Author's Note: Enjoy!

Chapter Seven: Death and Chaos

"He is gone."

Kagome turned to glare angrily at the maid in front of her. "What do you mean he is gone? He was just here yesterday!"

"Mi'lady," the maid bowed, "I am saying that he is not here, and he will not be here for quite a while."

"Where did he go?" She stood up and cross the room to look out at the window. "Where did he go?"

"It is obvious, that he has gone in search of his enemy," the maid answered her. "Remember? He would have gone earlier had you not went ahead of the mission."

Kagome glared at the maid but didn't say anything. She knew it was true; after all, that was why she had decided to go ahead of the mission and kill Arick in the first place, because she did not want Inuyasha to leave her, not yet anyway. He was determined to kill this Sesshomaru that she had met a very long time ago, but could not remember.

"He has asked for you to stay inside as much as you can and do not arouse suspicion while he is gone."

"What kind of suspicion would I arouse?" Kagome told herself. "I am only a little girl, helpless and innocent."

"Innocent and helpless you are not," the maid told her sharply. "The master has taught you well, you should know how to defend myself."

Kagome ignored the maid. "I am going out tonight, do not wait up for me, do not bother to come and find me and go ahead and have dinner without me." She told the maid who had turned her back on her and was getting the sheets from the bed to wash for the night.

"But mi'lady, the lord has instruct us to—" the maid turned around, only to find the window opened and the young lady gone. "Wherever did my master find this girl?" The maid shook his head. "It is a good thing that she is not in my care."

Kagome stomped angrily around the village. Just yesterday when she had returned home to find Inuyasha sitting alone in one of his moods, she had thought that he might have change his mind, that he might not go after all, and she had accompanied him, talked with him the whole night. She should have known that Inuyasha would just go off and leave him, she should have known better.

"You should really watch where you are going," the voice came out of nowhere.

"Mamoru!" Kagome grinned. "Am I glad to see you!"

"Is there something wrong?"

"Yes," Kagome frowned. "Did Inuyasha come to you yesterday?"

If the prince had not hesitated just for a second, Kagome would have missed it, but he hesitated.

"He did come to you yesterday, did he not!" She stomped towards him. "What did he say?"

"Nothing," he coughed. "Nothing at all. Would you like to come over?"

"Let me guess," Kagome touched her chin, pretending to be touching a beard there. "He told you to take very good care of me and that he will return as soon as he can."

He smiled. "You can really read mind, can you not?"

"No, I knew it already," she sighed. "I supposed I would only get in the way."

"Sesshomaru is really taken with you."

"So you say," she muttered. "Everyone is taken with me, but the one true person I want to be taken with me is not taken with me, why is that?"

Mamoru laughed. "You are smart, but when it comes it true love, you are blind as well."

"Everyone can be blind to love." She agreed. "Mamoru, if I asked you something, will you promise to tell me truthfully?"

"Depends on what you are going to ask."

"Well—" Kagome followed beside him along the market. "What did you do to that human who stabbed Aninoko?"

Mamoru turned to look at her. "Are you getting this for Aninoko?"

She shook her head. "I am just curious. How far will you go to get Aninoko safe?"

"Very far," he answered seriously. "I ripped his heart out," he answered. "But that is all I am going to say. Come, join me for lunch?"

"Is that why you are here?"

"Yes, I am shopping for food."

Kagome grinned. "Did you get Aninoko mad again?"

"Only a little bit," he admitted. "She told me not to go near her until I apologize. Will you be my company until my wife's Inuyashar mood is gone?"

"I do not mind," she grinned. "Tell me a story about the good old days."

"Well, let me see here," Mamoru thought for a moment. "I was—"

"Not you!" Kagome glared. "I mean Inuyasha."

Mamoru look at her and then laughed. "Ah, yes, Inuyasha. You want to know about Inuyasha, but not me."

Kagome nodded.

"Ah very well," he seated himself under the shade from the eyes of the crowd and took out two apples. He threw one to Kagome. "Are you sure you do not want to hear about me rescuing the princess of a foreign—"

"No," Kagome interrupted. "I want to hear about Inuyasha."

He sigh, "Well…there is not much to tell, I admit. He was my Uncle's bastard son."

"He is a bastard?" Kagome gasped, thinking back to those many times she had mentally and self-consciously called him a bastard. "He is a real one?"

"Yes," Mamoru frowned at her. "Did he not tell you?"

She shook her head.

"I am not sure I should be telling you this then," Mamoru shook his head. "I think it will be better if I let Inuyasha tell you once he gets back." He stood up.

"But you promised." Kagome glared at him.

"Yes, I did promise, so I will tell about myself instead," he chuckled. "When I was a little boy…"

"Are you sure she is the one?"

"Yes, she is. She has the same exact voice and figure. I could not see her face, but I would recognize her voice anywhere. She has that your-are-a-commoner-I-am-a-princess attitude."

"She was the one that killed Ginger?"

"No, it was her partner, the vampire."

"How do you know she is a vampire? How do you know her partner is a vampire?"

"That is why we are going tonight, to prove it, and we bring along a witness."

"Maybe three of four of them, just in case."

Kagome frowned.

Something was wrong, something was very wrong. No maids had come to bother her at all that evening when she came in. It was the first time that it had happened. Every time she had come home late, her maids were always there, glaring at her, but they were also her friends. When they had been glaring at her, they were pretending to be mad at her for Inuyasha's sake.

"Nikki? Mikki? Sakuya?" She called. "Where are you?"

"M'lady?"

"Ah, Seki," Kagome smiled at the butler, "Where is everyone?"

"That I do not know," the butler shook his head. "They have not appeared at all for their jobs."

"Maybe they are out late tonight. It is only nine."

"But they are usually here by six thirty."

"And scowling at me. Maybe they are feeding late?"

Seki shook his head. "Inuyasha has given them instructions to never feed until half past midnight."

"Then where are they?" Kagome thought loudly. "Do you think that they might be…in trouble?"

"No," Seki shook his head at her again." They are strong enough to defend against any mere human."

"Not me," Kagome grinned.

"You are different." Seki smiled at his master's partner.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"So do I." Seki lifted his head in the air. "I smell blood."

He moved before Kagome could blink and disappeared around the corner. Kagome reacted instantly without having to think and followed right behind Seki.

"A fight," Kagome heard the punches, the kicks, and the grunts a mile away. Seki was right beside her, running along with her.

"Duel," Seki told her. "Sakuya has mentioned that she was going to challenge her Master. I did not really think she would do it."

"Why?"

"Because she is not a full fledge vampire yet. She did not complete her full training."

"So?"

"In order to become her own woman, she needs to fight her Master. If she wins, then she gets to go her own way and she will not have to follow her Master around anymore."

"When you say Master, do you mean the one who created her?"

"Yes," Seki stopped in front of a large clearing. In front were to figure, constantly attacking each other, from behind, from in front, anywhere possible.

"Is it a duel to the finish?" Kagome asked, standing beside Seki.

Seki reply without bothering to look at her as he moved his body in front of hers, as if to shield her, were anything to happen, "Yes. No. It depends on how much freedom the slave wants—and how much power."

Kagome glared at Seki before she moved from behind him to back beside him.

"Sorry," he grinned charmingly at her. "Master's order."

"Is Inuyasha your master?" She asked.

Seki nodded. "He treats me fairly and I have no desire to be free."

"Why?" Kagome eyed him curiously. "I would hate to be chain to someone."

"Because he takes very good care of what is his," Seki told her. "If I were to get in trouble with one of the vampires, they cannot harm me for I belong to Inuyasha, and since Inuyasha's name is very well know, everyone leaves what is his, alone."

"Oh. Sakuya, does she belong to—"

"No," Seki answered, watching the fight before him. "Sakuya belongs to him."

Kagome turned to watch the battle. "If Sakuya is here, then where are the rest of the maids?"

"You should go back inside and wait, Mi'lad—"

"Kagome!" She scowled darkly at Seki. "You call me mi'lady one more time and I will fire you!"

"You cannot do that," Seki smiled, amused. "You are not my boss."

"No matter," Kagome crossed her arms. "I feel uncomfortable when you call me by that name."

"It is not a name, it is a title."

Kagome ignored Seki and watched just as Sakuya's master did a double kick, one on her stomach and the other one her chest. Sakuya who had not been watching, flew backwards from the blow and stuck a tree. Blood spurted from her mouth and she coughed some onto the ground.

"You cannot go yet," the deep voice came. "Sakuya, I have told you, I will not let you go."

"You cannot keep me forever by your side," Sakuya stood up. "I will always come back to challenge you."

The figure moved until he was leaning over Sakuya's body. "Are you alright?"

Sakuya wiped the blood from her mouth. "Always the sentimental one, Master. "She stood up and winced. "I will leave one day."

The figure froze. "When you can finally beat me then you can brag about it. Until then, you will remain by my side."

Sakuya sneered at her Master. "You mean one step behind you? A slave cannot be equal to a Master."

Kagome stiffened and blush. It seems this was supposed to be something private, and she felt like she had just walked into a very intimate scene.

"Do not worry," Seki told her, as if reading her mind. "It is well known that Sakuya and her Master are lovers, yet Sakuya wishes to under her own protection rather than under her master."

"But her master will not let her go?"

"Correct," Seki turned around. "She has been with her master for almost a hundred years now. The master cannot bear to let her go, so he has promised her if she could beat him in a duel, he will let her go."

"For how long, I wonder," Kagome smiled, amused.

"What do you mean?" Seki glance at her and then back to the road ahead of them.

"How long until he goes after her, it is obvious," she grinned. "Do not tell me you have never been in love."

Seki shook his head. "It is forbidden."

"What do you mean?" Kagome steadied herself until she was walking beside Seki. The big mansion before them was still quite a while away and she wanted to hear Seki's story. She had never had a chance to talk with Seki because Inuyasha was always sending him on errands.

She sighed contently as she lifted her face to the night breeze. It was a warm night, with the breeze to cool if it got too humid. The stars shone brightly in the dark sky, some bigger than others and others smaller. One shooting star flew across the horizon and Kagome glance at Seki to see if he noticed anything. He didn't. She closed her eyes and made a wish.

"Inuyasha wants total loyalty from all of his slaves and servants. He tolerates Sakuya, who is already loyal to another because she is in dire need of a job and she had proven her loyalty to both her master and Inuyasha. I cannot permit myself to love because if I do, then she will soon come first instead of my master.

"So does Inuyasha forbid it?"

"No," Seki answered truthfully, "Inuyasha has made it clear that he will not permit divided loyalties and he will not come second. You know how he is."

Kagome nodded. "How long have you been with him?"

"Three hundred years."

"That long?" Kagome's eyes widened. "You two have a past together."

"Yes, I trust him and he trust me. It is more like a brother relationship."

"Does he trust you with his life?"

"Yes," Seki nodded. "We are here now, you best get inside and stay inside."

"Why do you say that?"

Seki made a move with his head to his left. "I smell trouble. Stay inside and do not come out unless I tell you to."

Kagome waited patiently inside the house. She would not have stayed, but Seki has asked her to, and she also had smelled trouble in the air. With a sigh, she decided to walk around the house one more time before going to bed. She had walked around the house five times, making sure the doors were locked and everything was okay.

The final time, when she looked out the window, she stopped and stared in horror.

There were five men outside, and they were stabbing the hearts of two of her maids.

'No' The voice commanded her.

'Seki, I cannot just leave them like that!'

'Sorry mi'la—Kagome, but you best leave this up to me'

'Where are you?'

Kagome got her answer as she looked from the widow. She saw Seki come out of nowhere and stabbed one of the men. The others two were still too busy stabbing that they didn't see their friend disappeared, being carried off by Seki.

Seki disappeared as fast as he came.

When they finally noticed that their friend was gone, they stopped what they were doing.

Kagome looked away. Mikki and Nikki were dead. They could not have survived the attack on heart. Her eyes blurred. They were vampires, but they were very good vampires. Who found out about them anyway? They had been very discreet about their kind, someone must have found out about them.

'Two down, one more to go' Seki's voice came out of nowhere inside Kagome's head. 'Kagome, will you please take care of the bodies?'

Kagome nodded. 'You take care of those bastards, Seki. I will take care of their bodies.'

Twenty-five minutes lady, Kagome stood over the grave of two of her housemaids. Mikki and Nikki. They were of another kind, but they were humans. They didn't kill anybody; they didn't harm anyone. They protected her, cared for her, and even joked with her. Kagome smiled sadly. "Good-bye, Mikki, Nikki. Inuyasha will avenge your death, I am sure of it."

"What did I say, she was here."

Kagome heard them before she saw them. Five people surrounded her, two of them looked pretty young, probably eighteen, nineteen. "What do you want?" She snarled at them, turning around and around to look at each and every one of them.

"She is aligned with the devils."

"I would never have believed you, have I not seen it."

"Burn her, we must burn her!"

Kagome laughed, a very harsh laugh. "So, you were the ones that killed Mikki and Nikki."

"We do not know their names and we do not care," one answered her. "They are the devils and they should die."

"They are human," she told them.

"You do not have to worry, you will join them soon enough."

Kagome moved before anyone could grab her and she tripped two of them in order to get past them. "I do not think so, what makes you think that the five of you can go against me?"

"Kill her."

Kagome kicked one of them in the men and went on to the next one, kicking and punching each of them. She put enough force into them that when she had finished with the three of them, they were on the ground, unmoving. They weren't dead, just unconscious.

"Watch out," Kagome reacted instantly without thinking, bringing her hand up just as the sword came at her. She grabbed the sharp edge of the blade, stopping the blade from coming at her.

"Big mistake," Kagome snarled as she winced from the pain. The sharp edge pierced through her skin, and her palm was bleeding. She thrust the sword of the hands of her opponent and grabbed him by the neck with her bloody hands.

"You!" She cried. "You are the kid from the alleyway. What are you doing here? I thought Inuyasha killed you."

"That was his big mistake," the kid smiled at her, and then plunge a hidden dagger into her stomach.

Kagome flung the kid into a tree before she pulled the dagger out of her stomach and put her palm against it to stop the already bleeding wound. Damn! Inuyasha taught her better than this, how stupid she was to be off guard like this! She fell to the ground, one knee on the ground and wince from the pain. It was only a small wound, she hoped. The kid didn't stab that deep, thank god, but she was losing blood fast. She pressed harder on her wound. She shouldn't move, she knew that, but another one came up behind her and it was either her head or him.

Kagome moved, quickly reappearing behind him and with a swift movement, got out her sword that Inuyasha had found after his battle with Arick and sliced silently. When she was on the ground again and breathing heavily, the head of her opponent fell off.

Before she could blink, a gleam caught her eye and she turned around, stabbing another man in the stomach. Kagome blinked as his blood got her face, but she didn't think as she pulled the sword out of his stomach and jumped to avoid another sword coming at her. She couldn't go on like this, she thought. She was losing blood fast, and if she kept moving, she was going to faint in no time at all.

"Look at her, pitiful human creature," one guy laughed. "She can barely hold herself up."

Kagome was down on the ground on one knee, her right hand was holding her sword while her left hand was set against her palm, trying to stop the wound from bleeding. 'Do not underestimate me.' She thought.

"Get her!"

Two men charged at her while she remained unmoving. When they brought their swords up, Kagome moved like lightning, cutting one guy in the stomach and slash the other one in the neck. She barely had time to move before a dagger came flying at her and she moved instantly without thinking as the dagger passed her, cutting off only an inch of her hair and landing deep into the tree trunk behind her.

Kagome was breathing heavily as she backed herself against a tree to make sure no one would come up from behind. She was panting, and she was cursing herself. They were humans! She had killed more powerful vampires than them, so why was she breathing like she had ran more than a thousand miles? She winced from the pain at her side. If she wasn't so stupid and hadn't gotten herself stabbed, maybe she would still be smiling from her victory. Oh well, Kagome managed to grin despite herself. If she was going down, she was going down with a fight.

Inuyasha eyed Sesshomaru, his brother carefully as he moved into the circle of battle. After searching and asking around for Sesshomaru, a farmer had finally told him that he had heard some noises in the mountains and Inuyasha had come to investigate, only to find his brother was waiting for him.

"Welcome, brother, at last to my lair." Sesshomaru grinned at his brother, his nemesis all his life. "Where is your lover?"

Inuyasha didn't react at all to his brother's comment. "Are you ready to die at last, my dear brother?"

"You should be saying your prayers," Sesshomaru brought his hands up. "I have recovered from the last attack more powerful than before, and this here, shall be your graveyard."

"I am sorry," Inuyasha said with a glint in his eyes. "But I have stopped saying my prayers a very long time ago."

"Get ready to meet your God." Sesshomaru's eyes flared red as he ram towards Inuyasha.

"Kagome!"

Kagome heard the call. "Over here, Seki." She kicked the man before her in the groin and disappeared just as another sword came flying at her out of nowhere. Kagome reappeared overhead and brought her sword down on the back of the man who had just flung the sword. "Where is everyone?"

"You are hurt!" Seki was fighting his way through to get to his master's pupil.

"Only a little bit, where is Sakuya?"

"She is with her master," Seki crushed one guy with his bare hands and threw a guy halfway across the forest. "Why did you not call for help?"

"I forgot!" She called. "Where did all these people come from?"

"They are the villagers!" Seki disappeared and reappeared by Kagome's side.

"What? Villagers! You mean I have been killing villagers?" Kagome's eyes widened and her knees almost buckled beneath her, but Seki caught her in time.

"Not now, mi'lady," Seki swung Kagome over his back. "You cannot faint now, we need to escape."

"You are right," Kagome pushed off of Seki's back. "I have just barely enough to escape, I cannot fight no more."

"You need to rest."

Kagome grinned. "I could keep going, come, and let us go to the Prince and Princess."

"So tell me, have you sipped her blood yet?" Sesshomaru threw a punch, and then a kick, but Inuyasha avoided them. "I tell you, her blood was sweet, and once you are out of the picture, I can have all the blood I can from her."

Inuyasha avoided the punches and blocked the kicks that came at him. He was surprised though, because Sesshomaru's punches and kicks were a lot stronger than they were before. Even so, he was still a little weak. Sure he may have recovered, but what Sesshomaru did not know, was that he needed at least another year to grow stronger. He had feared that the most, but he needn't fear it now. As it turns out, Sesshomaru was still a little weak and he did not fully understand the full powers at hand.

"I do not know why you are so determined to kill me," Inuyasha swung his arm out and Sesshomaru went flying backwards, his back slammed into a trunk. "I would have gladly accepted you as my brother, but you were never strong in spirit. You refused to back down, and you let your anger grow, now that anger is clouding you. You are no longer my brother, a stranger covered in hatred."

"For you," Sesshomaru spat as a sword appeared out of nowhere.

Inuyasha's eyes turned red. "What? Bare hands is not enough that you must use weapons in order to defeat me?"

"What happened to her?"

"Nothing," Kagome grinned weakly at the princess. "I was practicing my fighting skills."

"The villagers are right behind us," Seki told the prince. "Somehow, they have found out she is with us. Someone must have alerted them to the vampires."

"Brahm," Prince Mamoru shouted. "Take Kagome away to be healed."

"They are coming," Kagome frowned. "What if they decide to burn this forest?"

"Then we shall die together here," the prince told her.

"No," Kagome glared at the prince. "I cannot let you do that. Inuyasha would kill me."

The prince laughed at her. "More like he would kill me for not taking better care of you."

"What are you talking about?" Kagome stood up. "Now is not the time to be joking."

"I was not joking," Prince Mamoru flicked his hand at Kagome. "Now sleep, I command you."

Kagome ran towards the prince to attack him. "You cannot do that! That is not fair! You cannot—" She faltered and Seki caught her again before she touched the ground.

"For a moment there, she almost got me," Prince Mamoru grinned. "Take her upstairs. She needs at least a day to heal fully."

Seki bowed his head. "Thank you."

"Brahm, show him the way. Get the men ready, we will fight if we must."

"Why, brother, you have only become weaker," Inuyasha taunted Sesshomaru as he avoided his brother's sword. "I thought you would be faster than that."

Sesshomaru was slowly getting angry. Yes, he thought he had thought he was stronger than Inuyasha, but he thought wrong. Inuyasha was still faster than him, but why? He had gone underground, had rested for two years, and when he had come out, he had felt stronger, more alive, yet why was his brother still stronger than him?

"I could avoid this sword all day," Inuyasha yawned at his brother. "You could at least provide some excitement for your step brother who has come all this way just to kill you."

"Do not be so sure of yourself," Sesshomaru stopped and glare at his brother, who had backed away before stopping a feet from him.

"Come," Inuyasha spread his arms wide. "I will give you a fair shot at me."

Sesshomaru knew he shouldn't, but he was no fair fighter, and he took off, his sword in front of him. He was just inches away from Inuyasha's heart when the hand came out of nowhere, stopping the sword in its track. "What the—"

"This one is for me," Inuyasha brought his foot up and kicked him in the stomach and then smashed him in the face with his other foot. "That one is for all those people you have killed without mercy."

Sesshomaru landed on his knees before Inuyasha.

"Do you want another chance to come at me?" Inuyasha's eyes darkened and his smile turned evil. "Come, brother. I am willing to give you a fair chance."

Sesshomaru stood up and threw a dagger at his brother, but Inuyasha caught it, twisted around, and returned the dagger to its owner. It pierced Sesshomaru in the shoulder.

Inuyasha shook his head. "It is almost a shame to kill you, my own brother." He took a step towards him, and then another. "But I have promised the King. I set the rules. I have the right to give or take life away, and you, brother I will take life away. You have broken the sacred promise you made to me years before and now I now have the right to kill you."

Inuyasha took out his sword. "Say your prayers, Sesshomaru. This here will be your grave for all eternity."

Kagome heard the cry even in her sleep. It was a young girl crying for her parents…

"Halt!"

"Let her go, Sesshomaru. She is my wife, not yours."

"Yours for only your lifetime, KaLeng, but she is mine forever."

"Let her go, I will only say it once."

"And what if I do not? What will you do with me? Scare me off with a cross? Drive a stake through my heart?"

"Uncle!"

"Run, child!"

"Yes, run child, but that will get you no where,"

"Do not do that!"

"I no like you! What did you do with my mommy!"

Kagome remembered.

She remembered everything, Inuyasha, Sesshomaru. Her family, her life before Sesshomaru came and destroyed her village. Yes, she finally remembered, but why now? Why did that little girl's crying bring back the memories of her past now? Now she wanted to sleep, now she wanted to think about her past life, about her parents, about everything, but she couldn't go back to sleep. Someone needed her. Kagome couldn't sleep, why wouldn't that little girl stop crying? Where was she? Why can't she move her hands?

"Come out, you witch."

Kagome opened her eyes.

"Come out or we will kill this little girl!"

Kagome moved from the spell she was under and stood up. Little girl? There was no little girl here except the Princess—

"Mamoru, that is little Vivian." Princess Aninoko's desperate voice was heard.

Where were they? How come she could hear them very well?

"Kagome, what are you doing up?" Seki came inside the room, surprised. "You were under the prince's spell."

"Seki, where are the voices coming from?"

"Outside."

"I could hear them, I can hear this far away…why is that?"

Seki shook his head, unwilling to say.

"They have Vivian."

"Yes, I know," Seki bowed his head. "But we cannot do a thing. We must sit patiently. You need to heal, Mi'lady. You are hurt, and the wound is not fully healed yet."

Kagome finally remembered the wound at her at her palm and where she had gotten stabbed. "But they have Vivian."

"We cannot do anything for the kid."

"To hell we cannot!" Kagome stood up.

"You need to rest!"

"Not when a child is in danger, "Kagome grabbed her sword. "Are you with me, Seki?"

Seki sigh. "I must, or master will punish me if I do not watch over you."

"What are you doing up?" Prince Mamoru's astonished eyes met Kagome's. "I have put you under a sleeping spell, you should not have awaken up until tomorrow."

"Inuyasha has done that to me more than a couple of times, but it does not always work," Kagome grinned at the prince. "I am sorry about Vivian."

"It is not your fault," Aninoko shook her head sadly. "We told that girl to stay inside with her brothers."

"Do not worry, I will get her back." Before Mamoru could open her mouth, Kagome was gone.

"We will count to three and if you do not come out, we well kill the girl."

"It is only just a little girl," Kagome's voice came out of nowhere and was everywhere at once. "Will you kill a little child just to get me out?"

"Ah, there you are witch. Come out and surrender and we will let this child go. What is she to you?"

"Let her go." Kagome told them.

"Come out."

Silence.

"Then we will kill her on the count of three. One…two…three!"

Vivian twisted, just enough so that Kagome could grab her, and Kagome appeared out of the sky from nowhere and grabbed the child. She quickly disappeared behind the shadows in the woods.

"Seki, take her to her parents." Kagome commanded.

"But mi'lady, what about you? You—"

"Go, now! I will come back, I promise." Kagome handed Seki Vivian.

Seki look at Kagome and nodded. "Remember, you promise." He disappeared behind her.

Kagome turned her attention back to the front. She watched in amusement as the humans argued among themselves for a little while, and then finally someone stopped the argument and turned towards the forest.

"We cannot go in there, we cannot see. She might have her armies in there waiting for us."

"Why not burn the forests?"

"We need the forests and the woods!"

"But the witch is in there!"

Kagome's heart leaped. Burn the forests? Not a good thing. This was the Vampils home, and even though they could escape, they will lose all the important documents, all their ancestries within the forest….

"Fine, burn the forests!"

"Burn it!"

"Halt!" Kagome closed her eyes and stepped forward into the light, hoping her entrance would make them forget about burning the forests.

"Is she the one?"

"She must be the one!"

"You do not need to burn the forests," Kagome's eyes gleamed with hatred. "I am here. There is no one else in the forests but animals and their homes."

"Is she armed?"

"Do you surrender?" A figure stepped out.

Kagome recognized the figure immediately. It was the fortune-teller.

"Surrender or we will burn the forest down."

"No need," Kagome took a deep breath. "But burn if you must for I am here already. It will be your lost, not mine." Kagome prayed silently that they will not burn it and she let out a breath of relief when they all focus their attention to her.

"What will we do now?"

"Yes, you must tell us, what do we do?"

Kagome stared as everyone turned to question the fortune-teller. She peered at the fortune-teller's eyes. She saw pain and anguished in them that were easily hidden to the world. "We must burn her. That is the way it must be."

Kagome nodded silently to the fortune-teller. So be it, she spoke silently to the fortune-teller.

Her hand was tied tightly behind her back to make sure she wouldn't escape and Kagome chuckled inside. Foolish, she could escape whenever she wanted. She was stronger than they were.

She was taken to a small hut and was locked in there, as the preparations to burn her were prepared. Inuyasha, she wondered if Inuyasha would rescue her this time. Just like a knight, he had rescued her whenever she was in trouble. He had known when she was in trouble, even when she didn't bother to call, and she wasn't going to call him.

The door opened and the fortune-teller stepped in. She closed the door behind her. The only light was her candle.

"I warned you." The fortune-teller told her.

"I heeded your warning well." Kagome told her. "You could have helped."

"This is the way it is to be," The fortune-teller told her. "You have two destiny. This is the way."

"The way to what? Death?" Kagome sneered. "You do not need to pity me. It is your doing, if you forget."

"Yes, it is my doing," The fortune-teller told her. "But they people come to me because to them, I am the Wise One. They seek questions that cannot be answer and I answer for them. If I do not do my duty, I will no longer be needed."

Kagome didn't answer.

"Inuyasha is…my nephew."

"Then why are you going to kill me? I do not think he would like it…very much. Or wait; did he want this to happen? Does he hate me this much even after I told him I love him?"

"You what?"

"I told him I love him, is there something wrong with that?"

"No, no," The fortune-teller smiled. "At least you told him before you die."

"Yes," Kagome agreed. "Before I die."

"Do you still have the amulet? The necklace?"

"Around my neck."

"Keep it there and do not pull it out no matter how it burns through your skin," the fortune-teller came up to look at her. "Fate has work her hands, and all will be for naught. Do not be afraid to die."

"I am not afraid to die." Kagome said stubbornly. "I am just afraid to leave Inuyasha alone by himself."

"Do not worry, he will remain sane enough until you come back to him, just like you promise."

"I never promised him anything." Kagome looked away, embarrassed.

"You promised to never leave him."

"How did…" Kagome's voice trailed off. She was a fortune-teller; she wouldn't be one if she didn't know! "What do you mean by he will remain sane?"

"Oh, he will probably go crazy for a couple of years and then go into hiding and finally reawaken when you have been… reincarnation."

"What do you mean?" Kagome eyed the fortune-teller curiously. "If you do not want me to die in the first place, why?"

"Because it is your destiny," the fortune-teller shook her head. "I cannot stay longer, but good luck."

Kagome stood up to follow the fortune-teller, but as she got to the front door, she was pulled back into the room. Then she was blindfolded.

"Kill me then."

Inuyasha brought down his sword, only to miss and pierce the ground near Sesshomaru's head.

"You missed." Sesshomaru brought out his own sword and if it were not for Inuyasha's quick eye, he would have been stabbed badly in the stomach. Inuyasha moved away, slowly from his stepbrother as he held his sword in front of him.

"Why did you miss, brother?" Sesshomaru smiled evilly at him. "Do not tell me your conscious is in the way."

Inuyasha finally showed emotion for the first time since the battle had begun. "If it were only my conscious, I would have killed you a long time ago." He drew back so his back was facing the trees that way Sesshomaru won't be able to get him from behind.

"Then what is stopping you?" Sesshomaru sneered at his brother. "Because I will not be so merciful."

'Mother' Inuyasha's thought conjured up an image he had not seen in a long time. She had the same dark hair and the same eyes. Sometimes they were cold, most of the time; they were filled with love and laughter, for her sons. For both of her sons.

Inuyasha closed his eyes even as he heard his mother's words: 'You must find a way to save him. He could not possibly be all evil, after all, your father was evil until he met me. You must not kill him, even if your loyalty is first to your King. If he had disobeyed the law of the undead, you must find another way to judge him, find him another justice. Do not kill him… you two are step brothers. You must not kill him; he is only a boy, a boy! Promise me, Inuyasha; promise me on your father's grave….'

He had not heard them for a very long time, had refused to face Sesshomaru because he knew that that day would come. Sesshomaru's judgment day would one day arrive, but he had hoped that his brother had changed, if only a little so that he would be able to keep the promise to his mother. He had thought he might be able to change his brother before it was too late, but now…now he had no other way. If he killed Sesshomaru, his mother would curse him for hell. If he let Sesshomaru live, Sesshomaru would curse those on earth with him, especially Kagome. Kagome, whom Sesshomaru had wanted and waited for, for seventeen years. Seventeen damn long years, and if he let Sesshomaru go, he would stop at nothing to get her.

Sesshomaru rushed at him, attempting to catch him off guard while his mind was still thinking, still wondering around, but Inuyasha had not lived for so long by being stupid. He sidetracked and counterattacked with a kick that sent Sesshomaru flying sideways into another tree. He didn't even wince as his stepbrother slammed into the tree, causing a big huge gap in the middle of the trunk. His stepbrother was tough, tougher than he had been before.

Sesshomaru sat up, one knee on the ground; one hand holding the injured arm that had been slammed against the tree. It might be broken, but he could fix it. He placed the broken arm on the ground, then exerted all his force onto the hand, and twisted it into the knot; all the while his eyes were on his brother.

"It is no use," Inuyasha told his brother calmly. "If you surrender now, I will take you to the prince and we will pass judgment our own way on you and you will be spared with your life. If you do not surrender, I will have to kill you here and break my word to my—our mother."

"Always the honest one, were you not?" Sesshomaru stood up as he wiped the small blood away from his mouth. "Always the honorable, loyal one. Well, either you break your promise to Mother today and kill me or you die with your honor intact."

Inuyasha might have let Sesshomaru come at him again, but he was tired of playing defense, so he went offense, and elbowed Sesshomaru in the stomach to make him lose some air. It worked. Sesshomaru was once again on the ground; coughing and wheezing as if he had ran more than a hundred miles.

Inuyasha stared, emotionless, as his brother struggled for breath. He had packed enough punch in it that any ordinary man would have died just by damaging the stomach organs and not getting enough oxygen to the lungs in time. It was a trick he had learned from his father before his father had passed away, a very useful trick to the undead. It slowed them down a little, especially if they were not getting enough oxygen into their system. He had almost killed his father when he was practicing with him.

"You bastard," choked Sesshomaru. "What did you use on me?"

"It is a trick I learn from Father," Inuyasha told him easily as if they were discussing nothing important. "Father taught me before he died. Of course he told me never to use it on any mere mortal, so here I am practicing it on you."

"Damn you." Sesshomaru's face was turning red. "You really are going to kill me."

Inuyasha's eyes turned blue and his body stiffened at the accusation. What could he say? He was meant to be alone, and that meant destroying the people that dared get close to him. He would never kill them, but he had a lot of enemies, most them more than centuries old. They were out for his blood and if anyone near him can't take care of themselves then they would use them against him. It was a good tactic, often used in times of war and vengeance, and Inuyasha admitted, it always worked. It also meant that he was to make the final judgment on who should live and who should die, so what can he do? If one was guilty, and he knew that person, his feelings could not be involved in the decision or else he would have never gotten the title as the Judgment One. One who came swift in the night to judge and disappear never to be seen again until it was time for to judge again. No one knew who he really was, except for the royal family, and even they don't know the whole information. Even Kagome had no idea he was always the last one to pass judgment, didn't know he was playing God with the undead. But it was his destiny, his role. It was why he was here now.

"One last time," Inuyasha pointed the sharp tip end of his sword at his brother's neck. "Will you, or will you not surrender?"

Sesshomaru stared at the sword in front of him, then up to his stepbrother's eyes. "I will never surrender."

Kagome's heart was already speeding up as she was pushed back, up against a pole. Then both her hands were grabbed from behind and tied to the pole. Her breath quicken as they removed the blindfold and she found herself in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by villagers, people old and young, children. Some had no idea what was going on and others stare at her, clinging to their mother's skirts.

"Witch, do you have anything to say for yourself before we burn you?"

Kagome looked down at her barefooted feet. She saw the chopped woods; she saw the hay. She was getting nervous and her mind wanted to call out to Inuyasha, as she did always when she needed him, but she kept that part in control. No, she would not call Inuyasha. Inuyasha. Her heart slowed and her breathing relaxed just by thinking of him. Yes, she had told him she loved him, the deepest, darkest secret that she had ever carried in her heart. She was going to die, but she didn't regret it, even though Inuyasha never admitted that he loved her, at least she had the chance to tell him she loved him.

Someone threw a rock at her and it hit her face. Kagome returned back to reality. She saw three men, one in front of her and two to her sides. They were carrying torches.

"Say yer prayers then, ye old witch, today ye'll met yer God in 'ell."

"Wait—!" Kagome shouted, but they threw the torches into the woodpile beneath her feet.

Kagome reacted instantly, her mind going into defense mode, demanding her to untie her hands. But it was a very big knot, and she couldn't see so she couldn't pull. Everyone was screaming, shouting, yelling, but she didn't hear. Her only mind focused on the dangerous situation she was in.

Soon, the fire surrounded her. Kagome started to breath in the smoke and she started to cough. No, no no! Her mind yelled at her, and she started to panic. She didn't want to die now; she was too young to die! She was only seventeen, she hadn't yet turned eighteen yet. Too young, too young….

She hadn't even kissed Inuyasha enough yet!

"Ouch!" She shouted as something hot shot at her foot. She stiffened and tried to huddle herself in closer to get away from the fire. She was panicking just as bad as the time when she had killed her first victim. Inuyasha, Inuyasha, she wanted to see him before the fire got to her. She wanted to see his face one last time. She was coughing, she could hardly see anyone else especially with all the smoke that was surrounding her, and without her realizing, her defensive mind called out to Inuyasha…

"Very well, enjoy your grave."

Inuyasha brought his sword back and thrust his sword forward. He would have pierced right through Sesshomaru's throat, had it not been for the panic that started inside his head and then continued all over his body, had it not been for the decreasing link of Kagome's life, the decreasing link between them. The tip stopped right at the flesh of Sesshomaru's throat, making a small trail of blood.

"Why did you stop this time?" Sesshomaru sneered.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted to no one in particular, ignoring Sesshomaru. Every cell inside his body was focused on locating her. He was sensing her feelings, sensing her panic, and he was already in a state of panic himself. Where was she? How did she get herself in such a state of panic?

Kagome! His mind shouted, his body already moving, already on the go, to where, he didn't know, all he knew was that he had to get there fast or she was disappear from his grasp forever.

S…S…Inuyasha? Her weak voice came into his head.

Kagome, tell me where are you!

Can…not. Do not…have—have…enough energy.

Kagome! Inuyasha located her, in the village.

S…so…cold…Inuyasha…I am…c-c-cold….

Kagome!

Silence.

Hell, no, no! Kagome! His heart was beating, for the very first time, he heard his heart as it speeded up past its normal state, and he feared it would burst—from fear—from something, if Kagome did not answer him soon.

He found the village; he saw the smoke. But he didn't see her.

Kagome, answer me!

Kagome opened her eyes at the Inuyashand. Was Inuyasha really calling her? She opened her mouth, but found that she was too weak to try. She was too weak to do anything. She was cold and at the same time, very not. What was that sensation? It was killing her; she could hardly stand the pain, and just when she thought she was going to lose her mind, she saw her mother and her father.

'Just a little bit longer, honey.' Her mother smiled at her. 'Just stand the pain a little longer and you will finally come with us.'

'You were a good girl.' Her father beamed proudly at her. 'I am proud of you, but now you must leave now, come, come with us. It is time to leave Earth now.'

Kagome nodded. Yes, she didn't want to suffer this pain any longer. But something was stopping her, something that wouldn't let her go.

Damnit to hell, Kagome, answer me!

S-S-Inuyasha?

Inuyasha didn't realize he was holding his breath until she spoke into his mind.

I cannot see you anywhere, where are you?

No answer this time.

Kagome! He was growing desperate again. All right, you win. I do love you now answer me!

That was it, Kagome smiled. That was what she was waiting for; she could not die without hearing him speak the truth. She opened her mouth. "F-fire." Then she accepted her family's embrace, and let go.

Inuyasha heard and his heart almost stopped. And he thought his heart did stop for a second there when the link to Kagome was lost.

Kagome, do not scare me so! He commanded.

Fire, she had said fire. That meant she was in the fire, in the middle of the fire.

"Dear God…" He spoke softly as his mind subconsciously summoned the rain. Even as the rain swept away the fire, and he saw the brunt pole before him, his mind refused to acknowledge it. Even as his heart started to rage, he was shaking his head. Even when he spotted a half burnt rope, his refused to believe Kagome was gone. Kagome, Kagome….

Her child-like features came into play. She smiling; she looking up at him with such adoration in her eyes. Fast forward into the future and her stubborn streak, her strengths and her weaknesses, her pouting lips, her innocent eyes. Fast forward again, and her in her tough clothes with her sword, her smiles, her eyes showing her love for him.

The promise she made: "I will not leave you, not ever, ever again."

"Inuyasha, I have something to tell you."

"It is a very, very, dark secret."

"I love you…I love you…I love you…"

"You promised," he whispered silently against the rain for the first time after a long while of staring at the brunt stage in front of him. "You promised you would never leave me."

Inuyasha fell to the ground on his knees as the rain continued to pour. He hung his face down.

"Inuyasha?"

It was Prince Mamoru.

"Inuyasha?"

"Get out." Inuyasha said in a flat voice.

"I am terribly sorry Inuyasha, I-I…"

"Get out," Inuyasha commanded, his voice growing colder, more distant. "Get your whole family, your whole pack underground if you wish to remain alive in this area."

"What are you going to do?" Mamoru asked hesitantly. He had never seen Inuyasha in this kind of state before. Mamoru had no idea whether Inuyasha was angry or sad.

"You have until midnight." He refused to say more, as if waiting for something, someone. Mamoru disappeared, and Inuyasha waited, and he waited.

"Inuyasha?"

He raised his head up, but only to look at the stage again. But he knew who was behind him. She was whom he had been waiting for.

"Why did you let her die?" He asked, his voice still cold and distant.

"It was Fate."

"Fate, be damn," he said without emotion. "Who killed her?"

She answered, hesitantly. "That, nephew, you already know."

"The villagers have no right to play with life."

"And you do?"

"I do not play with their life," Inuyasha answered her. "I do not care about mere mortals and their pitiful, angry lives. I do not care about any of them except—except Kagome."

"I—"

"Shut up." Inuyasha told her quietly. "I live as the Judgment One and bring justice to the undead. I have live and seen many things, but I cannot believe you would let her die like that."

"All is not lost," she told him, wanting to cheer him up. "She will be reborn, do not worry. Several thousand years from now, in the year 2000, as a girl name Suki Mitsushi. She will not remember you, but Kagome still lives in her and you could reawaken her memory again."

"Do you plan to change my mind, dear Aunt?" Inuyasha asked in a humorless voice. "Do you think to change my mind from what I am about to do to these villagers?"

"What you are about to do cannot bring her back," His aunt replied warily.

"No matter, I do not care. May God condemn me if he sees, but I see this as one life for another. It is now my turn to play with their lives."

"And their children, they have naught to do with this. Are you going to kill them too?"

Inuyasha closed his eyes, keeping all the emotions that he had hidden so long from surfacing. To contained the beast he had hidden so well from arising until the time was right. Had someone told him he might lose his heart to a mere mortal a century ago, he might have laughed it off and killed that person, but now…now he was going to get his revenge.

"You have until midnight to gather up those who have naught to do with this," Inuyasha told her emotionlessly as he stood up and went to the small burnt stage that was Kagome's grave. "After midnight, you will live in guilt of all the innocent lives I am about to take."

His Aunt inhaled a shaky breath and backed away.

"Oh, and Chiemi," Inuyasha turned around, finally, and his Aunt took another step back in horror the expression on Inuyasha's face. "Until she comes back, I am no longer your nephew and will no longer have anything to do with you. And if what you say is not true, you will live alone in the darkness as your curse."

His Aunt, so beautiful in the moonlight, now seemed old and ugly to him. She turned around and ran all the way back, never forgetting the look of such coldness, hatred in his eyes that were crying out for the blood of the villagers, the ones who had played a part in Kagome's death.

They were never going to escape him, he promised. Never.

-------------------------------------------------------

End

Author's Note: Hope you Enjoyed! Sequal was posted today, "Dark Secrets: Love and Hate"! Read to find out more!