Author's Notes: Ok, I'm finally over my writers block (I took some advice by writing out the draft of the rest of the story in quite some detail – so now I know how it ends, and I'm sorry to say that it'll probably be one of the most bitter endings I've ever written… just to warn you. (But remember, I hardly do sad endings ever so my most bitter ending might not be as bitter as you'd think.)

And I'm sure a lot of you know what the Catapult theory is (formerly known as the rubber band theory) if you read the last story – but for those who didn't, or need their memories refreshing, here's a little explanation.

The Catapult Theory: The pessimistic outlook on life used by Kagome in which she believes all good things come crashing to an amazingly bad end. The good things that happen to her begin to pile up until it seems like everything is going her way and luck is for once on her side (the catapult is pulled back a little further with every good thing that happens). But then it all goes horrible wrong and the catapult snaps back and hits you in the eye (the further it's pulled back ie. the more good things that happen, result in a more painful snap at the end). That is the catapult theory.

Note: there is no actual catapult, it's just a big metaphor.

Life Exchange

Chapter 18

The Catapult Theory

"You seem to be lacking one insane Hanyou and one traumatised human…" Bankotsu ground out as the soldiers trudged towards the palace gates. "Why didn't you find them?"

"We looked everywhere." The leader told him. "We followed the scent trail but they entered a region of dog fern."

"So?" Bankotsu remained clueless.

"Dog fern… scatters and neutralises odours… we couldn't follow them…" The soldier said with a shrug. "Besides, even if we could, they'd entered the Northern territory."

"You should have followed then!"

"And risk being attacked by Northern soldiers – not likely." The soldier snorted impetuously.

There was a flash of metal and the soldier's head fell first to the ground, followed shortly by his body. Bankotsu sighed deeply, looking at the corpse flatly as he returned the sword to its former position on his back. After a moment he glanced up at the seven other soldiers who looked vaguely sombre and angry. "Don't try to be smart with me. It won't work." He told them softly before turning and heading back into the palace.

"We serve Lord Inuyasha. Not some human freak." A soldier muttered for what he thought would have been loud enough to be heard Bankotsu. But Bankotsu had human hearing, and didn't catch the murmured speech. Overall, it spared the soldier's life.

^_^

"I need to know where she is." Bankotsu stated as he entered the cellar room. Renkotsu looked up briefly from the papers he was reading before looking back down at the hand written words.

"I can find that out for you." The monk replied smoothly. "If you give me a minute."

"What are you doing?" Bankotsu asked suspiciously. "You're supposed to be keeping a curse on Inuyasha."

"No point. He's out of range – though I'm working on something else. But this matter," he handed the papers to Bankotsu. "is more interesting."

Bankotsu didn't even look at the papers. "You know I can't read. Don't patronise me."

Renkotsu smiled and took the papers back. "These are… short diary entries written by your sweet wife… she seems to have been keeping a record of her dreams in an attempt to discover their meaning."

"Dreams?" Bankotsu scowled. "I think she told me about those."

"Yes, well I know their meaning now. It took a me a while… but all the signs point to one thing…" Renkotsu told him with a quiet smile.

"Which is?" Bankotsu pressed.

"The location of the curse set upon the Shichinin-tai ten years ago." The monk replied.

"The Northern Palace?" Bankotsu stated.

"Don't be so superficial. Just because the dreams take place in Sesshomaru's Palace doesn't mean that has anything to do with it." Renkotsu told him bluntly. "She stated that she believed the dreams were premonitions… which… I'm sad to say, they were. She dreamt Inuyasha would go insane. That he would get his hands on his brother's sword and that he would take control of the Northern Palace. It's not as bad as it sounds, but he has done all the things he's done in his dreams – save for the hair thing, I don't understand where that came from."

"Yes, but get to the point!" Bankotsu sighed angrily, squatting down before Renkotsu who sat calmly in his meditative pose holding the papers.

"The dreams have two purposes. The first is to tell events of the future… mostly the future involving Inuyasha… the other is to tell the past. Of where the curse was made. It's really obvious now I think about it…"

"What did I just say – tell me where it is!"

"And ruin my moment? Be patient." Renkotsu admonished the younger man. "Her dreams have included a few things that are obviously not part of a premonition… so they must be events of the past. Things such as falling into fire… being swept away by water… earthquakes… being attacked my metal butterflies and… probably the most important of all… standing on the edge of a high up place looking down at the world below."

"You're losing me."

"But it's obvious – the curse was set in the crack in the land – the canyon that divides this island by halfway." Renkotsu's smile widened. "The fire indicates volcanic activity, one which made this island… earthquakes indicate how the canyon was made… and the tidal wave of water is obviously the sea which rushed into the canyon when it was made. The butterflies are an obvious link to the name… Butterfly Canyon… and in her dream when she stood on the roof of the Northern Palace and looked down – that is the same as standing at the top of the canyon looking down."

"That's… that's an awful big assumption." Bankotsu frowned dubiously.

"Trust me. The girl has strange powers of perception… she knows and sees things the rest of us don't. If anyone can tell us where the curse was laid – it's this 'Kagome'. I'd trust her intuition. The curse was set in the Canyon." Renkotsu closed his eyes as he let out a deep breath. "Take her there. If she has a vision in the canyon she will undoubtedly witness the dark miko making the curse on us – she will then know the spoken curse which was laid, and once we have that information we can reverse the curse and restore our unit."

"Yes, but first we have to find her." Bankotsu punched a fist angrily against the low table beside him, making everything on it bounce. "Inuyasha and took her and ran off. She's either dead or… or something…"

Renkotsu opened his eyes to regard his leader. "Oh she's perfectly fine."

Bankotsu snapped a glare on him. "How'd you know?"

"Because…" he reached behind him to pick up the wooden doll he'd been using. It now had a long, thick white hair wrapped around it several times. "The new curse I've been working on… well, less of a curse and more of a control device. This time instead of taking away his mind… I'll be replacing it… with my own. I tried it earlier but I found he was busy."

"Busy…? Doing what?"

Renkotsu laughed for the first time. "Doing your wife."

Bankotsu stared a moment before grinning. "Oh… and did you stay for the show?"

"Hardly. Earthly pleasures do not entice me as they would most." Renkotsu snorted. "I'm not a pervert."

The Shichinin-tai leader laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Nah, you're just a fool. Well…" Bankotsu stood and headed for the door. "Try the possession again when he's not doing something witch offends you, holy one… I'll be looking to pick up the pieces you leave." He chuckled as he walked out.

Renkotsu returned his gaze to the talisman set on the table. Maybe now would be a good time to try overwhelming Inuyasha's consciousness again?

^_^

Kagome sighed happily as she paddled her feet gently in the cool water of the river. It looked like life was on the upward climb for once. Inuyasha wasn't insane, her dreams were nothing but dreams and nightmares – they meant nothing, and soon her dear husband would be kicked off the island so fast he wouldn't know what hit him.

She turned her gaze upwards to the dappled light filtering through the gaps in the tree canopy above her head. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and for a few moments she could imagine that she had just moved back in time a month or two… when she'd gone walking to the brook and marvelling at how simple life had become. Granted… things weren't at all as simple as they used to be, but how could life be dangerous and complicated when she was just sitting in the sun dipping her toes in a river?

Of course, there was another upside to her life right then. Inuyasha.

Previously, she'd had no idea that he'd housed such feelings for her… only until he'd basically said it bluntly to her face did she realise that… yes… he had always felt that way hadn't he? She seemed to have ignored the fact that the only members of the opposite sex he really got on with was herself, Sango and his mother – the latter being negotiable. Sango was a childhood friend… and Kagome was just as dear, if not more so.

She'd been stupid to have missed the signs… and half the time, she'd misunderstood the signs he let slip, and thought something totally different. Only now did she understand…

Kagome smiled as she drew her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs. There was really only one word to describe how she was feeling right then… complete.

Needless to say… she was still having trouble getting over the experience. She'd just shared the most intimate moment of her life with the one person she loved the most. She could never do the same with anyone else. If she'd thought she loved him with all her heart before – that was nothing to what she felt now! She loved him with her hands, her feet, her ears… with more than just the centre of her being. She half didn't want to believe that there was anyone else in the entire world who held more love than she did for her man.

Her life had held no meaning until she'd met Inuyasha – she'd found her pinnacle for existing in him. Whatever made him happy made her happy… she'd do anything to make sure he remained that way.

And she'd just have to tell him so when he returned… she glanced around her curiously, trying to remember which way he'd left. He'd complained about some sort of headache and had just staggered off with the parting comment of 'I'm just going to find some Hollowbait, be back in a mo so get ready to head off.'

Hollowbait being a rather strong smelling herb that relieved head pains for a short period of time. It must have been a pretty bad headache if even Inuyasha was distracted by it. She shook off her worry and carried on waiting, he'd be back soon and then they could keep moving towards the Northern Palace, where they were proceed to blackmail and threaten Bankotsu while backed by a very large and powerful army. Then ultimately kick his ass back to whatever hole he'd crawled out of.

It felt great saying that…

She heard footsteps behind her and turned quickly, finding the one person she expected to find. "You took your time." She cocked him a grin. "I thought you might have fallen down a pot hole or something."

For some reason, he didn't smile. Nor did he reach to help her up, even when she held out her hand. Slowly her smile faded and she retracted her hand as she stood up carefully. "What's the matter?" she asked hesitantly, concern tingeing her tone. "What happened-?"

"Nothing." He said abruptly, cutting her off.

She stared at him a moment. She felt like she was staring at a different person. "Then why are you-"

"Why are you sticking your nose in business which doesn't concern you?" He shot back.

Once again, Kagome found herself stumped and speechless. "That's rude." She told him, a faint frown appearing on her face. "What's the matter with you?"

Suddenly he took a step forward and moved to rest his hands on her shoulders. She continued to stare at him, clueless and puzzled to his behaviour… if not a little upset. "Listen Kagome…" he said slowly, as though he was about to say something deep and profound. A tone she didn't really recognise as familiar. "It was a mistake… it shouldn't have happened."

Her breath hitched and she stepped back suddenly, out of his reach. "W-what did you say?"

He rolled his eyes as if losing patience. "You heard me fine, you're just in denial." He admonished. "It can never happen again."

"Why are you saying this?" She could feel herself tearing up, her breathing getting choppy and the moisture beginning to sting her eyes in shame.

"Well I wouldn't be saying this if it had been enjoyable." He shrugged honestly. "But well… you just aren't very good at it. So I don't want to have to endure something that ridiculous again. Ok?"

Kagome took another wavering step back, her head lowered and silent tears beginning to track down her face.

"Oh for the love of god." She heard him groan. "If you're going to be so pathetic as to start crying, you should-"

"Should have known better than to make this mistake?" she slipped the words into his mouth quietly. She raised her chin to look at him, but still saw the cold, uncaring look in his eyes. Without another word she turned and walked away, hurt more by the fact that he didn't try to stop her. And when she'd walked so far as to be out of sight, she began to run.

Her thoughts fled faster than her feet and soon she was running through the forest, pretty much blinded by her own tears and sobbing freely. Her shoulder hit the trunk of a tree and she fell forward onto her knees, but she quickly scrambled up and ran on, ignoring the throbbing pain in her arm. Where was she going now? She had no one left to take her in… no where to go…

She hated him! She really hated him! But only because she loved him so much it could only be him who broke her this badly. After all he'd said… after all he'd done – he had the nerve to turn around and say that to her face?! She couldn't stand him…

Maybe he was insane again. Maybe they'd accidentally stepped back into range of the curse. Although, when she'd looked into his eyes she'd seen perfect mental balance… no insanity… maybe a little too balanced for her liking… he wasn't himself. Well whatever it was, he could deal with it himself. Then he could come apologise to her at… wherever she was heading…

Somehow she found herself back at the Canyon. A not so strange sense of déjà vu hit her as she crumpled to her knees a few feet from the cliff edge. Below the water sighed distantly and the air whistled along the crags and cracks in the rock faces. It did little to calm her rattled nerves, but she couldn't run anymore.

How could he do that?

She'd given herself to him completely. She'd opened up with all honesty and hidden nothing from him. It was impossible to hide your true nature when you were that close to someone, showing him a side of her that she'd never shown anyone else. Showing him her love. For him to reject that was worse than just rejecting her before this. For him to blatantly snub her after being so open plain stung. No… it was devastating…

"He has to be insane…" she whispered brokenly to herself. "He has to be…"

She was going to cling to that hope. It just wasn't Inuyasha's nature to be so cruel. Not after he'd promised not to hurt her… And if he was insane that meant she was safer staying away from him for now.

But where was she supposed to go now?

"Fancy finding you here. All alone."

Kagome's hands moved to her face as she inwardly screamed at all the unfairness of the world. Why… of all people… did it have to be Bankotsu who found her in the middle of the wilderness. "Wonderful… why does everything bad have to happen to me…?"

"I think that's what they call karma."

She heard the crunching dry earth beneath his feet as he moved towards her. She didn't move or bother getting up. What was the point? She was done for now…

"And snap goes the catapult." She whispered to no one but herself.

^_^

"You have to stop worrying or you'll stress the baby out too." Miroku tried to console his wife, but she ignored him in favour of ringing her hands and continually keep watch out of the window.

"Miroku – are you telling me I shouldn't be worried that an insane Inuyasha has kidnapped Kagome and taken her to god knows where to do god knows what?!" she shot him a glare that he avoided.

"Well… Kagome's a resourceful girl. I'm sure she'll be ok. Inuyasha would never hurt her intentionally anywhere." He pointed out.

"That doesn't reassure me." She said quietly.

Fushi, who had been watching the conversation pass between the two adults like a spectator at a tennis match finally decided it was time to put in his own opinion. "Maybe that monk knows something."

"What monk?" Miroku asked absently, not really paying attention.

"The one in the cellar." Fushi scowled at his father. Hadn't he already told them a hundred times.

"Listen, Fushi." Miroku sighed and turned to him. "The monk isn't really down there. The same why the wolf isn't really up the chimney. And the clown fool isn't in the cupboard at night in your room. They don't exist. The same way the fey who comes to take your teeth doesn't exist."

"Shh!" Sango whacked her husband on the shoulder. "He's too young to know-"

"I already know they don't exist." Fushi interrupted baldly. "But the monk does."

"Eh?" both parents looked at him.

"Well… 'coz Bankotsu was talking to him too… so he's real." Fushi looked at his stupefied parents. "Isn't he?"

^_^

The door crashed open and a deathly silence followed before Fushi piped up. "I told you he was down here, didn't I?"

Miroku narrowed his eyes slightly on the monk who was too busy meditating to realise that his room had been broken into. "Fushi, go tell your mother, she'll be in Lady Inu's room."

"But-"

"Just go!" he gave the boy a gentle, but firm nudge away from the doorway.

"Fine…" the kid sulked and tottered off. Miroku waited until he was sure the boy was gone before entering the room. Being in the religious field himself, he already knew some of the tricks he was looking at. A wooden doll on the table, similar to puppet projection, was emanating a rather strong spell or some kind of curse. A single pure white strand of hair was wrapped like a skein around the little figure. Around the head more precisely.

And it was all being channelled through the obliviously meditating monk sitting at the table.

"So… a spell that takes away the mind?" Miroku reached down and picked up the doll. Beyond the table, the monk stirred slightly from his tranquillity, evidently sensing the disturbance. "Crude. But effective I suppose."

Miroku was just picking up the old plain katana in the corner of the small room when Renkotsu opened his eyes. "What the hell are you doing in-"

He didn't say anything more. Miroku had swung the katana.

^_^

Inuyasha took a sharp intake of breath and awareness came flooding back to him. He stood frozen, not quite sure how he'd ended up where he was.

"Lord Inu… just put the knife down!"

Inuyasha jumped a startled look towards the group of people gathered around the entrance of the throne room, all looking at him anxiously. He then jerked an even more startled look to the knife in his hand that was poised at his own throat. "Ah!"

He yelped and let the weapon drop to the ground with a clatter. "Damn… I was about to kill myself?!"

"Lord Inu!" the people at the entrance of the throne room started to rush forward. Inuyasha instinctively took a few steps back to avoid the crush. It only took a moment to look around and realise he was back in the Northern palace… though… how the hell had he gotten here?

The last thing he remembered was… was saying something to Kagome about a headache cure…

"Kagome…" His eyes widened as he suddenly remembered. Where was she? Why wasn't she with him?

-_-

Sango looked up when Miroku entered the royal chamber. Her look was questioning. "I've dealt with it." Miroku responded lightly, glancing down with a smile at where Fushi was playing with Reiko on the floor. Sango just nodded seriously and turned back to Lady Inu.

"She seems to be coming out of it." She told Miroku quietly. "I'm beginning to wonder if there's some kind of connection between her illness… and the strange things that have been going on lately."

"Probably." he nodded as he came to stand beside the chair she was sat in. "Why don't you try waking her up?"

Sango hesitated a moment before leaning forward and gently shaking Lady Inu's shoulder. "Your Highness… it's time to get up."

Lady Inu's response was to shift restlessly against the covers and against Sango's hand on her shoulder. It was a few moments before she'd roused herself enough to open her eyes and fix a fairly blurred and unfocused gaze on the two people beside her bed. "What…" she croaked quietly. "What's going on?"

"Bankotsu's a traitor." Miroku told her bluntly.

"Really?" Lady Inu rasped, squinting at him.

"He's been consorting with an evil guy in the cellar who put a curse on your son." Sango told her quickly. "We only just realised… but now Inuyasha's kidnapped Kagome and taken off into the wilderness with her."

"And Bankotsu's the new ruler." Miroku popped in helpfully.

"Because we thought Inuyasha was dead."

"We had a funeral and everything."

"But then he came back." Sango nodded. "And he was still insane."

"And then he left again."

"And then he came back and kidnapped Kagome."

"You already said that." Miroku reminded her.

"Oh yeah…"

Lady Inu stared at them. "What are you blabbering on about. Who's Bankotsu?"

Sango and Miroku both stared at her in disbelief before eventually Sango looked up at Miroku. "She doesn't remember…"

AN: Ok, shorter chapter today – but at least I'm past the writer's block. (might explain why such a crappy chapter. Anyway, next chapter – 'A Curse in Reverse'