This one's really angsty, angst alert.

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Sango looked around the cave. It was so…deserted. No, that wasn't true. There was someone there; he just happened to be bleeding from the nostrils and twitching on the floor from her last attack after he groped her. 'Where's Kagome?' she wondered. She stepped out from the cave to look around.

'…Water?' she wondered, hearing gurgling and smelling the sweet smell that could only be a sweet, fresh, mountain stream. Smiling, she walked off to find it.

She was surprised, no, more like shocked; at the sight she saw when she got to the stream. Hiding in the brush, she looked on as…was that Kagome…with…Youko? She never would have suspected that one…

Still…it was kind of sweet…and Shippo would love it, he completely idolized the thief, to have his "mother" and his idol dating? It would be his dream come true. Still…. what was Inuyasha going to do? She wondered, worried. He didn't take with setbacks that well…

Whatever, if he couldn't be happy for Kagome then that was his problem.

Later that day, after Kagome and Youko stopped, Youko led Kagome back to his cave. "So…how'd you like your day?" he asked genially.

Kagome blushed. "I…I liked it." Youko smiled.

"I have something for you," he said, reaching in his hair.

"For…for me?" she asked, shocked.

Youko pulled out a snow-white rose. Taking her hand, he kissed it as he placed it in her dainty fingers.

Or at least tried to. His eyes widened as his back ripped out in pain. Inuyasha stood behind him, claws bloody.

"Inuyasha what are you doing?" screamed Kagome. "Youko!"

"I'll…be all right…" he said through pained breaths. Blood dripped down his back.

"Hold on…I'll heal you…" she promised.

"You won't heal that damn kitsune," said Inuyasha angrily. "He'll disappear…. then things will go back to normal."

"GO BACK TO NORMAL!" she screamed. "YOU KILL MY BOYFRIEND AND YOU THINK IT'LL JUST GO BACK TO NORMAL?"

Youko stood and slashed his rose whip at Inuyasha, who managed to dodge it. It wasn't that hard, though, because Youko was badly hurt, and not fast enough even to dodge Inuyasha's claws coming down at his shoulder.

Kagome jumped in front of Inuyasha's claws, taking her boyfriend's "payment".

"Kagome!" shouted Youko. His eyes grew murderous as he caught her. She wasn't hurt too badly, but he could still smell her blood. Setting her down sitting on the ground, he rushed forward, attacking Inuyasha with everything he had.

Slicing down Inuyasha's chest, quite deeply, Youko then stumbled backward. As Inuyasha fell forward into a puddle of his own blood, Youko fell down on one knee, gasping for breath. Kagome ran forward.

"Youko, Youko please!" She tried to use her healing powers on him, but she couldn't use enough. Youko smiled at her slightly before coughing up blood. His bloody hand reached down and shakily picked up the white rose.

"I'm sorry…." He coughed again. "Your rose got ruined…" The rose was covered with Inuyasha's and Youko's blood, and some of Kagome's as well. Blood red it looked, the most beautiful, tragic flower she'd ever seen.

"Please, no…" Youko picked up her hand and clasped the rose in it before falling forward, dead before he hit the ground. "YOUKO!"