Well Hello Spring Bunnies!

I'm back! (insert pug from Men in Black singing I will survive)

All up in your emails! I'm so excited that you get excited when you see the notifications that I have updated.

So lets just confront the elephant in the room.

I haven't updated on time.

And the truth of it is that I was going through a lot and confronting my truth that my long term serious relationship had ended and my grad school may have been in shambles. I couldn't write for the life of me! Nothing! I just wasn't happy anymore and I had to work really hard to get back into a good place where I could write again. So I'm back and dealing with my ish. and I'm feeling so much better.

I'm trying really hard to get back into writing again. Not just fanfic but writing in general. Like I stopped WRITING you guys! For those that know me and have been reading my stuff for a while...you know...Writing is me! I love to write. But it just didn't happen. But I let that go and I am quitting my job to go find or be some place where I feel better and work on me. So with that being said...I hope you enjoy this chapter! A lot of real feelings and shit went into this. This definitely wasn't made up and came from the wells of knowledge.

So enjoy. Thank you my loves. I will see you shortly with another chapter and hopefully this blog Ive been trying to start will be up and you guys can check out my other stuff.

Love you much and thank you for the kind words.

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Thank you Chapter 39 Reviewers

OrihimeKurosakiInoue – Thank you! So glad you found this story and enjoying Sesshy's character development. Muah!

Puneeti bhomia – Here you go love!

Nyght Elf – Yes the ships are ready! I'm so happy! I hope you are doing well love! And thanks for the Valentine's Day love and I wish you a lovely Spring and Easter!

Danielle596 – Yeah…but that is the story. This is Fanfiction! My fanfiction! And my stories are weird…So here Kikyo is quite different. Lol But I do love everyone's loyalty and the sides that people took. But I'm even more flattered that I got at least few people to look at them differently now and not be so…judgy. (in my Jack Black voice.)

I honestly felt like Kagome should kick Inuyasha to the curb in the series and turn the Feudal Era into like a Pre-Themyscira where she rallies all the women together and they get off on the men. And then Kagome ends up actually being recruited by Wonder Woman and they go to Wakanda to recruit the other Women they kick ass everywhere and live happily ever after. But that's just me!

PandaWarMaster – Thank you love! I plan on finishing this story. I just got a little pain in my life that I had to deal with. But I will finish this story this year. lol

angeleyes20876 – I think after this chapter everyone will know where the ships are. I believe I fleshed them out nicely and I feel good about pulling everything together now in the way I did it. The way it was before was soooooo boring to me! I scrapped it and rewrote it.

That quote is beautiful. I'm so sharing that today with my students. Thank you for sharing that. I wrote this chapter so that it shows that Kikyo has confronted her demons but she still doesn't know or have the tools on how to fix things. Here we have for the first time Kagome is confronting her demons and now both sisters are in the same place. Like where do we go from here?

Souta is living his life in Japan but yes he has used soccer and his dad's love for the sport to fuel him and he has yet to confront his pain and fears. He uses the excuse that he until Kagome comes to face him he will face her. Kikyo and Kagome like I said have come to this climax now where they both have to deal with their truths now. But how do you move forward especially when you carry so much hurt.

As for the mating thing and death….not necessarily. I mean I know older couples who were married their whole adulthood and when one died the other passed away out of grief/they felt the need to be with the other. But in this story no. It doesn't hold any relevance here.

But this chapter is going to go in a little bit more depth so I think you are in for a real treat.

Guest – Kekekeke! Oh Gawdddddd really! Look at the time.

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Half Winged Angel in Despair

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Chapter 40: Stout

"Put me down Inuyasha!" Kikyo yelled into the dark cloudy night as Inuyasha carried her across the street towards his car. Her face was hot, and the world was slightly spinning as she focused on bringing her body upright while still being held tightly in his grasp.

Inuyasha ignored her in favor of just getting her safely away from the smell of cigarettes and alcohol. Her long hair flung messily around and brushed against his nose causing a slight tickle on the edge. Her body still carried the flavors of the bar that made him grimace. He looked about at the people watching them as he hauled her towards his parked car on the far side of the street.

"Let me go!" Kikyo pushed and wiggled against him until her fingers grew hot with purple flair. The warning came through her skin against the thin hairs on Inuyasha's neck. "Now!" She demanded with dangerous intent.

Inuyasha immediately put her down having felt the rise in her spiritual reiki. The lights from the lamp post illuminated her abnormal untamed frame. His piercing golden eyes glared back at the estranged woman as she tried to fix her vision by closing and opening her eyes slowly. "What the hell is your problem, Kikyo!" He yelled uncaring of the pedestrians that walked deliberately by to gawk at them.

Kikyo took a few stumbling steps away and worked quickly to tidy her appearance. She pulled down her red coat and finger combed her hair back from her reddened enflamed face. Her dark chocolate eyes looked upon him with a mixture of emotions that Inuyasha couldn't make out. "My problem!" She repeated, pulling her purse towards her roughly as she finally got her bearings and looked at him. The slight feel of nausea rose in her throat as the world finally settled and came to stop before her. Her anger giving her something strong and heavy to anchor her down to her current situation. "I told you everything you needed to know! Your precious Kagome is fine! She will call you in the morning! But you just can't take my word for it." She replied pointing to him with annoyance. "You just decided to show up and just…kidnap me away like some spoiled brat!" She yelled accusingly with an outstretched finger. "You got what you wanted! Kagome will call you first thing in the morning. She is ok. Now, go away Inuyasha!"

"Kidnap?" Inuyasha asked incredulously while watching her turn her back on him and walk away. How much did she have to drink? "You're bat shit crazy if that's what you think!" He walked forward and put his hands on her shoulder to get her attention. A flash of purple light grew, and his hand was pushed away from her body. A slight stinging crept along his hands as he looked in astonishment at what she had done. He stepped back with wide eyes and watched as Kikyo spun around and pinned him down with a hard gaze.

"Don't touch me!" She growled lowly at him. Kikyo leveled him with her gaze. Her jaw was stiff as she watched him battle with himself. She watched his ears deflate on his head. Her heart lurched at his hurt and confused expression. But her heart also was holding onto the thin strings keeping it together. Everything inside of her was hurting and she had spent much time at the bar trying to make sense of it all. She had reached a conclusion regarding her own muddled feelings and it left a bitter taste like that of wax in her throat. No amount of alcohol could burn her shameful feelings away or erase the surprisingly fond memories she managed to create. And finally, when she thought she had found some reprieve against her inner turmoil, the one that stir up trouble showed up at her sacred temple. His concern for her sister was overwhelming and was of no fault of anyone's. But it stung her heart in places she didn't know existed. It stung because her feelings were an act of admittance in themselves. The truth was there pumping loudly in her ears.

Somehow.

Somewhere.

She began to love Inuyasha.

Shame soon came to her insides on a destructive wave. This was probably what her sister was referring to. Her sister's words decided to creep up her spine and the hurt followed the pathway. She swallowed the sensation of sadness and fought down her shame. Her sister didn't know shit about her and neither did Inuyasha. Inuyasha was not here for her. He was here for Kagome.

The sadness, the regret, the disappointment, the heartbreak…it all swam inside of her threatening to come up with the vomit she fought hard to keep down. Anger was the only thing keeping her steady now. Anger was always there to provide strength and clarity. Her mind had finally decided to be quiet because of its mighty presence. But this time it would come at a cost of possibly her friendship with the hanyou before her. The world righted itself and she focused now on his rigid frame. Her chapped lips quivered as she repeated herself for the last time. "Go home, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha's eyes grew wide immediately as he took two cautionary steps backwards. He could only look at her as he felt the rise in her reiki. His own body flexed, and aura rose up in defense at the threat she presented to him. He could see her hurting before him. He could feel it even. It made the air thick and unsavory as if the oxygen was leaving this place and refilling itself with carbon dioxide. Her eyes were dark reminding him of the first encounters he had with her when they were nothing but strangers. "Kikyo?" He whispered working his mind to think quickly of how he got into this situation and why she was behaving this way.

He and his family had been worried about Kagome's disappearance which was uncharacteristically like her. Usually, Kagome rushed home to get Rin but, tonight that wasn't the case. Her obsessive motherly phone calls ended around 11pm. He sat in the living room watching Rin sleep on the couch as his father called Sesshomaru to see if she had made it to his restaurant. Their auras poured over Rin to keep her sleep and from stretching her aura outwards in search of Kagome. The bond between the two would be draining on the poor pup and so they all did their best to provide comfort to the little pup so she wouldn't become upset. Izayoi poured them all some tea as they waited for information under the gentle light of the lamps lit around the room. But the prick didn't answer. Kikyo had come in looking afraid as well as she tried to reach out. The woman paced the whole first floor filling the air with concern and worry despite the composed features on her face.

Several times he stopped to grab her and get her to sit down. Her worrying was making him and his father anxious. All they wanted to know was where she was. If Kagome was with his brother than it was fine. He knew she was in the safest location. Had this had happened a few months ago, his pride would have been uncontainable because of the thought of the two alone at night. It would have bothered him and jealously would have dug underneath his skin with the sharpness of his pointed claws for weeks until it faded away. But his pride also locked down his will to speak out and say anything to Kagome until he no longer saw her in that way. But that was a completely different story as he sat next to the one woman that challenged his instincts.

Inuyasha had looked over at Kikyo's worried frame and touched her skin to soothe her as she too lent her aura to her niece in comfort. Her scent filled the space between them and quietly sang a lullaby of its own to him. The warmth of her outer thigh pressed against him gave his mind something else to focus on besides the worry. He watched her knee bounce as she spoke lightly in the living room to Izayoi. Suddenly, Kikyo was up and out the door saying she needed to do something. She was vague as she exited the mansion in a whirlwind of red cloth.

Instinct begged him to go with her. He shared a look with his father who suspected something as well as they followed her to the door in haste. Kikyo held her phone tightly in her grasp as she all but ran out of their home. Kikyo told them in her stride to stay there and that she would take care of everything. Of course, they baulked at her suggestion. But she made it clear that this was a sibling thing. Her eyes were filled with concern and he knew something had happened or was happening. His father lay his hand on his shoulder to stop him from chasing her as she ran outside. His old man told him to be patient and that something wasn't right.

Soon after she left, his father had received a message that Kagome was indeed with Sesshomaru by none other than Naraku via phone call. That unsettled them all. His father asked him about Kikyo and if he said anything to her. Naraku admitted to having asked for her presence. Then he decidedly said his adieus and hung up as quickly as he had called. His father went into his study and started making phone calls to his brother and to a few associates. Izayoi collected Rin for the night and took her to bed upstairs, doing her best to provide matronly comfort to the kit. Inuyasha made up his mind to go after Kikyo but she was already gone. Her scent had vanished most likely from her own doings.

Fear for her safety swelled inside of him and gripped his lungs. Kagome may be safe. He wouldn't doubt that if Naraku said it. Naraku was many things but he wasn't a lair. Granted, he stretched the truth quite often but he never out right lied especially to them. Naraku was a great friend growing up but somewhere he turned but remained loyal to them. So, he knew Kagome was not to be harmed. But Kikyo… was another matter. He said nothing about the fate of Kikyo. If he knew Naraku, he knew Kikyo was running literally into something plotted for her and mostly to be used against his adversaries in some way. Her quick disappearance and Naraku's sudden tossed bone were just too coincidental.

Worry had clawed at his guts and the midnight oil had burned too long for his liking. Kagura had texted him to come get Kikyo from her bar. She explained that Kikyo had a little bit too much. To say this news quite shocked him was an understatement. To hear that where Kikyo had wound up said many words regarding her state since the last time they spoke. He had got off the phone earlier with Kikyo after her disturbed short response to the situation regarding the disappearance of Kagome. He knew something was amiss and that Kikyo needed help. Naraku had done something for sure and may have touched on a nerve that was keeping Kikyo from going back to her old ways. So he came as quickly as he could, throwing on whatever he had to get to her. Only for her response to be…this.

Inuyasha looked at her in the cool night air as she stared at him like an angry hurt wild animal backed into a corner. The scent of smoke and alcohol still rested upon her clothes and skin. The vicious warning of her mighty power simmered ready to be used. Despite whatever she said, Inuyasha knew something ruinous had happened. Something that drove the normally stoic strong woman into this state of insanity. But what could it be? But more importantly why didn't she let him help her?

This pained him a bit. That she would disregard their friendship and not come to him for help. He had proven to her that he was her friend just as she had to him. He could trust her with many things, why didn't she feel the same way? Why fight him like this? Over the course of the year, she had been there for him. Her place had become a hideaway where he could make a mess and watch her throw paint everywhere like an artistic maniac. He would lay on her couch and spill his guts in the privacy of her loft as she would paint away humming and speaking in whispers to him. But the way she was responding to him now was alien. It also dare he say hurt.

"Kikyo?" He said as he reached out again as she backed away raising her hands in warning.

Kikyo looked about as a few people stopped to look at them. Someone pulled out their phone and started to point at them. She swallowed hard and put her hands down knowing that a scene was not needed here. Panic swelled in her chest at the idea of another scandal rolling out onto the news. Panic that Inuyasha would be ruined somehow because of her. He didn't deserve it but her heart was raging against her better judgement at the moment. Kikyo dispelled her aura focused on fixing the mess that she made. The buzz in her body was slowly losing its edge. She slowly put her hands down and held herself before walking slowly towards Inuyasha.

"I'm fine Inuyasha." She said in a whisper as she got close enough to him to dispel any worrying glances or draw anymore onlookers. "I promise Inuyasha. Kagome is fine and will be home later to answer your questions. Come morning, you can see for yourself." She responded with a little bit of aggression in her voice.

Inuyasha looked about as well following Kikyo's train of sight and realized the situation. Annoyance covered his expression at the audacity at someone who just took a photo with their phone. They could see Kikyo had been upset and no one thought to come over and say something or to help her. But they decided to take a photo instead and scurry away after he gave them a deadly look. A low growl immitted from his throat and he bared his claws at one lady who scurried out of sight.

"Goodbye Inuyasha." Kikyo responded with a sigh on her lips as she slowly backed away and turned around to walk down the street.

Inuyasha frustratingly rubbed his fingers through his hair watching her walk away. His foot moved forward but he stopped himself knowing that it wouldn't end well if he followed. He was at a loss as to what to do. Everything inside of his was yelling at him to not let her get away and to deal with the matter. "You should come home too." He said but his words fell on the wind.

Kagura sat silently in the dark twirling the hard pieces of ice in her glass as she contemplated the night. Her rear was placed on the edge of a window sill and her legs were propped up on the other side of the edge while the other foot sat on a wooden table. The lights were out except for a few the illuminated her bar. Tables were wiped down and chairs were flipped to rest on the tops. The scent of some disinfect cleaner and lemon wafted in the room underneath the large fans that twirled above in the ceiling.

She sat quietly in the far corner looking out of the window into the night. It was a bit early for her to have closed down but she had called for an emergency and kicked everyone out of her joint. But it was an emergency. She needed to think about a few things that were spiraling out of control. Red eyes gleamed as she watched the taxis and few cars left on the street go to and fro, occasionally lighting her figure behind the crooked blinds of her window. A glass of scotch warmed her hands and her mind roamed to her friend.

"Kikyo…you fool." She whispered with a sadness in her tone. The edge of her glass rose to her red lips as she took a slow sip.

She knew very well what was going on with Kikyo. Her mind went back to the moment when Inuyasha walked into the room. How quickly the woman's demeanor changed. But more importantly the look in her eyes. Shock, hope, affection, panic and despair. She could see it all before the wall came up in Kikyo's expression. The hardness of her eyes was something out of nightmare's. Kagura watched the armor move into place but the alcohol in her body was preventing her from fully getting it together. Kikyo was a mess but she genuinely loves and cares in her own way. She knew it was to be true because truly she and Kikyo were one and the same.

Kagura chanced a glance down to her phone that lay by her foot on the wooden table. Despite the sorrow, betrayal, and anger she felt she still hoped and prayed it would buzz with the familiar sound that took up years of her life. But she knew like every other night, it would not ring. It would not buzz or light up with the name of the demon to whom her heart was given. By whom her heart was also crushed.

Kagura looked away quickly to focus her mind on something else, anything else. Already she could feel her heart breaking again in her chest. Her lungs constricted painfully and her stomach felt uneasy. She swiftly took another sip of her drink and leaned back against the window. Already the beautiful and painful memories of the wolf and his infatuation with the wind played in her mind. For decades, they crossed paths and danced. Of course, she would taunt Kouga with just a flick of her fan. Like a true canine, he had to prove himself. He loved chasing the wind. And despite what the wind would say, she loved the chase he gave. She had seen and experienced with him many of Japan's historic events. Many Lords came and went during the feudal era. Green hills and valleys had turned into modest villages and concrete cities. When the great attack on Hiroshima happened, she heard his loud mournful cry. It carried on her back and stretched across the land; echoing the deep sadness of everyone affected. Now they had grown into another time. Things had changed. Or so she thought.

Kouga had come to her one night asking for her help. A rarity. It was a night like the one she was currently drowning in. Dark, late, and ominous to say the least. She was closing her bar down for the night and the wolf howled at her front door. Of course, she was curious as to his plight. He didn't necessarily need anything except the ear she would lend him. He was going through a lot with the new title and role of pack leader and soon to be king. She listened and of course gave it to him straight. He had come to her with worries that had yet to come into fruition. Perceived threats that were simply threats of the imagination…or so she thought.

Somehow…somewhere…their playful cat and mouse bond changed. They conversed and shared many things. Lamenting over the new and reminiscing the ways of the old. Kouga understood her very much. This new world caged them somehow. Two beings that were meant to be free and roam. It was hard separating from him that night. She knew they had shared way more than they ever originally intended. They shared their joys, their sorrows, their memories of the past, and their wishes for the future. The wolf she could tell was lonely despite being surrounded by his very large pack. Whereas she was lonely having lived through everything with barely anybody to validate her experiences. But that all changed each time he howled at her door and came to visit. Kouga would come by, they would share in on a drink and then he would leave. Each time, the hours spent got longer and longer until the night blended into day.

Kouga had become her best friend and lover. He would spend every moment he could in Paris with her. When she closed her bar down for the night he was there to help her. At first, they spent much time in the hills and the mountains like the old days before slowly she started to wake up next to him in his den and underneath his furs. When he was nestled in her heart, she took him to her place high above the world in the sky surrounded by glass where they could see the horizon and the clouds. His scent lathered everything in her home and she knew for a fact her scent permeated his furs and drew many curious questions from his pack members. And when he went back home to his pack, the tables had turned. The wind began to follow the wolf. She flew alongside him to the states and was welcomed by many wolves who were curious and excited by her nature. It thrilled her and being surrounded by so many good people gave her hope. Hope that the wolf and the wind would forever be as one. Being with him was everything she could have ever ask for. But it was not to last.

Kagura looked between the blinds out at the dark sky where the moon rested. His pack elders let him and her know that his duty would come before them on a constant basis. Of course, she did what was in her nature and mocked them announcing how free the wolf was and reminding Kouga that he could be whoever and whatever he wanted. He tried his best to fight them and to prove them wrong but traditions and legacies proved to be too strong of an offense and he was defeated. And so he was to be engaged to the princess and she was to be left alone once more.

Kagura sneered as her eyes began to sting with unfallen tears. The sight of the moon began to blur as a few slipped out. Kagura placed her drink down and clasped both of her hands together as if she was going to pray. Pray that she could continue to keep herself together. Her forehead came down and rested on her fist as her shoulders shook. She wrestled against the slowly breaking barrier of raw emotions that were once tucked securely away in the far reaches of her mind. A garbled sound caught in her throat as she began to cry.

She cried not for their bleak circumstances of her relationship but because she knew she was weak in her will and this angered her. She knew that all he had to do was walk right back through those wooden doors and howl at the moon before her. She would accept him with open arms without care of the other woman or the backlash her heart would suffer from his departure back to his reality. Like she had done almost every night since he announced his engagement. Why? It was simple and complex at the same time. She loved him.

Kagura shook from her own thoughts and pain in her chest. It hurt her so bad that he would do this to her but she just kept letting him do it. She hurt knowing that he too was suffering. When he rested his head at night between her bosom, he also lay down his secrets, desires, and fears at her alter. Kouga expressed how he hated being engaged to the princess and how much pressure he felt from his pack relations to do and say things he would never have thought of doing. He was trying to do his best and he swore to her he never laid a hand on the princess. He couldn't do it. Everything within him wouldn't allow it. But it was his duty and expected of him to do what was called upon him. Eventually he would have to and they both would surely break then. It would also cost him his heart and who he was as a demon to do so. And so at least for a little bit he got to keep a part of himself and share it with her at night in the privacy of the night sky and the languid clouds. And she selfishly got to be with him and pretend that they were together again.

Kagura pulled her hands back and wiped her tears on the back of her hands. But now even that was ruined. Naraku came and did something that kept the wolf away from her. Now he never visited and never called. A few of his pack members would come visit when they were in town but that was it. They would whisper to her kindly about Kouga's current moody state and look at her with hope that she would just blow in and fix it. But she couldn't. He was committed to his responsibility now. She couldn't destroy that for him especially if for whatever reason he was now trying to make things work. Kouga was doing the right thing despite everything in her body screaming at him to let go and be free. The old Kagura wouldn't have gave a damn but she truly loved him and wanted him to find himself.

Knock Knock

Kagura sniffled and pulled back her emotions to look at the door. She cursed underneath her breath at having been caught off guard. She stretched her aura and curiously flexed it towards the door. An aura flared and she precariously got up off the window ledge with a glare aimed at the doors. She wiped her face and did her best to pull it together before reaching for her doors. It didn't make sense to completely hide that she had been crying because she knew the scent of tears was too strong to mask. Kagura took a deep breath to gather herself before moving forward. She deactivated her demonic seals and unlocked the doors before opening them quickly. The light from a nearby lamp post filled the entrance as she did her best to stare down the demon in front of her.

"Back so soon?" She greeted dryly.

"Cut the crap, Kagura." Inuyasha spoke with his fists shoved in his jacket pockets. His golden eyes took her in before softening at her complexion and the scent of salty tears. "You ok?" He asked feeling defensive and concerned as Kagura wiped the residual evidence away.

"Yeah, yeah. Just got something in my eye." She muttered and fanned her face as a distraction. "You're back?"

"I really need a minute."

Kagura bit the inside of her cheek in contemplation. Inuyasha was a very prideful demon. Him coming to her like this spoke a lot about the topic at hand. Even now he seemed nervous and embarrassed standing in her doorway with his fuzzy ears flickering about on the top of his head. "Come in." She whispered sympathetically as she stepped out of the way and allowed him inside. Once he walked in she looked about to make sure no one else was around before she closed and locked the doors behind him.

Inuyasha looked through the darkness and saw where Kagura had nested. He made his way to her table in the back where her glass of scotch and phone sat. Along the way he grabbed a chair and sat it down in front of the table. Kagura went to the bar and grabbed a cold stout that she knew he liked. She walked over to the table and offered him the drink before climbing back up into her spot. Inuyasha popped the top off with his claw before taking a swig of the soothing beverage and leaning forward stiffly onto the table. Kagura eyed him warily knowing this conversation might require my scotch by the looks of his posture. An eerie amount of time crept by as they sat in silence. She looked out of the window and he studied the bubbles in his beer. Red and golden eyes glowed brightly among the darkness of her bar.

"What do you know about Naraku?"

Kagura turned to look down at Inuyasha with a hardened gaze ready to prepare a defense. "Many things." She responded tartly.

"You know what I mean, Kagura." He responded angrily causing her glare. Inuyasha sighed and looked at his hands before directing his serious gaze up at her. "Kagome was missing and not answering her phone calls for hours. Kagome has an OCD about not checking in on Rin or letting us know where she is at all times. Suddenly, Kikyo gets a message no doubt telling her where Kagome is and she leaves by herself. I get a message from your brother that Kagome is fine and that Kikyo is needed. Sesshomaru calls to tell us where she is after realizing that we haven't heard from Kagome at all. Kikyo goes missing for a few hours and winds up here drinking away." Inuyasha explained as he also tried to make sense of it to himself. "What is your brother doing?" He demanded.

Kagura sneered at him and turned away unable to look into his concerned gaze. Inuyasha ran his fingers through his hair in frustration to her antics. He knew Kagura was not a snitch but she had to feel something for her friend. She could at least give him something. "Come on, Kagura. I'm running on empty here." He whispered.

Kagura mulled his words over and dared a glance at the half demon. True to his statement he looked worn under the guise of darkness. She wondered if he knew anything but by the way he laid down his last statement she knew he was as lost in the woods as a loose baby pig. Kagura turned back to the window and combed over her thoughts mentally. She needed to unfortunately be very careful of what she said. While she did care greatly for the Tashio's and their undying loyalty, she also was loyal to her brother. No matter how big of a pain in her backside he was. He still had her back and she didn't exactly disagree with his plans. Just his delivery sucked majority of the time.

"You're so blind Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked up from the table after being startled by her voice. Her eyes were upon him now with an intensity of a bright cosmic star. "Ok…" He asked as he waved his hand for her to elaborate.

Kagura picked up her drink and held it in her hands. "Dogs I tell you." She muttered before taking a sip. "You and my brother aren't that different you know."

"That's' a lie!" Inuyasha rebutted loudly. "Your brother is the biggest di-" His voice fell flat at the sinister look that shined upon her face.

"My brother is many things!" She spat, cutting him off from whatever taciturn comment he was to speak. "Yes...he has done terrible and malicious things." Kagura confirmed nodding her head with eyes glaring through the dimness of the room towards Inuyasha. "Yes, he has even stuck his nose in places it didn't belong and have even gotten in the middle of my affairs claiming that he is trying to keep me safe or trying to teach me a lesson about how cruel and cold this world is to us. I know. But he has done everything to keep the people he cares about safe and comfortable." She pointed out with a sharp talon directed at him. "Let's not forget its him that is keeping the nasty world underground so that these people can live their regular boring lives in safe ignorance. Let's not pretend he didn't help your family when you needed it." She spat at him harshly.

Inuyasha was taken aback at her response but not completely caught off guard. He had known them both his whole life. His father having treated them like they were his own and supported them in whatever they chose to do. He looked to the woman who use to take him for rides on her feather when he was just a pup or fight his brother with her dancing blades just for the hell of it. She also kept Naraku from going too far at times being his only voice of reason besides his father stepping in.

Kagura took in a heavy breath to control her anger knowing that the residue of it stemmed from a completely different subject. Inuyasha did not deserve her ire. "Naraku has done a lot to protect me. You know our own father was a cruel demon. Naraku has had to bear a lot of sins and unfortunately it has caused him to be the way he is today. But he is still good despite what you all believe. Just misguided is all."

"He's still an annoying malicious murderous asshole." Inuyasha snickered. "And I'm not crazy like he is!" Inuyasha huffed while crossing his arms over his chest in defiance.

Kagura chuckled at this and shook her head. "But when you were a pup, you sure followed after that crazy malicious murderous asshole."

Inuyasha's ears lowered at this and his cheeks grew hot. "I didn't know any better!" Inuyasha leaned forward and looked at Kagura. "Now can you just tell me at least what he is planning with Kikyo."

Kagura rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink. She pulled away and sat her glass down. Concern etched on her face. "Nothing. I told him to leave her out of his schemes. He said he needed her mind and her position on the court to move something into motion but he promised no harm would come to her as long as she played her part."

"Which is?" Inuyasha egged as Kagura's foot began to bounce against the ledge of the window indicating that she was really thinking.

"I don't know." She said shaking her head. "When Naraku is doing things he doesn't exactly leave a paper trail or let me know what he's up to. He just asks favors of me and keeps to his promises. He needed my help this time and I told him to make sure Kikyo did not get hurt. He promised me no harm will come to her. So clearly tonight he kept to his promise. She came to my bar safe and sound. Granted she was a bit out of it but she was safe."

Inuyasha wanted to comment. Naraku said no harm will come to her but clearly he meant physical harm. Kikyo may have been physically safe but her mind on the other hand. Inuyasha thought about her strange reactions that night. Something happened between the time she left and the time she made it to the bar. "What did he ask you to do?" Inuyasha asked switching tactics while taking a big swallow of his beer.

Kagura bit her lip in thought and shrugged not seeing anything too incriminating in what she had done. "This morning he had me mix a drink that would go undetected by a demon's palette but will knockout a light weight. He also told me to keep an eye out occasionally for Kaguya Utomi and let him know if she's out here forcing pregnancy on herself."

"You know about that?" Inuyasha asked incredulously.

"Of course I do." Kagura responded as she readjusted herself against the window. "I know everything that goes on in this city. I am the wind after all. I know your father wishes to step down as head of the Tashio's. Sesshomaru and yourself are in prime positions to step up and thus women are out here like vultures trying to get into that fortune of yours. Sesshomaru is apexing. The court most likely knows about and are excited about the potential heirs of the Inutashio's which means the forward progression of demon blood. Sesshomaru for whatever reason, went with it. However, he got more than he bargained for with Kaguya. I know he has tried several times to get out of the bond but he failed. Kaguya had him by his balls because of that contract that her family had with your family making her virtually indestructible and her family extremely rich and powerful. Your Alpha found a loop hole and has used Kaguya's own actions against her to void the contract. She also used Kikyo to nail Kaguya's coffin shut but Kikyo is going at a glacier pace at doing things most likely to protect her family from the fallout. Naraku wants her to move quickly but clearly she is not otherwise I wouldn't have had to ask to keep her safe." Kagura smiled as everything was coming together.

Inuyasha put his face in his hands and rubbed harshly. "Why didn't I just come here first?" He muttered to himself. "Leave it to you to know everything." He muttered as he sat back up and digested all of this information.

"Well Naraku does come to me when he really wants to know something." Kagura smirked at her own innate abilities.

Inuyasha leaned back into his chair and flexed his jaw. "So Kikyo can present agendas at court with the backing of my Alphas. Kikyo and Kimi are powerful women essentially doing the bidding of Naraku without fully knowing it. No doubt my Pop's will help Kikyo and Kimi if they need it. Especially if it involves Sesshomaru's life. But our family can't present it at court otherwise the court will see it as nepotism. So Kikyo is being used to present and push the end of my brother's contract. Naraku is using Kikyo to break up Sesshomaru and Kaguya but he needs her to do it quickly. Why does he need it done so quickly? How is he pushing Kikyo to do it? Why is it his business if Kaguya and Sesshomaru get together or not?"

Kagura looked out of the window in deep thought. "You know Kikyo better than I do." She whispered. "What do you think will push Kikyo?"

Inuyasha thought on this as he stared at his beer bottle. He began to rub it in his hands before looking up at Kagura. "Kagome and Rin."

"Well there you go. Somehow, Naraku must be using them to move Kikyo but it's still not enough to make her do things as quickly as he want her to do. Kikyo isn't afraid of Naraku clearly. And Naraku promised he would not cause harm to Kikyo."

Inuyasha growled loudly in the empty room. "But why! Why do all of this?! What could the Utomi's have done that was so bad that Naraku cannot allow Sesshomaru and Kaguya to be together. That he's pushing for their separation just to stop the flow of money and power. Naraku's not scared of anyone so why stop this from happening? Why is it his business!?"

"Besides that his best friend is marrying a family he despises and is trying to ruin…if you look at it, it's quite Shakespearean." Kagura said as she sipped her drink. She looked to Inuyasha and watched him really think. He looked so young sitting there at the table in the darkness. His ears turning and flickering at every sound made. His large eyes conveying his emotions which he never learned to hide.

She supposed that's one reason she loved her "little brother" if you will. The world treated him cruelly and coldly from the day he was born due to his circumstances. Yet it made him stronger than them all. He was the only one out of the bunch that could wear his emotions proudly on his sleeves. He never hid anything from anybody. He gave it to you straight and he put himself out there rather he was wrong or right. He was a good kid. Kikyo needed that in her life. If she couldn't have a happy ended, that didn't mean Kikyo couldn't.

Making her decision, she tossed back her drink for the courage and swallowed wholly. She placed her cup down with a plop on the table, catching Inuyasha's attention. "Inuyasha, remember that time when you were a little pup and we took you on a trip with us through the Kita mountains near Nagano?"

Inuyasha thought back on his childhood. "Yeah….all those crazy birds were everywhere." He picked up his beer and took another swig of it and swallowed with a sigh.

"And you got so mad you attacked them before we could step in." Kagura explained while watching Inuyasha looked even more lost than he was before he had come in.

"Yeah but because they attacked my mother first." Inuyasha stated matter-of-factly placing his nearly empty bottle down onto the table. "She didn't do anything to them. They just decided they wanted my father's pelt on her shoulders and that she was a worthless human. They started attacking us first. But what does that-"

"Why would you think Naraku would be any different?" She asked thoughtfully.

"What?" He asked seemingly breathlessly. "This is different though. That's my mom. I lov-" He grew silent as Kagura raised both her eye brows and flicked her feather on the top of her head as her sign that he hit the nail on the head. "No way!" Inuyasha muttered in disbelief as he thought back over everything. "He can't really love her? Really?" His voice went strangely high in pitch at the notion. "But she's so…good and nice? She saves children for God's sake!"

Kagura didn't say anything but shrugged her shoulders. "You love who you love. We can't help that so much. But my brother loves Marie very much and so do I. She responded with a smirk as Inuyasha fumbled in his jacket for his phone. Immediately, he began looking up Naraku's girlfriend Marie's background.

"You won't find anything on the internet about it." Kagura explained as she crossed her arms over her chest. "My brother is going to kill me but he needs help in fixing things the right way and you need to be there for Kikyo. She needs somebody in her corner."

Inuyasha stopped looking at the statement she made. "What?"

Kagura sighed and slipped down off the window ledge to the floor. She braced her hands behind her on the edge of the window before pushing her body forward to stand in front of the table. "Marie was trying to open a clinic for half-demons. It would have been the first of its kind. It would have been dedicated solely to the research and health of mothers, demons and hanyou children to improve their survival from birth to young adulthood. As you know, the Utomi's hate hanyous and are for the purity of the demon race. Long story short, the Utomi's destroyed Marie's dream by using all measures to block her clinic and they are making it difficult for Marie to work as a doctor on any continent and discrediting her families practice. They attacked her lively hood and character. Naraku found out about it and now he's out to destroy them but make it so they can't hurt anyone else. He has already cut their investors and backers off. He is destroying their companies from the inside out with his planted goons. He is purchasing their businesses to get the Utomi's working for him." Kagura leaned forward across the table and took his unfinished beer. She swished it around to see how much was left inside before finishing the bottle off. She swallowed the stout and licked her lips from the flavor. "He is stripping them down to nothing and the last thing he needs is for his best friend to accidently save their assess from his finishing blow by some damn contract and take the Yomi's down with them." She growled out as her eyes took on a seriousness.

Inuyasha sat in silence as her words filtered through his ears. "You both still think the Yomi's had something to do with their own family's deaths?"

"I know that two strong people don't just die like that and leave nothing behind. And their families didn't exactly go looking for them." Kagura snarled. "We all use to be so close before they were taken from us. They were some of the few people in the world really trying to make things better." She pursed her lips. "I don't know if they did or didn't. Naraku believes they did. I don't know if he has proof or not but you know once his mind is made up about something, you can't stop him. He's going to hit them where he knows they will hurt for centuries. He wants them to live so that they can witness their own demise and that means making sure that the pup gets every penny owed to her." Kagura nodded her head in agreement with her own words. "I will make sure no one gets in the way of that from happening."

Inuyasha took her threat laced in her words seriously. He knew what she was saying. Don't interfere with this. Inuyasha chose to switch to the bigger issue present. Marie and Naraku. It made perfect sense in the same way that it didn't. To know that he was destroying the Utomi's by stopping them from marrying his brother was to also admit that Naraku was very much in love and would do anything for his woman and that included killing foreign investors and loyalists to the Utomi's. "Does she know…does she know this side of him?"

"She has an idea I think but I know for sure she does not know how dark Naraku is or how far he is willing to go. But she sees the good in him. She believes in him and she is the only thing I believe that keeps him grounded and from slipping completely away. When he killed our father, he promised me that no one will ever take advantage or hurt us again. He has kept his promise thus far but at the cost of his soul." She lamented as she looked at the clock on the wall by her bar before turning back to Inuyasha. "So Marie has my protection too. She's a great girl. He needs her love just like Kikyo needs yours."

Inuyasha's eyes snapped wide open as he looked at her. A stutter was on his lips. "W-what?"

"You heard me. Now get up and get out! I have had enough of dogs and canines for one day!" She snapped as she grabbed her glass and his bottle.

"What are you trying to say!?" Inuyasha asked as he immediately stood up and picked his chair up. He placed it back on top of the table like before. "Do you know what was wrong with Kikyo? Why she's acting this way?"

"You idiot!" Kagura responded as she tossed the bottle into recycling and placed the glass in the sink. She walked over to the door and undid the seal and locks again. She opened the door wide open beckoning him to leave now. "If my brother can feel love and you can feel love…what makes you think Kikyo is any different? Now get out!" With that she pulled him out with her demon strength and all put pushed him outside with her hand on the back of his head.

Inuyasha turned around to see the door slam in his face. His ears perked up on his head at the sound. He ran his hands over the back of his head still feeling Kagura's tight manly grip on his skull. Before his mind was racing to put together this large puzzle but now for once his mind had turned elsewhere. He was no longer thinking about Sesshomaru, Rin, Kagome, Naraku, schemes, his businesses, his problems, etc. All of that went silent and only one thing came to his mind.

Kikyo.

He stood outside in the cool night staring at the ground beneath his feet. Kagura knew Kikyo and so he trusted that what Kagura said was true. And if it was true then it would explain a lot in her actions and why she ran away. His mind went over everything she had done. From her playful behavior in the privacy of her loft to the pained expression on her face that night as they separated. She kept saying that Kagome was ok and he kept trying to tell her that he knew and didn't come here for that. He came here for her. But she didn't exactly get his message. A slow smile etched on his lips until he felt like an idiot because he could feel his own smirk grow on his face. The realization popped into his brain regarding his own feelings. Suddenly a buzz in his pocket alerted him and he reached for his phone. The smile on his face having grown even bigger at the simple message on the screen.

Kikyo: I'm sorry. I'm home so you don't need to worry.

Inuyasha looked at his phone as the idea of something new flourished on his radar. It's one thing to think you are in love with someone but its another to know someone loves you. The idea that of all people it was Kikyo that may love him was a lot to take in. She was fun, she was smart, she was dark at times and her sense of humor needed some work but he wouldn't have her any other way. She was Kikyo. Nothing less and nothing more.

He wouldn't let her go through whatever anyone was planning against her. First and fore-most she was his friend. Her certainly didn't let his friends go at things alone without his help or support. Kikyo had been facing down his family, the Utomi's, the Yomi's and now Naraku all by herself. No wonder she was the way she was. He damned sure wasn't going to let Kikyo face any more of them by herself. He was going to be next to her no matter what. But before they went any further, he needed to address a few things. "I'm on the way." He muttered. But first he needed to make a phone call.

Inuyasha put the device on speaker as it rung. His call went right to voice mail but he didn't care. "Kouga...wake the hell up. We need to fight something out." He said before hanging up.