Betrayal

They had arrived at Kaede's village early that morning, not a soul had been stirring, and Sango, Miroku, and Shippo had quickly gone to Kaede's hut, hoping for some rest and food, having not taken a decent break since they had started back nearly a week ago.

Though he was tired and hungry, Inuyasha didn't follow them, instead going to the Bone Eater's well, hoping beyond hope that on the other side he would find Kagome.

Standing on the edge of the well, he stared down into the blackened depths, memories of the girl who had brightened his life so much popping up like sprouts.

"Kagome..." He whispered, stepping off the edge and falling into the well, not expecting to slam into the bottom.

Sitting there, he thought in horror what that had to mean...

That Kagome was not on the other side.

Everything seemed wrong to him, absolutely everything.

He shouldn't be sitting here on the bottom of the well right now...

No, he should be up above, arguing with Kagome whether or not she should be going back to do those stupid tests or whatever reason she wanted to go back.

She should be shouting 'sit' and sending him face first into the ground...

But she wasn't.

Walking back to the village in a daze, Inuyasha didn't even notice he had spent nearly half the day at the well, and when he entered Kaede's hut, he was surprised to see everyone sitting around, like they were waiting for him to show up.

It almost seemed normal...

Except for the fact that there was no smiling girl to say hi, or give him a radiant smile, or even tell him to 'sit' for being so late.

The mood in the room was heavy, even the groping priests hands seemed to be behaving lately in light of Kagome's disappearance.

The demon exterminator had become even more quiet, her dark eyes haunted and elusive, while the young kitsune who always seemed ready to play was now moody, going off alone every once in a while.

Kaede was the only one who looked up when Inuyasha entered, her one eye scanning him quickly before she whispered, "Tell thee what has happened."

"Why don't you have one of them do it for you?" He grumbled, sitting down next to Shippo, and Kaede glared at him, replying, "Ye seem quite upset... and Kagome isn't with ye, where has thee girl gone?"

"Look you old hag, Kagome was kidnapped... I was fighting a demon and she started using the restraining spell in the middle of the battle... then... then she..."

Inuyasha swallowed, not able to complete his sentence, but Kaede stopped his mumbling, asking, "Where are ye rosary beads at?"

"Kagome removed them. and then she ran off. she left behind the Shikon Jewel shards and said she couldn't help me find the rest..."

"Kagome removed ye rosary beads? Ye must get them back!"

"What? So you can just put them back on? I don't..."

"Inuyasha, ye rosary beads were enchanted with more than a restraining spell... when Kagome came to thee village, ye knew something was different about thee girl. Unusual ye might call her... yes, but ye didn't know thee true potential..."

"True potential? What..."

"Where are thee rosary beads? Ye must not lose them or Kagome may be in serious trouble..."

Staring at her, Inuyasha let that information soak in, his golden eyes wide on his pale face, and suddenly he growled, whispering, "Kikyo, damn that wench, she knew!"

"What?" Sango asked, deciding it was about time she started participating in the discussion, but she was struck speechless when Inuyasha replied, "I gave the rosary beads to Kikyo."

Silence covered them like a wool blanket, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife, the breath hitched in each of their chests except for Inuyasha who was silently growling at his stupidity, but other than his twitching ears, the room was deadly quiet in shock...

Until the quiet was shattered by a pissed demon exterminator as she shouted, "PERVERT!"

Whack...

Thud...

"Owie..."

Silence once again hung in the room, but instead of sitting calmly next to Sango with an impassive face, Miroku was sprawled out on the floor, a large bump forming on his head.

"I think the stress was too much for Miroku..." Shippo noted wisely, shaking his head with a sigh, but Inuyasha interrupted the semi-normal scene.

Standing up with an angry growl, he turned to the door, his golden eyes sparking with his anger, shouting over his shoulder, "I am going to find Kikyo, she knows where Kagome is, I know it. That stupid bi..."

The door flung open before Inuyasha could reach it, and in the doorway stood the dead miko he had just been speaking of.

Letting go of the arrow she had latched, Kikyo watched with narrowed eyes as it flew through the air, catching Inuyasha in the chest and sending him backwards through the hut wall, slamming into a tree that was outside.

Gasping, he stared at Kikyo through the hole in the wall; his fangs bared against the pain in his chest, and miles away, Kagome screamed, feeling a sharp pain in her chest where the arrow was buried inside Inuyasha.

Pausing in his beating of her, Naraku studied her, his black eyes narrowed in contemplation, but she paid no attention to him, instead focusing on the pain that was coming from her chest through the half complete connection.

'Kikyo, I told you not to lay a damn hand on Inuyasha...' She whispered to herself, the blackness that had threatened to swallow her disappearing quickly.

Coming up with a plan, she turned to Naraku who stood not five inches from her, and leaning forward, she laid her forehead on his, a deep blue surrounding both of their bodies.

'Kohaku...'

Back at Kaede's hut, Sango, Shippo, Kaede, Kirara, and Miroku stood up, watching as Kikyo walked out of the hole in the hut, her dead eyes focused on the hanyou pinned to the tree.

Fighting against the arrow that held him, he growled with anger when a light blue surrounded it, stopping him from taking it from his chest, and the dead miko merely smiled, whispering, "It seems like you needn't not find me Inuyasha, since I found you."

"Inuyasha!" Shippo shouted, racing forward, but he stopped when a figure appeared in front of him.

Lifting his gaze, he realized the figure was Sango's brother, and from the gasp that came behind him, Sango must have noticed too.

"Kohaku!" Sango cried, racing forward, but froze when her brother raised his weapon, his eyes blank and dark.

Laughter came from the dead miko's lips when she turned from Inuyasha, seeing that everyone else had also come from the gap in the hut, all of them standing outside in the beautiful sunshine.

"I see you have met my assistant." Kikyo whispered, a mocking smile coming to her lips, and she turned back to Inuyasha as he shouted, "You betrayed me!"

"Ah, Inuyasha, you wonder why?" Kikyo's eyes flashed with anger, and she raised an eyebrow, adding, "Fifty years ago, you proclaimed love for me... I proclaimed love for you... Naraku easily destroyed that love. Until I found out about his scheme, I thought it had been your betrayal."

"You know it wasn't though!"

"Yes, I know it wasn't... yet, my eyes had been opened, and I realized I did not love you... the pity I felt for Onigumo was still strong, but it had changed to hatred for Naraku."

Anger exploded in every nerve of his body, his vision tinged with red, but on top of it came a sense of relief.

He didn't have to love her anymore; all he had to do was protect her...

But wait, if she loved Naraku... she loved Naraku over him!

The anger exploded out in words, his golden eyes flashing, "So why do you love him now you bitch?"

"Tut tut Inuyasha... I went for a visit after I learned of what happened... he explained to me that power was love... I didn't believe him at first... but as soon as I soon saw that he was correct... and I made an offer..."

So without ado, she told them how she had offered to Naraku to work with him, continuing with how they had to break the connection of the rosary beads to get to Kagome's spirit, and how in order to do all that Kagome had to remove the rosary beads willingly.

"I knew the only way she'd do that is if she became the source of your pain Inuyasha. Controlling her with a jewel shard, Naraku forced her to harm you, planting the idea in her head that he could control her anytime she wanted... of course, thanks to her power, she broke Naraku's hold, but he had done his job."

"He was forcing her to restrain me?"

"Oh yes, though she fought him... and you, the stupid hanyou you are, thought she was doing it. You made our job so much easier..."

With a laugh, she continued telling him how she had met up with Kagome after she had run off, and then Kagome had run into Naraku, who had knocked her out and taken her to his castle.

Holding out her hand, she showed him her empty hands, and Inuyasha felt a hand squeeze his heart as she continued, "There was a grave error though... that bitch dropped the rosary beads, and you once again got a hold of them. That was why the first five days Naraku beat her senseless, yet when he tried to take her power, she was protected... thus my role came in, and I took the rosary beads from you. Now with Naraku... so there is no possible way to save her."

"You bitch..."

"You're so gullible mutt... ever since that moment Naraku has slowly been breaking her spirit, and soon enough he shall have her power. I shall do away with you, and together Naraku and I shall complete the Shikon Jewel. The power he receives from Kagome shall turn him into a full demon, and with the Shikon Jewel he shall wish for my life."

"Bitch... I need Kagome, you don't!"

"Inuyasha, that's the glory of it... you don't need a pathetic miko to help you find the Shikon Jewel shards do you? And you would do absolutely anything to get the rosary beads off..."

A wicked grin came to Kikyo's face, her eyes shining with evil, and Inuyasha's eyes widened, realizing she was repeating the words he had said before Kagome had been kidnapped, she added, "I have simply helped you along..."

"But..."

"All of you never acknowledge her did you? No, she'd make your life so much better... and what do you do? Nothing, she's just there..."

Everyone stared at Kikyo, their eyes wide, mouths open to retort, but it was impossible... what Kikyo said was true...

"Especially you Inuyasha... have you noticed how much you have missed her these last weeks? You had taken everything she did for granted... everything. I know how it feels, to not be important... I am shocked she still lives, for what has she to live for? You despise her, treat her like she's lower than dirt..." She whispered, her eyes darkening, and Inuyasha growled, "That's not true..."

"Yes it is... tell me one thing you did not take for granted. Did you thank her for the ramen she made? No, now you shall never have any again. How about her laughter, her innocence, her love? Didn't all of you just think it came with her?"

Out of breath, Kikyo went quiet, her cheeks flushed the slightest, but the cold smile on her lips told them she was enjoying tormenting them.

Running to Sango, Shippo huddled in her arms, wailing, tears running down his cheeks as he shouted, "Your evil! Give back Kagome!"

"No... you'll never get her back. I'll never allow my reincarnation to win over me. None of you shall ever be able to take anything for granted again..."

After those words, a heavy silence settled upon the group, and Inuyasha looked down at the arrow that held him to the tree, his eyes wide, the golden depths darkening as he thought, 'Kagome...'

At this exact time Kagome finally broke through the barrier to Kohaku, whispering, 'Kohaku, listen to me...'

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To those who reviewed: Thanks!

Letz move on to the next chappie, eh?

Hugz N Kissez, Ali