Chapter 10- The Truth

'Inuyasha...'

Seeing him after all this time makes my heart ache, if only because I'm seeing him as the one who betrayed me so deeply. Then his words register in my mind and my body stiffens. I keep my head bowed, however, and hope he leaves soon. Hope he doesn't notice me.

"Inuyasha" I hear Sesshomaru drawl. His voice sounds...colder than usual.

"So, prick, where's this miko that was stupid enough to think she could call herself the Shikon Miko. The true Shikon Miko is by my side, where she was destined to be."

'Where she belongs? she belongs in the ground! She's dead'

"You will watch your tongue, half-breed" I hear the warning in Sesshomaru's voice and he shifts slightly in his chair.

"Yea yea. What's wrong with your wench there, Sesshomaru? She scared of me or somethin?"

If possible, my body stiffens even more and I try to calm my nerves and swiftly beating heart. I'd always planned on getting revenge, but it was always on my terms. When I chose to face him again. Not like this. Never like this.

"Hey wench! Pick yer head up already! I ain't gonna bite" Inuyasha teases.

"Don't call me wench, you pathetic half-demon" I spit out. I leave my head bowed, though, and wait for his reply. Will he recognize my voice? My hair? Sure it's longer, but it's still the odd blue-black that I've never seen on anyone else.

"Pathetic? I'll show you pathetic! I bet you ain't that good with your powers. Could never be as powerful as my mate, Kikyo here. If I can handle her, I can sure as hell handle some weak little wench like you!" He yells, putting emphasis on the word 'wench'.

Finally, my head snaps up at his words. He doesn't even know it's me and he's still comparing me to Kikyo. I meet his gaze with an angry glare and he steps back in surprise. At his side, Kikyo's cold, lifeless eyes bore into me, but my gaze doesn't leave Inuyasha's. He looks like he's seen a ghost, his eyes wide and a look of shock on his face.

"Your mate? I had no idea. Wish I could have been around to know earlier. Although, tell me Inuyasha, how is it you can mate with someone who's not even alive? She's made of clay. She's only here because of part of my soul and that of other women that have passed are keeping her body together" I don't raise my voice like he has, but keep it low, void of emotion like I've heard so many times from Sesshomaru.

"Kagome!" a bundle of fur flies across the table at me and almost knocks us backwards.

"Oh, Shippo! I haven't seen you in so long" I clutch him tightly to me, and I feel him clutching me too, rubbing his face in my hair and crying.

"M-mama I missed you so much!" He sobs.

"I missed you too, Shippo. I never wanted to leave you guys!" I pat his back and try getting him to stop crying, rocking him gently and speaking soft words in his ear.

"Kagome!"

"Oh, Sango! Miroku!"

"Miko" I swing my gaze from my friends and lock my eyes with Sesshomaru's golden ones. "Perhaps we should continue this...reunion in private."

I look around and finally remember everyone else is there. A couple of the demoness's are looking in fearful curiosity at Miroku's robes and staff, and Sango's weapon Hiraikotsu. Katsuo is watching us with an interested expression, as though we're amusing him.

'Glad my life is so amusing to you' I think bitterly.

I stand with Shippo still locked in my embrace and walk with the others to the study, Sesshomaru in the front with me, Sango and Miroku behind us, and Kikyo and Inuyasha trudging along in the back. Inuyasha's expression hasn't changed from the shock of seeing me and Kikyo just glares at me the whole time. When we finally make it to the study, the tension is so thick you could probably cut through it with a knife. We walk into the study and the minute the door closes Kikyo walks right up to me, so close I have to either step back or allow her to be pressed up to me.

"Couldn't have one brother so you go for the other?" she sneers down at me.

I raise my brow and push her back by stepping even closer. She stumbles back into Inuyasha who had been watching us closely.

"Kagome...you didn't have to leave us. We understood why you wanted to find a way to unseal the well so bad. We didn't mind helping you" I hear Miroku say, stepping between me and Kikyo.

I snap my eyes up to meet his in surprise.

"Why do you guys think I left?" I ask him quietly.

"Inuyasha came back with Kikyo one night. He told us he tried to stop you from leaving but that you wouldn't listen. That you thought you were burdening us with your quest to find an answer to the well" the rings on his staff jingle as he turns slightly to face Inuyasha.

"Do you want to know what really happened?" I grate out between clenched teeth.

"I knew that wasn't the reason mama!" Shippo declares, jumping from my arms to stand close to my feet, grasping my kimono tightly and looking at Inuyasha with distrust.

"Inuyasha...traded me. For her" I tell them, glaring over at Kikyo before sliding my gaze to Sesshomaru and telling the story to him. I sigh before continuing.

"I woke up when it was dark and realized I'd been shackled in a wagon. I'd thought Inuyasha was going to save me when I figured out he was there. No, he was there to trade me. Trade me into the fighting arena where I was trained in how to use my powers and how to handle all sorts of weapons. I'd been there for a year before you finally got me out" I say to him. Lowering my voice, I add; "Thank you."

"Kagome..." I notice Sango out of the corner of my eye. She has a hand pressed to her mouth as she takes a small step towards me. Sesshomaru growls, and she stops immediately. "We had no idea...I'm so sorry we didn't think to look for you!"

"Slayer" I hear Sesshomaru growl out "take the monk and kit. Go wait in Kagome's room. A servant is outside the door to take you there."

"I'm not leaving Kagome!" Shippo yells up at Sesshomaru, clinging tighter to my kimono.

"I said go kit" Sesshomaru snarls down at him.

"Hey! Don't threaten him!" I say as I move between him and Shippo. "That's my kit."

"Miko" He turns his head up and I finally look at him fully. His body is so stiff and still, he looks like a statue.

"Shippo, sweety, go with them please. I'll bet Rin is in the gardens playing. Maybe if you ask Sango and Miroku they'll take you there instead and you can play with her" I tell him as I bend down to his level and hug him once more.

"You won't leave again?" he whispers sadly, gazing into my eyes with his green orbs so full of emotion it breaks my heart.

"I'll never leave you again, Shippo. Now go play" I give him a small push in Sango's direction and stand back up. They leave for the gardens and I sigh when the door closes. I'd missed them so much the year I was gone, dreams of our travels and their faces had tormented my dreams every night.

"Kagome" I swing around to meet Inuyasha's gaze and he has an expectant look on his face.

"What?" I ask angrily.

"Now that you're stronger, you gonna come back? Be my concubine. Maybe you're not as strong as Kikyo, but that's 'cause she's the Shikon Miko and you're just her copy."

Did he really just say that?

"First of all, no! I'm not going to just run back to you! You betrayed me Inuyasha! And second of all she lost the title of Shikon Miko when she died! She's dead, gone, made of clay, held together mainly by a part of my spirit. When are you finally going to accept that?!" I screech at him. I don't realize until he takes a step back that I'd been walking towards him during my rant and that in my anger I'd unknowingly summoned up my powers and my skin is glowing blue.

"Keh. No need to purify me I was just wonderin'!" He glares at me. A barrier appears around him and I slowly turn to Kikyo, who stands smirking at me.

"If you're so powerful, Kagome, prove it. Take down my barrier."

I notice Sesshomaru take a step towards her while she's focused on me and he jerks her to face him, his hand on her throat. I know she's never been trained to use her powers like I have, she can infuse arrows with her powers and create barriers but she cannot just bring her powers into her hands. Sesshomaru's hand glows green and Kikyo lets out a scream. Behind me, Inuyasha is pounding on the barrier she's put around him and yelling at Sesshomaru to let her go. He doesn't listen, however, and simply crushes her throat in his hand. The rest of her body cracks and breaks apart into pieces, the clay falling to the ground and then crumbling to ash. A small ball of light hovers over the ashes for moments before shooting into me and I gasp as the rest of my soul returns to me. The hollow feeling inside me lessens by a great deal, and I heave a sigh of relief. The feeling doesn't fully leave me, however, and I furrow my brows in confusion.

I look behind me to see how Inuyasha is taking it, as he's stopped yelling and almost die of shock when I see no tear was shed. He's standing still, shaking, and his eyes seem to glow. It only lasts a moment and when it's over he looks at me with...shock and horror?

"It wasn't me, Kagome" he whispers before crumpling to the ground unconscious.

Someone requested my chapters be longer. I've been trying to keep them around the same length but would you guys prefer I make them longer?