Disclaimer: Ownership? Still nay to Inuyasha and nay to The Mall and Misery by Broken Bells.

Chapter 3

The Mall & Misery Part II

Part of her opened the callow mind
Ideas stall in the morning tide
There's a dark time
This is your dark life
Feel your heart

"You have got to be kidding me!" I scream in frustration.

Stupid Inuyasha and his stupid ramen! Why oh why did I have to be nice and go out and get him his favourite food? I mean, he doesn't need it. He can't even appreciate the food I make, and that's home-cooked!

I twist the straps on my backpack again and yank. But nothing moves. Go figure. You'd think the construction workers who built our house could've made the doorways a little bit bigger.

I pull on the straps one more time, not expecting much. And lo and behold, I have met my expectations. Sighing, I unzip the bag and begin pulling out textbooks.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I say, shaking my head. 13 textbooks later, my backpack actually fits through the door. I bring the books up to my room and stack them neatly on my desk. Ready to finally leave, I turn around and spot the necklace sitting on my dresser.

"Hmm."

I walk over to the dresser and lift the necklace's chain in the air. Glittering in the sunlight, the sapphire frame of the mirror sends a kaleidoscope of colours across my walls. It's weird, but I have a sudden urge to put the necklace on. Call it intuition, or instinct, or whatever, but I feel like I'm going to need the necklace soon. Better safe than sorry. I set the chain around my neck and tuck it under my shirt, letting the charms settle on my chest. Funny, they're not even cold.

Satisfied, I hurry down the stairs, anxious to leave.

"Kagome!" Mom's voice filters from the kitchen.

"Coming!" I shout, and head towards the kitchen.

Entering through the doorway, I see my mother has made a picnic dinner for me and the gang and has actually put it a picnic basket. It sits on the table as she stirs a pot with her back turned to me.

"Kago-!"

"Mom, I'm right here." I say, picking up the basket.

"Oh. I didn't even notice you walk in." She replies, smiling at me. "But shouldn't you have left awhile ago?"

"Yep." I answer, peeking in the pot she's stirring. Rice porridge. Yum. "But there was so much stuff in my bag that I couldn't get it out the door. Now I have to leave all of my textbooks behind, again, because I know if I leave the ramen I won't hear the end of it from Inuyasha."

Grabbing the spatula out of her hand, I scoop a little and taste. Ah, heaven from a spoon.

"Yes, he can be a bit… persistent, at times." She agrees, amused, and snatches the spatula back.

"Uh huh. Which is why I gotta go." I give her a sheepish look and a quick peck on the cheek before running out the door.

As I swing my considerably lighter bag onto my back I shout, "Bye Mom! Love you!"

"Love you too! Be careful!" Is the muffled response I hear as I make my way to the well.

Passing the Goshinboku, I stare at the scar that perpetually mars its smooth bark; a slight imperfection on an otherwise beautiful strong tree. But then all of a sudden I feel something on my chest heat up, almost to the point of where it starts to hurt. Startled, I drop the picnic basket and fumble with the chain around my neck. It has to be the charms. Frantically, I try and move the charms off of my chest. Pulling the chain out, I see the Sword has turned to a glowing orange, as if it was heated metal, but the Mirror and Jewel are perfectly normal. And then all of a sudden, the glow starts to fade. Within seconds the Sword is back to its original colour, black.

I quickly press the edge of my finger onto the Sword and then just as fast, pull it away. It doesn't feel hot. I wrap my hand around it. Stone cold. Strange. Maybe I'm coming down with something. Putting the back of my hand against my forehead, I check to see if I have a fever. Nope.

I shake my head and bring my thoughts back to the task at hand. Getting back to the Feudal Era. I pick up the basket once more and lift the lid. Pleased that nothing has spilled I finish making my way to the well.

Hooking the basket around my arm I open the shrine doors. I pop inside, close the doors behind me and then run down the short flight of stairs. Swinging my legs over the edge, I jump.

The familiar blue light surrounds me as travel through the well, and before I can even blink, my feet touch ground. I glance up and see the clouds set against a sky streaked with pinks and oranges. Taking in a deep breath, I smile. It's good to be back.

It takes a good 10 minutes to climb out of the well, because I have to take into consideration the picnic basket with dinner inside of it. Manoeuvring it so hangs off my arm like a purse, I scale my way up the side, using the thick vines which line the sides to pull myself up. Nearing the top, I chuck my bag over. With one last haul I clear the edge and topple out. Whew. That takes some serious muscle.

But then I look around.

The first thing I notice is that it's cold. Not freezing, but there's definitely an unnatural chill in the air, an indication that something's amiss. This cold isn't just an external force either; it's in the air, seeping down deep inside of me, slowly coursing through my veins. It's slightly sickening and makes me feel queasy. Not a good sign.

Then I smell it. The acrid scent of smoke and burnt wood slowly fills my lungs, like a poison spreading through my body. It's like a fire's been burning for a long time over a large area, yet when I look at my surroundings, there's nothing but a huge expanse of green.

I glance around for my bag, feeling uneasy, and stand up when I spot it. I lean down and clutch at the nearest strap, and begin to lift it up.

"Don't move."

I freeze, holding my bag in the air. A burst of wind whips by my face and I hear the sound of an arrow piercing flesh. The vibrations from spiritual power ripple through the air, and a hissing sound echoes as I see some sort of dragon-like demon become purified out of the corner of my eye. But still I stay frozen.

"Why did you finally come back?"

I close my eyes in defeat as I recognize owner of the disembodied voice. Light footsteps brush against the dewy grass and I open my eyes to see Kikyo stepping into my vision. She looks the same as last time: cold yet elegant, troubled yet poised, broken yet beautiful. She stares at me with those blank eyes of hers, boring into the depths of my soul.

"Did you sense his departure?" she asks suddenly, stopping a good distance away from me.

I stay silent, dissecting her words. His departure? Wait, what? Who the heck is she talking about? I don't understand.

Kikyo resumes walking towards me then, eyes never leaving my face. As she slowly moves closer, she speaks, "You must have felt it then. His presence leaving this world for the next."

Then she stops again, right in front of me now, still staring, apparently trying to gauge my reaction. But my reaction to what? Wait a minute. 'His presence leaving this world for the next?'

I break free from my stationary stance, dropping my bag to the ground, again. In a broken voice I ask, "Where's Inuyasha?"

She just stares at me.

I try again. Maybe she just didn't hear me. "Where, is Inuyasha?"

Still, she stares at me, cold gray eyes peering into mine.

"Where's Inuyasha?" I ask again, my voice getting louder. This isn't good, I'm starting to panic. Nothing good happens when I start to panic.

"Where is he? Where's Inuyasha?" And so begins a full-blown Kagome panic attack.

"Where is Inuyasha? Where. Is. He? What have you done to him?" I yell at her, accusingly. I'm lost. I have absolutely no freaking clue as to what's going on. All I know is Inuyasha isn't here and neither is anyone else apparently, and if I don't get some answers quickly, somebody is going to get hurt. And I'm usually a pretty passive person, so that's saying something.

But she still doesn't answer me. Instead, as I ask her the last question, a flash of emotion appears on her normally expressionless face. And it looks like, shame? But it disappears as quickly as it came, and she speaks again.

"Now is not the time to be speaking of such things. Not when the gates of the Underworld have been opened, and its minions are lurking about. Come. We shall speak in my sister's village and all shall be revealed."

Turning around suddenly, Kikyo makes her way towards the village, robes billowing around her with the wind. Without a glance back towards me, she disappears in the shadows of the trees.

I stare at her receding figure, wondering what to do. Follow the undead priestess, or go home. Follow the one person who brings Inuyasha so much misery or go home and pretend nothing's wrong. I know I can't do the latter. Not without knowing Inuyasha is ok.

So I follow her. Meandering my way through the lush green forest, I eventually end up at the village. I pass by the villagers who are hard at another day's work. I pass the children who run past me playing games. The only thing I have the capacity to focus on right now is keeping one foot in front of the other.

I come upon Kaede's hut much too quickly. Barely noticing Sango's Hiraikotsu propped beside the entrance, I stumble in, confused and disoriented. My world just isn't straight without Inuyasha in it. And now that he's gone, everything is skewed.

Blinking slowly, I glance at my surroundings and find Miroku and Sango situated around the fire pit in the center of the room. Shippo sits on Miroku's shoulder, sniffling quietly, while Miroku sits with his eyes closed. Beside them, Sango holds Kirara in her lap, gently petting her, a solemn look etched on her face. Kaede sits across from them looking at the fire with a subdued face and beside her, sits Kikyo.

Of course she's here already. I should've expected it. And as everyone's heads turn towards me as I enter, she merely sits there, never acknowledging my presence, just adding more logs to the fire. I stand frozen for a moment to absorb this. Oh God, she's practically taking over. That's my job. Keeping the fire going has always been my job. And she's sitting in my seat. I don't know if I can handle this.

"Kagome!"

Shippo jumps off of Miroku and into my arms. Catching him, he clutches onto me, starting to sob.

"He's gone Kagome. We couldn't do anything about it. We tried, but there was nothing we could do."

I look down at the crying kitsune in silence, whether from shock or depression, I don't know. All I can think about is him. Inuyasha. What happened?

Miroku opens his eyes and looks at Kikyo. "How much have you told her?"

Kikyo stares him down for a moment before her eyes flicker towards me. "She knows nothing more than he is gone."

"And we know little more than that!" Sango states angrily, glaring at the undead priestess. "And what little we do know comes from your tainted mouth! How are we to believe a word that you've said? How can you expect us to after –"

"Enough Sango!" Miroku shouts loudly, grabbing her shoulder. "Now is not the time to point fingers. We must explain the situation to Kagome. Or perhaps Kikyo should explain it, to all of us. The full story, nothing more, nothing less." He swivels around, looking intently at Kikyo.

Kaede pipes in then, speaking directly to her sister. "Yes Kikyo. Ye must if ye wish for us to see the truth."

Kikyo stares into the fire again. I watch her take a small breath, which she doesn't really even need and then shut her mouth. She closes her eyes and exhales, another unnecessary motion, and then opens her eyes and stares into the fire once more.

"Inuyasha came when I summoned him 3 nights ago. We had much to speak of. Naraku has been dormant over the past month and I feel he is up to something underhanded. But that is of no use to us now. Because Inuyasha is gone."

I inhale sharply at her words, flinching slightly when she glances at me briefly before she shifts her eyes to fire again.

"You will recall there was a time when I myself wanted to lure Inuyasha to the depths of Hell so that we could be together. I expect you will find it hard to believe that I no longer wish for that outcome, but it is the truth. Hell is a realm of darkness and death, black magick and demons run rampant there. Inuyasha would hate it, stuck in the realm of evil incarnate. In fact, I suspect he does hate it there."

Suddenly silent, Kikyo grabs another log and shoves into the flames, movements precise yet slow. Then she turns her body towards Kaede.

"Sister, you realized from the beginning that my existence in the world of the living is a lie. My life now is stolen from not only Kagome, but from all the dead souls that I consume in order to walk this earth. I should in fact be dead, like the souls of the women within me, yet even now because of their use, they are not truly dead, as am I. Yet that is where the similarities between the souls and I differ. Before I was resurrected by the demon witch Urasue, I walked the path of the heavens. When released from my body, these souls within me shall do the same. Yet if I was to drain myself of their presence completely, my soul would not be sent down the same heavenly path. The black magick used to resurrect me has tainted my soul, and because of it, I would be forced to fall into the dark abyss of the Underworld.

The gods have been gracious enough to grant me the chance to end Naraku's life, so that in turn, my soul can be fully purified, and then released from Hell's grip. But until then, I act as a patron of the Underworld; free to walk amongst the realm of the living, yet ultimately a servant of the Darkness.

And even in my death, I am a rarity. Few people are ever bestowed with the powers that I have, as I keep my spiritual powers from life and also gain powers of the dead. I speak to the souls of the dead, control them, and I can also use their life essence to wield the ancient and primal magicks of both Heaven and Hell. It is both an honour and a curse, just as the Shikon no Tama once was to me."

While she speaks, I watch as Kikyo scans the small room, her eyes searching for something yet unable to find whatever she is looking for. Listening to her, I fail to see where Inuyasha's disappearance fits in.

"What does this have to do with Inuyasha?" My voice trembles slightly. This is the first time I've spoken since I've entered the hut. Out of the corner of my eye I see Sango look at me with sympathy in her eyes.

Kikyo's head jerks in my direction, eyes boring into my own.

"You asked me before where Inuyasha was." She speaks slowly. "Well, now you shall know. He's in the Underworld."

I continue to stare into her lifeless eyes, her most recent words echoing in my ears, uncomprehendingly. What? How did this happen? How did Inuyasha manage to get pulled into Hell? And what am I supposed to do without him here?

Kikyo's words finally manage to pierce my head, and after I finally realize their meaning, my knees fail underneath me. I drop to the ground, tears even now threatening to break free from eyelids. Sobbing, I hug Shippo to my chest, trying to find some sort of solace, trying not to let him see my tears. But how can anyone expect me to be strong right now?

And yet there's more. Kikyo's not done yet. There's more to this tragic story, and I'm going to have force myself to listen to it, because Kikyo's started speaking again.

"I didn't mean to do it." She whispers.

Shocked beyond words, I lift my head.

"I didn't mean to. You have to believe me. How was I to know what would happen when I tried to appease the Arch-demon? He wanted passage to the Underworld. He said the Prince of Darkness required his presence and as a servant of the Underworld, I was supposed to grant him passage. I'm not supposed to open the Gate for demons though, just the dead souls who are condemned to an afterlife of suffering. But he wouldn't listen. He grabbed me, threatened to end my life. A ridiculous notion don't you think? Ending the life of someone who has no true life at all?

Inuyasha of course tried to play the hero. Sword swinging he attempted to kill the demon in one foul swoop. Normally I would've taken care of the demon myself, except he was an Arch-demon. An extremely influential demon in the Underworld, so influential in fact, that killing him would put the balance of good and evil in jeopardy. I was fully prepared to banish him back except he released me and went for Inuyasha. Arch-demons are well known for their incredible strength in the Underworld, hence their titles. They hold a great amount of power, and they command other lesser demons. With the demon blood flowing in Inuyasha's veins, there was no way he could overcome the Arch-demon. So I opened the Gate.

Except I forgot. I forgot what would happen if I opened the Gate for reasons other than its purpose. I was so focused on saving Inuyasha that I forgot. There is always a price to pay when the rules governing the passage between realms are broken.

I didn't realize it until it was too late. But when the Arch-demon began laughing, that taunting laugh, I knew.

"How easy it was to fool you priestess." He said. "Perhaps now you will learn why love is such a useless emotion. You have just been tested. You have failed. And failure equates in punishment. So this half-breed is coming with me."

And he took Inuyasha. I couldn't stop him, not without killing him, not without breaking the bindings that hold this realm in place. The rules had been broken enough."

Kikyo finishes, her silence signalling the end of story. I stay stationary, unable to move, unwilling to accept her words.

Except then the ground starts shaking. And with everything that's gone on today, I really shouldn't be surprised, but I am. I mean it's like my world is both literally and figuratively falling apart now that Inuyasha is no longer a part of it. It's as if Mother Nature herself is mourning the loss of him alongside me, the tremors of the earth acting like disheartened sobs. And I sob with the earth in tandem.

For a second I think I hear Inuyasha's voice, faint amongst the rumblings of the earth beneath me, but still within reach.

"…Kagome…"

And I'm not sure why but the wonder that fills me, the hope that comes from those 3 indistinct little syllables compels me to open my eyes and pause in my grief.

But he's not there. Instead my eyes are turned towards Kikyo, who is still kneeling in front of the fire, unmoved like me even though the earthquake rages on. I barely register the others; Sango cradling Kirara to her chest, scrambling to get out of the hut, Miroku furiously putting out the fire before grabbing his staff, Kaede slowly but surely making her way towards the exit.

I almost forget that Shippo is still in my arms, yanking at my sleeves, screaming out loud with terror in his eyes. But I don't hear what he's saying, I can hardly make out my name on his lips. Because all I can focus on is Kikyo. All I can do is watch in utter horror and fascination as one lone tear slowly succumbs to the whims of gravity, making its way down her pale cheeks.

And for the life of me I can't seem to place blame. The world around me almost seems to stop moving; Shippo's practically moving in slow motion, still screaming at me, shivering in fright, burrowing himself into my chest as the ceiling above us starts to cave in. But I still can't move, because inside of my head everything is moving at a ridiculously fast pace. Kikyo's words are just whirling around, pounding at my skull and a part of me wants to scream at her for even existing, for putting Inuyasha in the horrible position he's in now. But I can't. And I won't. Because she legitimately tried to save him. And that tear, that lonesome tear that even now refuses to take the final step and drip right off her face tells me something. That she still loves him. She truly and honestly still loves him. And I can't do anything about it. Because I know for a fact that even though he's not here, no matter where he lies he still loves her too.

So I sob even harder. I sit there in my misery and cry for everything. I cry for Sango and Miroku as they attempt to save us from outside of the hut, and for Shippo knowing that he might not make it because of my paralyzing emotions. I cry for my family knowing that no one will be able to tell them why their daughter never came back from the Feudal era, and Kaede, because I don't know if she made it out of the hut alive. I even cry for Kikyo, because she has so much to be pitied for yet she can never bring herself to accept any of it. But most of all, I cry for myself. I selfishly cry for myself, for what is lost, for what will never be, for what I now know I can never have. I cry for Inuyasha.

That is until I hear it. Shippo's little cry of pain. And I realize that I have to do something. I have to get him out of here. He doesn't deserve to die because of me.

Shippo cries out again and squirms against me, poking his head up and yelling, "Kagome, you're burning!"

And then I understand. I feel the pain, a searing heat coming from my chest. Tears streaming down my face I try to get up, and then stumble backwards towards the wall. Shippo tumbles out of my arms, and runs towards me as the ceiling makes a horrible groaning noise and falls in.

But then a bright blue light surrounds us and fills the entire hut as I gasp, fumbling with the chain around my neck. Straining against what feels like burning flames I manage to successfully yank the chain out from under my uniform shirt, and watch in amazement as it begins to levitate off of my chest into the air, the source of all the blue light.

And then the light becomes blinding. I reach out to where I saw Shippo last, managing to grasp his tiny hand in my own. Pulling him towards me I cradle him with my body, trying to protect him as my feet somehow leave the ground and we get thrown into the air, bursting through the roof. And then I black out.

A/N: I didn't mean for this chapter to end the way it did: with a cliffhanger. In fact, there was a lot more that was supposed to be incorporated into this chapter, pretty much the entirety of the next chapter. But the words started flowing this way and I think I like this better than what I had planned. So just to note, the next chapter will be coming out shortly (a lot sooner than this update did), since this breakthrough of a chapter has managed to enthuse me. And also note the nicer format. I am getting the hang of this site, so I'll fix up the other chapters once this chapter is up.

Also, yes I know this chapter is ridiculously late. I'm a compulsive liar, what can I say? I'm just like Kagome in my new story, The Diary of a Transposer. (Nice segway, huh?) I encourage you all to check it out, it's a little dark but I'm really enjoying writing it.

I lie in wait for reviews.