Chapter 2

            “You!!” Kikyo spluttered. This was impossible. She had killed her!

            “Hello Kikyo. I see you remember me.” Yukia felt 2% amazed and 75% disgusted and 1% scared and 22% just plain creeped out. Inuyasha realized that this was not a good time for his discovery to be made public.

            “How the bloody hell are you still alive? I killed you! I killed you! I killed you!” Kikyo was freaking out.  Kagome looked to Yukia for an explanation. Yukia sighed. This wasn’t going to be pretty. She felt like crap and she was going to have to explain everything. ‘I wonder how Kagome will react. I hope she and Kikyo aren’t good friends’ she felt some ones hand on her arm. She looked up and saw Sango give her an encouraging smile.

            “It all started 53 years ago when I was 4 years old. Don’t interrupt.” She had seen Kagome look at her in confusion and open her mouth. “Everything will make sense in the end. So it turns out Kikyo was in love with my father, even though she was ‘seeing’ a hanyou, though I met him only one time. At least, I don’t remember him all that well. Anyways, when my papa refused her, she blamed it all on me. She was not a virgin, though. She tricked my papa into thinking it was his wife who died a year before I was born. Don’t ask me how she did it, but she did. He found out and was about to tell the village when she tried to kill us with a bomb. Didn’t work because I had subconciencously put a protective spell on me and my papa. We were ‘sleeping’ for 52 years. He brought us out and 6 years later, my poor papa died. Before he did though, he put every ounce of magic he had into me. That is basically why I hate Kikyo.” Yukia finished this with a look of intense sadness on her face. Sesshomaru realized just how close she had been to her father, and she was still grieving. ‘But what happened to her mother?’ he couldn’t help wondering. Inuyasha was thinking the same thing.

“So this is the little girl who threatened to kill me if I hurt her father? Well, you’ve grown up quite a bit.” She looked at him hard, and then realized what he was talking about. She dropped to her knees and whispered something that made Kagome and Shippou give her a hug.

            “I’m sorry, papa.” Yukia started to cry silently when Kikyo noticed this she smiled and started talking about how if he had never been born, her father might still be alive to this day. She continued in this manner until Inuyasha cut her off sharply.

            “That’s enough, Kikyo. Yukia is going to be traveling with is, so be nice,”

            “Thank you, Inuyasha.” Kagome and Yukia said this at the same time.

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“Inuyasha, why are you so dense?” Kagome sighed. Another fight with Inuyasha.

“Yeah, well, why don’t you go back to your own time? We have Kikyo now, so we don’t need you to search for the sacred jewel shards?!” she sat him and went off alone. She needed to think. Sesshomaru saw her and quietly followed.

            Yukia sighed. Then she turned around and walked toward Inuyasha. That filthy clay zombie, Kikyo, had her arms around him and was talking to him in a sickly sweet voice. Yukia walked up behind Inuyasha and hit him hard; it was like Kagome had sat him when she was very angry.

            “What the hell was that for, Yukia?” he growled. Yukia saw Kikyo smile that bastardly evil smile of hers.

            “That, Inuyasha, is for being even more like a moron than as per usual. I mean, seriously, if you choose to go to hell with a dead clay zombie, you are even stupider than you appear. Now that, my friend, is saying something.” She had a sad smile on her face as she said this. She saw Inuyasha jump up, apparently to fight her.

            “Inuyasha, if you really want to fight me, I will fight. Let me just say it would not be in your best interests.” Yukia said this and her eyes and necklace began to glow with a pulsing green light. Inuyasha backed down. ‘Why is he so damn stupid? She couldn’t help thinking.

            Miroku stood up and went and said something to Sango, who blushed and went with him. Something was going to happen and Yukia knew it.

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 Kagome was staring at her reflection in the river, unaware she was being watched by a certain taiyoukai. She wondered why Inuyasha insisted on sticking around and hurting her. She was considering leaving when she noticed Sesshomaru behind her. He sat down on the big, flat rock behind Kagome.

            “Why are you crying for my half-brother’s stupidity? It is his fault, for choosing a dead miko instead of a live person.” Kagome sighed. She stood up, and faced Sesshomaru.

            “I cry because I have realized I have fallen out of love with Inuyasha. I still care for him and he is my best friend, but I don’t want to have him go to hell with Kikyo. Sango and Miroku are together and paying more attention to their love affair, so they don’t notice the coolness between Inuyasha and me. Yukia is nice but she is so young, I like to talk to her, but she understands that some things are for older people to hear. I guess what I really need right now is a friend.” While she was wondering what the hell she was telling this to Sesshomaru for, he reached out and grabbed her hand. He had never had a friend before, but he would have this interesting young miko teach him how.

            “I will be your friend, miko.” He said cautiously. Kagome’s eyes lit right up.

            “Thank you, Sesshomaru.” Kagome grabbed his hand and gave him a hug that made Sesshomaru’s heart do a flip. “Thank you for being my friend.” Kagome was smiling and wiping her tears away.

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            Sango and Miroku were looking at the stars. Sango cast a sideways glance at Miroku and wondered what this was all about.

            Miroku thought to himself, ‘She is the most beautiful woman I have ever met.’

            “Sango,” he began nervously, “We have only known each other for a couple of years, but,” ‘Okay, Miroku, why are so nervous?’ he asked himself ‘Duh, because you love her.’ “Sango, will you marry me?” he said very quickly. Miroku held a silver heart-shaped locket on a silver chain that looked like it was a few centuries old, and put it around Sango’s neck.

            “Miroku, I-I don’t know what to say.” Sango faltered. She heard Miroku’s warm breath against her ear.

            “Say you’ll marry me Sango.” Sango turned around and Miroku pulled her into his arms.

            “I will marry you Miroku. And,” she couldn’t help adding with a smile, “I will bear your children.”