To Be Me

Chapter Twenty-Six

Everyone sat around the living room, most of them on the floor. Kagome sat on the couch next to Tar, while Mai sat on the floor next to Kurama. Everyone else was sitting listening to Koenma and Yomi discuss their problem.

"So, we can't kill this thing until it comes through?" Yusuke folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Actually, we can't kill it at all. The only one that can kill it is the wielder of the Stone of Kioko, her. Then again the little lady over there may be able to do some damage." He tilted his head in Kagome's direction. "She will be a great asset."

"She's not going anywhere near that damn thing." Hiei stated.

"Hey, I think I can speak for myself. If you all expect Taree to help kill this thing then I will be there right beside her." Kagome wasn't going to sit back and do nothing. She wasn't about to let her friend fight alone. "She goes, I go."

Yomi's hand shot out suprising everyone, it landed beside the sleeping girl's head. He pulled back with the snake hanging in his hand.

"Don't hurt it." Kagome screamed, he turned his head in her direction. "Please, Tar will freak if she wakes up to find you just killed her."

"Are you serious?"

"Hn. I suggest you do what she says. That one will likely try to rip off all your ears if you harm the damn thing. Considering she jumped over four hundred feet just to save the damn thing." Hiei suddenly wished he'd remained silent. He wanted to destroy the damn thing himself, why not let Yomi do it. That way the snake would be dead and he'd have the pleasure of watching the girl attack him.

"Fine," He slung the serpant on the couch none too gentle. It hissed loudly at him.

Taree opened her eyes, what was going on? "Huh?" She looked up to find Baby slithering across her chest complaining. "What? Who threw you?" She turned angry eyes towards the man. "Why did you throw her?"

He lifted an eyebrow, was she talking to the damn thing? She picked it up, "It's okay, I'll kill him if he touches you again." It wrapped itself around her arm resting it's head in her hand.

Kagome smiled, it was good to see her up and well. "How do you feel?"

"Great, so what's going on here? Pep-rally?"

"We are discussing what to do now that the portal is open." Kurama informed her. "It has opened in the Makai, so we will have to go there to stop it. Yet we can't do anything until the being shows himself."

"So what do we do till then?" Yusuke asked.

"May I suggest those that are coming, return with me? You will be welcome to stay with me until the time comes." Yomi continued, "It might be wiser, since his minions will surely be after the girl now. They will try to get their hands on the stone and her. Better bring the other miko too just to be on the safe side."

"Makes sense but how do we know we can trust you?" Hiei asked, he didn't really care for the youkai.

"Because if she dies or if she fails then the Makai as we know it will cease to exist. Eventually we will all die, this thing prefers hearty meals if I remember correctly. Who do you think it will want to snack on us or one of those pathetic lower class youkai? Mark my words, the stronger ones will be the ones hunted first."

"I won't have to sleep outside will I?" Tar asked.

"No, I have a city not unlike the ones here just a little more advanced."

Mai felt Kurama place a hand on her back and smiled. "If they go, I'm going also."

"Figures." Hiei snorted. "But the dog stays."

Keiko stood at the door not sure what to say. Yusuke was going with them, she couldn't change his mind. He might never come back, like always. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him. "Be careful."

"I'll be fine Keiko." He put his arm around her shoulder. "I always come back don't I." He held her not sure what to say. Hell he might actually die this time. "You don't have to wait for me this time."

"Of course I'm going to wait for you." She felt his chin land on top of her head. For some reason she felt like things were different this time. She had a feeling if he went, if even he came back things would be changed forever. Either way she would lose him. "Please don't go, stay with me."

"I have to go." He didn't know what to say to her. He had to go, he had to help stop this thing. "They need me."

"No they don't. You can't kill it, the girl can do it. Let her go, she has everyone else there to help her." Keiko knew she was being selfish but she didn't want him to leave. "I love you, Yusuke."

"I love you too." He pulled her close knowing what he had to say would hurt her.

Taree turned around to head back upstairs. She'd been on her way to the kitchen when she stopped to listen. Now she wished she hadn't. The bedroom door shut behind her softly.

"But I can't stay with you. I can't let her go without me. I'm going with her." He waited for her to understand.

"Yusuke? What is going on?" She didn't shout or get angry. "Is there something you should tell me?"

"Keiko, I haven't been honest with you, I'm sorry." Yusuke couldn't tell her how he felt about the other girl because he wasn't sure himself. "She kind of grew on me, I'm not sure what to say."

"I guess I should be angry but I'm not. You're my best friend Yusuke, I want you to be happy. When you figure out how you feel let me know." She placed a kiss on his mouth. "Be careful, come home no matter how you feel."

Kagome looked up from packing her belongings once again. "I thought you were going to get something to drink."

"Oh, I decided to wait. Figured we'd finish packing then you can enjoy a cup of tea with me." Tar went back over to her bag, inserting the rest of her belongings. "That way we can relax for a few before heading out."

"Okay, I'm almost done. I wonder what this youkai world looks like. Will feel weird being surrounded by nothing but youkai." Kagome zipped up her bag. "Done."

"Same," Tar sat down on the bed trying to keep the conversation going. She didn't want to go back out the room until she knew it was safe. Seeing them two still necking wasn't on her top ten things to do. Neither was hearing him tell the girl something she herself wished to hear. "You look different."

"Do I?" Kagome blushed.

"Spill it." Tar looked her over, yeah she looked different.

"Okay but don't tell Mai."

"You did it!" Tar squeeled loudly. "You and Hiei boned, I know it. How was it?"

"I don't know, I mean I do but hard to explain." Kagome sat down beside her, "Put my hair up will you?"

Taree grabbed the brush from the nightstand, "Okay but I want details."

Kagome talked while the girl plaited her hair. "It hurt at first, happened kind of fast actually. Was like he wasn't giving me time to decide if I wanted it to happen. Was nice after that."

"Nice? Did you get off?"

"You perv! Yes I did. Now I'm definitely in the same boat as you." Kagome tried not to get down about it. She liked Hiei but she was sure she was nothing more than amusement for him. "I'm nothing more than a lay to him."

"Well, at least he's not flaunting another woman in your face. Kind of sucks when you care about someone and you hear them fucking another girl. Not to mention having to hear him tell the other girl that he loves her."

"Sorry, is that why you came back into the room?"

"Yes, if you must know. When this is all over I'm sure both of us will end up back at the temple with broken hearts with nothing better to do than chase brats around all day." Taree tried to smile as she finished up the braid. "If you want I can always buy you a dildo and you can name it Hiei."

"No thanks." Kagome stood up, "I'll go look out the door to make sure Yusuke isn't there okay."

"Okay."


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