Kagome vomited, tears streaming out of her eyes as screaming children were torn limb from limb. At least five were killed before the bloody scene ended, leaving her empty, hollow. She managed to push herself up onto her knees, scooting away from the puddle of bile she'd spat up. Takeshi looked at her in disgust while Sango and Miroku looked plain worried. Masao was leaning against the wall, head flopping foreword to his chest. Golden eyes, so much like the child's he'd tortured, stared at the wooden floor in accusing silence. He hated her. Hated her so much for making him relive that painful memory. And she hated him.

Are you satisfied? Said a whispery voice, and she knew it was his, Have you seen the monster your friend is?

"You made him that," she croaked out, her throat raw and scratched. She realized she must have been screaming, "It was your fault."

Masao was quiet for a moment before looking over at her, carefully calculating, And it was his choice to use that power.

"You are by far a worse creature then he is," she hissed.

Masao's gaze didn't waver, Are you satisfied? he repeated, Did you find what your friends were searching for? Will you tell them, tell them the truth that will kill?

Miroku cleared his throat, looking between the two of them awkwardly, "Am I to assume you are talking to each other, or that the Priestess has gone crazy?"

Masao grunted.

"That did not really answer my question."

"Yes," Kagome said, "We are speaking."

Takeshi grinned, looking pleased with himself, "I told you, my master, that this was the one!"

Kagome shot him a dirty look, "Your master is a horrible person," she said, darkly.

"And so are you, for ruining this floor. You don't expect me to clean this up, now do you?"

Kagome rose slowly, stolidly looking at the monk and slayer, "We are leaving," she said, and began making her way out the door.

"Wait!" Miroku cried, "What was it you saw? We must know!"

Kagome glanced back at the hunched over cripple in the corner, his face saying what didn't need to be said. Are you willing to lie?

Yes, Kagome thought, I am, because the truth can kill.

"Inuyasha was almost stabbed to death," she said simply, "by Masao, when they were no more then five."

"Is that all?" Sango asked, seeming disappointed.

"Is that all?" Kagome said harshly, "What kind of sick person are you?" She disappeared out the door before she could reply. Miroku and Sango followed close behind.

No one spoke.

"Eh, Kagome? Back so soon?" Keade asked as the miko entered the hut, followed by her two companions.

"How's Inuyasha?" She asked, immediately at his side.

"He should be up any moment now, I've given him some medicine so he may be a bit out of it," The old women said, giving a meaningful look to Sango and Miroku, "I'd like to discuss things with my two guards," Kagome began to get up, but Keade immediately stopped her, "I will go, for once, instead of you," she said, getting shakily to her feet. Miroku grabbed her arm and escorted her outside, Sango following, "And no eavesdropping!"

Kagome gave a slight smile as the curtain fell, directing her attention towards her love. She switched out the cloth on his forehead and rested herself against a wall, trying to think of what to say when he awoke. Maybe the best thing to do would be to bring up Masao, get what was bothering her out. But at the same time the thought terrified, as that would be admitting to him that she believed the memory she'd witnessed was real.

Was it real? She wasn't sure. Inuyasha himself had said he'd kept it under control for sixteen years…but how old was he? She looked down at his sleeping face. Could he really be even over twenty? He didn't look it, but with demons anything was possible.

"What else happened?" she thought out loud, "After all that…after the voices stopped…what happened to you, Inuyasha? And the survivors, who are they? I don't see many that would be your age around here…but again, how old are you?"

Inuyasha's eyes flutter, "Twenty….twenty one…" he mumbled in his sleep.

"What?" Kagome said, abruptly leaning foreword, "What did you say?"

They hanyou's eyes opened a crack, "You asked…how old…"

"Are you still asleep?" She asked.

Inuyasha groaned and rolled over, "Yes, now be quiet."

He's acting strange, she thought, must be the medicine…maybe I could…

"Hey, Inuyasha, are you mad?"

"'Bought what?" He said, some-what-awake now.

"About me not telling you… you know, about your mom."

"Mother…" Inuyasha whispered, "…how is mother?"

Kagome bit her lip, remembering what Keade had said. Inuyasha was blocking his childhood from his memory, or at least the later part of it, "I'll tell you later," she said, quietly.

"Mm, 'k," he said, and fell almost immediately back to sleep.

Kagome got quietly to her feet and peeked out the door, even though Keade had made it clear that this was unacceptable. The three of them were standing far off, hunched in a circle and whispering too quietly for Kagome to hear anything. She sighed and sat back down next to Inuyasha. She made afire and began making some soup with some herbs and vegetables Keade had in a basket. The smell of potatoes and onions quickly wafted around the room. Kagome was comforted by the familiar scent, humming softly while she tried to avoid thinking unpleasant thoughts. The small barrier she had built in her mind that was containing Inuyasha's awful past was thin. Anything could break it and cause the wave of memories to rush into her thoughts. This small bit of familiar was all she could hold onto.

A small rustle made her turn her attention back towards Inuyasha, and she was both delighted and frightened to see him sitting up. His eyes were directed at her, glazed over and looking a bit crazy in the light of fire, but he didn't look mad so much as distressed. The blanket fell to reveal his chest, covered in white scars that were in neat parallel rows. Kagome bit her lip to hold in a small cry. Those scars said everything. The memories were true.

"…Kagome," Inuyasha finally spoke in a soft voice, a voice that sounded close to tears and close to yelling.

"I'm here," Kagome said, quickly pouring a bowl of soup. She grabbed a slice of bread and dipped it in, scooting over to Inuyasha while averting her eyes, "Here," she said, holding the moist bread to his lips.

Inuyasha looked dazed for a moment, as if unsure of how to eat, before taking a small, tentative bite of the bread. He chewed it slowly and didn't say anything when he was done.

Kagome set the bowl down, putting her hands on her lap and bowing low to the floor, "I am sorry," she said an choked voice, "please forgive me for not telling you."

Inuyasha still said nothing. He pulled the blanket up over his chest so she couldn't see the scars, then picked up the bowl and set it in his lap. He held the bread to Kagome's mouth, and she looked at him in confusion. "Eat," he said simply, his voice gaining a little warmth, "it must be around dinner time or you wouldn't have been making food."

Kagome took and bite and swallowed, "Thank you."

Inuyasha nodded and put the bowl back down. Kagome realized that she had just been forgiven.

"…I knew," Inuyasha said, eyes not leaving the soup, "I knew that mother was dead, but I didn't want to accept it. There are things that have happened that I can not remember, and I'm still not sure how she died. I don't want to know. The gaps in my memory are from when I've transformed completely. I'm afraid of what I did when I was younger…"

Kagome put a hand on his shoulder in sympathy, "I know, Inuyasha. About your past."

"My…past," Inuyasha looked up her, a look of fear in his eyes, "Don't tell me, please don't tell me. There's a reason I can't remember these things."

Kagome was surprised. He was truly terrified, "You mean, you don't remember Masao? Or the children?"

"The children…" Inuyasha's voice wavered slightly, "I don't-I-I…" Inuyasha's hands shook slightly, his face twisted in a look of panic.

"Shhh," Kagome said soothingly, "you can get through this. You have to remember Inuyasha."

"Why?" He said, suddenly harsh, "Why, Kagome? Do you want me to go insane?"

"If you forget, it will happen again," she said in a stern, no-nonsense voice. She held onto his arm firmly and forced him to look at her, "Tell me, do you remember Takeshi?"

"Yes," Inuyasha said roughly, "because you never shut up about him!"

"Exactly. If I wasn't there to remind you you'd have buried it away deep in your mind, just like your past. You cannot run from you sins, Inuyasha! Get that through your head!" she was yelling now, angry at the hanyou's arrogance, "We make mistakes! That's how we learn! If we forget them then they will happen again!"

Inuyasha refused to back down, "If I remember, it will defiantly happen again!" he hissed, pulling himself away from her and getting abruptly to his feet. He grabbed his kimono and quickly threw it on, exiting out the door before Kagome could even blink.

"Inuyasha!" she cried, following after him, her hand outstretched even though he was well out of her reach, "Inuyasha, get back here!"

He spun around, eyes blazing, "LEAVE ME ALONE!" he yelled as loudly as he could, before disappearing into thin air with inhuman speed.

Kagome's hand fell back to her side, tears pooling into her eyes. Why? Why did she always fight with him? Why did she press him so hard?

"Kagome, are you alright, child?" Keade said, using her bow as a crutch to walk over to the young Priestess.

"Fine," she said in a flat tone, "Inuyasha's run off."

"I heard," the old women said, patting Kagome's back in a motherly way, "let him cool off for a bit. He needs time to think."

Kagome nodded and allowed Keade to lead her back into the hut, "Where have Miroku and Sango gone?"

"They are staying with a dear friend of mine, Amaya," Keade said, resting back into place against the wall, "Kagome, there is something I have been meaning to ask you."

"Yes?" Kagome said as she began to clean up the mess from the uneaten soup.

"…Do you know anything about the child massacre?"

Kagome stopped what she was doing immediately, "…No, what is that?"

"Sixteen years ago, over half of the village children were murdered around the time of Inuyasha's departure. Masao was the only one who was there who is alive, but he is mute and will not speak. His family refused to say what happened too him, and no one except you and your guards have seen him since."

"How terrible," Kagome said in an even tone, "I am surprised no one has spoken of it before."

"It is a great and horrifying mystery. No one wants to speak of it. Most of those children where boys, which is why we are so short handed. But Miroku has brought something into the light. He says that you were able to speak with Masao, who is apparently disabled in a number of ways."

"He is," Kagome said, "and I was able to speak with him, but he had nothing to say."

"Sango tells me he spoke of injuring Inuyasha."

Kagome cheeks flushed, "He didn't speak it, I witnessed it!"

"He showed you his past?"

"Yes," Kagome spat, "It is because of him Inuyasha is this way."

Keade raised an eyebrow in question, "The way he is? Do tell."

Kagome bit her tongue, cursing herself for even hinting there was more to the story, "Masao is the monster," she said, "Inuyasha has done nothing that no one didn't deserved." She stormed away, determined to let Keade sulk since the noisy woman still had no idea what Kagome was talking about, but something stopped her…

"Fire!" someone yelled, "Fire in the sacred temple!"

Kagome swung around, watching as a column of smoke rose up over the temple. An even aura filled the air with wickedness, and a purple miasma floated around with evil intent, "Every one inside!" she yelled to the villagers, "This mist is poisonous!" The villagers obeyed immediately, taking their young and fleeing inside huts.

"Your bow and arrows, Priestess," a woman said, holding the weapons in her hand. There were tears in her eyes, "I am sorry it had to be this way, milady."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, but the women simply shoved the bow and arrows into her hands, disappearing into the thinning crowd.

"Kagome!" She heard her sister's voice. Kikyo arrived next to her, breathing heavily, "Kagome! It's him!"

"Who?" Kagome said with alarm. Her strong sister looked broken in the firelight, tears collecting in her eyes.

"Kagome…I'm so sorry…" she whispered, "Inuyasha…he…."

Kagome's eyes went wide with understanding, "No…he-he didn't…"

"Kagome," Kikyo's voice was once more the voice of a Priestess. She wiped the tears out of her eyes and stood up straight, "Kagome, Inuyasha attacked several villagers…they're dead."

The words sunk in, heavy on the shattered miko's heart. Kagome's breathing became uneven. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't.

"Kagome!" Keade cried, "My word stands!"

Kagome looked up, Keade's words ringing in her head.

"If Inuyasha kills again, you must-."

"NO!" Kagome screamed, "I WON"T DO IT!"

"Kagome! He has been using you!" Kikyo said, grabbing her sister by the shoulders, "He was after the jewel this whole time! It was all a ruse!"

"No, not him," Kagome said, doubt filling her eyes. Hadn't that been the reason he took her in the first place? A hostage to get the jewel. Something that could be bargained and given away. That was what she had been. But she had changed, she knew he had. Light had been brought into eyes and he had finally opened up to her. But then again, this was the village that had shunned him and taken everything away. She was apart of that village and a symbol of its power. He probably hated her, "Why has he done this now?" She yelled, "Why not before? Why after all this time together? After everything we did together? After how much we love-?"

"What?" Keade said sharply, "Did you say love? You were in a relationship?"

"I-I…" Kagome's faded. The truth was out. Everything was over.

"You were smitten with a half-bred?" Keade said, fiercely, "How far has this gone? What have you told him?"

"Nothing, I-."

"Kagome!" The old women shouted, "What did Masao show you!"

"He-he…" Kagome couldn't take this, couldn't stand thinking about the awful memory that was the truth. The truth that killed. The truth that caused her to lie and betray everyone. "The children…he…killed them," she sobbed, "as many as he could. Slaughtered by his claws! All those lives, all of them gone!" she reached out and grabbed onto Kikyo for support, "You were right, everyone was right! Why couldn't I see before?"

"Kagome!" Keade said, no sympathy in her voice, "You have a job to do!"

Kagome gripped the bow hard in her hand, "Yes, I will. I promised," she sniffled, her eyes filled with betrayal. How rapidly love turns to hate. How fast truth becomes a lie.

"Inuyasha," she said bitterly, "You will die."