Chapter Twelve:

There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea,

You became the light on the dark side of me.

Love remains a drug that's the high and not the pill.

But did you know,

That when it snows,

My eyes become large and,

The light that you shine can be seen…

The sky had grown very dark during the time spent in the gym and the air held a bitter chill that burnt bare skin and caused exposed limbs to tremble. Just a gush of night air and already Kagome felt the pins and needles poke at her exposed flesh. What was going on? Where was Kikyo? She was so confused that she hardly realized she was still being carried.

Finally the thick calloused hand over her mouth and the strong muscular arm around her waist, trapping her arms at her sides, registered into her mind and she realized what was happening. Her body began to struggle against the restraint of that arm, legs kicking while her body and head tried to thrash. But stuck between the coiling strength of that arm and the brick wall-like sturdiness of the body it belonged to it was no use to fight against it. But still Kagome tried, even when their movement ceased and she could see others like the one that held her around her.

There were two of them, both simply standing there with scowls on their rugged faces. To say they were threateningly huge would be an understatement; the men were like walking billboards for steroids they were so muscular and bulky-looking. With bald-shaved heads and military like stances with impeccable posture, they looked like a duo of Neo-Nazis, they were both even dressed alike; dark jeans and black t-shirts under black leather jackets left unzipped and open, Kagome could only assume that the third, who currently held her, looked the same.

But Kagome's attention was drawn away from the men and off to her side where another one stood holding back a very stoic looking Kikyo. It was strange; Kikyo was just standing there staring at the two other men that stood before them as if this were all no big deal. She looked unthreatened by them, even amused over this whole situation. Her mouth was uncovered yet she wasn't screaming. Why wasn't she screaming?

But despite her uncaring expression, Kagome could see something behind Kikyo's cold brown eyes that turned her blood to ice; she was afraid. Kagome could tell it wasn't just the cold that had Kikyo's body trembling and that terrified her. Why was Kikyo so afraid? True, having two strange men grab you and drag you around to the back of your school, where you just happened to be very isolated, to two other men was some cause for alarm. But then why wasn't Kikyo fighting? Why was she just standing there as if waiting for something?

"Hello girls." A voice from the shadows called out, calling Kagome's attention.

Eyes would shift and head would turn, just as much as her captor would allow, to see two figures leaning up against the brick building off in the shadows. One figure shifted and moved forward, stepping into the dim light cast into the back of the school by an old street lamp located there; this was where school deliveries were handled so although the lighting wasn't stupendous, it was enough to see in front of you.

The first figure was a rather attractive Asian woman whom, for no particular reason, held an elaborately designed hand fan which she used to fan herself despite the lack of need for a breeze. Her other hand was pushed into the pocket of her puffy white coat and despite the short and rather right maroon colored skirt she wore she seemed unfazed by the cold. She was certainly a very strange woman, but the strangest thing about her was her eyes, they were such a dark shade of brown that they looked red, like the color of blood. One look from those eyes mixed with the smug, almost cruel expression upon her beautiful face was enough to make Kagome's heart pang and Kikyo's blood boil.

"I'm glad you both could make it to this little get together of mine." The voice from the shadows continued, a dark chuckle leaving his lips and for reasons unknown to her, Kagome could feel herself begin to panic, there was just something so dark behind that voice, something so evil.

"Naraku." Kikyo spat as if the name left a disgusting taste in her mouth.

Kagome's eyes widened as she looked upon the man in the shadows, the man named Naraku. She knew the name, but as he stepped out of the shadows slowly, almost as if formed by the darkness itself, as he stepped into the light, this was the first time Kagome had ever saw the man. This was the man that the entire group hated; the cruel and evil man that Kagome was told about and as she looked into those cold dark eyes Kagome knew that none of what she had been told was a lie, she could see the malice behind them, the cruel and evil intentions and she knew both she and Kikyo were in trouble.

----------------------------------------------------

A puff of smoke left parted lips in the form of a sigh as Ginta leaned against the bathroom wall, his head tilted back and his eyed upon the florescent lights of the ceiling above him. The boys locker room in the middle of a school dance in the gym was probably not the smartest place to get high, but to Hakkaku and Ginta any place that was slightly secluded was an a-okay place to light up; the large handicap stall in the bathroom area of the locker room fit their requirements perfectly. Besides, it wasn't during school hours so it wasn't like getting busted was very likely anyway.

Another drag and a puff of smoke and Ginta handed the blunt over to Hakkaku who brought it to his lips and drew in deeply, holding it for a moment before releasing it with a sigh. Sure being potheads wasn't one of their admirable qualities and they were always getting hassled by Inuyasha and Miroku to give it up, but it seemed that their "bad habit" would payoff admirably on that night as the sound of the locker room door crashing against the wall followed by footsteps and voices could be heard.

"Would you stop bitching already?" One of the voices, obviously male, said. He sounded very annoyed and oddly familiar.

Ginta looked to Hakkaku and moved his lips as if to say something but Hakkaku quickly hushed his brother as he past him back the blunt. That seemed to be all the persuasion Ginta needed because he followed his brother's example and was silent as he took a drag from the weed-filled cigar roll.

"I just don't think any of this is a good idea, what if we get caught; we could get arrested for this." Another voice said, also male, sounding shaky and nervous. This voice was very familiar as well.

"Stop being such a pussy, we'll be fine, Naraku's got connections in the police department." The first boy reasoned.

At the mention of Naraku's name, Ginta nearly choked on the smoke in his mouth but managed to swallow it down and keep silent. He took on a comically nauseous look and quickly passed the blunt over to Hakkaku who was too interested in the conversation and merely held it between his fingers as he listened on.

"But…" The shaky voice began but paused. "We're not gonna hurt them, right?" The second boy questioned.

"You smell that?" The first boy said, seemingly avoiding the second boy's question. "Smells like someone lit one up in here."

Ginta and Hakkaku looked down to the blunt then up at each other. Shrugging, Hakkaku took another drag from it causing Ginta to shove him slightly as he gestured toward the toilet, silently telling him to die it out. But Hakkaku pretended not to understand and just took another drag, much to the annoyance of his brother who gave him a silent slap to the back of the head.

"Don't change the subject!" The other boy stated in distress.

"C'mon man," The first boy laughed. "Do you honestly think I'd hurt Kagome?"

Both Ginta and Hakkaku's eyes widened as they looked to one another, Hakkaku actually dropping the blunt from between his fingers. Kagome was in trouble, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

"No, but do you think Naraku would hurt Kikyo?" The other boy asked.

"I doubt it; he's still got this thing for her." The first boy explained. "Feel better now? Jesus it's time; we gotta go meet Naraku around back." The sound of the locker room door opening and closing was heard, signaling the two boys had left.

Slowly, Ginta and Hakkaku emerged from the bathroom stall, their bloodshot eyes wide in disbelief. Had they really just heard all of that, or was this some sort of elaborate hallucination? After all, sometimes weed did crazy shit to the mind. The brother's wished that was it, but they knew better; weed didn't mess with your mind that much, not their stuff anyway. Both Kagome and Kikyo were in trouble and what was worse was who was behind it.

"Please tell me that wasn't just…" Hakkaku began but he couldn't bear to finish the sentence.

"Yeah." Ginta confirmed it with a defeated nod of his head. "C'mon, we gotta go get the others."

"But…" Hakkaku paused. He was torn; he knew that they had to save Kagome and Kikyo but… "He's our-"

"I know." Ginta interrupted with a sigh. "Blood is thicker then water, but not when the blood is tainted." Hakkaku nodded and without even stepping on the forgotten blunt, both boys rushed out of the locker room and into the crowded gym.

----------------------------------------------------

"What the hell do you want?" Kikyo growled as she glared coldly at Naraku who simply stood in front of them. He wore such a mocking smirk, as if Kikyo's anger amused him and it seemed to only further irritate Kikyo.

Kagome on the other hand didn't know what to feel. She was angry yes, but she was also very afraid and extremely confused. What was going on? Why had Naraku's lackeys grabbed them? What the hell was going on?! A million questions were buzzing around in her head and she would have demanded an answer for every one of them if not for the man who held her captive having his hand over her mouth.

"My, my Kikyo, you've certainly gotten very rude over the years." Naraku stated with a little chuckle.

"Go to hell!" Kikyo shouted as she lunged forward as if to attack Naraku but was stopped by the man who held her.

It was then as Kikyo struggled to get at Naraku, who seemed very amused by Kikyo's actions, that Kagome noticed two boys rounding the corner of the building and coming up behind Naraku. Kagome's heart fluttered at the sight of them; Koga and Hojo, surely they would help them.

"You're late." Naraku stated simply, not bothering to look back at the two.

Kagome's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach and her eyes grew wide. 'No, it can't be. It can't be!' It couldn't be true, Koga and Hojo weren't her best friends, but they would never do such a thing to her, they weren't like that, they weren't that cruel. But as Koga stepped to Naraku's side, his cold eyes focused upon her, there was no doubt in Kagome's mind that he was apart of all this. Her eyes shifted to Hojo who stood slightly behind Koga, his head was bowed as if in shame and he seemed to purposely be avoiding her eyes.

"Sorry, we got a bit held up." Koga said softly, briefly taking his eyes off Kagome to look at Naraku.

"You bastards." Kikyo spat as she shot fire with her eyes at Koga and Hojo. Hojo still had his eyes on the ground and seemed to be working very hard to try and pretend he wasn't there, but Koga wore a smug smirk as he looked to Kikyo.

"Nice to see you too Kikyo." He stated smugly before turning his attention to Kagome as he approached her. It was then that Kagome's mouth was freed; the large man's hands instead going to the outside of either of her arms to hold her back. "You look pretty tonight Kagome."

He smirked as his hand rose and his fingers ran down the side of her cheek. She jerked her head away from his touch as if it had burnt her, her sapphire eyes staring up at him hatefully. How could he do this to her? How could he do this to Kikyo? 'How could he? How could he?' Over and over the question repeated inside her mind and with each time it was asked Kagome become angrier until she could no longer take. In a rather daring move, considering the position she was in, Kagome lashed out her foot and kicked at Koga. But his reflexes were quick and he managed to avoid her attack.

"Hey now!" Koga smirked as he stood just out of reach of her legs. But he came forward shortly after, quickly placing his leg between hers and stepping between them to avoid another attack, trapping Kagome between his body and the body of the man who held her. His hand reached up and grasped Kagome's chin, forcing her to look up at his face as he looked down at her. "That wasn't very nice." He mumbled in such a dark and seductive way that it made Kagome's stomach turn.

"Get away from her." Kikyo growled darkly, calling Koga's attention briefly. He just smirked at the other girl as she glared so hatefully at him, he even laughed, darkly and cruelly.

Koga looked back to Kagome then up at the man who held her and nodded as if to confirm something. The man released Kagome's arms but she hardly had time to notice for just as the man released her, Koga grasped her hands roughly and held them up as he shoved her backwards right into the brick wall behind her. The air was knocked from Kagome lungs due to the impact and she gasped as her body hit the hard surface, sandwiched between it and Koga's own body. His hands held hers against the wall over her head and his body had managed to push between her legs so there was no way to fight him. But Kagome tried any, twisting and pushing her upper body against his but this only made Koga laugh.

"Get off of her!" Kikyo screamed over Kagome's own screams which became muffled as Koga's mouth came down against hers.

Kikyo fought more wildly against the hold of the man who held her; kicking and lunging her body forward, twisting and turning, trying to get away. But all her efforts were to no avail and she could only watch as Koga's vial lips touched those of the girl she loved. She felt tears of anger sting her eyes, felt her heart ache as she realized she could do nothing, that against this man's strength hers meant nothing. This feeling of total helplessness, it was so familiar to her, but it was so new to Kagome and it was a feeling Kikyo had never wanted anyone else, especially Kagome, to feel. That was what hurt the most; she couldn't protect Kagome from it.

"Poor Kikyo." Naraku's voice broke Kikyo from her thoughts and she turned angry eyes up to him as she held back her tears. She would never let him see her cry. "It brings back so many memories doesn't it Kikyo?" He said cooingly as if to comfort her, but he was mocking her, she knew it and it pissed her off.

"Go to hell." She said through clenched teeth.

Her attention turned back to Kagome and her heart dropped into her stomach as she watched Koga's hand pulling at the buttons of Kagome's vest. One of her hands was free and it was hitting him any where it could reach, clawing at the exposed flesh of his face and neck as she screamed at him, demanding he "let her go" and "get away" from her. But no matter how hard she hit him or how much she scratched him, Koga just looked so smug and amused, swatting her hands away as he opened her vest and tore down her tank top to expose her bra covered breasts. It didn't matter how much she screamed, no one was around to hear them and the booming music inside silenced her cries to anyone inside.

"I said let her go, God damn you!" Kikyo screamed as she fought harder at the man's hold who seemed to be having quite a hard time holding her back.

"Hey!" Naraku cut in, shouting angrily as he grabbed Kikyo's face roughly and forced her to look up at him. He seemed very annoyed at the fact that Kikyo was ignoring him. "Pay attention Kikyo." He seemed to calm down there and smirked. "Then again you never were good at paying attention; such a smart girl but so dim-witted at the same time." He chuckled and shook his head.

"Fuck you." Kikyo growled before gathering all the saliva she had in her mouth and spitting it right into his face.

Naraku hardly flinched, simply reached up and wiped the spit from his face with his hand before reaching down to wipe it from his hand, rubbing it right against the jean fabric over Kikyo's thigh. He smirked all the while and Kikyo just glared, still trying to get away from the man that held her. But her movements were ceased as Naraku's firm hand made contact with her cheek, knocking her right to the ground as the man released her. Her mind span and her vision blurred and darkness would have taken her if not for the sound of Naraku's voice as he loomed over her; lying between her thighs as he held her hands over her head against the ground.

"Poor, poor Kikyo, brings back memories doesn't it?" Naraku cooed close to her ear as he lay atop her. "Is this how your daddy used to hold you on those nights he snuck into your bedroom?" He chuckled as he pulled back and stared down at Kikyo's face. The tears she had been holding back now ran freely down the sides of her face as she stared up at him blankly. "Poor Kikyo; so tainted, so betrayed and so very foolish.

"Silly girl, didn't you know that no matter how much a boy swears to keep a secret he'll always go to his best friend for advice?" He continued and at that Kikyo's eyes widened and Naraku's smirk darkened. "It's amazing the things you overhear when trying to sell a few dimes." (Note: Dimes Dime bags 10oz of weed each One blunt each Weed wrapped in a cigar roll. Get it? Got it. Good.)

It was a day that wasn't unlike any other day; nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be going on yet Miroku couldn't help but feel that something just wasn't right. Now Inuyasha was never what one could consider cheerful or one to socialize but he usually offered up some means of conversation, even if it was just some sort of sarcastic remark here and there. But today he had been completely silent; not saying a word during class or even at lunch and though Miroku didn't know what was troubling his friend he could sense it was something big.

So when Inuyasha had asked him to meet him in the boys bathroom after lunch, Miroku hadn't hesitated to agree to do just that. It was more then obvious that Inuyasha needed to talk and Miroku was curious to see what had his friend in such a strange state.

After receiving the pass from his teacher Miroku had headed to the bathroom and waited for Inuyasha to arrive. He did so shortly after Miroku did and much to his surprise, Inuyasha seemed quite worked-up. As if he had been saving up his emotions all day and was finally ready to release them all in one foul swoop.

His limbs were shaking as if he was desperately trying to hold in a humungous amount of rage; he looked ready to lash out and start punching the first person or thing he could get his hands on. His eyes were wide and on fire, burning with the intense anger he felt inside and his jaw was clenched tightly. To say he looked like a madman would be an understatement; he looked positively insane and it was making Miroku feel uneasy.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" Miroku asked carefully, his concern clearly shown in his voice.

"I don't know what to do." He rambled as he stalked back and forth across the bathroom floor; pacing. He was trying to calm himself down but it obviously wasn't working. "I just don't know what to do. I'll fucking kill the bastard if I ever see him again. I'll fucking kill him!" At that statement Inuyasha turned and punched the nearest wall, the hard concrete surface breaking the skin over his knuckles and perhaps even the bone beneath it but Inuyasha seemed unfazed, he was so enraged that the pain didn't even seem to register.

"What are you talking about?" Miroku demanded as he grabbed his friend and led him over to the sink. He turned on the cold water and forced Inuyasha's hand beneath the liquid, causing Inuyasha to wince but he held it there, gripping the edge of the sink as he stared down angrily at his bloody knuckles, which had already begun to swell, as if they were the cause for all his rage. "What the hell's going on Inuyasha?"

"She made me swear I'd never tell anyone, but…" Inuyasha paused and sighed in a defeated manner. "I don't know what else to do."

"Just tell me Inuyasha, what's going on?" Miroku asked again as he watched his friend closely. Whatever it was, was troubling Inuyasha deeply, that went without saying.

Miroku just didn't understand it; the other night Inuyasha had been so happy, so confident and so sure. He was finally going to tell Kikyo how he felt about her and was going to ask her to be his girlfriend. But Inuyasha didn't seem like a guy who had just sealed the deal with the girl he loved. He looked miserable, as if his world had shattered and was falling to pieces around him.

"It's Kikyo." He sighed as he turned off the faucet and leaned more firmly against the sink, his head bowed and his eyes staring intently at the drain as if he were looking for something. "She… her… he…" He paused multiple times, as if unable to say it. "Her father's been raping her."

At the revelation Miroku nearly fell over. His eyes went wide and his face went pale as he stared in disbelief at his friend. There was no way that could be true, Kikyo's father raping her? Miroku had known the man since he was a little boy, so had Inuyasha, they all had. He was always such a nice man, always smiling and telling jokes. Could he really have done something so horrible to Kikyo?

But judging by the look in Inuyasha's eyes; the anger over not being able to do anything, the guilt over not being able to see what was right there in front of his face, it was clear that this was no joke or misunderstanding. It was no wonder he was so angry, Miroku himself could feel rage brewing deep inside him. How dare that man do something so horrible to Kikyo, the sick bastard!

"My God…" It was all Miroku could think to say, this was all just too much. "That's why her mother kicked him out." He concluded, causing Inuyasha to nod.

"Yeah, only now she's taken off on Kikyo." Inuyasha's jaw clenched as if he were growing angrier by the second, and rightfully so.

"What?" Miroku gasped. "She left Kikyo?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha shook his head. "The bitch just picked up and left her with her grandmother. God damn it!" He growled clenching the edge of the sink so hard that it was turning his swollen knuckles white. "What am I suppose to do Miroku?" He looked helplessly toward his friend.

"Firstly; we go kick the son of a bitch's ass." Miroku answered clenching his own fists.

"I already tired." Inuyasha sighed. "The bastard left town." Miroku sighed as well, leaning against the sink beside Inuyasha.

"There's only one thing you can do now Inuyasha." Miroku stated wisely as he reached over and gripped his friend's shoulder in a comforting manner. "And that's be there for her. That's all any of us can do."

Inuyasha looked up to Miroku and gave a slight nod. Miroku was right and Inuyasha knew that; all he could do now was be there for Kikyo and try to help her through all of this. But that didn't ease his guilt nor satisfy his need to avenge the honor of the girl he loved. He wanted to track her father down and squeeze the life out of him, wanted to kill the bastard for hurting Kikyo all those years. Maybe that would make up for him never seeing it. Maybe that would not only put Kikyo's heart at ease but ease the guilt Inuyasha felt. Maybe. But it didn't matter, because all he could do was stand beside Kikyo and offer his comfort. But maybe, just maybe, that would honestly be enough. Maybe.

"You're right." Inuyasha nodded again and sighed. "I'll stand by her through it all. I won't let her go through this alone." Inuyasha's voice was full of determination and it made Miroku smile softly.

"That's it man." Miroku nodded as he released Inuyasha's shoulder. "C'mon, we gotta get back to class." Neither boy was in the mood to sit through another class, not with all of this on their mind, but they had no choice.

"Alright." Inuyasha paused. "Miroku, what I told you doesn't leave this bathroom. You tell no one, not even Sango." Miroku nodded in agreement and both boys headed out of the bathroom.

As the door closed an eerie silence filled the bathroom, at least until the soft thud of feet echoed through the room as a figure stepped from behind the shield of the handicap stall. The door to the stall had been open so neither Inuyasha nor Miroku thought to check inside; this was clearly a mistake for now Naraku stood in the doorway to the stall.

He was no longer in middle school but Naraku would often sneak inside the school from time to time to sell his drugs to the students. Everyone knew that, but Inuyasha had been so distraught and Miroku so overwhelmed and confused that neither had realized there could be someone listening in on their conversation and judging by the evil little grin that formed on Naraku's smug face, this had been a grave mistake indeed.

"Interesting." Naraku chuckled as he arms crossed over his chest. "I've got you now Kikyo, you and your little boyfriend."

----------------------------------------------------

School dances had always been something Frankie had enjoyed; she always had fun at them. There was just something about being surrounded by your friends dancing and acting silly that just got the adrenaline rushing. True it wasn't the most exciting thing, after all there were always the teachers that mingled within the crowd to make sure the students behaved and the police stationed at the far corner near the school; they did pose a threat when it came to having a good time, but Frankie always managed to have fun.

But that night was different; though Frankie should have been having a grand old time at this dance she herself had had a hand in setting up; she was not having a good time at all. Inuyasha was always at the back of her mind, plaguing her thoughts and turning her smile into a frown. She was so angry at him; his ignorance and his pure stupidity. She had only been trying to help Kikyo and he had the nerve to be mad at her. If he really loved Kikyo then it should have been enough for him just to see her happy, even if it meant seeing her with someone else. That was what it was like for Frankie; watching Inuyasha pine over Kikyo, all the while just smiling and supporting him.

She was angry, but more so she was sad. Even though she didn't think it was right that Inuyasha was so angry at her it still made her sad to see the anger in his eyes directed at her. True, Frankie had ticked Inuyasha off on many occasions and he had given her that angry glare of his, but the situation with Kikyo had been different. There was anger in his eyes, but there was also hurt and to think that she had been the one to hurt Inuyasha tore Frankie's heart in two.

People formed all around Frankie as she stood at the beverage table and drank the Coke she had gotten; all laughing and having a good time while she wallowed in her misery. It wasn't like Frankie to act like this; down and depressed, but she just couldn't help it. She wanted to pound Inuyasha's face in, yet at the exact same time she wanted to curl up and cry. But instead she stood there in a daze as she stared off into the crowd of students.

Was this what it would be like from now on? Would she and Inuyasha just act like nothing had ever happened and stand awkwardly in each others presence only when they needed to? She didn't want it to end like this, but it was Inuyasha's call now. She had done all she could and quite frankly, Frankie was sick of trying to fix everything. All it ever did was blow up in her face anyway.

"Hey." A voice broke Frankie from her thoughts and her head would snap to the side to spot Inuyasha standing next to her.

"Hey." Frankie replied flatly as she looked away and sipped at her Coke.

"Having fun?" He asked awkwardly as he stood beside her, his hands in his pockets.

"A ball." She retorted sarcastically but still so flatly.

"Listen Frankie;" Inuyasha began as he turned to look at her. "I-"

"It's okay Inuyasha." Frankie cut him off, still staring as if dazed into the dancing crowd in front of them. "I get it." She sighed and forced a little smile as she turned her head and looked up at him. "You love her; Kikyo's all you've ever wanted and all you're probably ever going to want." She bit her lip and bowed her head, looking away from him. "So I get why you're so mad at me for doing what I did. But…" She paused and sighed again. "Kikyo is my friend;" Again Frankie paused and looked up at Inuyasha. "All I ever wanted was for her to be happy and… to help you move on."

"No Frankie, I-"

"Inuyasha!" Again, and much to his annoyance, Inuyasha was cut off. His head turned to see Hakkaku and Ginta rushing up to him.

"Not now guys, I'm busy." He growled before looking back to Frankie who looked at him briefly before looking toward Ginta and Hakkaku.

"Oh God." Frankie wrinkled her nose and grimaced. "You two reek of weed."

"What?" Inuyasha looked toward the brothers whose eyes were wide and red as they tried frantically to catch their breath and speak but it just wasn't working. Apparently they had run around the gym looking for Inuyasha. "You two potheads got high?" Inuyasha growled. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

"Inuyasha-" Ginta gasped out but Inuyasha was having none of that.

"Are you two dense?" Inuyasha cut him off. "Has that shit killed all your brain cells already?"

"Inuyasha-!" Hakkaku cried through his pants but still Inuyasha was not listening.

"You two are gonna get yourselves suspended and have the dances banned!"

"Inuyasha!" Ginta screamed this time, this catching Inuyasha's attention as he was taken aback.

"Kikyo… and… Kagome… are in… trouble!" Hakkaku gasped out, finally catching his breath enough to speak out a sentence.

Inuyasha's eyes went wide as did Frankie's as they stared at the brothers. They were high, so they could have just been delusional. But they looked so frantic, so much so that neither Frankie nor Inuyasha could dismiss what they had said. Frankie looked to Inuyasha with wide eyes as he looked back at her; this was bad.

"Oh shit." Frankie mumbled.

----------------------------------------------------

Kikyo's heart panged in her chest as her eyes stared up at the dark night sky, wide and dazed. All the years of hate directed at the closest friend she had ever had, it had all been a lie. The hate that had burned into her very being, misdirected by simply jumping to conclusions. Could it really be true? Could it really all have been for nothing? Had she really gone so long hating the wrong person?

It made her sick to her stomach, made the tears that already streamed down the side of her face continue to fall. All these years she had hated Inuyasha for nothing. All these years she had shunned him and the others for nothing, had forced herself to go through all the heartache alone. All for nothing.

She had been a fool, so blind for such a long time and it was all at the fault of this man who lay atop her. Why then wasn't she fighting him? She was looking straight up into his eyes and felt so much hate and anger directed toward him. Yet still she just lay there and stared up at him as if trapped in a daze, lost in a memory.

It was his eyes; those two cold grey slates that stared down at her. They were so heartless, so detached in such a menacing way. She knew that look; it had been a look cast over her on countless occasions in the past. It was his look; the look that had been in his eyes the first time he had violated her and every time after that. It was a look that had frozen Kikyo back then and was freezing her now, only allowing her body to tremble from fear and the cold.

She was so dazed and shaken by that look that she didn't even realize she was screaming. But wait, it wasn't her that was screaming like that. "Get away! Get away from her!" Those words were not leaving her lips in ear-splitting and pain-filled shrieks. Kikyo's head turned and her eyes rose to look up at Kagome; it was she who was screaming, she who was fighting with all her might to get away. But it was not for her own sake, it was for Kikyo's.

Somehow she had gotten out of Koga's grip and was now screaming at Naraku who smirked at her coldly as Koga fought desperately to try and regain control of her. But Kagome could not be stilled; she fought like a wild animal against Koga's hold, forgetting all about her torn and disheveled clothes and the awful predicament she was in. Her attention was solely upon saving Kikyo, upon doing what Kikyo would not do for herself and not allow anyone else to do for her for so long.

It broke Kikyo's heart to see Kagome like this; she looked so helpless yet so desperate and determined. Tears were streaming down her face but they were not tears for herself, they were tears for Kikyo. She was looking straight down at Kikyo, screaming at Naraku and fighting against Koga and it all just broke Kikyo's heart in half.

"Get off of her! Get away! Let me go you son of a bitch!" Kagome shrieked at Naraku then at Koga who was obviously getting frustrated. But the last straw only came when Kagome raised her arm and curled it, swinging her elbow back right into Koga's cheek.

"You bitch!" Koga yelled as he grabbed Kagome by the hair and pulled her back.

He swung Kagome backwards, sending her flying into the brick wall behind them with a hard thud and a loud crack as the back of Kagome's head hit the hard brick. Kikyo's eyes widened as Kagome's dazed and rolled back before closing as her body folded into itself and fell to the side and hit the concrete with another loud thud and a crack as her temple hit the hard ground. Kagome did not rise to her feet and lunge at Koga nor Naraku for another attack, she didn't even try; she just lay there on the ground, unmoving. At that moment, time seemed to stop for Kikyo.

Hojo had panicked and taken off running as Kagome lay motionless on the ground. Koga seemed to also be panicking but he did not move, just stared down at Kagome with wide and wild eyes. Naraku's lackeys hadn't even flinched, just continued to stand there as Naraku himself began to laugh. As cruel and heartless as ever, Naraku laughed but Kikyo couldn't even hear that as she stared for what seemed like an eternity at Kagome's unmoving body.

She did not notice when the weight of Naraku's body left hers or when Koga was tackled to the ground. She did not see Inuyasha punching and kicking at Naraku or Miroku wrestling with Koga on the ground or Sesshoumaru taking down one of Naraku's lackeys as Ginta took another and Hakkaku took the other while Frankie and Sango ganged up on the other. She did not see Rin at Kagome's side, holding her head in her lap not caring that the blood was staining her skirt. All Kikyo saw was Kagome.

All she cared about was Kagome as she rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself onto her hands and knees and crawled over to her beloved. She said nothing; she did not scream nor curse as she grasped Kagome's upper arms and pulled her limp body against her, letting Kagome's bleeding head rest on her chest. She did not notice the way Rin cried or hear her questioning Kikyo's well being. All Kikyo could hear was her own heartbeat thudding in her ears as she stared down at Kagome's beautiful face which had lost its healthy glow and gone pale.

She stared at those eyelids for the longest time, as if waiting for them to open but they never did. She didn't notice that she was sobbing, didn't care that her own lip was bleeding from the cut Naraku had given her when he hit her. Nothing else seemed to matter as Kikyo clutched Kagome's body against her own and sobbed as she caressed her beautiful face, unaware that she was begging in choked sobs for Kagome to open her eyes.

----------------------------------------------------

With a crash, Sesshoumaru drove the head of one of Naraku's lackeys into the nearby dumpster, moving on as the man fell limp to the ground. He rushed to the aid of Frankie and Sango, who apparently didn't need his assistance. Sango had jumped onto the man's back, her arms wrapped around his neck, choking him and refusing to let go even as he pulled viciously at her hair. Frankie was punching and kicking him, trying to make him go down which he eventually did due to lack of oxygen and the pummeling of Frankie. But he didn't go down before giving both Sango and Frankie a healthy amount of bruises and scrapes.

Ginta and Hakkaku had also teamed up against the two men that were left and though they weren't the biggest and strongest of guys, they were quick, even when under the influence. They dodged most of the attacks of the two men with ease, switching from one to the other with surprising skill and united coordination as they through kicks and punches. It was like a dance to them, like something out of the movies; spinning and ducking as the other threw a punch and the other threw a kick. The two were living proof that some twins were just completely in sync. Eventually they had both men down on the ground and were kicking them repeatedly to keep them there. Naraku's lackeys might have had an advantage in height, but as one after the other was taken down it became evident that the saying "the bigger they are the harder they fall" was very true, at least in this case.

Miroku was busy with Koga and both seemed to be a fair match. They had long since risen to their feet and were throwing punch after punch, driving each other back and forth as each one tried to bring the other to his knees. But Koga was already quite winded after the little scuffle with Kagome so in the end Miroku again had him on the ground, punching him over and over until he eventually ceased his movements and stopped fighting.

Inuyasha seemed to be having the hardest time, but he had made it quite clear to everyone to not interfere with this fight. He had been waiting a long time to kick Naraku's ass and now was his chance. But Naraku wouldn't be going down quietly. No the man was quite strong and skilled in the art of boxing so he through a powerful punch. But Inuyasha was no pansy so by what seemed like the end of the fight, both were bleeding, bruised and out of breath.

"Give it up Naraku, you lost." Inuyasha said through panted breaths as he gestured around them. His three lackeys were on the ground as was Koga and Kagura had followed Hojo's example and taken off long before the fight was over.

"You always were such a cocky bastard Inuyasha." Naraku sneered as he glared at the other boy. "And you seem to be very forgetful." Inuyasha eyebrows rose in interest as he stared at Naraku who was hunched over and holding his stomach. "It was never about winning or loosing, just fucking with her life." He chuckled as he gestured toward Kikyo who was still detached as she clung to Kagome.

Inuyasha growled ferociously as he glared at Naraku with fire in his eyes. How dare he! How dare he do this to Kikyo and Kagome, the sick fuck. Inuyasha moved to lunge at him but was stopped in his tracks as Naraku quickly drew something from his coat. Inuyasha's eyes went wide as did the eyes of everyone who stood off to the side of Inuyasha and Naraku and watched. Naraku now held a M9 Pistol and was directing it straight at Inuyasha, that cold smirk upon his face.

"You also forget;" Naraku paused and stared menacingly at Inuyasha who glared rather daringly at him. "I fight dirty."

"Inuyasha!" Someone screamed and then the loud, thundering boom followed.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion from then on but still Inuyasha couldn't seem to focus his mind. He saw Naraku hit the floor as Sesshoumaru knocked into him, saw them fighting for the gun as one of the girls screamed shrilly in the background. He waited for the pain of the bullet tearing through his skin but realized that it wasn't coming as another body hit the pavement in front of him and blood mingled with the cold hard concrete.

The bullet had been caught, but it was not by Inuyasha's body and even as people rushed past him to kneel at his feet he didn't understand. He was still standing and someone else was on the ground. Why? It was obvious but he didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to look, he didn't want to see, but he found his eyes traveling down to the river of blood that was flowing parallel to the sides of his feet. He followed it slowly with his eyes, time still seeming to move so slowly as his eyes met the face of the person lying on the pavement.

Then reality hit and time caught up with him and Inuyasha felt himself falling hard to his knees and heard himself calling the name of the person whose eyes were shut and whose body was motionless much like Kagome's as they lay upon the ground, unresponsive as the life was slowly draining from their body like the blood that drained from their veins and stained the ground.

Baby,

I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grave.

Ooh,

The more I get of you the stranger it feels, yeah.

And now that your rose is in bloom,

A light hits the gloom on the grave…

Ba da ba da da da da ba da ah ya ya,

Ba da ba da da da da ba da ah ya ya.


"OH MY GOD!!!" That's what most of you were probably thinking right? "Who just died?!!? Is Kagome gonna die too?!?!?!?!" That's probably what the rest of you are thinking. Think you know the answer to either question? You'll never guess. And I'll never tell! xP I know I'm such a bitch with these cliffhangers aren't I? xP

Okay, I know this chapter was short… but I think it stands well as-is. Plus, I really want to leave y'all with another cliffhanger to hold up the suspense... and just to be a bitch. x3 And tell me honestly, did y'all see that thing with Naraku being the asshole who screwed with Kikyo's life coming? I'm sure you did, but did you expect me to work it in there the way I did?

I know what some of you are thinking; Koga was REALLY OOC in this chapter. I mean the boy can be an asshole but he's not nearly as evil as I made him out to be. Trust me people, being a Koga-lover it hurt my heart to write it, but it just works with the story and makes it more interesting, dramatic and twisty. I think so anyway.

Ha! And I made Ginta and Hakkaku potheads! xD Why? I'm not really sure… I just thought it'd be an interesting way to do it; overhearing Koga and Hojo in the bathroom while they're trying to smoke a blunt in peace. xP I love those boys though.

And guys guess what! Today (July 17) is the one year anniversary of this fiction! My God… I've been writing this thing for an entire year. Damn I'm slow…

Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter (which will also probably be shorter then the others) where everything will be brought to light! Two more chapters guys then that's it for this fic. Sad I know…

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