Timeframe: soon after chapter #174, "Barrier of Earth;"

all further chapters are ignored. In summary: because

of Inuyasha's relationship with Kikyou, both he and

Kagome have (seperately) decided that they can't see each

other again.

Please note that chapter #174 has not yet been translated

by Viz. A very good translation of it--and every other

chapter--can be found at "Inuyasha - Sengoku o-Togi Zoushi"

(http://www.wot-club.org.uk/Inuyasha/).

Warning: DARK. I mean it. Implied adult themes, torture,

and other Unpleasant Stuff.

broken

an Inuyasha fanfic by Za Metallium

"Remember this, Naraku: you can't kill me. Until you get

rid of your human heart...you'll just be a half-youkai."

Kikyou's pronouncement echoed in Naraku's mind.

"Perhaps I cannot harm *you* yet, Kikyou," Naraku whispered.

"But for now I will be content using this one in your stead."

Before Naraku lay an unconscious Kagome. Her unusual clothing

had been reduced to shreds by the over-eager and now-deceased

servant he'd sent after the girl. Capturing her had been

easier than expected; it seemed that useless bother, Inuyasha,

had been "busy" elsewhere, and only the humans and the kit had

been there to protect the girl.

For all the good their presence had done; all had been

injured to the point of non-mobility. But Naraku did

not want them dead; oh, no, they had to tell Inuyasha

what had happened to his little pet. Yes, Naraku would

have a surprise for that annoyance when it invariably

decided to seek what had been stolen.

But that was in the future, and Naraku was more interested

in enjoying the present. The accursed Onigumo's desires

still dwelled within Naraku, and the half-youkai planned

to exorcise them--by playing out Onigumo's fantasies of

Kikyou using her reincarnation.

Naraku ripped off the remains of the girl's garb and checked

the shackles which held her hands bound behind her. Seeing

all was ready for what was to come, he slapped the girl's

face.

Her eyes shot open at the sharp pain and she let out a cry

of pain. Seeing Naraku above her, her scream turned to one

of terror.

"Finally awake, I see...Kikyou," he greeted with a dark

smile.

"Kikyou?" the girl repeated dumbly. "I'm not Kikyou!"

Naraku shook his head and slapped the girl again, bringing

tears to her eyes. "I believe you are mistaken. You are

Kikyou."

"I'm not," she insisted, voice and body trembling in fear.

Finally noticing her state of undress, she blushed hotly

and tried to curl up in a ball to conceal herself from

him.

Naraku would have none of that. Again he slapped her,

harder than before. "Do not do that, Kikyou."

"I'm not Kikyou," she whispered.

"I had hoped you would have this attitude," Naraku said

conversationally. He reached over to the nearby fire and

withdrew a sharp dagger that had been heating in the flames

It shone white-hot. The girl watched him with frightened,

tearful eyes.

"Now, Kikyou," he said pleasantly as he straddled the girl.

His weight restrained her below the waist, and he used his

free hand to push her to the floor, his hand around her

neck. "I'm going to make certain you remember who you

are."

Naraku carefully trace a short vertical line on the left

side of her lower belly. The girl screamed as the burning

knife bit into her flesh, and Naraku relished the sound.

Onigumo had been unable to read or write, and Naraku himself

had little use for it. However, he had learned the proper

way to write Kikyou's name, and he carefully cut the symbols

into the writhing girl's belly.

After completing the two kanji making up Kikyou's name,

Naraku admired his handiwork. Rather lovely, if he did

say so himself. "Now, are you ready to cooperate?" he

asked pleasantly once the girl's screams faded.

"Or do you need another reminder?" he inquired reasonably,

starting the pattern of Kikyou's name over again, this time

on the girl's right breast. The knife had cooled by this

point, so the wound bled freely without the benefit of

cauterization.

"Stop!" the girl begged, more tears falling down her

already-damp face.

"And who are you?" he asked.

"Ki-kiyou," she whispered. "I'm Kikyou."

"Very good," he encouraged, rising. The girl sighed in

relief before she realised he'd done so only to remove

his clothing. Her screams and tears and been highly

arousing, and he was ready to use her as Onigumo had

wished to use Kikyou.

Onigumo had wanted to do many debauched things to Kikyou.

Naraku picked several choice actions and used the girl

in Kikyou's stead. It went on for hours, for even a

half-youkai's stamina was much greater than a mere human's.

At length Naraku was spent, and he simply sat back to

admire the pretty picture the girl made, lying there.

The angry red branding of Kikyou's name stood out sharply

against the pale skin of her belly. Blood and fluid seeped

from torn and abused orifices. Bruises artfully decorated

much of her exposed skin. The girl's eyes stared at

nothing.

"Kikyou," he called in an almost gentle voice, "Would you

like to get dressed now?"

The girl's eyes flickered and she nodded once, jerkily.

"Kagura," Naraku called, and his offspring entered the

room. "Dress her, but don't wash her," he ordered.

Kagura frowned at him, but of course obeyed. Naraku

wondered a bit at the gentleness with which she attended

the abused girl, but, then, Kagura always did try for her

little rebellions. Foolish, expendable creature.

Soon, the girl was dressed in a simple kimono, her hair

tied back as Kikyou was wont to wear hers. Naraku smiled.

"Go set her up for Inuyasha to find," he ordered before

leaving to clean up himself.

* * *

Inuyasha cursed himself for the thousandth time in the

last hour. He had returned to the village to find

Shippou, Miroku, and Sango all gravely injured. Something

deep within him had frozen when the priest, in a moment

of consciousness, told Inuyasha that Kagome had been

abducted by a servant of Naraku's.

*Chikusho,* he cursed mentally. He'd been so intent on not

seeing Kagome for her sake, and so worried about Naraku

coming after Kikyou...it had never occurred to him that

Naraku would go after Kagome.

Inuyasha nearly stumbled when he caught the scent--the

scent of burnt flesh and blood and sex, the former

two belonging to Kagome. He forced himself to go faster,

and did stumble when he saw her.

She was propped against a tree like some life-sized doll,

blood and fluid seeping through the yukata she wore. Her

hair had been fixed like Kikyou's, and if he hadn't caught

the smell of her blood first, he might have though it was

Kikyou herself.

"Kagome?" he asked cautiously, something in his throat

inexplicably making breathing difficult. "Kagome?"

Kagome opened her eyes, and Inuyasha found himself falling

back. Those weren't Kagome's eyes! The blank grey orbs

staring at him were empty, devoid of life. They belonged

to a broken thing, not his Kagome.

Then she spoke, her voice rough as if she'd overused it,

her expression bland, and her words destroying him:

"Kagome? I am Kikyou."

And, somewhere, Naraku laughed.

-end-