Author's Note: This is technically a songfic because I got my inspiration from the song "Broken" by Seether ft. Amy Lee (from The Punisher soundtrack). But I personally don't really like putting lyrics in the body of my story, so instead I have the lyrics that inspired each chapter as the title of the chapter they inspired. They are very important in understanding the story, so my professional advice would be to READ THEM!!!

A Word to the Wise: This story is an AU, and it is going to be just a little OOC for Sesshomaru. So if you don't like that kind of thing then don't read this story. I promise that if you stop reading now you won't be offended. I prefer not to be flamed by people who don't like the style in which my story is written. Everybody is allowed to have an opinion, but if it is any way rude or hurtful, then please keep it to yourself.

Disclaimer: I own neither the Inuyasha characters nor the song "Broken" by Seether and Amy Lee. I am a poor college student, and I can only allow the great works of others to inspire me.

Secret Key Needed for Interpreting my Story: *** indicates passage of time, "quotation" marks indicate speech or dialogue, italicized words are thoughts, (parentheses) are author's comments, and [brackets] indicate a change in the point of view.

************************************************************************BROKEN

~ ~ Chapter 1 ~ ~

~ ~ I wanted you to know that I love the way you laugh ~ ~

[Inuyasha's point of view]

As Inuyasha sat by the fire and watched Kagome, he was seized by a terrible feeling of guilt. She didn't know that anyone was watching her, so she was revealing that dark side of her that no one had ever seen. No one except me, but she thinks I don't notice. How could I not notice? Well, to be perfectly honest, he hadn't noticed until tonight. But now everything seemed clear, and he was shocked and horrified by the changes he saw in her.

When I first met Kagome, I thought she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. And throughout the 3 years we have spent together she has just seemed to grow more beautiful. Until now.

The flames from the campfire cast an eerie glow on Kagome's face, and for the first time Inuyasha noticed just how pale she was. She had a haunted, shadowy look in her eyes, and he couldn't even begin to fathom where her thoughts lay at that moment. She's lost a lot of weight too… when was the last time she ate something? Come to think of it, when was the last time she slept? She's always still up when I fall asleep, and awake before the rest of us. All of the things that he had refused to see came rushing at him, and he realized that Kagome had changed more than he had ever known.

She only smiles very rarely, and she never laughs anymore. I miss her laugh. She was always such a vibrant, happy person, and she made the rest of us feel more alive. What happened to her?

But as Inuyasha glanced at the person cradled in his arms, he knew what had happened. He didn't want to accept it because it caused another wave of guilt to flood over him, but he knew. As Kikyou stirred in his arms, Inuyasha smiled. He almost regretted his decision, but not quite. I feel terrible about the pain I caused Kagome, but I had to follow my heart, and my heart chose Kikyou. Kikyou is the woman I have always loved; how could I have ever chosen anyone but her? But at the same time he felt a little bit wrong when he was with Kikyou. The only time I actually feel right is when I'm with Kagome, because she's always accepted me for who I am.

Now completely unsure of himself, Inuyasha settled down uneasily by Kikyou's side to go to sleep. He glanced over at Kagome one last time: she was still sitting by the fire, staring off into the distance. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, and she looked childlike and innocent in that position. Inuyasha felt his heart wrench. But instead of going to comfort her, he just rolled over so that he wouldn't have to confront such a painful sight, knowing that he was the cause of it.

***

The next morning when Inuyasha woke up, Kagome was already awake. She's still in the same position she was in when I went to sleep last night. Did she even sleep at all? Kikyou was awake as well, but she was still lying snuggled in his arms. She nudged him gently.

"Inuyasha," she whispered.

"What?" he asked.

"We need to talk about something important," she replied.

Kikyou rose to her feet gracefully, and slowly walked into the forest. Inuyasha waited a few moments before he got up to follow her, dreading whatever she had to say. I'm worried about Kagome; I can't be worried about Kikyou now too.

Kikyou led him to a small clearing far away from the campsite. She turned around to face him, hands on her hips, her lovely face molded into an expressionless mask.

"I want that woman gone," she announced.

"Who? Sango?" Inuyasha asked, praying that she wasn't talking about who he thought she was talking about.

"No, the other one. My reincarnation," Kikyou responded coldly.

"Why, Kikyou?" he asked. "What has Kagome ever done to you?"

Kikyou walked slowly around Inuyasha, trailing her fingers lightly over his shoulders and chest. She spoke sweetly, the silky tone of her voice attempting to mask the bitter poison of her words.

"I know you can see it, Inuyasha," she said earnestly. "She is fading… drifting farther and farther away from us."

Inuyasha didn't say anything, because it was true: he could see it in Kagome's eyes, though he didn't want to believe it. After a pause Kikyou continued speaking, but her voice now had a hard quality to it.

"She has outlived her usefulness to you, Inuyasha," she said. "I can see the jewel shards as well, and I am much more reliable than she is."

"But Kagome has been with us since the beginning, and I refuse to send her away," Inuyasha said softly. The truth was that he felt responsible for Kagome's condition, and he didn't want to hurt her further by making her leave.

Kikyou, sensing that she was losing the battle, began to speak again in that caressing voice. She was determined not to leave Inuyasha alone until he agreed with what she desired, and she knew that the best way to win him over would be to play on the love she knew he held for her.

"But Inuyasha, it will be better for her if she is with her family right now. Can't you see how hard it is for her to see you and I together? You must think of Kagome's feelings: I know she wants to go home, but she doesn't want to abandon you. For her own good, you must send her away."

Inuyasha wavered, believing with all his heart that Kikyou was right. He refused to even consider the fact that Kikyou might be jealous of Kagome; he trusted her and believed that she was truly looking out for Kagome's well-being. Finally, he closed his eyes and nodded assent.

"All right, Kikyou," he said. "Tomorrow we'll go back to the well and leave Kagome there. She'll get well again when she's with her family."

"Today," Kikyou insisted.

Inuyasha was finally won over by the look on Kikyou's face: it shone with her love for him, although her eyes remained empty and devoid of all feeling. He felt his heart swell with the love he felt for this woman, so he agreed.

"Okay, Kikyou. You win. She goes back today."

Kikyou's face gave no outward sign of the inward pleasure she felt at winning the argument. Inuyasha turned around and walked back to the campsite to break the news to the rest of the group. Blinded by his love for the dead miko, he didn't see the blaze of triumph and wickedness in Kikyou's normally-emotionless black eyes.

[Kikyou's point of view]

Inuyasha, you always were an easily manipulated fool. I have succeeded in bending you to my will once again, just as I have done so many times before. You will send that woman away, and I will reclaim first place in your heart. Things will return to the way they should be once that pathetic excuse for a reincarnation is gone.

All pretenses aside, Kikyou was inordinately jealous of Kagome. She knew deep inside that Inuyasha's true heart had belonged to Kagome all along, but she had finally succeeded in making him believe that she, Kikyou, was his one true love. And now she had succeeded in removing Kagome from the equation. Inuyasha is a hair's breadth away from going to hell with me. And once he does, I will finally have achieved that which I have always desired.

[Inuyasha's pov]

The rest of the group was awake by the time Inuyasha rejoined them.

"Good morning, Inuyasha," Miroku said amiably.

"Feh," Inuyasha snapped. "Shut the hell up." He wasn't feeling at all good about what he was going to do, but he knew it was something that he had to do. If I don't make her go away then she might die here. But the only way I can make her go away is if I tell her I hate her and that I don't want her with me. And that's not true, is it? No, no, Kikyou's right; I must do this, for Kagome's sake. Besides, she probably wants to leave, she just doesn't want to hurt my feelings. He made his face into a mask of hatred and disgust, then rounded on Kagome. She was just sitting there, so sad, so innocent. For a moment Inuyasha's resolve weakened, but it strengthened again when he saw the look of love on Kikyou's face as she rejoined the group.

"Get your shit together, wench, you're leaving," he said sharply.

"Huh?" Kagome stuttered. "Leaving?" The rest of the group was shocked into silence by Inuyasha's rude tone of voice; he had never spoken to Kagome in such a manner, not even when they were fighting.

"Keh… don't you listen?" he asked angrily. "Yes, you are leaving. We're leaving for the village right now, and when we get there we're going to drop you off at the well."

Kagome's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "But why, Inuyasha?" she asked in a very small voice.

I hope you can forgive me for this someday, Kagome.

"Because you're getting more and more useless and unreliable," he replied. "And now that I have Kikyou, I don't need you anymore."

[Kagome's pov]

Those were the words that Kagome had been both expecting and dreading since Kikyou had begun traveling with the group. The words echoed continuously through her mind: now that I have Kikyou, I don't need you anymore… I don't need you anymore.

[Inuyasha's pov]

Kagome didn't say a word; instead, she began gathering all of her belongings and stuffing them into her oversized yellow bag. The other members of the group, especially Shippou, glared at Inuyasha.

"What the hell are all of you looking at?" he shouted at them as he stomped away. Inuyasha hadn't seen Kikyou's triumphant smirk, but it hadn't gone unnoticed by the other members of the group.

Kagome, right now I know it feels like your heart is going to break. But you'll laugh again, I know it. Too bad I won't be there to hear it…

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Author's Note: Maybe this is kinda stupid, but who the heck cares?? If you liked it and want more, then please review. If not, then flame if you want, but I'd prefer if you just don't review. You know what they say: "If you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything at all." Constructive criticism is always welcome, of course…

XOXOXO Sayori-chan