A little note: As seen on Dokuga! This drabble/one-shot collection follows Kagome and her mission to 'seduce' Sesshomaru, in order to hand over his corpse to Hebiko, who in return will grant her wish.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the creators or producers of Inuyasha. No profit is made from this.

Truth

Kagome was miserable. The guilt ate at her heart. It had become so unbearable, she withdrew from the others around her. She rarely spoke with Rin, she ignored Jaken and she didn't even dare glance at Sesshomaru. She could not, for if she did, she would lose it. She would throw herself in his arms, cry and admit the truth. She would spill all her secrets. And he would hate her for it.

Kagome sighed and curled up into a ball. Rin and Jaken were both fast asleep, while Sesshomaru stood in the distance, his gaze focused on the stars in the night sky. Something must have alarmed him, for the next minute he had vanished amongst the trees. He often did that, sensed something and left her with Rin, he obviously trusted her to protect the little girl.

She didn't deserve his trust.

"Wallowing in your sorrow?" a cackle came from the brush. Kagome recognised the shrill voice, it was Hebiko. The snake emerged from the darkness and leaned against a tree, her pale skin glistening under the moonlight.

"If you are here to ask how my 'mission' is going," Kagome began, "then you have wasted your time. I'm not going to kill him."

Hebiko smirked. "Oh, I know, my dear."

Kagome looked up, alarmed. "What?"

"I knew you wouldn't be able to do it," Hebiko stated calmly. "And I don't want his corpse. You can have your lovely Sesshomaru alive."

"I-I don't understand," Kagome muttered. She had felt so miserable this whole time, and it was all for nothing? Just what did this deceptive snake actually want?

Hebiko chuckled. "Kagome, you've been pining after Inuyasha for months. While it is true he cares for you, he has always put the dead priestess first. That should have been clear enough for you, he will never return your feelings, not the way you desire it."

Kagome blinked, but remained quiet, urging the snake to continue.

Hebiko moved from her spot by the tree and approached the fire. "Deep down you knew Inuyasha would never love you, but you kept holding on because you didn't want to admit the truth."

"What truth!?" Kagome demanded as dread pooled in her stomach.

Hebiko smirked. "That you are attracted to his brother. You always have been, even before you approached me. I simply gave you a push to admit it."

Kagome's eyes widened. "E-even if that is true, Sesshomaru will never think that way about me. I'm human, and anything he feels for me now is fake. Any desire he has, comes from your spell."

"My spell, Kagome, only works on lesser demons, as you have seen with Jaken. For a demon of Sesshomaru's calibre, it will only work if there were already feelings of attraction there," Hebiko said.

"You tricked me," Kagome muttered. "Why?"

Hebiko smiled, this time without cruelty or any ill intentions, she actually smiled properly. "I once loved Sesshomaru, but he did not reciprocate. I understand why, I was not the right woman for him, but you are. And the slow pace at which the two of you were moving was frustrating me. Sesshomaru deserves something positive in his life."

Kagome opened her mouth to retort, but her voice died in her throat when Sesshomaru emerged from the trees. Her blood ran cold. How much had he heard? His face was blank, so she could not determine his mood. His golden gaze shifted to Hebiko and he frowned.

"May I inquire what exactly is going on here?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Hebiko turned to him and smiled sweetly. "You may, but I shall leave it to Kagome to explain. Excuse me."

And then the snake vanished in a puff of smoke. Kagome silently cursed, how dare she run off! Sesshomaru's attention turned to Kagome and she froze. A few seconds ticked by, but it felt like hours. Kagome knew she would not be able to escape this time. She had to come clean.

And come clean she did.