A/N: Sad chapter. VERY sad chapter. Not as sad as Why Can't We Be Together? chapter 5 (I know there are still some out there who would wish for my death because of that…sorry.) But still, I warn you, if you are a sensitive person, better get out the tissues.

Chapter 18: Consequenses of Love

Kagome shivered as her eyes once again flickered to the dark window in worry. It was night already, and there was no sign of Inuyasha. She hadn't seen him for a full day, and she could not help but worry. He would never leave like that without telling her first.

Her hopes that he would come back within hours had faded away already, and she started worrying that he might never come back. Even deeper was her worry that he had been hurt…or even killed, and she would never know.

Secretly, so deeply hidden that she hardly let on to herself, she feared that he had left because of her. Because she wasn't good enough…or because he had finally gotten what he wanted from her…and had no more use of her. She didn't want to believe it, and she couldn't, but whenever she reminded herself that she had not seen him since…that terrible assumption floated up again.

Kagome had hoped that after sharing what they did the night before, she wouldn't ever have a doubt in his feelings for her ever again. But in truth, she worried more than she ever had in her relationship.

Her distress did not go unnoticed. "Kagome-chan, are you all right?" Sango asked, worried. Once again, they were crowded in Kaede's hut for dinner.

Kagome yanked out of her worried thoughts. "Yeah, Sango-chan…I'm just—"

Her eyes had betrayed her. "Worried about Inuyasha." Miroku finished for her.

Sadly, Kagome nodded. "I know I shouldn't be worried…I've gone without seeing him for longer before, but this time, I just can't help it." Absent mindedly touching the mating scar on her left hand, she added, "I can't help but feel that something terrible has happened."

Sango came closer to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it Kagome. He'll be fine. Inuyasha knows how to take care of himself."

Kagome looked down. "I know…but I can't help but be worried."

There was a small silence in conversation, until Miroku spoke up. "Kagome-sama, what was the last thing he said to you when you saw him early this morning?"

A bright red blush came across her face. She had forgotten about that lie. She had too many lies now…she wondered if her friends would ever forgive her for lying so much. "It's personal!" she replied in a huff.

"Houshi-sama!" his betrothed roared. "How can you ask something like that? At a time like this! You lecher!"

The monk may have his idiotic moments, but he possessed enough intelligence to know how to keep from being severely hurt by the woman he loved—most of the time. He backed off. "I didn't mean it like that, Sango dearest; I only wanted to know if he gave any hint as to where he would be."

Give any hint? Kagome could scarcely remember what he said to her the night before, she was so lost in his touch, the feeling of him, that she couldn't remember a word he'd said, except when he whispered her name, so lovingly, and told her how much he loved her several times.

But something popped up in her memory, something she had forgotten, what he had said to her, right before they had fallen asleep.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered timidly, pulling away from the protectiveness of his bare chest, looking up at him.

His amber eyes opened sleepily, and she assumed it was weariness which gave them that odd glint. He was tired, and Kagome knew exactly why. She didn't want to deprive him—or herself—of that well needed sleep. "What is it, Kagome?" He asked with a yawn.

She knew that it was a silly question to ask, that she shouldn't even have to ask it, but something made her ask. "Inuyasha…you won't ever leave me… will you?"

By the look in his eyes, Kagome knew she had struck a nerve. For an instant, Kagome could have sworn that they had flashed red. She didn't have time to react to what she saw because, it was gone a second later, after Inuyasha blinked it away. "Won't ever leave you?" he said, a bit late. "What kind of question is that, woman?"

Not wanting to anger him, Kagome rolled over under the haori. "Forget about it. It was a stupid question."

She was surprised when two strong arms wrapped around her from behind. "You stupid girl." Inuyasha said softly. "Do you think after what happened tonight that I'd leave you? We're mates, Kagome, mates don't leave each other like that. I'll always be by your side."

Kagome leaned back against his chest, back into his embrace, smiling. "So don't ever," Inuyasha continued, "Think that I'll leave you. I couldn't leave you if I tried, because you'd always be on my mind. You're too annoying like that, you know."

Kagome turned around, yelling in annoyance, "Inuyasha!"

"Keh! Just telling the truth." He muttered, holding her back in his arms. As they started falling into slumber, the last thing that Inuyasha had said to her was, "I love you."

Kagome gave a small, inaudible gasp. How could she have forgotten that? It was probably because she believed that those scenes would be repeated over and over with him, him always proclaiming his love and loyalty to her…But however sweet the words were, it hurt to think upon them.

You said that you wouldn't leave me…Kagome thought. You said that you couldn't leave me…but why did you?

Kaede came into the hut, breaking the silence as everyone was looking at Kagome. "There's thick fog out there tonight." She relayed to them. "Thicker than usual…" Her eyes looked back out to the village and mass of blinding fog that reflected the light of the moon. "Something's going to happen tonight."

Kagome glanced around as everyone looked as if they had half-expected this. "I wondered," Miroku said, "When I didn't feel any presence of youkai nearby."

Sango nodded. "I felt that also. It's been that way all day, but youkai have been moving out of the region for weeks…they always know when something's about to happen."

Shippou and Kirara sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything unusual." Shippou replied. "Kirara?" he looked at the neko youkai, who only shook her head in reply.

Kagome stared. In honesty, she hadn't noticed at all. And now that she did notice, she tried to see if she could feel any youkai, but she felt…nothing. Not even Shippou or Kirara. And then she remembered something Kaede had told her, long ago. "Mikos can only be virgin girls. Once they are no longer a virgin, their powers disappear."

It was yet another shock and worry to add to her fast growing collection. I…I can't believe I had forgotten that,I should have remembered…That means…I'm not a miko anymore! Her heart started to fill up with a familiar sense of loss. She crossed her arms across her chest, trying to comfort herself. I'm no use to our group anymore…just a shikon shard detector, like I was in the beginning…

But she was forced to abandon her self pity over her state when Sango said, "Wait, something's coming…"

Everyone glanced towards the entrance of the hut, their eyes still. Sango exclaimed, "It's a youkai, a powerful one, coming fast!"

There was a flurry of activity as everyone grabbed their weapons, while Kagome stayed put. She knew she was of no use to the group anymore. "If we hurry, we can get to it before it hurts the villagers." Miroku said, retrieving his staff as they marched out the door.

Only Sango, pausing before she left the hut with Hiraikotsu, seemed to notice that Kagome had not moved. "Kagome-chan, come on." She said, with an encouraging smile. "It's just a youkai, we'll be all right."

Kagome turned to her, and a false smile blossomed on her face. "Right." She got up and grabbed her bow and arrows without hesitating, though it hurt to look on them, knowing she would never shoot purity arrows again, now that she was anything but pure.

By the time everyone was outside, the youkai had attacked. Because of the fog, they could not see it. They could just hear the screams of the villagers at the other end of the village, and hear the loud growls of the youkai as it attacked them. A group of villagers fled in their direction.

"Kagome, Kaede-sama," Miroku said, "You stay here and protect the villagers, Sango and I will handle this!"

"Be careful!" Kagome called after them, as they ran into the fog, watching their outlines run.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango pointed, at the dark figure jumping towards the screaming villagers.

The villagers ran away, and the monk and the youkai exterminator stepped in front of them to block the path. "Don't chase after them." Miroku ordered. "Your fight is with us."

"Go back to where you came from, or we'll be forced to attack." Sango yelled at the figure, shrouded in fog. They could see its dark figure, but what it actually looked like wasn't visible. All they could tell was it had sharp claws on both of its hands, long hair that was swaying in the night wind, and two triangle-like protrusions on top of its head.

Sango said, "Triangles?"

The youkai said nothing, but only proceded to give a deep, chilling laugh.

Miroku gasped. "That voice!"

From where she was, Kagome could see that the dark figures of Miroku and Sango weren't making any move against the youkai…they were just standing there. "What's Wrong?" she wondered aloud. "Why aren't they fighting?"

Kagome started running towards them, leaving Kaede and Shippou to yell, "Kagome!" after her. They both had figured out who the mysterious youkai was a second after Sango and Miroku had.

Kagome run up behind her friends, pushing between them. "Kagome!" they both cried, desperately wishing she wouldn't see.

She didn't understand the sudden, shocked looks on their faces. "What's going on?" she asked, looking back at the youkai in front of them. "Why aren't you figh—"

Her bow, and quiver of arrows, dropped to the ground with a thud.

Kagome stared back in horror at who stood in front of her. A hand was placed over her mouth in shock. It can't be…no…It just can't be… "Inuyasha?" she said in horror.

Her mind pictured the loving figure he was the night they mated, amber eyes sparkling with love, his face set in gentle contentment. Now, Inuyasha had changed to his youkai form, eyes red, with blue pupils, purple stripes on each cheek, large, protruding fags, and immensely sharp claws. Kagome couldn't help but notice his white undershirt was stained with blood.

"Kagome-sama…" Miroku said, seeing the pain on Kagome's face, not knowing the full extent of the pain she was feeling.

A grin spread across Inuyasha's face. "So this is where you've been hiding, wench." He said, in a low, guttural voice, flexing his claws.

Kagome took another step back, her eyes still wide with shock. "Inuyasha…what happened to you?" she breathed, looking into the dark, cold eyes of her lover, who had now come back to kill her.

Sango knew that Inuyasha might kill her if she didn't snap out of it fast. "Kagome-chan!" she said, as Shippou ran up, carrying the Tessaiga to her.

"Kagome!" he said. "Use this to get him back to normal:

Kagome glanced away from Inuyasha to look down at the sword Shippou was handing her. True, she was startled and frightened to see him this way, but she had seen him like this before. It was just horrifying to see him in his youkai form, the night after they had mated, and after not having seen him all day.

She nodded, "Right.", taking the Tessaiga.

Inuyasha raised his claws. "This is for all the torment you caused me, wench." He said, his red eyes flashing.

"Sit!" Kagome yelled, and in an instant, youkai-Inuyasha was forced to the ground. She ran up to him, not afraid anymore. He would go back to normal, and everything would be all right, she knew it. "Inuyasha," she breathed, forcing the Tessaiga into his right hand, feeling a slight jolt like electricity fill her when she grazed the mating scar. "Please be all right."

There was a silence, he didn't get up, but his fingers closed around the Tessaiga, making everyone take a breath of relief. "He's going to be okay." Kagome said, to everyone else, looking back down at the man she loved. She grabbed his shoulders and nudged him. "Inuyasha?"

His hand slithered up to grab hers, and a small smile came on her face. He's all right…he's back to normal.

Suddenly, before anyone could make a move, Inuyasha jumped up and grabbed Kagome, drawing the unchanged Tessaiga and holding it to her throat.

"Kagome!" her friends screamed.

"Get any closer, and the girl dies." He said with relish, his eyes, still red, flashed in amusement.

Kagome was paralyzed with fear. Inuyasha had never gone against the sealing effect of Tessaiga before…his youkai form was always stopped when Tessaiga was near. But now, he was dominant over the sword, except that it would not transform for him, as long as he was more youkai than human.

Inuyasha…why won't this stop you? Why can't you change back? His chilling laugh rung in her ears as her friends frantically tried to find a way to free her without getting hurt. Kagome shook in terror. Inuyasha!

"Let her go, you bastard." A commanding voice said.

Everyone turned around, and there, standing with all the grace and dignity of a god, was Sesshoumaru himself. His long silver hair, and the empty sleeve of his left hand flapped in the wind, while his golden eyes looked at Inuyasha with annoyance. Everyone gasped at his sudden appearance. He made his way through the crowd, holding his sword, Toukijin in front of him, pointed directly at his half-brother.

Inuyasha growled and pulled Kagome in a tighter grip, making her gasp with pain as his claws dug into her. Sesshoumaru! What's he doing here? She wondered.

"I said, let her go, Inuyasha." The daiyoukai repeated. "Your fight is with me." His proud, cold eyes looked upon his brother with a look of pure disgust.

A growl escaped Inuyasha, but he tossed Kagome aside, her giving a little gasp of pain as she landed on the ground. Inuyasha thrust the sword into his cloth belt, and without a second thought, Inuyasha ran towards Sesshoumaru, his claws raised, ready to fight.

The word "Pathetic." escaped Sesshoumaru's lips, as he held Toukijin pointed at Inuyasha. A blue light escaped the powerful sword, as the sword force pushed him back, making him growl in pain as blood spurted from several small wounds.

"No!" Kagome yelled, pushing away from Sango, who was tending to her. "You kill him!"

Sesshoumaru appeared to not have heard her. He strode forward, toward his brother, who was shakily standing up to challenge him again. "Leave this place." His older brother told him. "Leave it now, or you will never live to see her again."

Inuyasha contracted his long claws into a fist. "No one commands me." He said, in his dark voice.

"You will be commanded if you wish to live another day." Sesshoumaru said, his eyes narrowing. "You are different from before. Now leave this place."

After a growl of annoyance, and a pause, Inuyasha scampered back into the woods, but not before giving Kagome one last look of pure spite that made her shiver.

There was an eerie silence as Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword, Toukijin. "My work is done." He said, turning to leave.

"Wait! Sesshoumaru!" Miroku yelled after him, making the daiyoukai turn. "Why did you come here? Why did you save Kagome-sama? Why did you spare his life? And what's going on?"

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes narrowed. "Do you honestly expect this Sesshoumaru to tell you of my reasons?"

"You owe us an explination!" Miroku roared. "What the hell is going on here?"

Though he didn't like helping humans, Sesshoumaru answered. "I came because I knew my little brother was like this, and only I could stop him. I didn't let him kill the girl because I won't have him recklessly killing like this. And I spared his life because I will not kill him in that form. I will kill him when he knows who he is, so I can see how he will react when he finally realizes I am the victor."

The daiyoukai turned to leave, once more, but Kagome whimpered, "Please, Sesshoumaru…tell me what's going on…" She looked at him with watery eyes. "I don't know what's happening…and I can't bear it. Please…what's wrong with Inuyasha?"

Sesshoumaru paused, making Kagome flinch when he looked directly at her and took a sniff of the air. He replied, "It is a curse."

"A curse?" Everyone asked.

Sesshoumaru continued, "A century ago, fifty years before Inuyasha met that foolish miko, and began to have feelings for humans, he was a terror of the Southern Lands. He would hunt down mikos and others with the power to turn him into a full youkai, mercilessly seeking them out in order to achieve this goal. Ever since that wretch of his mother died, that's been his deepest desire."

Kagome gasped. I knew he wasn't perfect, but this? Oh, Inuyasha…

"From what I know, he heard of the most powerful miko in the region, and sought her out. By the time he found her, she had already lost her powers because of her foolish, human weakness." Kagome couldn't help notice that Sesshoumaru glanced at her when he said that. "Inuyasha was furious, and threatened to kill her."

"D-Did he?" Shippou asked, frightened.

"No." Sesshoumaru replied. "His human heart stopped at killing her, but not before she cursed him, which would grant him his desire when he least wanted it."

Kagome stared. "L-least wanted it? What do you mean."

The daiyoukai's gaze was fixed upon her. "When Inuyasha would give in to his human emotions, and take a mate out of pure love."

A gasp escaped her, but she knew she must have been blushing bright red. She felt the gaze of everyone in the party, and instantly felt deeply ashamed. They knew now, they all knew what she and Inuyasha had been doing…and what they had been doing led to. It was almost unbearable. A tear filled her eye. It…it was all because of me?

"Kagome?" Sango asked, but all she needed was to look at Kagome's face for confirmation.

"You, foolish girl, are responsible for turning Inuyasha into an uncontrollable monster." Sesshoumaru replied, his glare still on her.

More tears came for Kagome, a single one falling down her cheek as reality started hitting her. I did this…I turned him this way…all because I loved him, and I let him love me… "I'm sorry…" she cried.

"Foolish human." Sesshoumaru replied, turning around and finally leaving.

Sango wanted to comfort her. "Kagome-chan," she said, reaching a hand out, but Miroku stopped her, knowing it wouldn't help.

Pain and despair filled Kagome, as she realized that it was all because of her that Inuyasha had been turned this way. She tried to control her sadness, her tears, but it felt as if her heart had grown heavy and had fallen deep into her chest.

I made Inuyasha this way…I so stupid! Just because I wanted him…he's a youkai, and can't be changed back! I did this!

Another tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…Sorry!" she cried, instantly standing up and dashing away, while her friends called "Kagome!"

The pain was weighing her down, she didn't know where to go. She ran into Kaede's hut, but she couldn't hide there forever. She knew one place, she wanted to go so desperately.

I want Inuyasha…she thought. I want him to be here to comfort me…I want him to hold me in his arms, and tell me everything will be all right. I want him to protect me, to keep me safe, but…now I can't! And all because of me!

Her eyes flew on Inuyasha's haori, the only thing she had of his. It was her comfort when he was gone, but now, she couldn't bear to look at it. It was a sick, and haunting reminder of that night…the night where she had turned him into something twisted and unrecognizable because of her foolishness.

Nevertheless it was Inuyasha's , and she grabbed it, running out of the hut, past her concerned friends. She knew one place she could go, one place where she could leave it all behind.

She jumped into the well, trying to stem the flow of tears by burying her face into Inuyasha's red haori, feeling more tears come as she remembered how he looked with it on. Inuyasha…

Kagome, eyes thick with tears, dashed out of the well house, past Goshinboku, and into the house. She ran to the stairs, not replying to her family who at once yelled, "Kagome!" at her alarming entrance. She ran to her bedroom, slamming the door.

She stopped running, and bit her lip. She had thought her pain would get better by leaving, but it only got worse, much worse.

I loved Inuyasha…he loved me. But because we were so stupid…I turned him into a youkai!

I turned him into a youkai…I turned him into a youkai!

It's all my fault!

She remembered the words he had said to her, "I'll never leave you," How he promised to always be by her side and love her. Those words meant nothing now.

Inuyasha…I'm sorry…She thought, as she collapsed on her pink bed, burying her face in the pillows, and succumbing to her wave of tears.

A/N: Wow. Long. 5 pages longer than I thought…oh well.