InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Changing Lives ❯ Thoughts, Rules, Wishes ( Chapter 14 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Kami, I'm so in love. . . she thought. You hear me, Inuyasha? I love you more than I could put into words.

"Sweet dreams, Kagome."

She glanced up in surprise, but Inuyasha looked asleep. As she lay back down, she couldn't help but wonder if that voice had been in her head.

~*~ Yashutino Kei ~*~

Logic wasn't helping his situation any. Which really sucked because logic was his main talent. He did probabilities, equations, gave answers and percentages. And the percentage of him making it through tonight without a nervous breakdown was quickly decreasing. . .

If he made it through tonight at all.

~*~ Detective Motsumoto ~*~

Immediately the TV was turned off and the room was in anarchy as officers and detectives scrambled to get their things and get moving. Motsumoto went back into his office and turned on his computer, and began typing the newest update. The letter itself could be a clincher, which leads them to the Phantom and captures him. At the moment, Motsumoto couldn't care less about why the Phantom had been killing, but the how itched at him.

One way or another, he was going to find out.

~*~ The Killer ~*~

It was funny how Sesshomaru - calm, cold, controlled, I-don't-need-anyone Sesshomaru - put everything aside to meet with his family. It made Him believe that Sesshomaru missed his children and grandchildren, and valued family as much as his father had.

What was funnier is that prejudiced Sesshomaru had a human mate for a time, and his only son was her child. Ironic, isn't it?


AE Forty Six You may not realize this, but most mangas have about this many chapters, if not more.


Kikyo was gone the next morning, as she had the tendency of doing. No one knew where she went, which was probably for the better. Kagome tried not to mull over it, but Inuyasha looked so confused. . . She had to wonder if there was something he'd wanted to do or say to Kikyo while she was here, and now he didn't have the chance. Maybe some insight into the future or something.

"You've been staring at me all morning."

She blushed. "Sorry, Inuyasha. I'm just thinking. . ." She glanced away.

". . .About what?" he replied after a moment.

She shook her head. "Nothing to worry about," she said with a bright - albeit false - smile.

Inuyash gave her a questioning gaze, but didn't press the issue. After a few more moments, he stood up and left the hut. Kagome was left with a feeling that he really, really had something on his mind that he really, really didn't want anyone to read. She was also left with a feeling of coldness, like the room were suddenly out to get her. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, trying not to show how much she truly depended on Inuyasha.

That would only pin him down more, when she knew that he was born with, and always needed, a great sense of freedom. She wanted him to be free, not held down -- by her, or anyone else. It's why it troubled her so greatly that he ignored all of his needs when he deemed her needs greater.

Smiling faintly, she was determined not to let her darker thoughts get the better of her, and wanting to prove -- if only to herself -- that she could still live without Inuyasha by her side each moment. She clasped her hands over her heart and shut her eyes, thinking how great it would be for Inuyasha to return to find that she was capable of being alone again, that her fears had faded. . . and as she did so, she saw one image of Inuyasha after another flash through her mind, in all of his many emotions and situations. Each one seemed more enticing than the last. . .

Inuyasha, angry, snarling at a demon. Inuyasha, jealous, fighting with Kouga over a bag of chips. Inuyasha, scared, hugging her and telling her how he feared for her. Inuyasha, content, lying in the grass beside her. Inyasha, curious, asking why she was avoiding him. Inuyasha, Inuyasha, Inuyasha. . .

As these thoughts and images continued, she felt her fear gradually declining, as water would pour over a waterfall into the greater stream. She became content, forgetting all of her troubles with little effort, imagining a completely free and happy Inuyasha chatting with her, watching over her, protecting her as he always has. And later at night. . .

She blushed, but it didn't stop the images from presenting themselves. In retrospect, she could likely have associated these images with the story she'd written, and her rape, yet it felt nothing alike either of those memories. Even thinking about making love to Inuyasha was a thrill, but to see the images before her very eyes. . .

She was certain that if anyone else were here, they would know instantly where her mind was by her face alone. She was also particularly certain that if Inuyasha were still here, she would not waste a second in pouncing on him and begging him to go through with her visions.

She always knew he was sexy, and drop-dead gorgeous, but. . . she had never before felt this need to be with him, for him to be. . . within her. Even when she wrote that highly-detailed. . . scene. . . between them in her story, she had been blushing, not aroused. Though by the end of it, she had become aroused. (DL: But don't expect her to admit it.)

She found herself giggling at the absurdity of it. Inuyasha knew her ways; he'd never touch her like that, not before she turned eightteen. Knowing this made her heart swell as she thought about it. He had such pride, yes, but he also had such honor, never breaking a promise, always keeping his word, standing up for the little person, crushing those who deserved it. Righteous. He was righteous.

Her passion faded as she found herself comparing him to the old English Knights of legend. People like King Arthur, dragonslayers, men who lived and died by their Code of Honor, upholding it to the utmost extent. Inuyasha did all of that. Sure, he was testy, and he had a temper, and rarely showed his true feelings, but he would still blow away all those old legends.

King Arthur and Excalibur. A boy who found his strength when he pulled an immovable sword from the stone that held it. His father being the one who placed it there. From then, he fought many great evils, assembled a brotherhood of fellow Knights of Honor, and married. Though eventually his story came to a saddening ending, his legend remained a truly great masterpiece, and an inspiration for the forces of good.

Wasn't Inuyasha the same way?

Inuyasha found his greatest strengths not just from the sword his father left behind, but from battle after battle, from learning and protecting. He fought demons and humans, witches and dark priests, and Naraku. It was through him that they gained so many allies, created so many tight bonds, became such close friends. The only truly big difference, was that Inuyasha's legend was far from over. If anything, it only just began.

Kagome opened her eyes at last and found that everything seemed quieter than it should be, and darker than it was earlier. It must be dusk. As she looked up, she found that Inuyasha had come back already, and she blushed. How long had he been here?!

Don't ask, she told herself. He might have just come back. He might not have been here long enough to notice your. . . early thoughts. Just don't ask.

"How long have you been sitting there?" she asked. And then she mentally kicked herself.

"Not long," he replied. He was sitting across from the room, looking at her. This time, she couldn't read his expression. She didn't know why he was looking at her like that. After a few moments, though, he spoke up again. "Kagome. . . In the story you wrote. . ."

She swallowed. "Yes?"

"Why did you make Naraku still alive?"

She looked away. "I started it a long time ago. . . That's also why I had it written than I had half the jewel, and he the other half."

"Kagome. . ."

She looked up.

"How long have you wanted to please me?"

She blushed. Her first reaction was to tell him, but instead she asked, "What makes you think I changed myself to please you?"

He smirked, and the sight made her heart flutter. "Because you could've chosen to be anything. That, and you told me so."

She laughed. "Well. . . to answer your question. . . Think back a bit. Way back. Do you remember the first time I offered you some food, the day after I came here?"

He nodded. "And you sat me."

"On accident," she clarified. "That was the first time I tried to make you happy."

"By sitting me?"

"No, by -" She broke off at his amused look. "See, now you're just teasing me."

He laughed and got up to sit next to her. "It's fun to tease you. . . besides, you're cute when you blush."

She blushed. "Cut it out."

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You seem to have held up really well while I was gone."

She shrugged. "I was thinking about you the whole time."

"Were you?"

She nodded and glanced up at him, wondering why she didn't feel embarrassed to tell him that.

"What kinds of things?"

Now she was blushing. "At first it was just some random memories. . ."

"And then?"

She paused. "And then it was comparing you to a legend I know," she half-lied.

"What legend?"

"King Arthur."

"Who?"

"Now surprised you don't know," she told him, straightening as her pride rose. "I don't think the story reaches Japan until around my time."

"So how does the story go?"

She wet her lips and began with the tale, remembering it in detail because she always liked it. Inuyasha listened to her attentively, occasionally flicking an ear or nodding. His eyes bore into hers the entire time, and as it continued, she found herself leaning in closer to him, enjoying his closeness as well as finding comfort in it. She told him all the details she could remember, how in one version Arthur received the Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, Vivian. His search for the Holy Grail. Why they all wore green girdles. Anything she could remember pertaining to King Arthur.

And how his legend affected England, and Europe itself.

Inuyasha didn't say a word until she finished, commenting with a simple, "He was a really great man. . . for a human."

Kagome shrugged. "For a human, yeah."

"And you compared us?"

"I found you in favor," she replied carefully.

He laughed. "Yeah, I can see some similarities. . . Mostly with that whole sword thing."

"Yeah, but there's a difference between them, too."

"Course there is. Mine's better," he said, sitting up straighter.

Kagome laughed. "That's not what I meant, but it works."

"What did you mean?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it. She raised her brows at him.

"So, you're not gonna tell me?" he asked.

She shook her head.

He kept staring at her for another few moments before he leaned up close and tilted up her chin with one hand.

She shut her eyes and waited for the kiss. . . but found that none was forthcoming. She opend her eyes again in question, and found him smirking.

"It's not nice to tease," she told him, getting frustrated.

"That works both ways," he returned smoothly. "You tell me and I'll kiss you."

"Why would I trade a kiss for information, when I could just take my kiss?"

"Because I didn't say, 'I'll let you kiss me'," he said somewhat darkly.

She went still as she thought about this. "I could just tease you into wanting to kiss me."

"You could try," he warned.

"And I could do it, too," she snapped.

"So you think."

"Inuyasha. . ."

"Hmm?"

"Inuyasha. . ."

"Kagome. . ."

She smirked at him. "Do you really purr?"

"Dunno." He tilted his head. "Do you?"

"I might," she said as she leaned away from him. "But you'll never find out."

"Is that a threat?" he asked in surprise. "Kagome, the 'good' one, threatening me?"

"I'm not very good right now, am I?" she returned.

He laughed. "Maybe you should be. It wrecks the whole 'bad boyfriend, good girlfriend' thing we have."

"You wrecked that when you started being good," she countered. "I've got no place left but to be the bad one."

He laughed again, seeming to delight in her phrases. "You can't take my place, though."

"Why not? You took mine."

"I did no such thing."

"Yes, you did."

"When? Tell me that."

"When you started talking to me in my sleep."

"See, you're still delusional. I should take you back home to get treated for these delusions."

"Happy delusions are called 'dreams', though. You can't treat dreams."

"But dreams treat you," he shot back, smiling at her.

She couldn't help but tilt her head at him. "Have you been dreaming about me, Inuyasha?"

He grinned. "Maybe."

"That's a yes," she pointed out.

He just smiled at her then. It seemed so out of character for Inuyasha, but then, Inuyasha was in love. Men in love tended to act out of character, didn't they?

They must, if it's the only way to change Inuyasha's behavior. That, and maybe fatherhood.

"Whatcha thinking about?" he asked, interrupting her thoughts.

She shrugged. "This and that. . ."

"About me?"

She smiled. "As always."

To her surprise, he blushed a little. "You always think about me?"

~*~ Same Day, Higurashi Shrine ~*~

"Mama!" Souta yelled, running into the house. "Hey, Mama!"

Mama was on her way downstairs. "Yes, Souta?"

"This guy's here."

"Who?" She looked in each direction as Souta went on.

"I dunno, but he's -- he's outside, Mama, not in the house. I just passed him on the way in."

"Where is he?"

"He was sitting by the God Tree. He looked kinda lost."

Mama nodded and stepped outside, looking over at the God Tree. Her instincts has risen up, warning her that while this was a mostly public Shrine, loiterors weren't welcome. No one was by the God Tree that she could see, so she stepped out further and went full circle around the base. He must've left when Souta came in.

After another moment, just checking to make sure there really was no one there, Mama went back inside. Souta was already upstairs in his room, and she couldn't help but check to make sure he was there and okay.

It had to be the stress of what had happened to Kagome getting to her. Mama sat at the table for a few, long moments, thinking it over. That guy was probably lost like Souta said, taking a moment to backtrack in his head, before leaving again. Or somebody who wanted to visit the shrine and paused by the tree. These were rational explanations, but somehow, they didn't calm her at all.

What the hell was a grown man doing sitting by the God Tree on a work day?!

Mama took a deep breath to calm herself. She'd just go ask Souta what else he noticed, like a description. With any luck, Inuyasha would be here if and when the loiteror returned. She was sure that if she told Inuyasha, he'd stick around a few days to make sure.

But that didn't explain why she was so shaken. Maybe the recent events had reminded her how dangerous outside was, how deceiving appearances could be. Maybe she had become paranoid, worrying over every little thing.

But then there's the chance that it wasn't a little thing at all.

She went back upstairs and sat on Souta's bed, while he was fascinated with a video game. "Can you pause?" she asked.

Souta pressed the button and turned halfway to her. "Yeah, Mama?"

"That man you saw. . ."

"What about him?"

"Can you tell me anything about him?"

He shrugged. "He was a guy. I only looked at him once."

"Please, Souta, try for me."

He paused and glanced away. A few seconds passed, and then he looked back at her. "He was wearing all black, with dark sunglasses. And he had a hat on, like those old spy movies from America."

"And he looked lost?" Mama pressed, trying not to let her sudden fear show.

"Yeah, sitting on the ground, against the fence. He also looked kinda sad, and kinda hurt. Why are you asking?"

She smiled and kneeled on the floor, hugging Souta. "Because mothers like to know."

Souta hugged her back, and it warmed her heart. Several content moments went by, and then. . .

"Uh. . . Mama? . . . Can I play my game now?"

She gave a laugh and let go. "Sure, Souta. Thank you for telling me."

He shrugged and turned away. "I didn't think it was anything big."

She had to admire him, his trusting ways. He wouldn't grow up paranoid, and that was good. He would grow up reaching out on that extra limb to talk to people and make friends, which he was already fairly good at. Although she couldn't see him making many friends sitting in front of that TV and playstation all day long. (DL: Yes, it's a playstation. Any gamer instantly would've recognized that controller.) Still, she got up and went back to finish up on her chores, which tended to never really end.

And when Grandpa caught her alone in the kitchen, staring at the table, and inquired at her odd behavior, she told him about the spy man Souta had noticed. Grandpa, too, shrugged it off.

"People of all sorts come to see the tree and the shrine," he said. "And if he was not here for the tree, there are a million other reasons, all non-harmful, I'm sure."

"You can't be totally sure," Mama countered. "You don't know what's in his head."

"No, but what I do know is that bad luck does not strike this shrine twice in such close time frames. We will get nothing but good luck for quite a while longer, I am certain of it."

"Not to argue this point, but your predictions are rarely accurate," Mama replied with a blank look.

Grandpa stumbled and stuttered, then whirled on her with a thunderous expression. "I am never wrong and you know it!!"

She shook her head and didn't reply, letting him have his outburst. She changed the subject once he calmed. "I'm guessing that the police eliminated Inuyasha as a suspect, now that three of the men have died and they haven't come around yet." (DL: Yes, three. Remember how a night passed in Sengoku Jidai? One death a night, remember that. Phantom's on a timetable.)

Grandpa sighed. "And it would only raise their suspicions to come around now and find that he and Kagome are both gone."

Mama nodded, hoping that the police wouldn't come around. She'd heard about the note left behind, and couldn't help but think that the Phantom was a horribly troubled man, who deserved his revenge. The way he asked not to be praised and that he wasn't proud of what he was doing hinted at a large, warm heart. She truly wanted to find this man and comfort him and his ravaging pain. She couldn't imagine what he had gone through, how badly it must have hurt him.

And as a mother who wanted nothing but happiness for her loved ones, she wanted to know how badly he hurt, and she wanted to make him feel all better. From the way the note sounded, he loved his wife more than anything else on the planet, and likely the galaxy, and the loss of her -- along with their daughter -- must have torn him apart. Probably repeatedly. She could imagine that he has vivid nightmares of what happened that keeps him awake and in pain.

It was so sad. . .

". . . couldn't be working alone, do you think?" Grandpa was saying.

Mama shook herself out of her thoughts. "Oh, yeah, you're probably right," she agreed, though she had no idea what he was talking about anymore.

Grandpa gave her a stern look before he turned and went along with his dailt duties of the shrine. Mama sighed, somehow just knowing that Grandpa had known she wasn't listening.

Maybe she should stop feeling for a murderer and hope someone catches him before he develops a taste for death. Or rather, for inducing incredible pain and torture, and then killing. . . Still, it was hard not to feel bad for him and his loss.

~*~ Phantom ~*~

Tsunemi Okiano.

The third on his list.

He cut her third.

The third message. It meant more than it implied; Okiano had a penchant for using painful mind tricks on the girls they took, which he had not spared for His wife. Okiano was the main reason why th group remained free for so long; none of the girls ever wanted to turn them in for fear. It made Him believe in the strength of his wife even more, knowing that she braved her fear and pain and got her revenge.

He was sitting in a corner of his room, staring at the dresser on the far wall. He hadn't admitted this until now, but killing those men. . . He got satisfaction, and that was true, but with each death, his pain grew. At first he didn't understand it, and then he tried to ignore it, but now. . . now he understood.

She didn't like it when he killed. Not anymore, when he lived in a time and place where threats were too minimal, where death was extreme. Especially, she wouldn't want him to kill for her, in her memory or in her name. It would hurt her. So it hurt him, too.

But he couldn't stop now. His point hadn't been made, it wasn't complete. . . Three men left. Just three. He was halfway done. And then he could. . .

He shuddered, pain gripping his chest before he could finish the thought. No, no no no, he thought. I have to do this!! I have to do it for her, for my daughter!!

Berating himself wasn't helping, and he knew that, but he couldn't stop arguing with the pain, trying to beat it into submission. It didn't seem to be working, but at the moment, it was all he could do.

"Wake up," he told himself, as though someone were calling for him in a dream. He shook his head sharply, his bottom lip quivering as his pain refused to let up. He slammed his fist down on the floor, crushing straight through the reinforced beams with hardly an effort. "Wake up!" he repeated.

"You are not asleep," Sesshomaru's voice replied. "Perhaps you should stop losing control of yourself. One would think you were not seven hundred years."

"Seven hundred and forty five," he corrected. "Forty six this year."

"Yes," Sesshomaru agreed with a nod, crossing over to him. "Yet you remain as juvenile as ever. This Sesshomaru should have thrown you out long ago."

"Stuff it; I'm not a charity case."

"Your note suggests otherwise."

He shrugged. He hadn't expected Sesshomaru to not find out, with his iron fist on his companies and loyal sources in every direction. "I had to explain myself before they all began to think that I was some psycho."

"I do not believe you have proved that you are not mad," Sesshomaru returned, seemingly bent on proving just how insignificant He was.

"Four of out five shrinks agree, I need a new shrink," he retorted sarcastically. "Go ahead, try to demean me. I'm about as low as I can get."

"That you are. What breed of hunter waits to kill only when the prey is already caged? Have you lost your glory?"

"I like that, how you make me feel worse." He sighed. "And how you refuse to say my name."

"I will not speak your name until the day you become yourself once more. This Sesshomaru vows it."

He glanced away, looking at his dresser again. "Yeah, I'm about as far from myself as I can get, aren't I? I just hope I don't turn out like you, or I'd really be screwed."

"That jest is not as amusing as you believe," Sesshomaru replied with a snarl. "Remember that it is I who -"

"Give it a rest," he interrupted. "I've had enough of your talks and power trips. Do I have to remind you who it was that defeated Kyomo?"

Sesshomaru's eyes gradually narrowed through the speech. "This Sesshomaru remembers that battle, remembers that you fell and needed the protection this Sesshomaru's Tensaiga to continue."

"Funny, I seem to remember you chucking it because Kyomo kept using it against you," he shot back.

In a fuming fury, Sesshomaru left the room, smashing the door when he closed it and making dents as he struggled to control his rage and stomped down the hall.

"That's three hundred twenty seven: Me; five hundred eighty two: Him," he tallied. "Damn, he's still smoking me. . ."

~*~ Following Night ~*~

Kagome had to practically drag Inuyasha back to her time with her when she returned. This is for many reasons. First, because Kouga heard about her return and came to see her. Naturally you'd assume this would start a fight, but it wasn't for the usual reason. It was because Kouga had clapsed Kagome's hands when he spoke to her, and the contact -- though she knew very well Kouga wouldn't harm her -- had made her flip.

And then Inuyasha tackled Kouga and told him to back off, and that is when the fight began. After a short time Kagome's fear went away completely, and she got exhausted just watching them play the fool. In the end she turned away from them and went to sit with Sango and Shippo, and was purposely distant with Inuyasha when he came back, a little bloody and bruised from the scrapping.

Inuyasha had then acted the same way, turning his back and keeping his nose in the air in a huff. Kagome acted likewise and Inuyasha had clearly stated that she was going home alone this time. She agreed only to stop halfway to the well and pout about the stupid fight. Three seconds later of sitting and she noticed Inuyasha was sitting behind her, about an inch from being back-to-back with her.

He said he still refused to go back to her time with her, and was only making sure she got to the well okay. Kagome had laughed and hugged his back, telling him that he was coming if she had to drag him there.

To which he retorted with, "Good luck dragging me anywhere, wench!"

Although Kagome had tried to drag him, it was hard work because of the simple fact that they both kept laughing and struggling with one another. She fell down countless times from slipping, stopping, or being tripped, and somehow always ended up in his arms.

The second reason was because earlier he had heard a rumor of a shard and wanted to help Miroku and Sango search for it. They wouldn't reach the area for another day, at least, and Inuyasha was just itching for a reason to kill something. They left not long after Kouga did.

The third reason was that Shippo had said he wanted to stay with Kagome, so he hadn't gone with Sango and Miroku. When Kagome decided to go back, that left Shippo alone with Kaede, which Inuyasha was firmly against because, "The old hag would make him sneeze with her powders and other shit." He got a faceplant for that one.

The forth and seemingly strongest point was that he didn't know where Kikyo ran off to, and he'd had to talk to her but didn't get the chance to. Something about their past was all he'd say when asked about it.

Once they were through the well, she paused at the door and turned to face him.

She only had one question. "Just why did you fight with Kouga?"

"He touched you," Inuyasha replied easily. "I told him you were hurt and he did it anyway."

"He wasn't trying anything sinister, Inuyasha."

"I know that. But he has to learn."

She narrowed her eyes, but didn't say what she was thinking. What am I, your property? She didn't say because she knew he was looking out for her and trying to keep her safe, and turned to enter the house. Mama was inside at the table, chatting and eating with Grandpa and Souta.

"Tadaima," she called.

Behind her, Inuyasha repeated her. "Tadaima!"

. . .Only he was much louder. Besides which, they'd all already looked up. Mama smiled and gestured them to the table, where two plates awaited them.

"Okaeri, Kagome," Souta greeted her. "Okaeri, Inuyasha-kun."

Curious, Kagome asked, "You were expecting us?" while Inuyasha nodded at Souta and began stuffing his face.

"It's been a few days," her mother explained.

Grandpa laughed. "She's been leaving food on the table for the past three days, waiting for you two."

Mama shrugged. "I wanted them to have warm food when they got back."

"Nofing wrong wif being preparred," Inuyasha said around his mouthful.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Kagome hissed at him. Turning back to Mama, she asked, "Has anything new happened while we were gone?"

Mama nodded at the same time Kagome picked up her fork. "We got a call from the courts not a few hours ago. It seems the D.A. decided it was best to put you in therapy for a while -"

"What?" Kagome snapped, which consequently sent a piece of food flying from her lip towards Souta, who dodged the bit.

Inuyasha swallowed his mouthful and looked confused. "That's a bad thing?"

"I'm not going," she said firmly as Mama opened her mouth to explain.

"Therapy is where people go to talk about their problems," Mama told Inuyasha. "There, they can let go of their past, and learn ways to move forward."

"Sounds helpful," Inuyasha pointed out, looking at Kagome. "What's the big problem?"

"They don't let a third party in the room," Kagome gritted out.

"What's that mean?"

"That's mean that they let in the therapist and the patient," Mama explained, "and no one else."

"She's not going without me," Inuyasha said quickly and with full seriousness.

"I'm not going at all," Kagome amended.

"You don't have a choice, Kagome," Mama told her gently.

"Like hell I don't!" She slammed her palms on the table and stood, going straight up to her room without a glance at anyone.

Inuyasha remained seated for a few moments simply from stun, his chopsticks in his mouth and staring at the stairs. Kagome had never before snapped in her house, let alone at her mother. Which means that something about this therapist business made her extremely uneasy. He glanced at her mother in question.

"You should take your food and hers upstairs," Mama told him in answer. "Make sure she eats, and try to calm her down. None of us had a choice in this, but I'll fight to include you in her sessions."

Inuyasha nodded, not fully certain what all that meant, but picked up the plates and started up the stairs. He had a lot to ask her about, and wasn't going to let her sleep until he got the answers, in whole or in part. He had to understand this, why she resisted so. He had to know why she stormed out like she did, in front of her family and forgoing her dinner in the process.

He had to know.

:End Chapter:

TADA!!!

Let me address something here before I get all silly on you. . .

I'll admit that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but stealing is not. There's a difference here. Mainly being that only people who fear their own lack of talent would steal another person's hard-worked skills and proclaimed property. It's the sincerest form of disrespect to steal. Do you see the difference yet?

I loved the story, 'The Lucky Ones', so I used a few ideas from it, changing it as I saw fit, and to keep it from being stealing. I made those ideas as unique as I could without making them unrealistic, following the lines I believed Kagome and Inuyasha and the rest would take. I also told you where these ideas came from and recommended it. Therefore, I did not 'steal'.

I hold high respect for how that story was written and for how long. The ideas were superb, the characters were perfect, the storyline took turns I had never thought of; I couldn't help but spread the news of that fic. I saw things from a whole new perspective simply by reading that fic. Therefore, I did not 'steal'.

To not even say, at the beginning of a fic, what inspired it when the similarities are too close and too many to deny, is far from just stealing and disrespecting; it's flat-out low, as well as mind-numbingly unintelligent. With how many people have read Trans. and how many have loved it, it's almost a crime to believe none of these readers will read the stolen version of it and notice those similarities.

Now that I have explained my point in an intelligent and non-agressive way, I can leave it behind and continue on.

There are a few of you who believe you will not succumb to my Prayer Beads from Hell, and to those of you - you know who you are - I deeply regret bursting your bubble. For you see, there are few of you, and many. . . in my army.

:Has a World War II-plus-Trojan War-plus-Chinese Dynasty-plus-US Army Reserve-sized Army:

There now, you see? Now you can either submit to my Prayer Beads from Hell and review without being harmed, or you can refuse and be maimed. I have human and demon lives to spare. And to throw away. And to step on. And to use as toilet paper. Do you see where I'm going with this?

:Hears a sound like a low roar: Hey, what the. . . :Turns around, Army is turned against me: Yipe. I could really use Lui Kang right about now. . . Yo, Lui!!

:No answer: . . . Raidon? Sonya Blade? Sub-Zero? Kitana?? Somebody?!

:Army charges at me: YAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! :Runs for mah life:

See ya!! :Looks to the side: YAAAAHHH!!!