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The Breakup

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Shiori sighed as the gentle sea air gently brushed her cheek, her eyelids fluttering closed as she breathed in the briny aroma. Scrunching her toes, she felt the softness of the sand, still damp from the retreating tide. She could spend hours like this, left to her own devices, where no whispers could reach her and no one could glare at her. This cliff was her sanctuary away from prying eyes where she could practice her inherited abilities without censure. As she focused her energy on summoning a barrier - her violet eyes clenched shut in concentration - a shiver flew down her spine and her eyes burst open as that god awful smell once again reached her sensitive nose.

"You're doing very well," the strange woman praised in a sickly sweet sort of tone, "You're getting better every day."

"Thank you," Shiori mumbled awkwardly as she visibly deflated and turned to leave before grimacing when Kikyo's cold hand rested on her shoulder. This woman had come into the village a few days ago and announced she was a friend of Inuyasha looking for the half-demon known as Shiori. Then once she'd found her, her scent had been so awful that it was all the poor little bat girl could do not to vomit. She had been following her around constantly and asking awkward questions about her remaining family, if you could even call them that. All it did was set alarm bells off in the small child's mind. There were certain things that the woman said that made it clear she was not truly a friend or someone to be trusted. She couldn't tell her the last time she had even seen Inuyasha, why she had traveled so far just to see her, or even the name of the little fox that accompanied that strange group. And that smell!

"My mother will be waiting for me," Shiori whispered quietly as she shrugged off the clammy hand and tried to make her way towards the village, "I'm sorry I can't stay."

"That's quite alright," Kikyo laughed as she moved to sit on the sandy shore, "I merely came her to meditate."

"Okay, I'll...uh, I'll just go then and leave you alone," Shiori breathed in a relieved tone as she turned before groaning inwardly when the strange woman asked her to join in whatever ritual it was this time. Her mother had insisted she be polite and she was a very polite child...normally but this was different. Her insistence that something was wrong fell on deaf ears. Her mother could not be convinced that this woman was anything more than a simple priestess.

Sighing heavily, Shiori trudged back and plopped down. Taking a deep breath, she once again focused her energy on creating a small barrier and pointedly ignored the woman as she asked more suspicious questions about the bat tribe. It would be a cold day in hell before the small girl would give any information to that woman. Manners be damned.

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"I've really got to go," Kagome groaned as the human Inuyasha tried to get her to stay, "I've already been gone way too long!"

"Okay, but I mean, what if I need help with my homework or something?" he pleaded unconvincingly to which Kagome merely rolled her eyes, "Sota or Mama will help you. I have to go!"

Looking defeated and rather put out, Inuyasha huffed and folded his arms across his chest.

"Fine. Go then, see if I care," he hissed acidly before marching straight indoors, "Have fun with him."

Rolling her eyes, Kagome didn't even bother to answer. He'd been acting so much more mature lately but if he was going to act like this, she couldn't stand to be in his sight one second more. Shaking her head, she adjusted her backpack and made her way towards the well.

The moment she made it to the other side, she looked up to see a very relived yet pissed off looking Inuyasha staring into the well's depths.

"WHAT THE HELL TOOK YOU SO LONG?!" he bellowed angrily as he dropped down into the well by holding onto the edge and reaching down to help her up, "I've..uh, we've been waiting for you! You're a week late! You took so long Sango and Miroku decided to go to the demon slayers village to repair her weapons and Shippo went off to take a fox demon exam!"

"I'm sorry, okay?" Kagome sighed as he dropped her softly onto the grass before averting her eyes and fidgeting nervously, "Just...uh, your human self was having problems adjusting."

Huffing, the demonic version stared at her for a moment as he bit his lip. On the one hand, he really, really wanted to be angry with her. On the other, he wanted to cherish every second she was with him, even if it was just as a friend. It was obvious which part of him she preferred and for once in his life, he realized how she must have felt whenever his whole self had gone to see Kikyo. Chuckling darkly at the thought, he knelt down expectantly - hoping and praying she'd take the hint to get onto his back. Sighing happily as she climbed on, he offered her a soft smile as he whispered loud enough for her to hear, "I'm sorry I snapped at you. I shouldn't have. I'm glad you're back. I've missed you."

When she whispered she had missed him as she rubbed her cheek affectionately on his shoulder, he closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath before taking off at full speed. As broken as his heart felt at the moment, those small words managed to ease some of the ache in his chest. Maybe not all was lost after all...maybe there was a chance that she would...

Shaking his head slightly, he swallowed thickly and stamped that thought down as soon as it reared its ugly head. What was he thinking? Why would she ever pick him when she had someone just like him in her world? Still as her legs and arms squeezed him gently and she sighed happily as she relaxed more against him, he couldn't help the growing desire and urge to beg her to stay. It had always been hard when she left but at least then, he could go through the well at night...just to make sure she was real, that she was alive and to make sure nothing would ever hurt her. Maybe...maybe if he told her he...no, she deserved more than the life he could provide. That was one of the main reasons his whole self kept her away. She deserved better and he would just have to savor moments like this while he still could.