy down. It was a giant spider demon, but much more powerful than it first seemed. Battled wounds covered her body and she could barely keep her eyes open. But she needed to make sure…

"Why, what's this? A demon lass in distress?" A cold voice grated her delicately pointed ears. She turned her head ever so slightly to see who it was. A young man, obviously demon, stood before her. He had long, wavy, black hair and was sinisterly handsome. His pitch black eyes gazed at her in boredom. He wore a cloak of baboon fur and one of his arms was hidden behind his back. Kagura clawed at the ground as she tried to stand up. But before she could even get to her knees, she collapsed again in fatigue. She cursed herself for her stupidity. She had unknowingly showed how weak she was to the mysterious man.

"What do you want?"

The man examined his fingers, "Oh, not much, just your services." He replied calmly.

"I serve no one!" She yelled fiercely.

"Oh, of course not," the man smiled at her. "But then I might as well kill this little girl if nothing will make you help me. I'm sure you won't mind." He brought his hidden arm in front of him and showed that he was holding a small girl in his grasp. His hand was around her throat. The girl had shoulder length navy blue tresses with two pretty pink flowers pinned in her hair. She wore a light blue kimono with silver bows attached randomly to it. Her eyes were a beautiful rose pink, but she stared forward unseeingly; she was blind. The girl struggled valiantly in the man's hold.

Kagura's blood ran cold. "Kanna…" She whispered. If there was anything in the world she loved at all, it was her little sister. She had been born blind and Kagura had felt protective toward her from day one. Kanna had changed her. She was a sweet little girl, even if she was a demon. She showed the beauty of the world to her older sister. Things that Kagura had previously taken for granted had a whole different meaning now. Kanna meant everything to her, and she would risk anything for her sake. Kagura hung her head in defeat, "Don't kill her, I'll serve you." She grimaced at the words.

"No, Kagura!" Kanna choked out, "Don't do this! He's going to-"

The man covered her mouth, "This won't all be bad for you. I'll only hold you until I get what I want. I will heal you and make sure you get everything you ever wanted. You will live in luxury. And I will heal your sister's sight."

Kagura gasped, "Deal." She said instantly. "But first, I'd like to know the name of the man I make deals with."

"Naraku," the man said, turning his back on her.

~ End Flashback ~

Kagura bit her lip so hard blood dribbled onto her chin. Naraku… you lied, she seethed.

She knew that was wrong though. He never lied, he just never told the full truth. As the man had been healing her, he made her a part of him. Now he held her heart in his grasp and whenever she did something to upset him, just a small squeeze would bring her painfully to her knees. And Kanna… he had turned Kanna into a mindless machine. Naraku had brought Kagura to watch her sister change. With one touch of his finger to her forehead, the vibrant colors that made up Kanna drained from her body. Her hair turned white and her skin paled drastically. Even her clothes and the flowers she always wore in her hair drained of color. And her lovely pink eyes darkened into black. They were now blank, cold and emotionless.

Kagura had let out a screeching yell of rage and leapt at Naraku, fully prepared to rip him apart, but a heart attached to his skin slid down his arm and into his hand. He had squeezed slightly and down she went.

Kanna could see now, as promised, but it had cost her her soul to do it.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

What do you think? Sorry for all you Kagura haters out there, but she's my favorite bad guy character! I really feel sorry for her. I mean wouldn't you if your sire was Naraku? ::shudders:: Anyway, review please! Thank you!

~*~*~

Review Responses

~*~*~

Arika-of-the-Demons: Thank you! Well, I will be trying to change it a bit. I appreciate your constructive criticism. Review again!

ladykaa28: Hmmm, there really isn't much meaning, but I need them to move around so I put Toutousai in the story. I totally accept you compliments. Don't worry about expressing your opinions! I don't mind criticism, it helps me write better. Thank you!

Leomae108: Don't mention it! Yup I'm going to be 14 in… let's see… 3 days! Yay! LOL. Well still you may be in for a wait because it's still going to be on the story line. Hope you don't mind! Thanks! Review again!

Angelstar = mitsukai-hoshi: LOL, well at least it wasn't a dangerous cliffhanger. It was just a curious one! Anyway, thank you! See ya!

ArtemisMoon: Thank you! I'll try to change it as much as possible though, I don't want to copy the actual story line. That wouldn't be very original would it? Well, I wasn't trying to make anyone sly, I just needed Kagome to discover Inuyasha's human side. That's all. Don't forget to review for this chapter!

Saria: Don't worry, I won't delete this story! If I did you wouldn't be able review anyway… As for your questions, yes Kouga will probably die and I'm not sure if I'm going to add Hojo. Bye!