Emotions became pretty much synthetic. What I thought I felt, I really didn't understand and things I once dreamed of, seemed like it was never there. The one time drug called paraphernalia made sure of that. Of course, it had its glitches. Sometimes I would waver in between what it seemed like reality and fantasy when in all actuality it was memories and feelings; dreams. I was a living robot at the Successions command. The only sole reason I lived was to keep everything under control and keep 'wanderers' from looking for the Shikon Jewel; which symbolized freedom and let things be handed to them.

Of course, there were no drugs to keep people in check. It was the fear we instilled. We were the enforcers; we were the assassins; who murdered those without incident, what we were was the greatest thing possible. Who wouldn't want to join the Succession? Who wouldn't want to be apart of us and listen to us because obviously we know what was best. We knew that Naraku had to be killed, the demon who took on many faces and many souls and the only way Naraku could be killed was to keep humans safe and the only way we could protect millions of humans was to keep them controlled.

Kagome Higurashi was the Ultimate meaning she was the face of the Succession. She was a brand. Kagome Higurashi's name flashed in lights everywhere and when we needed to speak to the people, she spoke to them. Her voice was a drug to them. Whatever she said they would do. Of course, they believed her. Whenever they needed her; she was there to protect because after all she was trained by the best and became the best assassin. If Naraku's lackeys were hanging around; Kagome would come immediately and destroyed them without a second thought. She inhabited a face of innocence but in her eyes there was nothing but coldness. Until Kikyou came, somehow, she unwrap everything we done to her. The glint in her eye was no longer there and suddenly she felt. Suddenly she remembered and dreams… she began to have them.

Dreams of freedom; dreams of destroying Naraku without suppressing the humans and suppressing 'life'.

Which was why we needed her back. How could we say that our way was the right way when our ultimate controller, our greatest succession, the best protector in the world, said it was not?

How could the people continue on believing us when there was no longer anything to believe?

Our greatest success became our ultimate failure.

--Inuyasha

Chapter 4: Unravel the Destruction

He watched her out of the corner of his eyes. The woman sitting behind him was no longer the woman he has known. The woman who used to wear her hair in a tight bun and only wore black. He should've known that something was up when she let her long jet black hair flow loosely on her shoulders. But Kagome Higurashi was a great liar. She lied to the people for many years, since she was the young tender age of fourteen. People tend to listen to children more than adults even if the child bore nothing but information.

She was sixteen years old when Kikyou joined the Succession. Of course, it was a happy time for Kagome, even though she couldn't bear any feelings, she did harbor the desire to have an older sister. That was what Sesshomaru's plan was. Anything to keep the Ultimate happy but when Miroku interviewed her… Miroku stared out of the window, watching the trees whip by and hearing the low humming of the car purring, he should've known.

Kikyou Deshore had a past. A past that was dark and was deadly to them from the beginning but her past was also deadly to Naraku. Even in his darken heart, he still bore feelings for Kikyou. And that meant that Kikyou was his ultimate weakness and that could've easily brought Naraku to his knees. Of course, every good plan has a flaw. Like Kagome being the Ultimate.

Kagome was, of course, indestructible; physically but mentally, Kagome had flaws. She felt more than any part of the Succession; which wasn't saying much. But there were moments when he, himself, saw glimpses of emotion in her eyes. Kikyou must've seen it too. Almost immediately after Kikyou settled into the Succession, she introduced Inuyasha Couture. A young, promising twenty two years old and without incident, Kagome and Inuyasha fell in love. Miroku was the only one who knew that Kikyou was apart of Inuyasha finding Kagome. Miroku would take that to his grave.

It was more than unfortunate. The Ultimate no longer could stare into the people's eyes without feeling something and she could no longer be the ultimate everything. She was becoming weaker everyday and easily Kikyou could've killed her because Kagome's guards were far too down. But that was until they got a hold of her, forcing her to go on her what we didn't know, her last and final mission. They sent her out, of course, on a few dumbie missions, just put her into a limousine without knowing who she was to kill until the last and final moment. It made sending Kagome out to kill Kikyou easier and it was their plan to have Kikyou killed and insert the drug 'paraphernalia' in her system again and make her believe what the Succession was doing was right. Then they were going to send her out to kill Inuyasha because even if he lingered there she would still remember him. If he was dead, she would have nothing to fight for.

There were so many flaws… Miroku shook his head. They didn't even think about sending reinforcements. And the rest was history. Of course, having Inuyasha and Kagome being in love turned out to be a great thing. Without their love, Inuyasha wouldn't have begged to destroy Kikyou, who at the time supposedly killed Kagome. Inuyasha wasn't the Ultimate but he was getting there.

Inuyasha was just good enough.

And Inuyasha could finish where Kagome left off.

And that was final.

Miroku sighed, turning the volume up of the music. His favorite song blasted loudly out of the speakers as he began to hum. 'Love Will Keep Us Together' was oddly ironic but he liked it nonetheless. Maybe it was the beat or maybe it was the fact that in Kagome's acting days, she used to play it all the time. Did he feel bad for deceiving her? No. Once he found out that Kagome needed an agent and Kikyou was Kagome's body double, he didn't have any qualms about anything.

Kagome betrayed them and Kikyou just deserved to die. He was going to kill them both painfully but that was until he realized they needed Kagome. Kagome was a manipulator and nobody was as good as manipulation as Kagome was.

Miroku's head jolted up, realizing the volume was extremely dim. His eyes slid to Inuyasha's face, which showed no sign of anything. Just straight concertration and his gold eyes glowing brightly.

"You just don't turn down people's favorite song."

"I did." Inuyasha replied, sliding his eyes towards Miroku, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Of course I do." Miroku smiled, "There is no bigger problem as of now except for this one."

Inuyasha shrugged, "I should be flattered but I'm not."

"Where are we going?" Kagome's interrupted.

"Orleans, France." Inuyasha said smoothly.

Miroku glanced at Inuyasha. He was just too smooth to be slimy. Everybody adored him, maybe that was what Miroku's problem with him, and everybody liked Inuyasha. He was just too damn likable to actually be liked. And Miroku hated that. He rather like the old Inuyasha who was brass and annoying and madly and insanely in love with Kagome. The old Inuyasha was tolerable but this Inuyasha… likable.

"I know that but to where?"

Inuyasha shared a glance at Miroku, "Well?"

"We're going to Sango Reeves'. We're paying her a little visit." Miroku tapped his fingers to the beat, "We need to get Kikyou off your ass for one moment."

"Kikyou?" Inuyasha's brows furrowed.

Miroku's fingers stopped tapping, "Excuse me, what I meant was, we need to locate Kik-Kagome and let her know about you, Kikyou."

"Me?"

Miroku turned around, "Yes, you."

"Oh." Kagome's eye widened as if she understood that Inuyasha's memories of her no longer existed.

"Now you see?" Miroku asked, facing the front again, "I'm glad you do."

Miroku stole another glance at Inuyasha, whose eyes had a strange glint before disappearing again. Miroku sighed relaxing against his seat, thank God.

Inuyasha sighed, watching Kagome in the review mirror. They thought he didn't know but he didn't understand how he knew that she was Kagome not Kikyou. It's been quite some time since he's recognized her, probably in the cabin, feeding her. She had too much innocence in her eyes to be Kikyou. What she meant to him, he had no idea, other than his chest tightened and he felt some longing towards her.

It confused him. Nothing confused him more than longingness. He haven't longed since… Inuyasha furrowed his brows, have he ever longed for anything? No, Inuyasha reassured himself, longing was for humans that they kept safe. Longing wasn't something people and demons alike felt being in the Succession.

Then why? Why did he feel it? Why did he ache? It didn't make sense. He was trying to put the puzzles together, trying to remember what she meant in his life and why was she so familiar to him, yet he never met her? Nothing at all made sense and now they were chasing after Kikyou, fighting for pieces of the Shikon Jewel, it was insane. Yet, he felt he have known nothing more.

"Turn left." Miroku's voice droned.

In another life, Inuyasha was sure he liked Miroku. He was sure that in the life Miroku was funny, witty and somehow, felt that he was a little bit of pervert. But now, every time he thought of Miroku; he felt like slamming his fist into Miroku's face. Miroku was controlling, bossy and punctual. He didn't know why Miroku's OCD bothered him. It just did.

"Turning left, Oh High One."

"Nobody has time for your jokes." Miroku snapped.

"Oh really because it seems we have nothing but time."

Miroku's lips were pulsed together, meaning he couldn't think of a good enough comeback in enough time without seeming lame. Good. Inuyasha didn't have time for all this… he needed to think about what he was experiencing, why that black haired girl was getting to him? Inuyasha peered in the review mirror again, staring into her soft face, how she was became the Ultimate was beyond him. She seemed a little too soft hearted and weak, physically.

But then again, looks are deceiving.

"Her house is the large white one."

"Of course, he would know that since he probably visited it a lot in his day." Inuyasha joked.

"Shut up."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Kagome overlapped.

For some reason he smiled, which didn't settle too well with him. Once the car was stopped, they all stepped out of the car. Inuyasha glanced towards Kagome, who was taking her strides confidently as if she knew that the sole purpose of her there was to find Kikyou and Naraku. It should be easy. They have said that Kagome was the best manipulator of all time.

But of course she was. She was the Ultimate.

They stood at the large mahogany door, waiting for one for of them to ring the doorbell. Inuyasha groan, reaching out to the bell, "I'll do it."

"Thank you." Miroku muttered as Kagome only cast a look.

They waited for only a minute before Sango's face appeared, looking surprised. Of course she would. If Inuyasha could remember, Miroku threatened her life a few days ago. One would be surprised and possibly pissed. Maybe they shouldn't have brought Miroku. Even though they possibly needed Miroku since Miroku was great without weapons.

"Well, well, well, did you decide to come back?" Sango spat.

"Excuse me?" Inuyasha said.

"You. Did you decide to come back to us?"

If you want to understand possibly anything; please read the prelude, it's long but it explains almost everything. No Inuyasha wasn't apart of the Succession back when Kagome was but he is apart of it and since he is he refers to the Succession as 'we'. It explains almost everything and it explains why Miroku is such an asshole. I've just seen Equilibrium and it kind of inspired me to change the plot slightly. Yet nothing will waver, everything I have typed will remain but this plot seems to fit into this more. I don't know if I put how old Kagome was when she joined the Succession but I'll say at fourteen.

'Paraphernalia' means a personal belonging. I thought it was cool because pretty much they were taking drugs to become the Successions' personal belonging.