A special thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter. I'm just posting this chapter before you review that one, so I can't name you. But you lot get special kudos!

Disclaimer:

Inuyasha: Get…This…Thing…Off…ME!

Pwale: NEVER!!!! BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!

Lawyer #1 and #2: Pwale. We'll only not take the dress off Inuyasha if you say it.

Pwale: So if I say it you won't take the dress off Inuyasha?

Lawyer #1: …That's what I just said…

Lawyer #2: You just repeated what we just said…

Pwale: Repetition everywhere! Yay!

Mr. X: Pwale.

Pwale: Fine. I don't own the characters.

Note: This chapter, not so much with the laughs, y'know? My version of murder. Can you say…cliché? I will someday achieve a non-cliché murder scene. Someday! Someday!!

The Stamp Of Gold

Ice Nine

A story by Pwalefriend

Ice Nine is a reference to Kurt Vonnegut's book Cat's Cradle

The day after the disastrous card game dawned bright and sunny and Kagome and Inuyasha, instead of having to deal with each other in close quarters again, both happily separated for their respective favorite outdoor activities. Inuyasha took to riding Tetsusaiga and Kagome to her favorite path.

Kagome walked down the path happily, enjoying the sunshine, the singing birds, the bright blue sky that fell through the foliage above her head like little bursts of sapphire life. The magic of the new life of Spring filled her to the bursting point, spilling out in her happy laughter that startled a nearby family of jays.

Hey! They screeched as they took off. Hey! Hey!

Kagome giggled as she watched them fly away, and she waved. She knew she was acting silly, even as she started skipping down the path, but she couldn't help it! The look on Inuyasha's face as he trotted off on Tetsusaiga had made her so happy! It wasn't every day she got to know she was the cause of her love's delight.

That thought sobered her up a little. Her love? Sure, she'd known it for a long while now, but had she ever actually admitted it to herself? Kagome thought back, and couldn't remember. She shrugged. On a beautiful day like today, that sort of thing didn't matter! It was a day to be happy! To be free! To laugh and to sing! Seeing, on the path up ahead, a familiar form, Kagome laughed and waved, running towards him.

"Koga!" She said. "Hello! Hello! Hello! Isn't it a beautiful day!"

…

When Clingy suddenly appeared at the corner of Tetsusaiga eye the stallion spooked and reared, screaming, and it was minutes before Inuyasha could calm his mount enough to be able to hear what Clingy was shrieking. When he did Inuyasha's blood turned to ice.

"Lord!" Clingy was shrieking. "Help! Lady! Koga! Danger! Lord help!"

'Koga? Kagome? Danger?' Inuyasha wondered. Then he figured it out.

Koga had probably come back from one of his filthy excursions to see Naraku again, and had come across Kagome.

"Show me!" Inuyasha commanded, wheeling Tetsusaiga around and shooting out after Clingy as Clingy zipped off towards the forest.

Contrary to what Koga and Naraku believed, Inuyasha was perfectly aware of their arrangement, but he had never severed all ties to Koga. For one thing, even though Koga was an informant, he still knew too many valuable things that he'd probably never tell Naraku unless Inuyasha really and truly provoked him. For a second thing, keeping Koga was a good way of keeping tags on Naraku. And for a third and final thing, Koga was one of the few remaining survivors of the native tribe of wolf youkai that had lived on that land and so Inuyasha wasn't legally allowed to kick him off. Never mind that the rest of the tribe had either died of old age or told the government in no uncertain terms that they had sold that land ages ago and that Koga was a bit touched in the head. It had never made any sense to Inuyasha why he couldn't fire Koga; all he knew was that the government said he couldn't. Inuyasha, as a rule, liked to stay away from the government. The government also said that Inuyasha wasn't supposed to kill Koga.

Screw that.

Inuyasha was going to kill Koga so dead he wouldn't have a soul left to go to hell.

Inuyasha could feel the red rage building and when he thundered into sight of the attack and heard Kagome's screams of terror (she was actually screaming threats, but it was high pitched because she was scared and Inuyasha wasn't listening to what she was actually saying) the red bloody anger rose up and flew through his mind, wiping out any rational thought, as he flew over the neck of Tetsusaiga, murderous intent filling every corner of his being.

When he came back to he was staring down at Koga's dead face, it was slack. Inuyasha's hands were stained red, and they were wrapped around Koga's ruined throat. It took him a moment to realize just whose blood it was.

Inuyasha threw himself back. Away from it.

A strangled cry came from behind him. Inuyasha whirled around. It was Kagome. And she was looking at him. Her eyes were huge and frightened. Frightened of him.

His curse had won. He'd killed.

And Kagome had seen it all.

Inuyasha turned around and ran away. Away from her frightened, accusing eyes.

…

Kagome stumbled numbly through the corridors to her room. Once she was there she collapsed on the bed, still numb. She knew that she ought to be upset but she wasn't. Some part whispered that she was in shock, but then another part (Kagome didn't hear either of these parts, they might have been her feet) argued back that if it was shock, shouldn't Kagome be thinking reasonably? Shouldn't her heart be silent and still while her brain took over and took care of them all?

Another part that Kagome didn't hear (rumor has it that it was her liver) said that Brain was probably off looking for Heart, who had probably run away, which was why no one was hearing anything about it from either.

At this point, and this I know for sure, Stomach cut in saying that it was going to be sick. Tongue and Taste Buds started to plead for mercy, but all for naught.

When Kagome finished throwing up into the tub in her adjoined bathroom, she emerged to find a note, crisp and white, on her bedside table.

I have arranged for a private boxcar into town on the next train. There will be a rickshaw waiting for you at the station, it will take you to The Redmond-

The Redmond was a prominent hotel. Very expensive. Very comfortable.

-And tickets to see this night's opera. A showing of Madame Butterfly. You expressed, on several occasions, a wish to see that particular opera. Contact my agent in town this Saturday, and tell him the location of wherever you wish to go. Of course, you will find in your bank account all your salary for the next year as well as some compensation.

The note wasn't signed, but there was no question that Inuyasha had written it.

Kagome blacked out. Later she could only assume that it was the Elementals that helped her dress and got her packed and down to the station in her unresponsive state. The next thing she knew she was staring out at the late afternoon landscape as it flashed by. She was wearing long gloves, sleeves and a veil. None of it was particularly unfashionable, so she didn't stand out. When the conductor asked her if she was all right, she seemed a little distraught, she said that there had been a riding accident, and she was going to town. The conductor didn't question further.

Neither did the rickshaw boy or the concierge when she replied to their questions. Though the concierge did send up a box of calming teas to her room. Kagome drank one that was labeled Peace and waited for it to be time to go see Madame Butterfly. Somewhere, somehow, Brain started to hear the cries of Toes and Spleen (who were all out looking for Brain) and Brain finally got a clue and figured out that it's presence would be greatly appreciated.

…

Inuyasha watched in his Magic Mirror as Kagome got up to go to the opera. Sesshomaru and Kagura had brought him the mirror as a sort of joke, but before today it had never proved to be much use. Somewhere a voice (probably his feet as well, those guys are all with the sarcasm these days) told him that he was acting like the Beast in that old stupid French faerie tale he'd always hated. As deaf to his numerous inner organs and limbs as Kagome, Inuyasha never did hear the sarcastic commentary his two feet made throughout his entire life. If he had, he'd have probably chopped them off, so it's most likely a good thing that he never did hear them.

Instead he wallowed.

He wallowed in self-pity, self-loathing and every form of hatred one can direct towards oneself. Due to his own weakness, he had frightened Kagome away forever. Maybe someday she'd agree to come back, but only if she could be certain nothing like what had happened today would ever happen again. And outside of doping himself up on as much opium as he could get his hands on (and he knew Kagome would never approve of that) Inuyasha didn't know how he was supposed to do that.

Dully he realized that the servants and his family, and the Higurashis, would be coming back someday soon.

He didn't know how to deal with that either.

He had already had the Elementals get rid of the body. He had sent the Elementals out and provided everything for Kagome. And now he didn't know how to do anything but watch her as she left him.

It was the end of the world.

He had carried that murderous thing with him for so long, it had to come out eventually. There had been little signs and showings before, like when he had burned down the mansion, but it was nothing compared to this. And he had even taken the teas of Myoga's! It hadn't helped. Inuyasha supposed that something like this was unavoidable. Murphy's Law. What can go wrong, will go wrong.

Figures.

…

Kikyo glanced out the window at the now-dead garden. She wondered why it had stopped raining. Hadn't the forecast predicted rain for the whole week?

Since when is the forecast ever right? Kikyo's left Foot asked scathingly.

Never! Kikyo's right Foot replied.

"You're both completely right. One should never rely on the forecast." Kikyo agreed with her Feet, and went on her way.

…

So! Once again I tried my hand at angst, though I tried to combine it with some humor, hoping to make it less cliché.

…

I don't think it worked.

Sigh. I've gotta work on that.

Anyway! Two chapters in one day! Aren't you all so proud! Please review!

Roar!

See! The Review Lion is proud of me! Please review!