Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plotline. I apologise for any OOCness, this is just how I see this.

Loneliness

Once upon a time there was a girl…

Kikyo wandered out through the field's surrounding the village. She had been busy all day, playing with the children, healing the sick, helping people just to keep moving. She let out a long sigh as her gaze swept over the village. However pure she seemed on the outside, Kikyo knew that she wasn't truly pure and honest. She had a selfish wish of her own, a desire that sometimes threatened to take her over.

She let out a sudden, short gasp. Her hand flew to her throat, where the Shikon no Tama hung, seemingly harmless, glittering innocently in the sunlight. Kikyo grit her teeth, trying to resist the sudden urge to just throw the jewel as far away as she could, so as to be free of its curse. Struggling to gain control of her normally well hidden emotions, Kikyo turned abruptly and started to walk back towards the village. She tried to surround herself with as many people as possible. But no matter how many there were, Kikyo couldn't avoid the terrible feeling of being alone…

Once upon a time there was a half-demon…

Inuyasha flew through the trees, headed towards the small village where he knew the Shikon no Tama to be. A hideous smile spread across his face, his eyes narrowed in anticipation. Today…today…today he would finally have the fabled jewel in his hands, with the power to become full demon. He could feel the blood and adrenaline pulsing through his veins as he charged ever closer to the jewel.

A snarl tore through his lips as he thought of all the humans and demons he would now be able to kill in revenge for how they had treated him before. Two lives for every scar he carried upon his body. The blood of his enemies, their sweet, beautiful, hideous blood staining his claws red. He wondered how it would taste. He would make them pay for leaving him alone.

Once upon a time two souls were bound by fate, bound by the darkness that was coming…

Inuyasha and Kikyo faced each other from each side of the field. His eyes were filled with a sick twisted desire as he stared at the jewel which Kikyo held around her neck. Kikyo could only stare at the being before her. Outwardly, he appeared as a demon, a being who knew nothing but to slaughter whatever crossed its path. She reached for an arrow out of her quiver and raised her bow to point it at the half demon's chest.

The two of them stood there for a time, waiting for the other to make the first move. Inuyasha's claws twitched in anticipation, but he hesitated as he gazed at the priestess, noticing her face for the first time since he had been so engrossed in the jewel and the aura it gave off. He was startled by the look in her eyes, so similar to his own, so very…very…

alone…

Without realising it, he relaxed out of his fighting stance, and had taken several swift steps to finish right in front of the priestess. Kikyo had dropped her bow in surprise, but neither of the two noticed it fall to the ground, so lost in each other they were. Inuyasha tilted her head up with one hand, and simple stared in wonder at her face, mort particularly. Kikyo squirmed in his grasp, but stopped as she caught sight of his eyes.

Suddenly, Inuyasha jumped backwards away from her, a shocked look on his face. Why the hell had he dropped his guard like that? And in front of a Priestess, no less! Inuyasha quickly turned to flee, but the priestess stopped him with her words.

"Please..." Kikyo begged him, suddenly falling to her knees, her hand outstretched. "Don't leave me alone anymore…"

Inuyasha had skidded to a halt, staring back at her with disbelieving eyes. This human, this priestess, wanted him, a half breed-to stay with her?

Turning back to her to tell her where she could shove her pleas, he was caught breathless one again by the loneliness in her eyes. A loneliness that rivalled even his. So without even being truly conscious of his actions, he stooped back down to Kikyo's hunched form, and wrapped his arms around her body, now shaking with tears.

"You're not alone any more…"he murmured, pulling her into a cold kiss.

Once upon a time, the priestess and half demon grew addicted to one another…

They couldn't even help themselves. They continued to meet in the same clearing where they had first seen each other. The passion and kisses which they shared were not done through love; the two doubted if there even was such a thing. It was through sheer loneliness.

Lying in the tall grass, hopelessly entangled with one another, Kikyo wrapped her hands in Inuyasha's hair.

"I love you," she murmured, knowing that it wasn't a lie, but not the entire truth. But she was willing to pretend for a little while longer. Inuyasha turned his head to face her, as she curled into an even tighter ball with him.

"I know," he whispered back, wishing with all his heary that he could say that with true honesty. But the cold, meaningless kisses and words were enough for them. If only for a small time, they could both succumb to the darkness within them, and perhaps, the next morning, they wouldn't feel so very, very…

Alone.

Wow. Never thought I had it in me to write THIS kind of thing… (O.O) lol. I prefer KagInu of this pairing any day, but I do sympathise with their loneliness. I kinda believe that that is what brought them together in the first place. Well, sorry for making this so angsty, hope you like it anyway! Please review!