A/N: Here's chapter ten! Hope you like it! Please keep the reviews coming:D

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Don't Cry for Me
Chapter Ten

"Souta, do you think you and your family are going to stay here?" Kohaku asked.

Souta thought about this. "I know Kagome wants to, and I would like to, but I think that my grandfather has to go back to the shrine soon. He is its keeper...and I don't know, but we may end up going with him..."

Kohaku frowned and shook his head. "Well, you'll still be able to visit, in any case." he said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Honestly, I would like it if you stayed...I don't know if you noticed or not, but there aren't many kids our age around here. This place isn't exactly 'leisurely'...there's always something going on, and never any time to just relax and try to be a kid..." he sighed.

Souta nodded slowly. He understood, somewhat. He himself had never really known the pressure of a war, and he certainly had his share of free time, and the video games to prove it...but this was the Warring States era...it certainly wasn't hard for him to imagine the way that Kohaku must feel.

As if on some type of cue, Souta and Kagome's grandfather came walking quickly out of the hut. "I need to go home!" he proclaimed to the world. "The Higurashi shrine can not sit empty any longer!" He glanced around. "Souta, are you coming?" he asked the boy.

Souta blinked. "Is mom going?" he asked quietly.

His grandfather shook his head. "No," he said, "not yet."

Souta thought a moment. "Then I will stay here with mother until she wants to return," he decided.

His grandfather nodded in acceptance and continued to walk towards the forest. Miroku, who had been sitting by the fire trying to convince Sango to bear his child, yelped and stood up when he realized where the old man was headed.

Running, Miroku ended up standing in front of him and blocking his path.

"I'm going home," he stated.

Miroku nodded. "All right...I understand that...but remember the little talk Inuyasha and Kagome had with you about not wandering off on your own and everything? Well, even though Naraku is dead, there are still plenty of other demons who would love to get their hands on the sacred jewel of four souls...so walking out of here alone with a shard of the jewel in your pocket isn't a good idea...unless you want to be attacked..."

Kagome's grandfather nodded. "Well then, would someone please escort me back to the well?" he asked.

Miroku smiled and nodded. "I will," he agreed, grabbing his staff up in his good hand. He sighed. "Do not worry," he told Kagome's grandfather. "The staff may not seem like much, but we will have other protection if we need it. I still have not figured out why the curse in my hand has not gone away, despite the fact that Naraku is dead..."

The old man nodded. "It is all right. I trust you to get me back to the well safely."

"Bye, gramps!" Souta waved.

Kagome walked out of Kaede's hut, followed closely by Inuyasha.

"Gramps is leaving?" she asked.

Souta nodded. "He's going to take care of the shrine. He said he no longer thought it good to leave it unattended."

Kagome frowned. "Well, that's nice, I guess..." she sighed.

"It's all right, Kagome. We have the jewel now, so you can visit him whenever you want...every day even..." Inuyasha whispered in her ear. "Naraku is gone, so we don't have to worry about him anymore."

"Yeah, just everyone else who seems to want you dead or me gone or a combination of both..." she said under her breath. "I am starting to worry about..." Kagome stopped in the middle of her sentence.

Inuyasha blinked. "What is it?" he asked her.

She shook her head, as if she had been imagining something. "It's kind of weird..." she admitted. "I was just about to say 'I am starting to worry about Sesshoumaru...' but he's coming...he's just ahead, and he has someone with him..."

"How do you know?" Inuyasha's eyebrow rose at the accuracy of Kagome's statement. He could smell his brother's scent, and the scent of another dog demon heading quickly in their direction...but how had Kagome managed to sense it?

"I don't know..." she admitted. "I...I can smell them, I think..." she gasped.

Inuyasha's jaw dropped to the floor, as did Souta's upon hearing his sister's proclamation that she could smell two people who he himself could not even see yet. Sango still sat by the fire, and blinked several times, sending Kohaku a look of confusion. Kaede came out of her hut and gasped at the statement, and seemed to be studying the young miko hard.

From inside Kagome's hut, her mother walked out. She had the oddest unreadable expression of shock and interest on her face. Shippo was being held happily in her arms. He looked up when Kagome's mother walked outside, and scrunched his nose up in a comical fashion.

"Mommy, you smell different," he finally realized. "Oh..." he blinked. "Inuyasha...he marked you?" With a blush, Kagome nodded to confirm the small fox demon's thoughts. He smiled happily, and took another breath of the air around him.

"But that's not all..." he said, jumping out of Kagome's mother's arms and running to Kagome. He jumped up on her shoulder and blinked several times, taking another deep breath.

"What is it, Shippo?" Kagome asked after the little demon did not say anything for a few moments.

He placed his hand to his chin in thought, as though he could not believe his own nose. "It's not bad...I don't think it's bad anyway..." he told her. He paused a moment, and she nodded. "It's just that...well...you don't smell like a human anymore." he finally admitted. "You smell more like...like a..." he paused again. "You smell like a half demon, mommy..." he said quickly.

Kagome blinked in surprise, as did Inuyasha. Kagome looked up at him, asking for his confirmation of the statement Shippo had made. At first, he shrugged. Looking down at the small fox demon, he sighed and took a deep breath. He blinked in confusion after doing so. How could he not have realized that this was happening to Kagome? Had his nose completely failed to alert him to this change in his future mate until it was obvious to everyone but him.

"I...I don't know how it happened..." he admitted to her, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry, Kagome. I didn't realize. This is the kind of thing Sesshoumaru would normally warn me about...but he isn't here. I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't want you to end up like me..."

Rin blinked in confusion. "What did you mean, Inuyasha?" she asked in the way of a genuinely curious child.

Kagome shook her head. "No, Inuyasha. Don't apologize. I'm fine. I've never felt better than this, actually. I don't mind it at all..." she assured him. "When you think about it, how else were we to spend our lives together if you would end up outliving me by hundreds and hundreds of years?" she laughed slightly.

Inuyasha blinked, and nodded. "You really don't mind?"

Kagome shook her head. "I really don't," she repeated.

Inuyasha gulped and opened his mouth as though he was about to say something, but Shippo beat him to the punch. "The transformation isn't complete yet, of course. You don't have the other physical characteristics...and naturally, all of it will go away in a month if you guys don't finalize it."

Everyone looked shocked at the kitsune's statement. Everyone except Inuyasha, that is. He laughed slightly. "Don't be alarmed. Shippo may be young, but he is a full demon, so he was taught these things when he was small. Naturally, he would know a lot about it."

Shippo nodded as if he was confirming Inuyasha's statement, and soon went back to Kagome's hut to continue with his previous activities.

Soon after that, Miroku returned with several small but beautiful purple flowers which he immediately gave to Sango. "Did I miss anything?" he asked as he took a seat next to her near the fire.

She shook her head and smiled. "Only that Kagome is going to turn into a half demon..."

The monk's jaw dropped. "I had to leave, didn't I?" he whined. "I miss all the good stuff!"

Moments later, Sesshoumaru appeared, but he brought company. The dog demon behind him seemed to be slightly shorter than he was. He stared at all of them with an odd sort of curiosity until his eyes rested on Kagome and Inuyasha.

"That is Kagome and Inuyasha, isn't it?" he asked Sesshoumaru.

He nodded. "Yes it is. Apparently, they are fine...we needn't worry, Ryo..."

Ryo took a deep breath. "They have already started the mating process..." he realized.

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow rose slightly at his brother. It was then that he indeed noticed the change in the young miko's scent. He nodded. "I see no problem with that, Ryo. If anything, that should keep the two of them safer. Obviously, Lady Kagome's transformation is not complete, but I definitely don't think it was a bad idea..."

Sesshoumaru walked over to Kagome and Inuyasha and nodded slightly. "The mark was very recent," he noted. "Ryo, we have nothing to worry about. Once Kagome's transformation is complete, she should do well defending herself against Shin and the others."

"Who?" Inuyasha blinked with worry.

"Who's Shin?" Kagome demanded. "What did you mean by 'others'?"

"Shin and the others will not be joining us. At all. Ever." Ryo suddenly laughed from somewhere low in his throat. "They're dead..."

Sesshoumaru visibly paled, but managed to keep his composure and his tell-nothing stoic gaze. He frowned. "What did you just say?" he growled, standing in front of his half-brother and Kagome.

"I said they're dead, cousin. I've killed them. They were dead before you even reached me the other day...but I cloaked their scents so that you would not know...and gave you a false trail so that you would lead me right to them..." Ryo explained.

Sesshoumaru growled even lower. "You killed your own pack?" he snarled. "And now you aspire to try and kill my brother and Lady Kagome?"

Ryo nodded, as though Sesshoumaru was actually asking him this.

"Why?" Sesshoumaru demanded.

Meanwhile, Rin ran into Kaede's hut, where the old woman was standing ready in case of any intrusion from the demon outside.

"What are ye doing, Rin? Ye should not be out there when there is so much bad energy about. Ye could end up getting hurt..." Kaede warned the young girl.

Rin nodded. "I need two bows and some arrows, Lady Kaede. One is for Kagome..." she paused. "The other is for myself. I do not want to run or hide behind my Lord Sesshoumaru any longer. Kagome has taught me well. A couple days ago I could barely hit the target, but that has changed now..."

After a short pause in which the old woman pondered Rin's statement, she finally nodded and retrieved two bows and quivers from the back corner of her hut. "All right, child...but ye be safe if ye insist on staying out there!" she called as the little girl ran out.

Kagome looked down. Rin was standing to her left holding two bows and two quivers in each of her hands.

"Rin, what are you...?" Kagome began.

Rin shook her head. "Just take one. You can't just stand there. This is Lord Sesshoumaru's cousin...isn't that what he said...? But he doesn't seem very nice..." Rin seemed to be thinking for a moment. "One is for me, too. I want to try to help Lord Sesshoumaru." she smiled with pride.

Kagome nodded uncertainly. "All right, Rin." she decided. "Just try not to get hurt."

"I won't!" she promised.

"Rin!" Sesshoumaru realized, practically shoving the little girl behind him with Kagome and Inuyasha.

Ryo laughed. "You can't protect them all, Sesshoumaru. You and I are equally matched. I know your moves. You may be able to stave me off for a little while, but you can not be their shield forever." he smirked again. "What's wrong? Does the emotionless Sesshoumaru have an attachment to a human child? This is why Kagome and Inuyasha must be stopped..."

"What?" both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru blinked.

"Demons can not allow themselves to get infatuated with humans. Bad things happen. They end up disgraced...just like your father was after he mated that silly human woman. The whole thing was a stain on his good name...a half blood son born to the great Inutaisho...and all of it was the reason for his death..."

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru growled. Sesshoumaru drew his sword. "You leave my father out of this, Ryo! He has absolutely nothing to do with Inuyasha and Kagome right now! You have lost your senses!"

"He has everything to do with it!" Ryo snapped his reply. "His was the example that demons everywhere were not supposed to follow. But at least the human Inutaisho picked for himself was not a priestess! That is truly an abomination!"

Kagome's eyes grew wide at the demon's statement. Standing behind her now was Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Sango's little brother Kohaku. Each had their weapons aimed.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "So that is why...you are afraid of the union between my brother and Kagome. It scares you because you fear the idea of children with both powers...demon, and spiritual...You are afraid...because that would mean that they would be stronger than you...out of your control..."

Ryo blinked, taking a step back. "It can not be allowed to happen, Sesshoumaru! That is why I had to kill Shin and the others...he was ready to call upon you and celebrate. He didn't realize how important it really was...and everyone else seemed to agree with him!" Ryo growled. "When I tried to explain to them the gravity of the situation, they thought it was I who was out of line! I tried to subdue them...but they retaliated. They had to be taken care of before the news reached the rest of the demon community..." Ryo paused. "And then I was going to have to take care of Kagome and Inuyasha...to make sure that this doesn't happen...and low and behold, you showed up an hour later..." he smiled. "It was the perfect opportunity...and I had to take it..." he smirked.

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A/N: I know...cliffie...but I can't help it sometimes. Please review and let me know what you think:D Thanks, everyone!