A/N: Yes, a new chapter… for you… the readers! I'm running on inspiration here. I really want to get this story finished so I can finish up CotG and jump into a new mini-series I have brewing. School is out, I am a graduate (yay) so I have more time to write. Yes, muhahaha! Before I jump into the story itself, I have a couple reviewers I'd like to address. Feel free to skip. Enjoy!
drake220: (I've been going through a Disney phase) 2 more chapters (counting this one) and an epilogue. A total of 11 chapters.
animegirl75: That is the greatest phrase ever! Mind if I use it?
MoonlightShadow4: The things you do for me! We-ell, excuse me for li-ving! My cult following enjoys my quirkiness! The things I do for you, like updating, humph!
Inuchic515: (tackles) I love you! You are the only one to pick up my subtle Batman hints! And yes, it was an amazing movie (seen it twice so far). When I watched as Katie Holmes got to kiss Christian Bale, I couldn't help think "why not me?" (I've been a loyal fan of his since Newsies) And as for Cillian...I have a thing for Villains. Thanks for letting me rant (and for reviewing, of course)
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or any of the pop culture references I use in my chapters (but I do own the poem "Roses Are Red, violets are blue, Cillian Murphy, I want to ravish you" in case anyone wants to read the full version) and I own the poem , which is used in this chapter.
Unexpected
Chapter 9
I do not own Inuyasha, or any of the pop culture references I use in my chapters (but I do own the poem "Roses Are Red, violets are blue, Cillian Murphy, I want to ravish you" in case anyone wants to read the full version) and I own the poem , which is used in this chapter.
In a land of enchantment and spells,
It is hard to tell the friend from foe,
For a maiden and her Frog Prince,
It's harder to trust a hardened heart…
"Kagura! Isn't this one beautiful?"
A long red prom-like dress stood on a mannequin in the front window of a small boutique. The lush red color was offset by a thousand tiny pearls sewn into the bodice, giving off the appearance of both class and seduction. Yura and Kanna were both glued to the glass.
"It's lovely," Kagura nodded.
She had been roped into taking the twins shopping for their Homecoming dresses. It wasn't like she despised her sisters, like Sango, but she did find them trying after a while in their company. She loved her sisters, they were her sisters, but they were different from Kagura. And she had little hope of them ever overcoming the gaps in their personalities. Still, she could handle an afternoon of shopping.
"You're right," Yura nodded. "I think I want that one."
"No way, I saw it first!" Kanna cried.
"Nu-uh!"
"Uh-huh!"
They glared at each other, then simultaneously put out their right hands. Kagura covered her face with her hand and pretended not to know them as they rock-paper-scissor-ed their decision.
"Yes!" Kanna squealed. "Scissors beats paper!"
"Two out of three!" Yura whined.
"No, I want to go try on my new dress!"
Yura chased after Kanna as she ran into the small store. "Kanna, you're not being fair!"
"I'll just be waiting out here," Kagura called after them. Neither gave her a backward glance. With a sigh, Kagura walked over to a small bench in the center of the walkway and plopped down, legs spread out and arms draped across the back.
She already had a dress, so shopping was now an exhausting task. Leave it to her sisters to go shopping for their dresses the day before Homecoming. All the good dresses would be gone, or picked over, or they would just have to deal with the fact that another girl might have the same one they did.
Kagura's dress was special though. A one of a kind 'Kagome Original' as Sango gloated with all the pride of a mother hen. It was definitely going to impress Sessho—Naraku. It was going to impress Naraku. Knock his boots off. Floor him. Him, not the other one.
Kagura did a mental double take and paled. She had been thinking about Sesshomaru again, something she had been doing quite a lot over the past few days, since their Saturday night activities. The fuzzies she was feeling were really making her nervous.
Was it normal to like two guys at the same time? Was it fair? Did it matter?
And how could you like two guys so totally different?
Naraku was all flash and sex appeal, but he had strong opinions and such a talent with words. But Sesshomaru was talented too. He might be straight-laced and rather stiff, but he understood the value of hard work and what was worth fighting for.
Kagura pulled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees, thinking. She supposed it was really a matter of whom she liked more. Naraku had been her crush for ages, seemingly forever, while her feelings for Sesshomaru were new and exciting, and just a little scary. Why were these things always so hard? Why couldn't she just be like Kagome and hook up with a good-looking boy for a couple years? Why couldn't she be like Sango and enjoy the single life more?
Was it possible to have a mid-life crisis at eighteen?
"Hi, Kagura!" Looking up, Kagura was met by two large brown eyes and a toothy smile, all belonging to Sesshomaru's sister, Rin Reaper.
"Rin! What are you doing here?" Since Saturday, Kagura had gone to Sesshomaru's lovely home a few times, and even been witness to the weekly karate carpool he and Kagome shared. In the time, she had come to like Rin very much. A perfect mixture of wit and charm and fake innocence in a pint-sized girl.
"Shopping," Rin said in a grown-up voice. She even held up her shopping bags for proof.
"By yourself?"
"Of course not," Rin giggled. "I can't drive or anything." The young girl promptly sat herself next to Kagura on the bench, arranging her bags around her with the ease of practice. "Sesshomaru brought me."
"Sesshomaru is here?" Kagura couldn't stop herself from scanning the surrounding area, and making Rin giggle again.
"He stopped in that tailor place on the second floor," she informed Kagura. Then, tilting her head to the side, looked over the older girl. "You really like him, don't you?"
Startled, Kagura looked at the girl beside her. "You shouldn't ask that of your elders," was all she said.
Rin nodded. "I get that a lot. Mom thinks I'm too old for a ten year old. Dad thinks I'm just like Sesshomaru." She grinned happily up at Kagura. "I guess I just see a lot of what goes on around me; at least, that's what Kohaku says."
"Kohaku… Kagome's brother?"
"Yup!" Rin blushed a little, but beamed.
"Ah," Kagura smirked. "I sense puppy love."
"No more than what you have," Rin teased back. "It has no set age."
"You are the perfect example of why I won't have children," Sesshomaru commented as he strolled up to the bench. Kagura jumped a bit at his sudden appearance—as she always did, being a high strung individual. Rin only smiled up at him, as if his dour attitude didn't faze her in the least.
"You say that, but you will."
"Hello, Kagura."
"Ah, you noticed me," she said with the ease of their normal exchanges. "Hello."
"What brings you to the mall at this hour?" he asked. Polite small talk.
"Brought my sisters. They still don't have the perfect dress for the dance."
"Ah."
"Wow," Rin said suddenly. "You two are very boring." She hopped to her feet, tossing a lock of hair over one shoulder. "If you need me, I'll be in Sunshine Spirits." Then, bags in hand, she left them in favor of a store across the walkway. Both teenagers just blinked at her dramatic exit.
"Does she do that a lot?" Kagura asked.
"She got it from my brother," was his reply. "He too has a patent for theatrics."
Kagura chuckled. "Should we follow?"
He raised a single brow. "You'd abandon your sisters to do battle with Macy's alone?"
"Absolutely," she said with a groan. Sesshomaru held out his hand, which she took without a second thought, and allowed him to help her to her feet. Then they trailed after Rin, not bothering to notice their hands were still joined. "Do you take Rin here a lot?" Kagura asked as they walked. Conversation, she found, was always easier when it was about something Sesshomaru cared about.
"Sometimes," he said absently. "I haven't had much time to spend with her since I started the internship in December."
"Internship?"
"I work for my father's newspaper." No flaunting or pride. It was just a statement.
"So your journalistic roots run deep," she commented, watching his face carefully for any change.
"My love of writing was something encouraged all my life," Sesshomaru explained. "Father always wanted to leave the paper to Inuyasha or myself. Or even Rin, if she had shown interest."
"I take it they didn't want it," Kagura said, the full story dawning in her mind.
"Inuyasha has never pretended to like the business, and Rin is young enough to explore anything. I always had a natural attraction to it, so I pursued it."
"Must have made them happy," was all she said.
"I suppose," was his reply. "And what burning desire made you leap into journalism?"
"My mom," Kagura said with a proud smile. "She was a poet and moonlighted with newspapers and magazines. I have clippings of all her published works in a shoebox under my bed."
"Following in her footsteps?"
"Something like that. Maybe I just wanted to be closer to her, because I never got to know her when she was alive."
Sesshomaru nodded his head and didn't say anything further. It relieved Kagura. Most people would offer empty condolences or some kind of half-witted explanation of some great aunt or grandparent that died in their extreme youth, as a way of making up for it. As if they could understand. The fact that he didn't do this, didn't absently make a mockery of her loss, did her heart good.
"Oh my God!" Rin laughed as she came up behind them. "You guys are having a Zack Morris moment!"
"A what?" Sesshomaru asked, giving her a look that made it clear that he didn't particularly care what it meant.
"The hand holding," she giggled. "It's such a Morris moment."
Kagura looked down and noticed for the first time that they were still holding hands. As if caught doing something bad, she pulled back and coughed awkwardly.
Sesshomaru looked at Kagura, then Rin. "Is that some obscure reference from one of your teen dramas where a pretty actor has sex on a merry-go-round?"
Rin giggled again. "That's One Tree Hill," she explained. "I meant Saved by the Bell. You should know the difference, that's from your time frame."
"You know," Kagura interjected. "That sitcom with the six kids who went through everything a kid could possibly go through while enduring about eight years of high school. And I think there was a scary principal, way too much togetherness for my taste."
"Exactly!" Rin nodded. "Reruns make my life, though. I just love how the youth of American is six clean-cut, popular, and pretty teenagers."
"You both frighten me," Sesshomaru commented dryly.
"Hmph," Rin pouted. "You just don't understand the importance of pop culture."
"You're right," her brother agreed. Then he sighed. "Are we almost finished here?"
"In this store," Rin said, sticking out her tongue. "I just have one more stop to make."
"Lead the way," Kagura laughed.
"Thank you, Kagura," Rin said.
"Good lord, this isn't going to be one of those female… tag-team things, is it?" Sesshomaru asked, already feeling the walls closing in.
"No," his sister huffed. "I'm going shopping. You talk with your girlfriend." With that, she stalked off to yet another store, without looking back. Queen of Sheba style.
"I tried with that girl, I really did," Sesshomaru lamented sadly.
Kagura laughed again, that kind of laugh that came from your stomach, made you double over a bit and cover you mouth. A kind of laugh that Kagura hardly ever let herself indulge in. Full belly laughs were not something gothic poets allowed. But in that moment, she didn't know why. It made her feel a thousand times better, about everything.
"We'd better go," Sesshomaru said patiently. "Or we might lose her."
"Oh no," Kagura grinned. "We've lost another one to the corporate slaughter house that is Old Navy."
"That sounds like something Kagome would say," he commented, hands in his pockets. "In between ideas of how to make the fashion world great again."
"You seem to know her pretty well," Kagura commented. There was a flick of something in her stomach. Jealousy maybe? She pushed it aside.
"She is… a very persistent girl," was his reply.
"Persistent, that's all?"
"You think there's something else?"
"You tell me," Kagura pushed, curiosity growing. Oh, the whole 'killed the cat' thing made people think curiosity was bad, but for a hardcore journalist like herself, it was her greatest weapon. "How'd you two meet?"
Sesshomaru was quiet for a long moment, and she thought he wasn't going to answer. They strolled through the racks of clearance clothing outside of the store, pasted the headless mannequins. "We met… not long after we started freshmen year," he said thoughtfully. "I'd seen her in class, we had a few honors classes together, and though we weren't friends, she was always kind. We would both stay after school now and then, for extra credit, so when we waited for rides, she'd talk to me. I didn't know why, since I rarely responded. But without fail, if we waited together, this pretty little chatterbox would keep the silence at bay."
"Kagome's like that," Kagura nodded. "Always a sweet girl."
"Yes," he agreed. "But being pretty and friendly can attract some unwanted attention."
"What do you mean?"
"I think it was October, the day we really met. I had stayed inside a little longer, to talk with our teacher, and she went out to wait in the parking lot. Her mother was running late, she had told me. It happened a lot, so it never bothered her, but I knew she didn't like standing around alone. So after I was done, I went outside to wait with her. When I got to the parking lot, I saw that three senior boys were sitting in the back of a pick-up truck, smoking pot and making cat calls at her."
"Fucking bastards," Kagura swore.
"That wasn't the worst part," Sesshomaru said dryly. "Two of said bastards decided to hop out of the truck and try to grab her."
"They wouldn't dare!" she said in horror, ruby eyes wide.
He only nodded. "Pretty girl alone in a parking lot, no one around. Easy target when you're stoned and stupid."
"Did you stop them?" Kagura asked, looking at him expectantly.
"I don't particularly like watching women be molested in parking lots, so yes, I stepped in."
"I hope you beat the fuckers into a meat pie!"
"Something of the sort," he commented, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "We agreed it was better not to make a big deal out of it. We did tell a teacher that these three guys were out back, smoking and fighting with each other. They were suspended, and after that, Kagome would wait until I went out to the parking lot with her."
"Wow," Kagura said with admiration in her voice. "I didn't know you guys had such an… understanding."
"It's not something I tell a lot of people," he commented. "And she doesn't either, so I'd appreciate if this was off the record."
"Of course," she nodded. "It's just weird."
"What is?"
"It doesn't sound like something you'd do at all, does it?"
Sesshomaru shrugged and walked on. "I surprise myself on occasion," he succeeded. He surprised her too, she admitted to herself. And she liked that. And him. A lot.
"Is that why Rin takes karate?"
"One of the reasons," Sesshomaru nodded. "I never want Rin to be in a situation where she could become a victim."
"There you two are!" Rin exclaimed, walking up to them with a toothy smile. "I've been looking all over. I'm ready to go."
"Alright," her brother nodded. Then he looked back to Kagura. "I suppose I'll see you in school tomorrow."
"Yep," Kagura said, linking her hands behind her back again, a smile tugging at her face. "Bye Rin."
"Bye Kagura!"
The Reaper siblings left for home, and Kagura went to find her sisters again. And found them, each with a dress bought and paid for. The very same dress with the pearl bodice, only Yura's was pink.
Kagome sat on the picnic table in the back of the Hart's yard, a sketchpad on her lap. For some reason, the boss had given her a three-day weekend, starting on Thursday. Though, she had a sneaking suspicion Hojo was behind it. For the sake of Homecoming. But with Hojo busy at practice, and the boys at karate, she had an afternoon to burn. Homework was done. Dinner was made. Now she could just sit back and relax.
Sango sat nearby, plucking on her guitar. No real aim or melody, just for the sake of practice.
"Hey, you finished yet?"
"Almost," Kagome grinned, her pencil moving furiously over the paper. "It's looking cute though."
"How long has it been since you just sat around and doodled for me?" Sango asked, a reminiscing smile on her face.
"Ages," Kagome nodded. "It's been forever since I've had that kind of time."
"Kags, you're such a good girl," Sango sighed.
"When I wanna be," was the singsong response. "Now play me something pretty or I won't show you when I'm finished."
"Slave driver."
"Slacker."
Sango strummed a few bars, hummed a tune. Not a real song, not yet. It was still moving around in her head. One of these days, she was going to write down one of her melodies and make Kagura write some lyrics. Sango wasn't much for the poetry scene, unless it was a comedic effort to show her undying love for a pretty villain in a Batman film. "You want to go to Serpentine tonight?"
"Not really," Kagome admitted. "I got my fill last time we were there."
Sango grinned. "I still can't believe you pulled that 180 on Kagura and switched shifts to go with her. Especially since Hojo is always begging you to take off and you never do."
"The difference between Hojo and Kagura is that Hojo only wants me to take off so he can make out with me. Kagura had a legitimate need for me to be there."
"Whatever you say," Sango laughed. "Are you done yet?"
"Yup!" Kagome grinned and flipped her notebook around, showing the sketch to her friend.
"Yay, cat boy!" Sango squealed, grabbing the pad from Kagome. "So cute! Look at the little ears!"
Kagome coughed and smiled. "Actually, it's a dog boy."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You know cat boys, can't stand water. I like a boy who can get wet."
Sango laughed. "You're so twisted!"
"I'm a dog lover, what's your excuse?" Kagome retorted.
"I dunno," Sango shrugged and handed the pad back. "It's still pretty cute though. Don't you wish guys like that were real?"
"Oh, I'm sure they're out there somewhere," Kagome grinned. "Where you least expect to find them. Where there is a lonely girl in need of something to cuddle, the dog boy will be there."
"Oh, you've gone all Grapes of Wrath on me now."
They laughed a little, before they were interrupted by the return of the Hart sisters. Kanna and Yura raced each other to the stairs and proceeded to call everyone they knew to talk about dresses and dance details for the next night. Kagura wandered into the backyard and sprawled on the picnic table.
"You look beat," Kagome commented with a smile. She was back to work at her sketchpad.
"I had to follow them around, then I met up with Sesshomaru and Rin and followed them around, then I had to follow them around again." Kagura sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I've had a busy day."
"Poor dear," Sango nodded, patting her on the knee. "Well, you can relax with us for a while."
"Thanks," she said with a smile.
And all was right with the world. The three of them had, without even realizing it, become that close. No fancy words were needed. No dignity required. Laugh at yourself and each other. That kind of friendship. The kind that takes forever to build, but can never be broken.
"So why didn't you ever tell me about what happened in the parking lot?" Kagura asked Kagome later when she had brought up the subject of her friendship with Sesshomaru.
"He doesn't like me spreading it around that he's a good guy," Kagome said with a shrug. "I figured it was better not to say anything. Instead, I just doubled my efforts to be friendly. Maybe he's not my friend, but I want to see him happy, and I would walk through fire to save him if he ever needed it."
"High praise indeed," Sango grinned. "Now show me the kitty boy you promised!"
Kagome flashed another sketch, this time of a little fox boy. One that bore a remarkable resemblance to her youngest brother. "Shippou makes me think of a fox, with his cleverness."
Sango ate up the cuteness, but still pouted. She wanted a kitty. Kagome complied after a while, and that made her happy again.
"So, you guys are leaving for the dance at seven tomorrow?" she asked, stroking the paper.
"Yeah," Kagome nodded. "Are you sure you don't want to come? I could score you a ticket, really."
"Not my scene," Sango said, wrinkling her nose. Then she placed a hand to her heart. "Not that I have a dress or anything to wear! Heaven forbid I show up at Homecoming, dressed like an urchin!"
"Can the dramatics, Sango," Kagome giggled.
"You know, we should have a code name. Call ourselves something, like a gang!" the other said excitedly.
"I think you've been hanging around those two shop friends of yours too much," Kagura deduced. "They polluted your virgin mind into calling yourself something like… I dunno… Hellspawn."
"Hellspawn? Where the fuck did that come from?" Sango laughed.
Kagura shrugged. "Well, those two fools are what? Grimm Reaper and Demon Yuki? Tell me that's not cliché!"
"It really is," Kagome agreed.
"Well, we won't have any individual names," Sango defended. "We can just have a code name for the three of us."
"Oh man, we're such the drama club," Kagura sighed.
"I concur," Kagome grinned.
"There we go!" Sango cried gleefully. "We're the Drama Club, from now until the day we die!"
"Are we all going to die on the same day?" Kagura asked Kagome in hushed tones.
"Apparently," Kagome responded in the like. "Just don't point that out to Sango. She's too happy with her brainstorming."
"This sucks. And I'm not talking vacuum sucks, I'm talking black hole. Major suckage. Suckville, Ohio."
"Never been there."
Miroku and Inuyasha sprawled around in Miroku's bedroom. It was small, with a curtain on the doorframe separating it from the rest of the home. Miroku shared a small trailer with his father, in one of the less reputable parts of town. A fire destroyed their old house almost three years ago, and since Miroku's father had been laid off at the time, and the insurance was less than the cost of rebuilding, they had to find a cheaper home. Since then, they had been saving to buy a house, and were happily approaching their mark.
"Yeah well, it sucks," Inuyasha commented, draping himself across Miroku's bed, head hanging over the side.
"With a name like Suckville, I thought it might be kinda cool." Miroku raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, earning a groan from his partner in crime.
"I swear, you're a dirty old man."
"Actually, I'm a dirty young man," Miroku corrected. He sat on the floor with his second-hand laptop, cruising E-bay for discounted car parts. "When I hit Pop's age, then I'll be a dirty old man."
"I forgot perversion runs in your family," Inuyasha said dryly, sighing.
"It's an incurable disease, my friend. But at least it's not as bad as your problems."
"I can't believe she did this to me…" Inuyasha lamented, sitting up. "It's my senior year, why do I need a tutor?"
"Maybe because you're brilliant, but lazy," Miroku chuckled.
"Maybe you should write your own lines," was the retort.
"I would, but I'm just as lazy as you are." Then, to amend his statement, "But at least I do my homework." Inuyasha groaned and flopped back down. "Any idea who the tutor is?"
"Naw," he writhed. "The school says they can't place me with one until second quarter, so I'll find out then." He floundered around on the bed for a while, fetal position to spread eagle and back again. "My mother is still trying to make me into a respectable member of the community. High society."
"Grimm, you… kinda are high society."
"No I'm not," he said defensively. "I'm just a guy. All that country club, golf shoe, dinner party, jacket and tie shit isn't me. So my parents have money, so what?"
"Money makes a difference in the world," Miroku commented. "Money gets respect, power—"
"Money means privilege," Inuyasha spat. "It means people will pretend to like you and be nice to you because you have power over them. It means you can get anything without working for it. It means snobs and Ivy League and self-righteous, selfish bastards."
"'Absolute power corrupts absolutely'," Miroku quoted, then went back to his computer. "One of these days, amigo, you'll find where you're supposed to be. But until then, you can wander through life with me."
Inuyasha snorted. "You're not wandering, my demonic henchman. You have a plan. "
"True. But no money means no college. And no college means I can kiss my dreams of graphic arts and animation goodbye and say hello to a fabulous life of burger flipping or auto mechanics."
"You make good money as a mechanic," Inuyasha shrugged, knowing it meant little. Miroku had dreams and ambition; he didn't.
"So what are we going to do tomorrow?" Miroku asked, switching subjects tactfully. "It's Homecoming, we could crash."
"Ah, the ticket takers doubled since our stunt last year. We'll have to be careful."
"You have a plan?" Miroku ran a finger over the streak of red in his hair and grinned devilishly. The angelic demon.
"Do I ever!" Inuyasha grinned.
They spent the rest of the afternoon plotting.
"Sesshomaru!"
"What now?" He didn't look up from his desk as Bankotsu and Jakotsu stormed into his office. It was a nasty habit of theirs he never got around to breaking.
"We've gotta talk to you," Jakotsu said, his voice getting higher with his anxiety.
"It's important," Bankotsu voiced. He looked solemn, and that wasn't always a good thing.
"Alright," Sesshomaru conceded, placing his glasses on top of the paper he was correcting. "You have three minutes."
"Bankotsu and I were under the bleachers after practice," Jakotsu began. "You know that under the bleachers is our favorite spot to go to after a practice when we want to release tension--"
"Jakotsu, keep to the point," Sesshomaru commented. "I've no interest in your sex life."
Jakotsu pouted, so Bankotsu took over the explanation. "We were just coming out from under the bleachers when we saw Naraku, you know, that asshole sports writer? He was talking with some guys from my team, Hojo and Carmine. Sex and women, the only thing they ever talk about. So we weren't paying much attention until Naraku brought up Kagura."
"What?" That had Sesshomaru's attention.
"Yeah, he started talking about this fucked up plan. To go to the dance without a date and steal someone else's, and your lady is his prime candidate. He was saying all this shit about how he couldn't believe such a 'ripe plum' could be under his nose for so long without his noticing. It was disgusting."
"It was degrading towards women," Jakotsu commented, then shrugged. "He's always hitting on girls, not that I care much."
"You care," Bankotsu said. "Because he's a dick and he's trying to steal your friend's woman."
"Kagura is not my woman," Sesshomaru commented.
"Well, she's almost your woman… isn't she?"
That was met with a resonating wall of silence. The two gay boys sighed synonymously. "Well, our three minutes are up," Bankotsu commented. "We'll get out of your hair. Just be careful, alright? Naraku is an ass, and there's no telling what he could try to pull with Kagura."
Sesshomaru watched his two friends go with more weighing on his mind than a simple case of suspicion and jealousy. Things began falling into place. He needed to talk to Kagura.
He missed her at school. It annoyed him.
Kagura had left early with Kagome, under the guise of getting ready for the dance when they really just wanted to skip P.E. and go home. Sango ditched with them, dance or not, which left him no ties with which to contact Kagura. He had no choice. He had to go to her home.
As soon as school was over, despite the newspaper meeting that only he would have attended anyway, Sesshomaru got into his car and drove to Kagura's house. There didn't seem to be anyone home, apart from the Sundance in the driveway. There were no arguing voices and hysterical ranting to suggest the twins were within radius, which made him glad. He didn't want an audience for what he wanted to talk about.
Quickly, quietly, he walked up the sidewalk and knocked on her door. When Kagura answered, she looked surprised to see him. Surprised happy, not surprised upset.
"Sesshomaru, what are you doing here?"
"We need to talk," he said seriously. By the tone, she nodded and let him inside.
"Sure, what's up?"
Picking up the pieces of her broken heart,
Makes me think of all the tears,
Makes me remember all the sleepless nights,
Makes me remember she was alive.
They say if you love something,
You should let it go,
So she let you go.
"Bankotsu and Jakotsu came to my house last night and told me about a conversation they overheard between Naraku and a few of the members of the football team," he told her, watching the information react on her face. So far, nothing. "Naraku said that he plans on attending the Homecoming dance tonight, in order to steal another man's date." There it was, the pinch of shock, the flash of guilt. It made the muscles in his stomach clench. "Why did you need a date to Homecoming, Kagura?"
She didn't answer. Couldn't, wouldn't answer. To answer would be to admit the selfish, greedy act. An act to meet a goal she no longer cared about.
You never came back to her,
Like all the old sayings go,
But she waited.
Looking back on those past years,
I pity the girl who lost her heart,
And found it shattered in her wake.
"You asked Kagome and Sango to find you a fall guy," he said, answering his own question. He used the same tone he would when solving a game of clue. Like Sherlock Holmes. All the pieces of the puzzle coming together to bring the picture into view. Kagome saying there would be no touching involved, the guilty faces, the avoidance of physical contact. "I was just the dupe," Sesshomaru sighed. "The Plan B. Arm candy you could waltz in with, flaunt for Naraku, and leave with him."
Kagura wouldn't meet his eyes, and felt shame flooding her. But at the same time, anger flowed, to hide the shame. Who was he to talk down to her? Who was he to judge? No one. Nothing.
"Ok, so I asked Kagome and Sango to find me a go-to guy, so what? It's not like we're picking out floor tile for our first apartment! It was just for a stupid dance."
"You used me," he said, voice deadly.
"I use a lot of people," she shot back. "It's part of being a journalist."
"Why him?"
"What does it matter? It's none of your business."
"Why him?"
"It doesn't matter," Kagura yelled, glaring at him.
"It matters to me," Sesshomaru told her, feeling the anger burn deep in his stomach. And something much worse growing just as fast. Pain. Rejection. Hurt.
I love the girl who waited,
In place of a love that would never come back.
I ache for the faithful girl,
Who found she was a faithful fool.
I sigh for the girl who lost,
Her innocence is gone from her.
I cry for the girl,
With the glass heart,
The splintered and cracked spirit.
"Why does it matter?" Kagura asked. "He's just a guy."
"No," Sesshomaru said, shaking his head with digest. "He's not just some guy."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you get it?" he asked, moving away from her. "You've got your own twisted little faerie tale. This is how the faerie tale always ends." He looked at her, looked straight into her eyes, and through her. There was a degree of sadness in the back of those impassive golden eyes that froze the blood in Kagura Hart. For the first time, she realized what she had done. "He's the prince, Kagura. And I'm just another frog."
With that said, Sesshomaru walked out of the house, into his car, and drove out of her life. Possibly forever.
In rational thought, she would have realized she'd see him every day until the end of school, and even extra for paper meetings.
But the way she saw it, she'd never see him again. Because even though she'd see him, it wouldn't be him. No more light conversation. No more half-smiles. No more crackers with Rin and conversation with Inuyasha over a game of Tekken. No more Sesshomaru. And her heart broke.
You said you loved her,
But it was a lie.
And it cut through her like a knife.
I no longer feel her pain,
I was the one to hold her,
When you were supposed to hold.
I was the one to soothe her,
When you were supposed to soothe.
I was the one to protect her,
When you were supposed to protect.
She could have run after him, thrown herself on the hood of his car, done something to stop him going, but it wouldn't have worked. He was as stubborn as he was brilliant, and once he made up his mind, nothing could change it. She had let him down, she had hurt him, and it was all her fault.
Kagura didn't try to stop him, didn't even watch him drive away. All she did was climb the stairs, lay across her bed. A shoebox was sitting there, pictures and papers spread everywhere. Memories and reminders. Everything she had of her mother fit into that one shoebox. Memories of someone else who had left her. Someone else who had walked out the door and never come back.
She wouldn't let herself cry. Wouldn't let the pain come in. Couldn't let herself admit that it was done.
Now my little girl is gone from me,
Taken away on the angels' wings,
Gone where I can't follow.
They say if you love something,
Let it go,
She let you go.
And you found the happiness ,
She would never know.
No more can you apologize,
No longer can you torment her,
Her smiles can't reach you,
Her laughter is silenced,
Her love is ended.
First the tears began. Then the sniffling. Then the sobbing.
That was how Sango found her, curled up on her bed, clutching a piece of paper. That's how Kagome found her when Sango had called and she rushed next door. That was how the world would find her. Undone.
Kagura fully understood what she had done. She had begun with a plan to use someone to get what she wanted. In the end, she didn't want it anymore. She wanted what she couldn't have.
I pity the girl that loved you,
She never knew love before you,
She will never know love after you,
You broke her,
And she died calling your name.
I heard her last breath,
I felt her last sigh,
I watched the color leave her skin,
I held her in my arms,
When it was your place to hold.
I kissed her cheek,
When it was your place to kiss.
Kagura Hart had fallen in love with Sesshomaru Reaper. But all the happily-ever-afters in all the world wouldn't bring her true love back to her.
I pity the girl that died for you,
I cry for the girl that left me because of you,
I miss the girl that once loved you,
Because now there is no love left,
In the woman that I am.
A/N: Yay! I'm really happy with the way this chapter turned out. Be heartened, my loyal readers. Only two more chapters to go before Unknown—the one you've all been waiting for. And it's already in production. Now, I want to break three hundred reviews for this chapter, so go Go GO!