AN: Lots of news to share with you guys!

First: Oops. Sorry about that whole four-months-late, thing. Didn't mean for that to happen (again).

Second: I've got a new beta! The absolutely lovely SugarRos has kindly agreed to join my team. You should all go over and up her review count in thanks ;)

Third: I'VE GOT A BLOG! So you all should check it out, follow me, and love me :) penthesileiastories . wordpress . com You can find the link on my profile, or I'll message you the link. There's going to be a ton of stuff, including little pieces from future chapters, deleted scenes and hints at upcoming projects. And lots of me. (Because as hard as I try, I just love myself a little too much.)

Fourth: Chapter 35 is 95% done, Chapter 36 is done and Chapter 37 has been started! I'd also like to announce that TSAM will be FINISHED at 40 chapters. So keep your reviews coming and help me end strong!

That's enough of news, I think. I love every single one of you! (and you should totally go to my blog. Or I might cry and tell you all about it.)

NoOneParticular: Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough ;)

1animelover: Thank you! (Blush) I'm really happy you think so, lol. I'm not sure it would be facebook; I've looked into starting a tumblr or something similar. My mac makes websites, I'm considering that as well. I just have a lot of work I've never finished, and I thought it would be nice to post it somehow, so it's useable even if I never do anything with it ever again. Thanks so much for the review!

Guest: Sorry for being mean with the cliffhanger :(

Guest: Yay Kagome! :D Thanks for the review!

Jessika: Awwww, thank you! I just hope I make the rest of the story worth your lost time. Thanks for the review!

Evelyn: Sorry that I left you hanging then ;) But here you go! Hope it was worth all the wondering.

Crazyponygirl: Thank you! :) I'm happy to see your review too, lol.

Tugga: Here you go :)

DnC4ever: Thanks for the double reviews! I'm really glad you like everything so far. And I'm sorry I made you wait so long after that cliffhanger. I'm not sure about finishing before Halloween, but I'm aiming to finish before the end of this year. Thank you for reviewing!

Autumnsky: Thank you! :) I'm really happy you like TSAM. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

Whosever: Awww, thank you!

TheUpdatePolice: Sorry for being so late officer. Please don't fine me :(

Guest: Nope. Here's some more!

Thanks to all the reviewers named Guest. I'm not really sure how to distinguish between all of you, so here's a big, giant thank you! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and I make no money off this story.


November 17: 9:27 PM

Kikyo had made very, very few mistakes over the years. Failing to show up when Midoriko sealed Naraku away. Not killing Sango when she had the chance. Killing the married Higurashi instead of the blood one. Throwing Inuyasha at his real mate. Hindsight and all that. Oops. But really, those had all been setbacks. Roadblocks she'd bypassed with a little more careful planning.

But her real, serious, mistake? Coming to care for Souta Higurashi.

She kept his hand pressed hard against the glass, feeling a bit like it was happening to another woman. She didn't need hindsight to know that forming attachments to the boy had been a really, really bad idea.

How did this happen? He should just be some annoying brat she was using as collateral against Kagome. Not some nice kid with a wicked sense of humor, crazy focused on getting what he wanted, and a stubborn persistence that could almost rival her own. It had started as a means to an end, but she had begun looking forward to their weekly meetings.

When she had come up with all of her plans, and her emergency plans and her 'just in case' add ons, she hadn't had this weird pain in her chest at the thought of hurting had been no concern about spilling his blood. Who the hell cared if she ended up killing him; the end always benefited the means.

That's what had reassured her with the others, anyway.

But now she was here, smearing his blood into the jewel's case. Feeling bad because the kid looked like he was about to faint from terror. Seeing Kaede in his eyes, with Inuyasha's blood dirtying his face, she suddenly cared. What was her plan for that?

…Nothing. She was coming up blank. She had none. Not for this.

She'd need to come up with one, fast. Because even though the jewel case didn't react to Souta's touch, it didn't seem to-

Her entire world jerked into focus, suddenly aware of Souta's shaking, and Inuyasha's growling and the faint coolness of the treasury, and the skin stretched tight across her face and how fucking tiring it was getting, holding onto Inuyasha and-

And the faint bit of smoke curling up from between Souta's fingers. The tiniest crack spread out over the glass, looking like more of a cobweb then a breakthrough.

Her hand tightened over Souta's wrist, his cry of pain echoing in her head but not nearly causing the impact it had before.

It was working. It was working.

Sou- the boy,was beginning to break open the case. Finally, after 500 years the jewel would be hers.

Revenge would be hers.

Conscience forgotten, she lifted his hand away from the case, knowing she needed more blood.

Kikyo held the struggling boy tighter against her, half tempted to make Inuyasha do it, but she could feel her hold on him weakening. He was fighting it like a mad idiot, and she wasn't sure how much longer she would have him. Better to do this quick.

Now, just to dig the knife in a little deeper-

SLAM

"Kagome!" Inuyasha growled, pain blinding Kikyo for a brief moment. His right arm was completely free, his hand outstretched towards his mate.

"Kagome." Souta sobbed, wiggling harder in Kikyo's arms.

Kikyo cursed silently, the knife lightly pressed into Souta's wrist. She didn't want to look up, not when she was so close and her head was still spinning. The door slammed back closed, which only served to send her brain on another roll.

"Let them both go right now, Kikyo."

It didn't seem she had a choice. Keeping a firm grip on Souta, she looked up into Kagome Higurashi's furious face.

The girl looked better now, she would give her that. Gone was the dazed girl in the crappy sweats. Kagura's influence probably; if the heeled shit-kickers were anything to go by. Functional leather pants tucked under the boots, stopping just short of her hip bones. A black, sleeveless shell highlighted her arms, currently lit up with purple coils of her power. Her hair was tied up and back, framing a face that eerily looked like Midoriko for a moment.

It was the dagger hanging at Kagome's hips from a studded belt that caught Kikyo's interest. The twisted design with flashes of purple and red looked remarkably like Naraku's own sword.

But that wasn't important for the moment. What was important was that Plan C finally decided to show up. "I specifically told you to stay away. At least you arrived in time to say goodbye to your brother." Kikyo dug the point of her knife into Souta's skin until blood welled up, giving Kagome a chance to protest.

"I'll give you the jewel." Kagome rushed out, hands in front of her, just as Kikyo had expected. "Just let my brother and my mate go, and it'll be all yours."

"Get the hell out of here, Kagome." Inuyasha growled, sounding like a Neanderthal protecting his cave. He looked like a savage too, with his red eyes, blue streaked cheeks and wild hair. Kikyo just barely avoided rolling her eyes at the possessive tone. It was beyond cliche at this point. "And Kikyo, if you fucking touch her-"

Kikyo pulled on his strings, clapping his hand hard over his mouth before he could annoy her any further. He growled behind his palm, his body jerking against her hold. Another spike of pain shot through her at his tugging, distracting her for a moment.

Well, he was finally quiet except for the irritating snarling. And now Kagome's arrival would keep her from having to harm Souta. She was not going to think about how relieved she was. If anything, this method would minimize the risk of any blood getting on her suit.

But she doubted Kagome was all by herself. Not after that scene at the hospital with a bitch that should have been long dead and some weird, random guy who was apparently stuck with her. They were most likely planning an ambush; Kagome the distraction. Even more of a reason to make this fast, and get out of here.

Kikyo hauled Souta up against her, holding a knife to his throat. "You've got sixty seconds before I open a vein and let the Higurashi blood do the work for me."

Inuyasha's claws flexed, still trying to reach out to his mate. He growled behind his hand, the blue streaks only growing more jagged across his cheeks.

"It's alright, Inuyasha." Kagome held her hands up, slowly edging towards the jewel case. "At this point, I don't care about the jewel. I just want my family back."

Hah, like she hadn't been sent with the exact purpose of killing her. But let her lie, in the end Kikyo was older, stronger and faster. And she had some payback to deliver after the bitch marked up her face. "Just hurry up."

Carefully, Kagome placed her hands on either side of the glass case, trying to avoid the blood running down the surface.

Purple light burst from her skin, sliding down her fingers and into the whorls decorating the bottom of the case, each one beginning to glow, one by one. Trust Midoriko to invent the first loading bar before the computer had even been invented.

Kikyo tightened her grip on Souta, fighting to keep her hold on Inuyasha. It wouldn't be long now.


"Well, there's our distraction." Sango muttered, watching the door slam shut behind Kagome. "Now we provide the ambush."

Miroku twisted his bag's strap nervously between his fingers, storing his courage up. This could really be it. The beginning of the end of them.

His heart lurched, mouth going dry. He couldn't let that happen. Even if she went back to hating him, he couldn't let her die.

But could he really use the prayer beads on her again?

Sango leaned against the wall, parts of her skin pinkened from Kagome's show of power. She absently rubbed her collarbone, paying more attention to the closed door then to her injuries. "Will you hand me-"

Suddenly desperate for any reason to touch her, Miroku slipped the salve out of his bag, keeping a jealous grip on it when Sango reached for it. "Let me."

He coated his fingers in the cool aloe, frantically searching his mind for something say; some brilliant piece of logic that would make Sango completely forget about her duty and swear her eternal love and devotion.

Except there was no logic. It would make no sense at all for Sango to live as a demon in a completely unfamiliar era, no family or friends in sight, just so she could live with a formerly reluctant mate whose earlier treatment of her had bordered on abusive.

Yeah, he could totally see that little bit of advice making its way into one of Kagura's manuals.

So he couldn't go about this rationally. He'd have to do something stupid, like completely throw his heart at her feet and pray she didn't stomp the life out of it. Hope she would take pity on him, or even better, find a way to happily live with him.

It was a good thing he was finally all out of pride. He could curse himself for all the times he thought his pride was worth more than Sango. Maybe if he hadn't been such a bastard then, he wouldn't be desperate to find a way to keep her with him now.

He smoothed the cream over her skin, doing his best to be gentle even when his hands shook. Praying to God that Sango wouldn't give him a reason to use the prayer beads.

"Sango-"

"Miroku-"

They both stopped, Sango's eyes firmly on the door while Miroku's gaze drilled into her forehead, silently pleading with her to look at him. "You first." She allowed, one hand over her sword's hilt.

A gentleman would have allowed her to speak first, but Miroku was eager for any advantage he could get. "Back in the car, you couldn't give me an answer. So let me give you my answer." He dropped the bottle of aloe, letting it clatter to the floor so he could grab her hands. "I loveyou, Sango."

Sango's head snapped back, her focused, determined expression finally fading away into shock. "Mir-"

"I know I haven't said so, and I haven't always acted on it, but I love you so much it drove me insane." Miroku pushed on, the words spilling out in a rush while his hands shook. "I love you so much that sometimes it just hurts. My head spins, my nerves are shot, and my heart speeds up so fast I might as well be having a heart attack. Even when I hated you, I loved you. There's only you. It's only ever been you, even before I met you."

Miroku pressed her fingers to his heart, needing her to feel its mad beating. "I don't deserve to ask this after what I did to you. I should stay silent and let you go. But I'm begging you Sango," Miroku nearly sunk to his knees, but couldn't will his body to move. "Forgive me. Stay with me. Somehow, let's move on from the past together. I promise you, I'll be better. I won't hurt you, ever again. Give me your trust, just once, and I won't let you down."

Sango's hand remained limp against his skin, her eyes revealing nothing. "Or don't trust me." Miroku added, frantic for the right thing to say. "Stick around for revenge. Torment me for the rest of our lives together. Try your best to make me miserable. It won't work, since I'll only be too happy to be tortured by you, but give it your best shot. But please, don't leave me. Not when we're finally in a place where we can make us work." Miroku laid it all out on the line, praying harder than he ever had in his entire life for a miracle. For a way to cancel out his earlier prayers to be rid of her, and instead to be bond to her for the rest of his life.

Sango stared at him. "'We're finally in a place where we can make us work?'" She repeated slowly. "Where we can work? Do you even hear yourself?" She ripped her hand from his grasp, trying to back away only to be blocked by the wall. "You would let me torment you for the rest of our lives? That's 'working' to you?"

"It is if it means you're with me." Miroku said stubbornly. "And if that doesn't work, you could forgive me."

"Forgive you? Miroku, you made my life hell." Sango cried out, her eyes strangely bright. "Being turned into a demon against my will, imprisoned for 500 years and away from my family and friends wasn't nearly as terrible as receiving you for a mate."

That particular line made his chest feel like Sango had just kicked in his ribs with her shitkickers, stomping him apart. And he deserved every bit of it. "Let me apologize to you forever then. Let me try to make it right." He begged. He had been so close with Kirara and her weapon and setting her up with the demonslayer community. He could do better though. Treat her like a queen, make her the mistress to his slave.

Sango closed her eyes, the slightest tremble to her hands. "It's not just you, Miroku. I need to fulfill my duty. That's all I have left."

Alright, now that pissed him off. "You're more than just your duty." Miroku snapped. "You keep using that as an excuse, and you know what, it's getting old."

Her eyes snapped open, that dampness replaced with her usual fire. "What did you-"

"It's not just you against the world anymore. You have people who are practically begging you to let them help you kill Kikyo and Naraku. This isn't 500 years ago where that wasn't possible. You have options. You don't have to throw your life away fulfilling the requirements of some lunatic who couldn't take care of her own dirty work, so she passed it to you instead."

Sango snarled in outrage. "Midoriko was-"

"-was a coward who couldn't do what needed to be done." Miroku interrupted mercilessly. "She knew Naraku and Kikyo were bad news, but did she stay and fight them? No, she completely destroyed your life so you could do the hard thing. Risk public outrage at attacking one of the most influential mikos of the period. Make the tough decisions when it came to her own, evil, power-hungry mate. Forget Midoriko. You don't owe her anything. She's the one who couldn't do her own duty, don't let her gutlessness rob you of your own life."

Miroku pushed his face closer to Sango's, vaguely aware of some voice inside his head screaming at him to stop, but he couldn't control the words spilling out of his mouth. "You're just using her and your 'duty' so you can avoid doing the hard thing too. Trusting me, loving me, forgiving me...and forgiving yourself."

Sango snarled back at him, pushing him away with so much force there would probably be a bruise on his chest tomorrow. "Fuck you and your holier than thou preaching. Forgive myself? The only thing that I might have to forgive myself for is your eventual death once I complete my duty. And that'll be less because I felt bad over it, and more because of how much I enjoyed it."

"My eventual death?" Miroku repeated, taken back.

Sango's claws curled into her fists. "Has this really not occurred to you? We're mates with a blood bond. What the hell do you think will happen to you when I die?"

Miroku could only blink, shock slowly overtaking him. "But we've never actually melded. Why would I die along with you?"

Sango shrugged, coldness replacing some of her fury. "Who knows. But it is a possibility, according to Lady Kagura. The mate bonds might disappear if I revert back to humanity, or I can drag you along with me if I die."

Kagura also hated his guts and would probably actively seek his death once Inuyasha's trial was completed. He would take anything she recommended with a grain of salt. But she could be 100% accurate about his death, and it wouldn't matter. All that mattered was Sango.

Miroku shook his head, not convinced either way. "But we only have the first mark, wouldn't we have to be melded for your death to affect me?" He pointed out, going back to logic for a brief moment.

She met his eyes again, ice caking her face "I have a death warrant in your name. I could meld with you just in time to kill you."

Right then, Miroku realized this would be the moment. When he looked back later in his life, he knew he would remember this forever as the exact point of the beginning of the end

...something died inside him. A little flame of hope, some of his determination to win her back, or maybe it was just the sinking feeling that maybe, no matter what he did, he couldn't fix this. They really wouldn't work. He had broken them beyond repair.

Maybe there wasn't anything he could do to save them...but maybe he could still save her.

He clutched the strap of his bag, feeling nearly sick with indecision. But then clearly she hated him. Could he really make it any worse? "Kill me then. But don't throw your life away for Midoriko's sake."

Sango fell back against the wall, her muscles tense and her fangs beginning to show. "Damn you, why can't you make this simple?" She growled, sounding at odds with herself.

He eyed the bag's front pocket, wondering how much time he would need to use it-

Kirara suddenly growled at them both, paws on the jewel's room door. All emotion wiped from Sango's face, a cold blooded assassin taking its place. "Distraction's over. Time to move in."

Sango drew her sword, prepared for battle. Miroku slowly reached into the front pocket, knowing he'd need the beads close at hand.


Power flowed out of Kagome, slowly surrounding Midoriko's ancient spell on the case. With each symbol her power filled, Kagome could feel the glass grow even more fragile.

Offering to get the jewel for Kikyo hadn't been her first idea. Knocking her on her ass would have been better, but impossible with Souta literally in her grasp. Getting the jewel for Kikyo was only supposed to give her a chance to think.

But thinking was impossible. She could focus only on her power pouring into each symbol, the purple light even brighter in the gray of the room.

One, two, three, four, five swirls and whorls began to glow, tiny cracks fracturing the surface of the glass case. Four more, and the cracks started to spread, growing wider and deeper.

Ten, eleven, twelve, fourteen...

There had to be at least sixty whorls decorating the bottom of the case. She wasn't going to be able to fill them all in in time.

She closed her eyes, begging her power to go faster. If she did nothing else with her life, she had to save her brother. But she was stretched thin, with the part of her power she had left with her mother, to the energy she had used to burn away the Mask of Flesh. There wasn't much more to spare. "I need more time."

Kikyo only sneered at her, not comprehending how draining this was for Kagome, or just not caring. "Really, Kagome? This current scenario isn't enough to motivate you to move fast?"

Kagome bit back what she really wanted to say, placing Inuyasha and Souta above her pride. "You'll still get your jewel. I just need more than a minute."

"Hmmm. What I think you need is more encouragement." Kikyo slowly stretched an arm out, her hand directed at Inuyasha. The tips of her fingers glowed red before she lazily flicked them in Inuyasha's direction.

Red flames of Kikyo's power covered Inuyasha's feet, swirling and climbing around his ankles. His face went bone white, forced to stay in place as the fire began to eat away at his skin.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome choked out, whorl twenty beginning to fill itself in.

"Fine Kagome, take your time. But the longer you take-" Kikyo waved her hand, and the flames traveled up to Inuyasha's ankles, an agonized moan slipping out. "-the higher the flames will climb." She looked disgustingly satisfied with herself. "There. Are you sufficiently motivated now?"

"Dr. Saito." Tears slipped down Souta's face, "Please stop this. Don't hurt Inuyasha!"

Kikyo forced Souta to turn around, holding his face to her chest. "Hush Souta, just don't look now. How hurt Inuyasha becomes depends completely on your sister."

Kagome had no idea how she was still standing. She was vaguely aware of a line of whorls lit up, her power finally moving on to the other side of the display case. She couldn't take her eyes off Inuyasha, trapped in Kikyo's blaze.

Inuyasha. A tear slipped down her face, the pain of Kikyo's barrier absolutely nothing compared to watching Kikyo's flares hit his knees, as Inuyasha stayed motionless and emotionless. Stubborn even as he was being burned alive.

Inuyasha. A spike of pain drove itself into her head, but she just hit it back harder. Inuyasha! Inuyasha! INUYASHA!

Click

Something shattered as Kagome's vision went black, feeling herself slump down over the case. She couldn't feel her feet anymore, but the rest of her legs were in agony, flames eating away at her skin.

Kagome? Inuyasha's voice was weak in her head. You broke the barrier now?

She nearly laughed, but her fingers dug into the glass instead. I've never been so happy for you to snap at me.

"Hey! Don't think I missed that one!" Kikyo sounded outraged, though Kagome wasn't sure why. "Fill in all of them." What the hell was Kikyo getting at now?

Inuyasha glared over at her, focusing less on their reunion and more on Kagome trembling in pain. Don't know. Get out of my head.

And leave him to face this pain alone? Love you, too.

Her vision blurred as she forced her eyes open, shaking when the flames danced over Inuyasha's knees. She welcomed the answering pain that burned through her legs, doubling her over the display case. The pain meant she was connected to Inuyasha.

And she wouldn't give that up for anything.

"It's still blank, Kagome." Kikyo gritted out. "Fill it, now!"

Kagome let herself break eye contact with Inuyasha for just a moment, only to see what the hell Kikyo was talking about.

The thirteenth whorl was blank.

The twelfth and fourteenth were lit up, glowing from her power. But the thirteenth just sat there, dark and empty.

Pain blinded Kagome of reason and logic, past, present or future. She was barely aware of herself when her hand slipped down the glass case, pressing her finger firmly against the thirteenth whorl.

She was even less aware of her hand sinking through the whorl, quickly followed by the rest of her body. Something grabbed her hand in an unbreakable grip as she whirled down.

She only knew she held on back as everything else went black.

Kikyo stared. She blinked once, still staring. She still clutched Souta, but it was more of an afterthought, a way to keep herself grounded as shock spread through her.

The space next to the jewel's case was empty.

Her fire blazed higher, burning nothing.

Kagome and Inuyasha were gone.

Her strings to Inuyasha were broken, her control of him lost. It was like they had been stretched tight enough to snap. And now they were both gone.

Kikyo whirled around when the door slammed open, Sango, her pet cat, and the weird random mate guy from the hospital just bounding in. "You! Where did they go?"

They stopped dead; Sango midpull of her sword and random mate guy's hand buried halfway down his bag.

"Inuyasha and Kagome!" Kikyo snapped at their blank looks, well aware she was verging on hysteria. "Did Inuyasha learn how to teleport? Did Kagura sneak out Kagome with a hidden trap door? Where are they?"

"They disappeared into the display case." Souta shakily explained, his head turned enough to see them. "Kagome got sucked in, and Inuyasha followed."

Sango and the random mate guy looked at each other, before a slow, cruel smile curved Sango's lips. "Kagome wasn't just here to rescue her brother and mate, Kikyo."

She let her sword slide back into place in its sheath, the small click echoing through the silent room. "She was also here to travel into the jewel. And finally kill Naraku."


Remember, penthesileiastories at wordpress dot com and I'll love you forever! Reviews lots so you can encourage me to finish chapter 35! (Because I won't be able to post my finished chapter 36 until then, see?)