AR: Tsk, tsk, tsk. You are all my bad reviewers. Since almost nobody reviewed...short update!

Y: AR! You can't do that!

AR: Says who? I'm the author, I can do whatever I want. It's not like I'm going to be chased by a mob of rabid story fans, nobody reviews anymore, anyway. That means that nobody cares. -grins-

Se: If nobody cares, what would be the point of making a short update to get a reaction that you won't get, seeing as there are no people who bother themselves with this story?

AR: Shut up, Dust Bunny. Nobody asked you to say anything.

Se: Yes, but nobody forbade my input, either.

DAG: Yeah...he has a point, Angel.

AR: Shut up, Devi! Why does everyone side against me all the time!?

Y: We don't side against you, AR.

Ka: Yeah, we side against whoever gets their name pulled out of the hat.

AR: That was so funny, I forgot to laugh...

Y: We're serious! InuYasha has more name cards in there than anyone else, so he usually gets picked every day...but, today you were picked, so we have to follow the rules, no matter how much we don't want to.

DAG: Don't want to? Why would I miss a chance to pick at Angel?

AR: Devi...you're getting a little close to the edge, there, aren't you?

DAG: What do you mean?

AR: -pushes her off the top bunk of the bed- Heh...well, while we help her put her shoulder back in place, you guys can read the chapter. Have fun.

Disclaimer: I don't own it, but I do own the original characters and the plot line...and Devi's brand new dislocated shoulder...

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Well, you're a real hot cookie with your new hairdo

Your high-heeled boots and your credit card

Long legs and a mini skirt

Yeah, you know what works

And you work it hard

You smile like such a lady

Innocent and sweet

You drive the manfolk crazy

But any girl can see...

(Homewrecker: Gretchen Wilson)

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Chapter Twenty-Two Recap:

"She is with Kagura in the lower levels." Kanna said. Naraku leaned back and thought for a moment. He then looked over at Ozai, a plan forming in his twisted mind.

"Summon them both, Kanna." he ordered. Seeing Ozai smirk out of the corner of his eye, he added, "I have an assignment for them."

Don't Fall Away

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Prophecy

"Something tells me that you have something planned, Naraku." Ozai sneered. "Would you mind letting a friend in on the details?"

"You will know when the time comes. Until then, however, you should go back to your mate. We wouldn't want you suspected, now, would we?"

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"Honestly, the both of you are acting like five-year-olds." Kagome scolded, after she caught Kaori, who was facing away from him, turn and stick her tongue out at InuYasha. She hadn't quite figured out why they were fighting, and after much prying on her part, hadn't found out enough to formulate a possible reason that didn't make it seem like an over-dramatic squabble.

"She started it." InuYasha muttered, causing Kaori to spin around and give him a hard whack to the arm.

"I did not! Why is it that men can never admit when they're wrong?!" she yelled.

"What?! So, now it's a sexist thing, then? Well, two can play at that game. Women complain too much, cause too much trouble, are lazy, and constantly need to be saved from everything from flies to dragons." InuYasha retorted.

"Excuse me!?" Kagome and Kaori said in unision.

"InuYasha, of all the stupid and retarded things that I have heard you say, this definitelly takes the cake." Kagome declared, suddenly adopting an expression calm enough to rival that of Sesshomaru. InuYasha visibly tensed, expecting the worst. However, if ever there was a perfect time for Miroku to show up, it was then.

"Kagome, Sango is searching for you." Miroku said. "I believe she wants to ask you something...what's going on?"

"InuYasha is being a moron." Kaori replied. "It's just like every other time something happens, so why would you even bother asking that question?"

'Is it just me, or is there something going on that's making the women more irritable lately?' Miroku thought.

Kagome sighed and put her hand to her forehead. "Fine. Do me a favor and take care of these two for me, will you?"

"Alright, Kagome. Sango is in the sitting room on the third floor." Miroku told her as she walked away.

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"Is it just me, or does Kagome seem a little bit off lately? I mean, something more than what happened during the ball is bothering her, but I can't seem to think of what it is." Yukana stated. "What do you think?"

"Kagome's thoughts are her business, not ours." Sesshomaru said. "If she wanted us to know, she would say something."

"Well...yeah, but if there's something on her mind...we both know that Kagome isn't the kind of person to drag other people into her problems. Aren't you at least a little worried?"

"I will not deny the fact that I am concerned about Kagome's thoughts..."

"I sense something to the effect of a 'but' coming on." Yukana predicted, frowning.

"Precisely. Kagome is not obligated to speak of everything that comes to her mind, and it is not right for her to be forced into it, either." Sesshomaru explained. "When she is ready, she will answer your questions."

"Do you think that every now and then you could tone down and speak normally? Talking to you involves too much brain activity."

"There is no such thing as 'too much brain activity'." Sesshomaru stated. "You grew up in a place where precision of language was volitile, as did I. The lessons just stayed in my mind moreso than they did in yours."

"That, or I just didn't care."

"To some extent, Yukana, you did, however, since you left, you adapted your method of speech to those that you lived with and around, as did InuYasha."

"Okay...now, before you get into how everything came to be, I'm going to go see if Kagome took care of InuYasha and Kaori yet." Yukana decided. "Have fun with your lecture on speech, alright?"

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"I swear, after the past few weeks, I'm going to need a major vacation." Kagome announced as she walked into the library. Sango, who was situated on a sofa, looked up and smiled.

"I wouldn't doubt it, Kagome." Sango said. "So what did InuYasha do now?"

"Him and Kaori were about to bite each other's heads off. They were acting like little kids."

"Yeah, exactly what would be expected from InuYasha, but did you figure out why Kaori was involved?"

"I don't know. They were both being very vague, it was almost as if they were doing it on purpose." Kagome sighed. "Those two give me such a headache, and I'll bet Yukana was in on whatever they were fighting about. Anyway, what did you need?"

"I think I might have found something." Sango answered. "A prophecy, if you will. It says...hang on, let me find it."

"A prophecy? Honestly, Sango, you don't seem the type to believe in such things." Kagome said.

"I don't. I just thought you would like to know." Sango shrugged. "Besides, it's just about the only lead we have, yeah, I know it's not much, but at least it's something, right? Yukana and Kaori like superstitions and prophecies and all that other stuff, so we could get them to look further into it."

"Wouldn't that involve them leaving?" Kagome asked. "I know this sounds stupid, but if they leave, there's less people to help keep my head on strait."

"Um...elaborate, please?"

"Sesshomaru is going crazy, InuYasha is getting increasingly annoying, Miroku is just being himself, and Shippo and Rin aren't really the best people to talk to when there's a problem."

"Well, then that means we'll have to find some other way to look into it." Sango commented. "Seriously, it might be worth looking into."

"Okay, whatever. Have you found it yet?" Kagome pressed. "Miroku can't keep InuYasha and Kaori under control forever."

"Keep them under control? Kagome, even Sesshomaru can't do that." Sango scoffed. "And, if Yukana is involved, that makes keeping order and preserving sanity even harder."

"Sango!"

"Okay! Okay! Kagome, chill out, I'm working on it." Sango defended. "Geez, I swear, you're getting worse than Sesshomaru. It's right here." Sango handed the book to Kagome and pointed to the line. Kagome snatched the book from her and read.

"He who exists as a creature, neither human nor demon, shall bring an end to this world. Heartless and interested only in personal gain, he shall ravage this planet, polluting the souls and minds of all living things with evil, pain, and sadness. Aided unknowingly by a deceased miko, the only hope for survival lies in the bond between a reincarnated miko and a taiyoukai. With the combined power of miko and taiyoukai, as well as a small group of warriors, they shall break through the defenses with ease. However, the only way to defeat the devil on earth, is for aforementioned individuals to work together, with total trust in one another. Otherwise, the world is doomed."

"This sounds like some poorly written horror story." Kagome scoffed. "But, strangely, it kind of makes sense."

"Yeah, I knew that looking in a book of prophecies would help." Sango said proudly.

"A book of prophecies?" Kagome asked before flipping through the book. "Seriously, this is just wierd, even for you, Sango."

"Oh, come on." Sango objected. "There's no harm in it." Kagome rolled her eyes, still looking through the pages.

"Hey, look. Somebody predicted the second world war." she commented off-handedly.

"Kagome, could you please take this at least a little seriously?"

"No." Sango rolled her eyes and Kagome shrugged.

"Incoming." Kagome announced. "Yukana and Sesshomaru, five seconds. She who finds herself related to the almighty lord of the west shall enter the library to find a youkai idly chatting with a taijiya."

"Kagome! Stop mocking me!" Sango yelled.

"I'm not mocking you, Sango. I'm mocking the book." Kagome grinned and turned around as Yukana and Sesshomaru walked in.

"Are you two picking at each other again?" Yukana scolded playfully. "Kagome, I would have expected more from you. Go to your room."

"Make me." Kagome said, sticking her tongue out.

"And she was just complaining about how childish InuYasha and Kaori were..." Sango muttered.

"Well, I deserve a vacation from being an adult." Kagome stated.

"Kagome, you need a vacation in general, but, unfortunately for you, there's no time for that, so you're just going to have to deal with it." Yukana said. "Oh, just for the record, if life gives you lemons and you bite them...that's not going to turn out well. Trust me, I know these things."

"Yukana, I may be naive, but I'm not stupid." Kagome declared. "And how, pray tell, did you come to find this out?"

"That, my friend, is none of your business." Yukana told her. "Come to think of it...it's not mine, either."

"Kaori, InuYasha, and the monk are coming." Sesshomaru said.

"Let's have a party in the sitting room. We can invite the staff as well."

"Lighten up, Sango. Just lay down on the sofa and Miroku won't be able to sit down next to you." Kagome said brightly.

"Kagome...did Sesshomaru hit you in the head this morning? Your moods are changing way faster than usual. Maybe you should get that looked at."

"Sesshomaru isn't fast enough to hit me." Kagome scoffed proudly.

"Oh? I beg to differ." Sesshomaru cut in. "Your mind wasn't completely on your task and you were defeated multiple times."

"Um...that's not the way it happened." Kagome objected. "That's just the way you remember it, 'cause I brainwashed you before I left to take care of InuYasha and Kaori."

"A likely story."

"What about me and InuYasha?" Kaori inquired curiously.

"Hey! A party! Why weren't we invited?" Miroku asked.

"Um...didn't you get the memo? I sent it to you three weeks ago." Kagome said. "It must have gotten lost during shipping."

"Sanity has finally fled from this world."

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AR: Hey, I'm done. -grins-

DAG: ...

AR: Devi...does your shoulder hurt?

DAG: YES, DON'T TOUCH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

AR: I wasn't going to touch it. I was going to have Kagome do something with it.

DAG: No, thank you. I would much rather see a professional.

K: That's fine, I wasn't going to look at it, anyway.

DAG: Yeah, I know, 'cause I wasn't going to let you in the first place. It's your fault, Angel.

AR: I was provoked...InuYasha told me to.

Se: That's just about the most unintelligent thing that has ever left your mouth, Angel. You have lost a portion of my respect.

AR: Don't I lose respect every day, though? It's a wonder I still have any.

Y: True, very true.

Ka: So, do I still have respect?

Se: I respect your cleaning abilities...

Ka: Oh...that's harsh.

AR: No, it's not. Do you know how long it took me to earn his respect?

IY: No. Do we want to?

AR: Yes, you do. It took me...a really long time. -grins- Anyway, I'm going to start on the next chapter. Toodles!