Title: Falling Into The Darkness

Pairings: Kagome/Sasuke

Summery: What if InuYasha never was able to find Kagome within the Shikon? What if she and Naraku fought within the jewel for years. Now a woman who has built walls around her heart and feelings, how will she cope with being released for the Tama after so long? What if it fell into the hands of Sasuke…

Story starts-

The fighting never stopped.

It was just Midoriko and herself against Naraku, Megetsuhi, and the thousand of other demons within the jewel.

She could kill a hundred of them, only for them to burst into orbs and reform again and again and again. Naraku could stab her or Midoriko only for the wound to heal. It was a never ending fight.

There was no difference. The only sounds ever heard was that of a blade, sacred arrows, rearranging bones, roars, grunts, hisses. The same sights. Naraku, demons, Magetsuhi, Midoriko, claws, teeth, blood. Same smells, blood and miasma.

She was tired…

She wanted it all to end but knew it was fruitless. Her hand gripped her blade tighter as she swung at a few demons. She jumped away just as they began to materialize again.

Her eyes locked with Midoriko's form watching the Great Miko of Legends battle her rival.

Did she look like Midoriko? Would she look like her? The creator of the Shikon was a sight to see. Unlike her flawless statues stalagmite face in her cave, within the jewel she was worn and tired. Her hair was limp, skin pale, eyes old, clothing and armor worn. From what Kagome remembered of the statue Midoriko's hair was full of life, her face youthful, her clothing although old and somewhat tattered still elegant.

Kagome turned in time to block Naraku's blade. He smirk, a crazed smirk that made Kagome shiver in revulsion, red eyes full of hate and pure insanity. He reminded her much of Magetsuhi. Being condemned to the jewel for as long as they all had they were bound to lose their sanity at one point. Naraku was too far gone, his obsession for Kikyo and her love, his lust for battle, and the whispers of the Tama had made him an opponent none would ever wish to face. Even when crazy, Naraku still managed to become more sinister and devious then before almost on par with the Dragon Youkai fighting Midoriko.

Kagome knew she had changed as well. She like Midoriko did not speak one word, well except the first two years or so. Kagome learned a long time ago that talking was not necessary in the darkness of the Shikon, it only fueled the fighting and the very Shikon it's self.

She and Naraku soon began their deadly dance of swords, they always did. When she and the Spider clashed blades they could never seem to one-up each other, staying locked in their seemingly endless dance until Midoriko, Magetsuhi, or the demons intervened.

Slash, block, duck, swing, left, kick, slash, punch, right. It was never ending.

In a rare occurrence that only happened once every hundred plus years, someone gained the upper hand. Naraku swung his foot out making it slam into her face, breaking their lethal dance. As Kagome fell Naraku's now long tentacle like fingers shot out, plunging into her chest cavity and into her heart. Naraku then flew towards Midoriko, planing to team up with Magetsuhi.

Kagome's body burst into light before the light turned to orbs and gathered together slowly recreating another body for the time traveling Miko of the Jewel.

She turned just as she heard a roar. Magetsuhi was transforming into his true form by taking back the loose demons in his body, while Naraku helped buy him time by fighting Midoriko.

With speed gained from years of battle, Kagome speed at Naraku, sword drawn and ready to strike. A now fully transformed Magetsuhi saw her and one of his long red whiskers moved it to whip at her just as she brought her sword down at Naraku, who had clashed swords with Midoriko.

"HALT!"

At that one simple command all four warriors stood frozen, unable to move or blink. Time had frozen still in that moment. The jewel seemed to float out of the darkness with the arrow Kagome had pierced it with still there, reminding her of a time she held hope…

"Miko Kagome." It called.

Kagomes body unfroze as time moved for her but stood still for the others. She looked around herself and soon found the jewel.

"So young, yet already your hands have been stained with blood."

When she remained silent the jewel spoke again. "You speak not a word. Has the insanity finally caught you within it's grasps? Or have you grown mute and lost the ability to speak due to your sorrow. The half breed never came for you." The jewel taunted. "So naïve to believe he would come when he never cared for you. Kikyo, now that seems like a plausible reason for forsaking you. Why come for someone he cares not for when he could be with the woman he loves?"

She knew what the jewel was trying to do. It wanted her to fall deeper into the darkness. For so long all she has ever heard from the jewel were taunts, it's desire for a wish she knew would be her undoing. It wanted her. That was the answer all along. Why was she the only one that ever heard its whispers, why was she the only one able to purify the jewels taint more then Kikyo could ever wish, why was she the one who could resists its call for a wish unlike Kikyo had in the beginning. She was the only one who could sense far more then the shards, the only one who could feel what the jewel felt, the only one who could truly ever see the true Shikon. Everyone who looked at the jewel would see either it's known purifying pink or its tainted black, but not Kagome, no, she saw its true colors. She saw how its was neither tainted nor pure, it was both. Ying and Yang. She felt as the jewel grew happy when it fell into both her and Naraku's hands. How if grew unhappy when Naraku gained more shards, it needed balance.

Midoriko and Magetsuhi were its first. They kept the balance. Demon and priestess, taint and purity, light and darkness. But boredom soon took over. The jewel grew tired of the fight and so it appeared in the lives of humans and demons alike.

Kikyo was next. Although she was powerful she wasn't strong enough to ignore its whispers as they slowly tainted her mind. She was not strong enough to over come the sway of the jewel. She never excepted it as her duty to protect.

The came her. Now she, Kagome, was the new guardian. Naraku was the Shikon's taint and she it's purity. It was time for the jewel to find the two who would be able to balance it out and it made sure to find them.

"Why?" Her voice was raw and hoarse from centuries of unused vocal cords.

"Why what Miko? Why have I intervened?"

"Yes."

"Simple. We of the jewel grow tired of this constant battle. It is time we are wished upon Miko. How long do you intend to prolong your suffering? Are you truly…"

"Yes I am."

"Foolish Miko, very foolish of you. But it stops here! You and the half demon known as Naraku shall return to the world of the living and remedy all the damage done. We know you know what we desire… balance."

"And how do I accomplish this? It had been over a Millennia! The world I knew is gone! And I know not how to grant you balance."

"All in time Miko. But know this," as she and Naraku were enveloped in a pink light the jewel spoke. "Should you fail, we shall simply find another protector and you shall be damned to this jewel for all eternity with no way of escape."

"But why now! Why have you chosen today of all days to set us free in the world of reality?"

"Your questions will be found in the person who holds your destiny." Came the cryptic response just as she and Naraku vanished.

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Sasuke stared down at the jewel in his hands in wonder. He had been walking alone without his team for a while now, thinking of Itachi and his soon to be fulfilled revenge, when he had stumbled into this cave. In it were statues of some sort with hundreds of demons, a giant dragon, and a woman in its jaws. He had found the jewel floating in the middle of the dragon and woman, and being Sasuke, he had taken it for further inspection and had deemed it important.

Now, what the hell was it? Of course it was a jewel but what kind and why was it floating in the cave and who were those statues. It was… pink, a color he hated. There was also the fact that it was glowing and warm.

"Hn, I will be keeping this." He said and just as he was going to pocket it, the jewel seemed to brighten and heat up. Looking down at it he frowned. What the hell?

"Damn!" He hissed as he threw it down to the floor his hand sporting a lovely burn make. He watched as it glowed which and flashed in a night show of white. Once the light died down Sasuke blinked.

"That is not something you see every day." He remarked at he took in the sight before him. There on the floor was a woman. All he would make out was inky black hair that looked very and he meant VERY long, pale skin, and of course her clothing. She had on clothing much like a Priestess but with armor on. A sword was at her hip sitting innocently.

Sasuke soundlessly walked over to her and noticed the jewel under her hair. He took it while he pushed her over and his heart nearly stopped.

Her face…

He was at a loss of words. She was a beauty he wouldn't lie there. He had never seen any one like her before. She had full kissable red lips, a small nose, a face that shaped into a beautiful heart. On the right side of her face just below her eyes, was a strange tattoo. It was a symbol of some sorts and was gold. All in all she looked like the Tennyo princess his mother use to tell him about.

Upon further inspection Sasuke noticed how old she was, she was 16, his age! He also noticed the pierced ears and that curled close to her chest was a small kitten. The feline had cream colored fur that could pass off as golden or yellow with black paws and ears, it had two rings of black on its twin tails and a black diamond of her head.

Slowly the girls eyes open halfway showing stunning azure eyes that met his own onyx colored eyes.

She seemed to examine him for a few seconds before allowing her eyes to close once again and her head to fall back on the ground.

She was too trusting, he concluded. To fall back asleep in front of a stranger who could rape, hurt, torture or kill her. The kitten meowed as it walked to him.

"Meow."

He bent down picking the kitten up. Was it a Nin cat?

"Can you speak?" Just when I was beginning to second guess himself…

"Yes I can. I am Kilala, of the Two-Tails."

"And what of the girl?"

"My Mistress and partner."

Well might as well Sasuke thought as he moved to kneel down. With strong arms he lifted the girls form into his arms. She hardly weighed much and was light even with the armor.

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Where was she was the first thought that came to a just waking Kagome. The light that hit her face irritated her eyes causing her eyes to close.

"I see you are awake."

She turned her head and opened her eyes. The man that greeted her was handsome to say the lease. He has blue black hair that spiked in the back and long bangs to frame a strikingly fair face, onyx colored eyes, and a muscular body. He wore strange clothing that was for sure. He had an open white haori, purple bottoms tied with a rope, and a sword.

Her eyes widened as she noticed someone she thought dead.

"K-Kilala!" She exclaimed as she propped herself up uncaring of her lack of clothing.

Kilala meowed happily as she jumped off of Sasuke's shoulder and into Kagome's arms.

"You are alive." Kagome happily spoke a smile pulling at her red lips.

"I could not leave you. I knew you were still alive, you were just trapped in that damn thing! I clung to life hoping beyond hope that I was right and I was. I missed you… Kagome."

Kagome's eyes widened as she gasped. "Thank you." She whispered. "I don't know what I would do without you." But then a realization hit her. "You can talk!"

Kilala gave a cheeky cat smile. "I learned a few things in all my years of living."