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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. It's plain as that isn't it?


Chapter the Seventh

To Understand


Her eyes fluttered, her mind coming into a fuzzy consciousness. A tiny stream of light connected with her vision.

Kagome's only thought of the moment: Her head hurt.

She blinked her eyes open, realizing that she was in her room…was it morning?

In a flurry of memories the past night's events came back to her.

But how had she gotten back to her room? Hadn't she blacked out in the West Wing?

"You're awake."

Kagome shot up at the gruff voice that she'd come to know so well in a day. It was Inuyasha.

He was sitting in a chair at the foot of her bed, his arms crossed impatiently, "You snore, do you know that?"

Kagome bit back a retort. She was too confused as to why he was even in her room.

Instinctively Kagome pulled her sheets up, "You were watching me sleep? You creep!" She whipped a pillow at him.

And dearly hoped it connected with his head.

Unfortunately for her, he caught it in one hand and punted it back at her. The pillow hit Kagome in the chest and she let out a small 'oof' as she grabbed it.

"I see you're quite the morning person," Inuyasha commented sarcastically, standing up and dusting himself off, preparing to leave.

Kagome pulled the covers off and hung her legs off of the side of the bed. She watched as Inuyasha turned and scrutinized the 'evil twins' picture as Kagome dubbed it. It was the one of the Sango and Miroku look-a-likes.

"They used to be really happy then…" Inuyasha said, more to himself than to Kagome. It seemed to be a bit of a nostalgic comment to Kagome.

"Who?" Kagome asked, "Those two?"

Inuyasha nodded slightly, and mutely continued to stare at the painting.

Kagome was a little shell-shocked by the way he was acting. It was like he was a whole different person. He seemed so human right now. Before he'd been violent and cruel. What was causing these mood swings?

Maybe he was just weird…

Well, Kagome was going to get this chance before she missed it to talk to him.

"You mentioned before - back in that room - that you were 'cursed people'. What did you mean?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha sent her a sidelong glance. Those red eyes seemed to turn a wheel in Kagome's mind, making her heart beat fast.

What was that feeling?

Inuyasha looked down again, "Exactly what I said."

"So you're cursed," Kagome began slowly.

"No, we're just rays of freaking sunshine! Of course we're cursed! Were you too stupid to figure out that we're not actually d-?" He was cut off by the door opening.

"What's all the fuss about in here? Kagome are you…" Ayame's voice trailed off.

In the doorway stood Sango, Ayame, Miroku, and Shippo…and all three looked confused as hell.

Sango blinked, "Inuyasha? What are you doing in here?"

Miroku came up to Inuyasha, "Coming into Kagome's room when she's asleep? I knew you were deprived, but I never thought you were this bad…"

"Shut up." Inuyasha punched Miroku in the face, "I'm not a pervert like you."

"So what were you doing here anyway?" Shippo interjected, probably saving Miroku from a tag-team Sango/Inuyasha beating.

Inuyasha crossed his arms, "The stupid girl decided to go snooping in the West Wing. She hit her head and I brought her back."

"Yeah, after practically murdering me," Kagome muttered under her breath, "And yelling your head off."

"Well you deserved it," Inuyasha snapped.

Kagome jumped up defensively, "Excuse me? I did not deserve to be yelled at like that!"

"Well I didn't deserve to have you sink your teeth into my arm!"

"Jerk!"

"Wench!"

"Animal!"

"Idiot!"

"Dough-head!"

"Trespasser!"

"Trespasser? That's rich, since you're the one who's gone and locked me up here!"

"Well that still doesn't mean you had to go and snoop around!"

Sango blinked at their argument, "Those two act more like a married couple than complete strangers."

"Tell me about it," Ayame agreed, rubbing the back of her head.

Inuyasha growled and pushed Kagome back onto her bed, "Back off you stupid woman, I'm leaving." He turned.

Kagome jumped up, "Hey! Do you always address someone as 'man' or 'woman'? You've never even said my name before!"

"Well isn't that nice." Inuyasha snapped; turning and disappearing past Sango and Ayame through the doorway.

Kagome's face burned with angry embarrassment, "That pig-headed, disrespectful, tactless, brainless, dough-headed jerk! I'm going to tear him apart!" Kagome dashed past them, "Get back here you rude, arrogant brat!"

She stopped her tirade when she noticed he was not there. Kagome huffed, "Jeez, the nerve…"

Sango placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder, "If it's any consolation, that's probably the most conversation anyone's gotten out of him in fifty years."

"Whoop-de-doo; that makes him an antisocial arrogant jerk!" Kagome blazed with fury, her hands balled into angry fists.

Miroku came up by them, rubbing his injured nose and snickering slightly, "I'd say that the two of you are getting closer and closer each day. Who knew?"

Kagome turned on Miroku, the killer intent practically visible as it emanated towards Miroku. Miroku gulped, shirking away from her deadly stare.

"Uh, maybe we all need to relax." Sango said, "Kagome's had a rough night, she needs to rest. Do you want Ayame and I to bring you some breakfast in a little while?"

Kagome's body seemed to get a little less tense, "No, really. I'll come down and help make myself something when my head hurts a little less."

"Tell me, what did you hit your head on?" Sango asked.

Kagome blinked, trying to remember, "I-I'm not sure. I think it was wooden, maybe a wall…oh, I don't have the slightest idea." Kagome then looked at the other four, "But I do remember seeing some…rose floating in a glass container…on a wooden table. There were fallen petals on the bottom."

Every person except Kagome seemed to become apprehensive at that remark. Ayame gulped and replied cautiously, "M-Maybe it was just the dizziness."

"No," Kagome shook her head, "Inuyasha looked at it, looked at me, and started spouting stuff about 'cursed people' and how you 'were forced to take the form of demons'. I really couldn't understand what he meant…and then I blacked out. Do you guys know what he means?"

Sango was about to reply with what Kagome suspected was an excuse, or some sort of topic diversion.

Of course, Miroku knew that avoiding the subject was not going to prove beneficial, "Lady Kagome, he…he spoke all truths."

"Huh?"

"We weren't demons originally. We were born humans, humans until…" Ayame trailed off.

Shippo jumped onto Kagome's shoulder, "The priestess came. That's why Inuyasha hates 'em."

"So, a priestess came. Big deal, did she do something?" Kagome was anxious to hear this story.

Sango nodded, "Exactly. Inuyasha's elder brother was harsh to the priestess, who hid under the façade of a hapless elderly woman. Then she was angered when he turned her away from shelter, and cast a spell on us all. Unfortunately, Inuyasha's parents were murdered when the spell was cast. Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's brother, disappeared. Soon after, the guests – since there was a ball that night – ran off in fear of their own horrible demeanors. They all went insane, giving in to their inner youkai. Soon the workers and dwellers of the castle began to lose their minds, becoming more and more demon-like. You see, we're the…the only ones left of a once great kingdom."

"None of us are entirely sure why we are still sane. Maybe we just got the weakest inner demon spirits. No one can tell." Miroku finished.

"But this spell, what does it have to do with that rose?"

"The rose is the spell. Once the last petal drops, our fates are sealed. I believe that we know that when a petal falls, Inuyasha loses part of his humanity. It's sad for him, since he had tried to save the priestess that night fifty years past." Sango explained, her head hung in shame, "That's why I told you to be kind to him. Because he's basically getting to watch himself follow the other demons. He's watching himself go insane."

"But…there must be a way to break it right?" Kagome's voice was hopeful, "I mean...every spell has some way to counteract it. I was told that in my priestess training."

"Yes. We know what can break the spell…but the inscription upon the glass…it's a strange poem indeed." Ayame said, tapping her chin in thought.

"Tell it to me."

"Sango's the only one with it memorized." Shippo told Kagome.

Sango took a breath and recited:

"Sin of the darkness, pulled by your hate,

Proven of guilt, so fall to your fate,

The evil consumes, of each passing brawl,

The ones closest to you shall be last to fall,

Only one of thy bloods can break my black spell,

But lest no help comes, thee fall into hell,

A key shining brightly, a blessing of light,

Only purest of exchanges can end this dark fight,

You may think to be careful, to pull out all stops,

Yet the curse will consume you, when the last petal drops."

Kagome shivered at the eerie poem, "That's the creepiest spell I've ever heard."

"We know a few things about it," Miroku admitted, "We know that Inuyasha can break the spell, because he's related to Sesshomaru by blood. We also know that since we were the closest to Sesshomaru, through Inuyasha, that we will be the last to succumb to the spell…we think."

"We also know that when the last petal drops it's all over." Shippo gulped.

Kagome frowned, "It said that 'the purest of exchanges'…what does that mean?"

"If we knew," Ayame said, "We'd have broken the spell by now."

"Okay, this is enough sad talk. Kagome, you go rest. Come to the dining hall when you are hungry." Sango ordered, whisking the others away.

Kagome sighed, turning to her room with a heavy heart.

"Inuyasha…just what hardships have you been through?"


End of Chapter


There, a little InuxKag shipping there. Well, long-story-short:

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