"Sacrifices were once made at the altar, they still are."
(Unknown)

The Trio

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Stressed
Kuronue leaned over the trashcan and wrinkled his nose. Before he could complain, he threw up once again. He sighed and his cheeks bulged as he continued to hurl. Kagome's hand held his hair back and rubbed soothing circles on his back. He sighed and wiped his mouth of the puke. His indigo eyes stared at the chunks and his face turned green. Kagome rolled her eyes as he continued to hurl.

"I'm so sorry," Kagome apologized as she heard him gag.

"No problem," Kuronue sighed as he lifted away from the trashcan and inhaled the fresh air.

"I didn't know that this would happen," Kagome apologetically explained.

"I'll never eat cotton candy, churros, and elephant ears again," Kuronue moaned.

"I told you not to eat so many," Kagome scolded as he grinned.

Kagome rolled her eyes and offered him her water. He took a gulp and swished it around his mouth before he spat it into the garbage. Kuronue wiped his mouth again stretched.

"I'll never go on the Gut Twister with a full stomach," Kuronue promised.

"It wouldn't have been so bad if you only ate one of each, but you ate ten bags of cotton candy, six cream filled churros, and eight elephant ears," Kagome growled.

"They were so good, I couldn't help myself," Kuronue stated with a smirk.

"Don't forget the ice cream," Kagome added as smacked him on the arm.

"Such violence," Kuronue scolded as Kagome playfully glared at him.

Kagome wrapped her arms around his arm and held up as she leaned against his shoulder. She couldn't help but act like some crazed fan girl. Her eyes strayed up to him and she blushed. When she was with him, she felt as if she were on a permanent high. She felt scared, exhilarated, and calm at the same time. Her heart would pick up speed and she would feel as if she would faint. Kuronue grinned at her and she reached up and kissed him. Things were finally going back to some normalcy.

"Kagome!" Three feminine voices shouted.

Her eyes widened and before she could do anything, she was stuck. The three girls pushed Kuronue away and crowed around her.

"Where have you been?" The girl with yellow headband asked. Her black hair was cut a bit above her shoulders. The girl's brown eyes demanded answers.

"Kagome! How could you have not called?" The girl with chin length hair questioned Kagome. Her reddish brown hair reflected the lights.

"We've been worried," the last female with long wavy hair, stated.

Kagome sighed and decided to answer them in order, "Eri, Yuka, Ayumi, I'm sorry that I haven't called."

"Where have you been?" Eri demanded.

"I've been in Okinawa," Kagome answered as Kuronue raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you call?" Yuka asked with a bit of hurt.

"I wasn't allowed to use the phones because I was studying to be a Miko," Kagome easily answered.

"When did you get back?" Ayumi asked as she raised her brown eyes to Kagome.

"I got back after Mama and Jii-chan were killed," Kagome softly answered.

"Oh Kagome, we're sorry for your lose," Ayumi quickly said as she embraced the girl.

"They're in a better place," Kagome assured.

"Still, I hope you've had the support of that hot-tempered, idiotic boyfriend," Yuka grumbled.

"He's…dead," Kagome whispered, as the girls appeared stunned.

"I'm so sorry," Yuka apologized as her eyes watered.

"Don't be…nothing could have saved him," Kagome whispered.

"You know that Houjou is still available," Eri pointed out.

"Eri," Ayumi scolded with a soft hit the arm.

"She's already taken," Kuronue spoke as he stood behind him. The three girls turned to glance over their shoulders. They sputtered before they grabbed Kagome and ran further away.

"Who's he?" Yuka asked.

"Is he taken?" Eri questioned.

"What have you been doing in Okinawa?" Ayumi questioned.

"He is my fiancé, and obviously he's taken. I have been training and moving on with life," Kagome answered.

"How is he?" Yuka questioned as she glared at Kuronue.

"He's kind, gentle, and understanding," Kagome honestly said. She was happy that he didn't leave her after the Inuyasha incident.

"What does he do for a living?" Ayumi questioned.

"He's a detective," Kagome weakly said.

"When's the wedding?" Eri questioned with a smirk.

Kagome blushed and shook her head. The three girls looked at each other and nodded. They grabbed Kagome and ran over to Kuronue. All three girls studied them and he raised an eyebrow. He would never understand human females; they were a race of their own.

"I'm Yuka, and this is Eri and Ayumi," Yuka introduced as she pointed to the other girls.

"You may call me Kuronue," Kuronue introduced as he kept eye contact.

"Kagome is our best friend and with that title comes our duty to keep her from bad-ass boyfriends," Eri explained.

"Please…don't let them do this to me," Kagome prayed to any Kami listening.

"We are going to determine whether or not you are good enough for our Kagome," Yuka finished.

"Ask away," Kuronue offered with a grin.

"What do you want with Kagome?" Yuka questioned as she openly glared.

"I want her to be my…wife and mother of my children," Kuronue answered.

"Do you only see her as an object?" Eri questioned.

"No, she is the woman I love," Kuronue, answered a bit defensive.

"Would you purposely call her names and mistreat her?" Yuka demanded to know.

"Never," Kuronue seriously said.

"Will you be there for her no matter how bitchy she is?" Eri questioned as she crossed her arms.

"I will be with her always," Kuronue promised. Kagome growled at the term Eri used.

"Do you truly love her?" Ayumi finally questioned.

"I love her enough to want to spend the rest of life with," Kuronue answered as he made eye contact with her.

"That is so sweet!" Eri squealed. The two other girls cooed and began to tell Kagome how lucky she was.

Kuronue and Kagome were pulled to a table. He began to space out as he listened to them chatter. His eyes closed and he focused on his surroundings. He could hear the wheels on the coaster squeak, listen to the popcorn pop, and he heard a low growl. Kuronue opened his eyes and his pupils narrowed. He searched the grounds for where the low growl came from. His eyes landed on the man standing outside the forest. Kuronue began to softly growl.

'Damn that hanyou,' Kuronue thought.

He stood up from the table and Kagome glanced at him in confusion. Kuronue kissed her on top of her head and softly smiled.

"I have to go relieve myself," Kuronue whispered.

"Don't take to long," Kagome teased.

"I won't," Kuronue promised.

Kagome smiled and turned back to the girls. Kuronue quickly left the area. He then watched as Inuyasha walked into the forest. Kuronue followed the streak of silver with a grin. He really wanted to take a chunk out of the hanyou. Control or no control, the hanyou was stepping into his territory. There was a clearing and Kuronue noted that Inuyasha stood in it alone. The wind caused his long silver hair to shift.

"You came," Inuyasha calmly stated.

"I want to finish you," Kuronue calmly spoke. Inuyasha chuckled at this.

"If you kill me…then she will hate you," Inuyasha harshly reminded.

"If you kill me she will also hate you," Kuronue informed.

"Her love for you is weak, it is not like we had," Inuyasha boasted.

"That love has been over for half a century," Kuronue stated as Inuyasha frowned.

"Kagome loves me enough to die for me," Inuyasha growled.

"You will be dieing alone," Kuronue growled.

"One of us will die again…but I refuse to let her live," Inuyasha growled.

"If you loved her then you would let her go," Kuronue growled back.

"My love is a twisted form of hate. It burrows deeper into my soul everyday. It reminds me that she is the one alive and I am dead," Inuyasha spoke as he glared at Kuronue.

"I've promised that I would protect her, and I will protect my mate," Kuronue firmly said.

Inuyasha scowled as he watched the bat's features go back to his youkai looks. His fangs lengthened, his fingernails became claws, and the wings on his back tore through his shirt. Kuronue cracked his knuckles and charged at the hanyou. Inuyasha mimicked the action and met him fist to fist.

Kagome tapped her fingers against the table as she waited for Kuronue to return. She listened to the girls chat about useless things. Kagome felt a dramatic increase in youki. She focused on it and located it in the direction that Kuronue went. He pendant flashed and she instantly felt angry. Kagome hushed the emotion down and buried it. She stood from the table and the girl's gave her odd looks.

"I have to go look for Kuronue!" Kagome shouted as she ran off.

"There she goes again," Ayumi sighed.

"Not this time," Yuka firmly said as she got up and chased after Kagome.

"This time we follow," Eri stated as she ran after.

"This could be bad," Ayumi sighed as she ran after them.

They ran into the woods and found Kagome standing behind a tree. Her hands were hanging at her sides and she was watching something. The girls followed her gaze and all of them gasped. Her fiancé had mutated into a bat thing. His black wings lifted him away from an attack. The winced as Kuronue punched the hanyou into the tree.

"How does it feel to know you're just a replacement for me?" Inuyasha taunted.

"You speak nonsense," Kuronue growled as his eyes flashed red.

"She will always love me before you," Inuyasha harshly whispered.

"He's right," Kagome whispered as she stepped into the clearing.

Kuronue's wings drooped at the declaration. Kagome walked to his side and grasped Kuronue's hands. She gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered.

'That's the jerk,' the girls thought.

"I will always love you, but I am no longer in love with you," Kagome explained.

"I don't want your love. I want your death!" Inuyasha sneered.

"I can't die…you know that," Kagome sadly whispered as her grip on Kuronue loosened. He squeezed her hand tighter.

"You promised that you'd join me in death!" Inuyasha stated as he glared at her.

"Inuyasha, you died over five hundred years ago. You told me to live," Kagome whispered his words.

"You should have died, not me!" Inuyasha hissed at her.

"No, you should have reincarnated. I'm sorry that you were pulled into the clay doll, but I am not strong enough to release you yet," Kagome whispered as she looked away.

"The next time you see me…we will be dying together," Inuyasha hatefully said as he vanished.

Kagome heard the gasps and she winced. She turned around and saw Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi pointing at Kuronue and trying to talk. Kagome ran a hand through her hair and Kuronue shrugged. She looked to him for some advice and he offered her a grin.

"I guess I have some explaining to do," Kagome sighed as they girls continued to sputter.

"Do they always follow you?" Kuronue questioned.

"No," Kagome said as she frowned at him.

"Then you better get us home before anything else happens," Kuronue warned.

Kagome nodded in agreement and raised her hand. She grasped Kuronue and pointed her palm toward the three girls. Kagome closed her eyes and imagined a ball of light trapping the together. The girls screamed as they were engulfed by light. The field was once again empty save for the prying violet eyes that watched them.