Me: Oh! (tear falls) you actually read it! EEEEE!!!!!

Kino: NOOOO!!!! Now she'll keep writing, and I'll be trapped here! You traitors!

Me: (dancing around) Thank you! Gomen! Eeeeyaaahh!!!

Kino: (crawls into his corner and eats his Goldfish) At least some things never change…

Me: You know? They made red and green Goldfish for the Christmas season.

Kino: … --…My life is officially over…

Me: Cheer up, Kino! They actually like you! Anyway, thanks bunches! and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. On with the fic! groan is heard Get out there Kino, InuYasha's mad! Hehe… glad I'm not you…AHHHH!!! runs from Kino's teeth and claws

Disclaimer: Don't own InuYasha so don't sue.

"WHAT!" InuYasha roared.

"I don't know the specifics, or why, but the power of the Spirit Guardians has gotten into her bloodstream. My Superiors are working on it as we speak." said Kino, casually.

"Let me get this straight," growled InuYasha, in a dangerously low tone. "Kagome's got Spirit blood in her, because of a freak accident likely caused by YOU!?"

"Left out the details, but yes." said Kino, as he crossed his arms, with a perturbed expression on his face.

"Is she okay?" asked the hanyou, quietly.

"She's fine, and conscious. The bit of Spirit tetsu-eki has made her tired and her appearance has…altered. But on lighter news, I have to tell you I'm proud of her." said Kino, trying to lighten the mood.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" shouted InuYasha as he jumped onto the same branch as the Spirit Guardian sat on.

"Her miko power is very, very strong. I've seen first-hand just how powerful she is. I think she has finally out-powered Kikyo. She used a completely new technique, though I'm sure she didn't have any control over it. I've never seen anything like it. But one thing's for sure, her power is no longer second to Kikyo's."

"What?" said InuYasha, very quietly, so that Kino had to lean forward to hear him."

"Yes. She can hold her own, but Nami, our healer, says she may never use a bow again, thanks to her wrist. Which, I hate to say, is all my fault." Kino ran a clawed hand through his short, dark blue hair, and scratched one of his wolf ears. "Nami says Kagome's wrist may never have it's original strength again, which won't allow her pull back a bow string."

InuYasha was silent, but soon said, "You said her appearance has altered? What does that mean exactly?"

"I can't explain it to you… just come and see her." said Kino, carefully.

Kagome was sitting up on her bed which was in someone's ie. She had been told by Kino that it was another Spirit Guardian's home, a healing ie but she wasn't exactly thinking about it.

'How did it happen?' she kept asking herself, as she stared at her claw-like nails. Her mangled wrist had stopped bleeding long ago, and had been wrapped up. As she gazed at her nails, she decided to cover them with the long sleeves of the white haori-like shirt she wore.

"Alright. According to Kino I'm at the Spirit Guardian temple, which is not really a temple, and I look like a hanyou…how did it---

Her ear twitched. It…twitched! She knew she had inu-like ears,, but she was not going to feel them. It would just confirm that she was not normal anymore.

'Wait…There was a…noise outside the room. That was Kino, but…who is the other…It's InuYasha!'

The shouji slide open to reveal the half-demon and Kino. "Ka-Kagome?" blurted InuYasha.

It was true. It wasn't some sick joke. She really did look Inu-demon. Her hair hadn't changed much, except for the length, which was to her waist, and blue highlights in the ebony locks. She had black ears, which were as large as Kino's, and they had white tips.

He couldn't see her hands, but he knew there would no longer be nails on the tips of her fingers. Her face hadn't changed either, except for thin, blue diamond tattoos on her forehead, and beside her eyes; identical to Kino's.

"InuYasha," brought him out of his stupor. He looked up to see Kagome's head turned to the window.

Was she ashamed? Or was she angry? Or more importantly, was she angry at him for not being there?

InuYasha looked over at Kino; the Spirit looked pissed. "What are you doing?" he hissed in a whisper. "Didn't I say she needs comfort?" He pointed a clawed finger in Kagome's direction, and continued. "Get your butt over there!" When InuYasha did nothing, the Spirit Guardian growled, and walked over to the miko.

InuYasha couldn't hear what was being said, but he watched as Kino gave her shoulders an encouraging squeeze, and then pat her head, which in return, got him a weak smile from the miko.

"Get some sleep. I've got to talk to my Superiors." Kino stood, and walked to the shouji, and turned to a seething InuYasha. "You filthy---

"Shut up, half-breed. Look. Get your ass over there, and comfort her. And you can get rid of that jealousy right now. I have my own love interest, and I'm not about to fall for my Kaisha…I've been in this business too long for that." He grinned, and said, "Maybe you'll treat her a little better now that she can relate to your situation." and Kino Closed the shouji, cutting off InuYasha's retort.

The hanyou turned back to the miko, and said softly, "Kagome?"

She turned and he could see the tears threatening there way out of her eyes. "Hey. Sorry I worried everyone…" she said cheerfully. "So…where were you? I went out to find you but you weren't at the Bo-Shinboku."

He had expected this. He didn't want to say, but Kagome patted the spot across from her. "Si-- uh, take a seat." she said, correcting herself. InuYasha gave a weak smile, then walked over and sat next to her.

"So?"

"I was…um…I smelled…" he stopped dreading to say it.

"Come on, InuYasha. I won't be mad." she said, but she already dreaded the answer.

He sighed and said, "You asked…I smelled…Kikyo." Silence. Then…

"Oh. Of course…I-I think I need some air, so, um…yeah." she pulled back the blanket and attempted to stand, but she immediately fell forward.

InuYasha was up in a flash and he caught her before she hit the tatami floors, then sunk to his knees, as he held her close. "I'm sorry." he whispered. "Forgive me…please."

Kagome was still as she heard his apologies, but it was the last straw. There was a fine line between love hurts and love kills; she was dead.

"InuYasha." she pulled away from him and looked away, not daring to look him in the eyes, lest she give herself away. "I can't keep doing this. I-I love you. You're my best friend, but you hurt me too much…I want to forgive you, and I have. But I can't keep hiding my pain. I'm not as strong as you. I can't take emotional blows like you…I can't get back up and face the next one.

"I wish I could…I'm sorry. But enough is enough…I really do need that air now, so let me go." Let go of my heart.

InuYasha made a determined face and held her close. "No."

"Inu--

"Kagome, listen to the whole story. Kikyo tried to take me to hell again…I'm still held by my oath to go with her when this is all over. I told her no, and she said it was your fault I wasn't leaving with her, so she vowed to take the rest of your soul again."

"Why are you telling me this." her careful hold on her tears broke.

"I told her yes. You are the reason I won't leave."

"W-what?" she gasped.

"I told her I love you." InuYasha moved her back enough to look into her eyes. He started when her saw the silver twisted around the stormy blue irises. "Your eyes…are beautiful, Kagome." he said, before her could stop himself. But he was glad he didn't, because Kagome smiled.

He knew it was right. She in his arms was right. He realized he didn't feel that with Kikyo. "So…no 'sit' for me?" he said, with a slight grin. Kagome laughed and said, "Why? You want one?"

InuYasha smiled, and unsure of himself, slowly moved his lips to hers. Kagome deepened the kiss after a time by moving her head to the side, and he followed her example. InuYasha decided to get daring and he licked her lower lip, asking permission. She obeyed and the kiss sent them reeling, and they soon needed air.

They took deep breaths, and looked into each others eyes. "Wow." muttered Kagome, with a sigh and a light smile. InuYasha was grinning like an idiot.

Their bliss was ended as they heard a crash from outside, and an angry, "HENTAI!" Kagome laughed and said, "Should we help her?"

InuYasha shrugged and said, "Nope. I'd rather be right here…with you." She smiled and snuggled into his chest. "I'm so happy." she sighed, as she drifted off to sleep.

The hanyou smiled and picked her up. He set her on the bed and was making to leave, when she caught his sleeve with a clawed hand. "Stay, InuYasha. Please?"

His eyes grew soft and his smile with them. He got under the blankets with her, and she snuggled into his chest, and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Night, Kagome." he said, as he wrapped his arm around her, and fell asleep as well.

Kino Sat outside the window in a bonsai tree, smiling to himself, sadly, as he watched over the sleeping couple. 'Kikyo…I still care about you. You were my favorite Kaisha. But you have to give Kagome her soul back. She needs it more than you…You were meant to die, and stay dead…If you keep stealing souls, I will have to stop you…and don't think I'll go easy.' he thought, bitterly.

Kino sighed, and shut the window. He stood, and in a blast of visible wind, transformed into his large, Spirit-wolf form, then flew off to his Superiors.

Me: Murrf mmrr mu murff.

Kino: Murff?

Me: (Head pops out of fluffy stuff) I said, way too much fluff.

Kino: (head pops out too) I actually cared about Kikyo?

Me: Yes, for the sake of a dramatic plot. Gotta have those twists.

Kino: The traitors already knew I was her Spirit Guardian dimwit…Dur.

Me: I'm going for something, here.

Kino: Yeah, straight back to StonyBrook. (laughs menacingly)

Me: You're mean! WAHHH!!! (Runs off)

Kino: (takes out his Goldfish) I love fishes cuz there sooo delicious! I got Dim-wit! BOOYAH! For the sake of me, please don't review.

Japanese words

shouji- sliding door or wall

ie- house

hentai- pervert

tetsu-eki- blood

Me: If I missed any, please tell me…Please review; it'll torture Kino!