Ummm...sorry for the really long wait ::dodges rotten food and rocks being thrown::. My internet has been really screwed! It took me half an hour for the log in page to load.

Yup...half an hour! I was really pissed...

Review Responses:

Theatre of War: Cool new pen name!! :D Love it! I can get high on just about anything (i.e. carrots, instant noodles, sugar, salt, milk, oranges, and vitamin tablets. Yup, vitamin tablets!!). Don't worry about the OC names, I can't even remember them all . But that's ok, I'm gonna try to make sure to write lotsa chappies with them so we can learn faster that way. Hmm...learning...it's a new territory for me. =)

Rushyuo: ::Hands you an inhaler and another bottle of Pepto-Bismol:: There you go. By the way, thanks for reviewing for My Last Breath. Well, yeah...Kikyo is really stupid, but I had to get on with the chapter...o.O;; Anycrud, sure, I can send Kouga to kill Kikyo!!

-- Kouga: PREPARE TO DIE!!! ::Chases after Kikyo with a gun from Kag's time::

Kikyo: Omigawd!! HALP!! HALP!!! ::Tries to run, trips::

Saki: ¬.¬ Stupid, preppy freak.

Kouga: ::Shooting Kikyo:: Suffer, like you made Kagome!! Suffer, and then BURN IN THE PITS OF HELL!!!

Saki: ...::cough:: Well, at least he loves Kagome. =) --

Nethira06: Oh yeeesss...something bad happens to Kikyo. ::Evil smirk:: I'm glad you like the story!!

ahanchan: Yay!! The female wolves have a fan!! ...a fan...a fan...T-T Oh well. At least someone likes them. Sorry, the chappies are really short!! But when I write long chapters, I find it harder, and easier to lose interest!

puffin: Thank you for the support! =D And thanks for reviewing for My Last Breath, too!

MichelleAnneSummers: ...what? Who's getting back together? ...eheh...I'm a bit confused. But I do know Kagome and Kouga are together, and Kikyo is going to suffer. Thanks for reviewing!!

Pinayazngrl: Yay! A long review. You are just too kind to Kikyo. Inu-Yasha will regret abandoning Kagome. Sorry about the long wait. :)

RebelHeart16: Thanks, I love your pen name!!

Adrian Winter: Yeah, I'll kill Kikyo off. =) ...Err...please put those away...If you kill me, or even maim me, I won't be able to update again...!!

Kitsune: I feel so loved! I'll try to lengthen them a bit...but I lose my inspiration if I try to write long chappies .

mocha: If I ever met them in person, I'd probably do the same. Yes, I will kill Kikyo off. She'd going to die, for sure. I'll try to make her suffer as much as possible under the circumstances. Wow, I didn't know my story was that good...XD I feel so loved. You people are so nice to me!

Smurf2005: Thanks for reviewing for My Last Breath! I'm so glad people enjoyed it. Thanks for the idea for CITR, by the way. Yeah, I should make Kagome realize that Kouga loves her soon.... And yup, Kag and Kouga's first kiss is coming up...pretty soon. Chasing Methuselah? I've seen it, though I've never read it. I'm still Mir/Sango. Heh...It seems like a very good fics though (1300 reviews!!) If only my fics were that great...::wistful sigh:: Anycrud, thanks!!

Miss Moonlight: ...'or else'. I don't like how that sounds. ...heh. Yeah, IY can be a pain sometimes. Sure, in the anime, it's all like 'IY and Kagome were made for each other!'. It's true, but I find it really unfair that IY is always running to Kikyo, and Kagome simply forgives him. In a lot of fanfics, I throw a fit because IY just totally ditched Kagome for Kikyo, and was really cruel to her, yet, in the next chapter, Kagome forgives him!! Grr! No person would forgive THAT easily. 'Love makes you do crazy things,' sure, but...still!!! That's partially why I wrote this fic.

princesskc: Thanks for the support! =)

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Wow, so many reviews!! Keep them coming! XD By the way, could you do me a favour, and R&R for 'My Last Breath'? ::Hopeful::

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha, or the song 'In the End' by Linkin Park. Lawyers, this is your cue to back off.

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Trust and Betrayal

Chapter Four: In the End

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Over next few days, Kagome stayed in the female's caves. She got to know them better too, especially Kyoko and Tanoshii. Kyoko was extremely wise and had a lot of patience. Tanoshii was young and naive, full of energy and joy. Tanoshii reminded her of herself, before Inu-Yasha chose Kikyo over her.

Oddly, Kagome didn't feel as sad as before. Of course, she still sometimes started crying whenever the topic was brought up, but with Kouga, Kyoko, Tanoshii and everyone to comfort her - it was hard to keep crying.

Slowly but surely, she was healing.

--

"Inu-Yasha, can you slow down?" Miroku grit his teeth and tried to keep up. Sango struggled to keep on walking.

Technically, they were running.

Kikyo smirked from where she was, currently in Inu-Yasha's arms. It was easy for her, because she was carried everywhere.

Sango wanted to slap that smirk clean off her face. She would too; except that Inu-Yasha would either permanently maim her, or the more likely: kill her. When Kagome was around, at least he knew how to treat his friends properly. But now, Sango didn't even think they were his friends anymore.

::It starts with

One thing, I don't know why

It doesn't even matter how hard you try::

They were hardly more than acquaintances now. She counted all the times she could have killed him before - but no, she, Miroku, Kagome and Shippo had remained by his side. They were loyal to him. Yet, in the end, this is what they got.

::Keep that in mind

I designed this rhyme to explain in due time

All I know

Time is a valuable thing

Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings

Watch it count down to the end of the day

The clock ticks life away

It's so unreal::

Everyday, ever since their first encounter, they had all stayed by his side. But now...he had that bitchy Kikyo, and for him - that was all he needed. He didn't feel that he needed Kagome. He didn't feel that he needed Miroku, Sango, or Shippo.

::Didn't look out below

Watch the time go right out the window

Trying to hold on

Didn't even know

Wasted it all

Just to watch you go::

They were trying to keep up with him right now, but he was just speeding ahead of them. Sango watched hopelessly as Inu-Yasha leapt through the air, while they had to run. Was the hurry anyway? Oh yeah, he and Kikyo were looking for a place to stay. Everything for the Shikon. Everything for Kikyo. All those good times from the days before, all gone because of his choice.

::I kept everything inside

Even though I tried

It all fell apart

What it meant to me will eventually be a memory::

The days of the past where long gone now. Inu-Yasha threw them away. He threw away those memories. For a pile of dirt and bones. Seriously, what was his problem? And if they said anything about it, he would yell at them or kill them or something. What did he see in Kikyo? If there was something he loved about her before - it was gone now.

::Of the time when I

Tried so hard

And got so far

But in the end It doesn't even matter

I had to fall

To lose it all

But in the end

It doesn't even matter::

They tried so hard to collect the Shikon shards. Sango knew that on her side, Kagome was failing school. Kagome had said that school is where you get your education. It depended on your education on what job you would get when you turn into an adult. With a job, you earn money. If you had a bad job, because of the lack of education, then you had a lower income, which would effect your life. While Kagome was failing school, she had to collect Shikon shards, and this is what she got in return.

::One thing, I don't know why

It doesn't even matter how hard you try

Keep that in mind I designed this rhyme to remind myself

How I tried so hard

Despite the way you were mocking me

Acting like I was part of your property

Remember all the times you fought with me

I'm surprised that it got so far::

Inu-Yasha was always putting Kagome down, and comparing her to Kikyo. She did her best to try to be as good as Kikyo. But she couldn't, and Sango hadn't wanted her to. Neither had Miroku or Shippo. They liked Kagome as she was, and wanted her to stay Kagome. However, all because Inu-Yasha was selfish, and couldn't forget Kikyo, he wanted Kagome to be Kikyo. They always argued, yet it was always Kagome that came crawling back, even if it wasn't her fault.

::Things aren't the way they were before

You wouldn't even recognize me anymore

Not that you knew me back then

But it all comes back to me in the end

You kept everything inside and even though I tried

It all fell apart

What it meant to me will eventually be a memory

Of the time when I

Tried so hard

And got so far

But in the end It doesn't even matter

I had to fall

To lose it all

But in the end

It doesn't even matter::

Now that Kagome was gone, and Kikyo was here - things would never be the same. No one laughed, no one shared their deepest fears or sorrows, no one cried together anymore. Because of this, they had all changed. Kikyo was getting bitchier and snobbier by the day, because she knew she had Inu-Yasha to protect her fat clay ass. If they said anything bad about her, she could just tattle to Inu-Yasha and he would obey her, as a slave or servant would. No one knew that all this time, he had still loved Kikyo. Sango thought that he finally forgot, and had new feelings for Kagome. But now they knew that he saw her as a second Kikyo. He refused to open his eyes and see that Kagome was Kagome, and no one else's copy.

::I put my trust in you

Pushed as far as I can go

For all this

There's only one thing you should know...

I put my trust in you

Pushed as far as I can go

For all this

There's only one thing you should know::

They all trusted him. They all believed he too, would stay with them. They were supposed to be friends. They were supposed to be allies, at least. But because of the one called Kikyo - everything came apart, everything collapsed. The trust - that took so long to build, took but a moment to take away. 'It takes a lifetime to build trust; but it takes a second to take it away.' It was true. All the faith that they once had in him - was gone.

::I tried so hard

And got so far

But in the end

It doesn't even matter

I had to fall

To lose it all

But in the end It doesn't even matter::

They weren't friends anymore. They weren't allies anymore. They would never be. Forget the past. It wouldn't rebuild itself. The friendship was gone. The trust was gone. The loyalty was gone. And in return for Kikyo, Kagome was gone. All their efforts were wasted. It didn't matter anymore.

--

"Kagome-chan, could you please look after her please?" Kushi indicated to the baby wolf demon in her arms. Kagome rushed over and took her out of Kushi's arms. With a sigh of relief, Kushi stretched and yawned. Kagome grinned.

"It's tiring, isn't it?" She asked.

Kushi nodded wearily. "It doesn't do much for my beauty either..."

Kagome raised an eyebrow.

Kushi laughed and waved it off. "I know I'm vain. But I can't help it. How can I not be, with this charming face?" Kushi batted her eyelashes dramatically and looked innocent.

Kagome chuckled. "At least you can admit it. And plus you're not a snob about it, so I don't mind."

Just then, Tanoshii came skipping over. "Yo, Kag-chan!"

"Hey. Bored?"

Tanoshii pouted. "Yeah...I get bored so easily..."

"Well, you are pretty young -"

"No, I'm not young! I am NOT young! I'm a big girl now!!"

Kushi and Kagome exchanged amused glances, before giggling. Tanoshii huffed. "What's so funny!?"

Kushi made a waving motion with her hand, as if shooing something away. "It's nothing. Why don't you help take care of one of these kids? All of us are supposed to act as mothers to them..."

Kagome gasped, suddenly remembering something. 'Mama! Souta and grandpa...I have to go back!'

Tanoshii blinked in confusion. "What's so ::gasp::?"

Kagome sighed. 'That's right...I haven't told them yet.'

"Ok. Well, to say the truth, I'm not from this time."

"...huh?" Tanoshii replied dully.

"I'm from 500 years into the future. I came to this time because I was pulled into the Bone-Eater's well by a demon called Mistress Centipede. By using this well, I can time travel."

Silence.

Kushi had wide eyes. Tanoshii looked like it was her birthday or something.

"THAT'S SO COOL!!!" Tanoshii burst out.

Kagome sweatdropped and laughed nervously. "Heh...heh...yeah..."

"Kushi-chan? Could you please look after her?" Kagome handed the infant to Kushi, and hurried out of the cave.

Kushi blinked. "I just had a sudden rush of déja vu..."

"Ah yeah, I think I did too..."

"...Somehow, I doubt that."

"Yeah, you're doubt is pretty accurate."

"Yeah, thought so."

"...yeah."

"Yeah."

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Don't forget to R&R, and check out 'My Last Breath', please! Once again, flames are not tolerated, but polite constructive critism is welcome.

Ja ne!