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Disclaimer: I do not claim, nor own, Inuyasha as mine, because it isn't. Nor do I make any profit from writing this- it's just for fun.

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Lets cut right to story, shall we? I'll just thank my reviewers and by on typing. Does that suffice your fanfiction update wants and needs?

Priestess kurumi inu's sister: Happy New Year too! And I totally agree about the Kagome thing . . . that's where she really gets on my nerves.

Carol J: Ditto! Anyways- yes, halfway through the story already. Isn't that so sad? Well, I might stretch it out some, even though it can be annoying, it's much fun to write. :)

brigurl: I have the ortho, I've already had braces once. T.T Here's your next chapter!

Jamie: Well then, I'm glad you love it. Glad you liked the length. Sorry, but the last chapter was something of a time-filler, but then again it wasn't. I couldn't just have Kikyo pop up and say; "Grr! Inuyasha! I am back for you! Muwhaha, now you must die!" Something tells me that wouldn't have been very satisfactory. So, you get the boring stuff before you get to the action. About the uniform, she could have washed it, but what's the sense in that? She DOES have nineteen others! ;)

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BLOODY LIES

Part VIII

To Be Known To All

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. . . But somehow everyone finds out . . .

. . . Making my life worse than it is already . . .

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"So it would seem . . ." Inuyasha said looking at Kikyo, golden orbs void of emotion. He had long given up on showing some kind of apathy to the living, yet dead, revenge bent miko.

She technically, and figuratively, didn't have a heart. If she did, it was only clay and dust that was frozen over from the constant hate coursing through her body that took place of blood. Her fake, clay body.

How much Kikyo had changed was literally unbelievable. The once kind-hearted (believe it or not), gentle, selfless Kikyo was gone with the wind. How she still managed to find a way to hate Inuyasha, even though she knew he didn't kill her, was unknown to all but her own evil self.

"I believe you owe me two tonight, correct Inuyasha?"

The hanyou nodded, then much to his dismay, Kikyo smiled. It wasn't a nice, kind smile either. This smile plainly said something else,

"Yes, that is right. However, you should not have missed any at all, Inuyasha. For this I must punish you more. Three will conclude tonight's ceremony."

This time the half youkai said 'yes', misery evident in his tone. Kikyo smiled wider, "Oh, but Inuyasha, this helps you as well, does it not? Think, without this happening, would your precious little bitch still be alive? The monk, the kitsune, or the taijiya? We, and we alone, know how poor Kaede really died. We don't want that to happen again, would we?"

"No." Inuyasha muttered, getting irritated. If she was going to do it tonight, she might was well get it over with already!

Turning around briefly, Kikyo reached into the top part of her traditional miko's outfit. As she went to face Inuyasha again, the dagger was in her grasp. Moonlight streaming in from between the trees illuminated the blade, making it all the more 'evil' looking.

Oh, why couldn't looks kill? Naraku would have been dead ages ago, as would Kikyo, and that little dagger in her grasp, it would simply melt into a puddle of steaming metal and steel.

Then Kagome, Shippo, and everyone else would be dead too . . . he really needed to stop glaring at everyone so often for his wish to come true.

Kikyo walked up to Inuyasha, slowly. "Shall we start?" She asked in a cold, but somehow elegant voice.

"When else are we going to, wench?" Inuyasha also gave up trying to resurface any of her feelings for the demon long ago.

"Mouth, Inuyasha, you must really learn to control it. One day it will get you into a serious dilemma."

Too late for those words now, it was his big mouth that started this mess in the first place! Of course Kikyo knew this, and that was why she chose those particular words to berate the poor dog demon.

Inuyasha didn't respond vocally, but settled into glaring at the priestess. Maybe his little wish would come true . . . Kagome always said to be careful what you wish for, because you never knew when it could come true. How about now, please? He silently asked the stars above the treetops, in the vast plains of space above.

No such luck for the very unlucky Inuyasha.

Kikyo placed the cool metal against his cheek saying, "This is where we decided upon last time. This is where we'll start this night."

Inuyasha didn't answer, but continued his glaring.

She applied pressure the blade, the sharp side pressing against his skin, sending a small shiver up his spine. With a rapid flick of her wrist, Kikyo broke through the skin. Sliding the blade quickly across it, then held the blood covered dagger in the moonlight, for them to clearly see it.

Giving herself a nod of approval, she ran her fingers delicately across the sharp rim, gathering the blood on her fingers. These fingers she rose to meet her lips, parting them and removing the blood from them with her tongue.

As she removed the fingers from her mouth, she smiled faintly. Inuyasha scowled deeply. "That was a good one, Inuyasha. Just letting you know." She spoke with a soft voice, "Only two more to go, but where to inflict the damage?"

She seemed to lapse into a moment of deep thought, then 'brightened up.' "Left, and right, wrist out, now!" She ordered, Inuyasha obeyed.

Setting the end of the blade across the right wrist, the cut, then slide the sharp metal over both wrists, being careful not to mortally wound Inuyasha in the process. Examining the dagger, the repeated the same process as before.

"That," Kikyo said while the replaced the blade to its rightful place, "Will count as two cuts. Be thankful, I was feeling merciful tonight."

"Merciful, my ass!" Inuyasha retorted to himself.

"Say something, Inuyasha?"

The miko walked up the hanyou right until their noses almost touched. Inuyasha could feel her light breath on his cheek, stinging the torn skin of his cut. He was careful no to wince, for that admitted pain, which meant Kikyo would be happy.

"Don't swear to me, Inuyasha. I don't want to hear your fowl mouth at work. I'm literally doing you a favor, and you're doing me one. We need each other to live in this world, like it or not. Don't tempt me to cut your young, demonic life short. I will do it."

"And you think I won't?" The youkai promptly asked.

"I think we both know the answer to that. Neither of us can die, or the other might as well join him in death to rot in hell."

Inuyasha's lip curled into a sneer, "And? Atleast you won't be roaming around either. I could kill myself."

Kikyo seemed to consider the idea, then leaned in close so her forehead touched his, "No, you won't do that Inuyasha. You can't. You don't want to die, and neither do I. If you do kill yourself, I'll make sure the monk, fox, demon exterminator, and the wench all die before I do. By my own hands, if I have to."

"Kagome!" A voice barked from behind the trees, "My name is Kagome! Don't any of you damned feudal assholes understand that? KA-GO-ME!"

Shock caused Inuyasha to fall over, who grabbed Kikyo to try not to full, which brought her down onto him, in a very inappropriate position.

Turning around to face the two, and stepping out from behind her hiding spot, a furious Kagome stood, further enraged by their questionable positions.

"I thought you were through with her, Inuyasha! I really thought we were done with all this 'I love Kikyo' crap! I come back to say 'Sorry' for blowing up at you, and this is what I get? You sick, lying bastard! How could you do that with her?!"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome in confusion, "Do what with who?"

"Don't play games with me! I'm tired of you running to her, Kikyo!" The feeling of being betrayed washed over Kagome, "How could you betray me like this, Inuyasha?"

Leaping up from the forest floor, Inuyasha glared at Kagome, "Betray you?! What in the fucking hell gave you that idea?"

"Don't think I didn't see you, Inuyasha." Tears rolled down Kagome's cheek, "I hate you." She whispered then turned on heal out of the forest, to God knows where.

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"Dammit!" Inuyasha yelled, punching a tree. Twilight had long since passed. It was mid-afternoon now, and Kagome was nowhere in sight. "Dammit all to hell!"

"Damn what, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, as he, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara came up behind the demon, "What happened to you? Where's Kagome?"

Inuyasha snarled at the mere mention of Kagome's name, "Don't you speak that name to me!" He hissed.

Miroku and Sango exchanged a glance. "What happened between you two this time?" Sango asked.

"Nothing!"

Shippo rolled his eyes, "Obviously something!" He snorted, "You can't cover this one up, you're positively reeking of anger,"

The kitsune then added, "and . . . something else . . . I can't place my finger on it . . ."

"If you know what's good for you, brat, you won't place your little finger on it!" Inuyasha growled.

"Yeah . . . nevermind!" Shippo squealed, seeking shelter behind Sango.

"Inuyasha-" Miroku started to warn the hanyou, but then Inuyasha turned to face them all.

"Don't try to tell me off! Don't even think it was my fault this time! It wasn't!"

"What wasn't your fault?" Sango asked, softly speaking.

"Everything! She yelled at me like it's my fault the fucking world's gone to hell! Well, for once in her existence, it isn't! She doesn't even know half of what's going on!"

"What's going on?" Miroku interjected this time.

"She didn't even let me explain! Damn bitch, Kikyo! It's her fault, Kagome's fault, Naraku's fault! I can't help it . . . I can't stop it now, if I do you'll all die! I can't let you all die, that's not going to happen again! I won't be the cause of another damn death of people that I actually like!

"I don't sleep, I don't eat, I don't think, that's what got me into this! I should have thought this out, if I just went ahead and killed myself . . . but then Kikyo would've killed you. I could have killed us both!

"I could have . . . I could have . . . oh Gods no . . . It's all my fault again. The world would have been better of with out me! Then Kagome wouldn't be mad, Kikyo would still be nice, you all wouldn't have lost half the people close to you that died . . . nothing bad would have happened!

"Hanyou's just bring bad luck to everyone. The world needs to be . . . needs to be rid of them."

Inuyasha concluded his rant, breathing heavily, eyes burning for the need to cry. He needed a shoulder to lean on. He couldn't keep this up anymore.

He was already weak, weaker than he was before this all happened. Would the Tetsusaiga still work for him anymore? Could he still face Sesshomaru and come out alive?

His golden eyes were now half lidded, he was so tired. Well, he hadn't slept in forever.

His body ached, he hadn't ate either. Not to mention all the blood loss.

He didn't even notice as he staggered forward a few feet, towards his friends. He didn't notice falling to his knees, nor someone shaking him, telling him to wake up.

He didn't notice that the cuts on his body somehow all reopened. He didn't notice he was now in a pool of his own crimson blood.

The only thing he registered was the darkness, hovering above his head. He blinked his eyes, once, twice, thrice . . . then didn't open them again

The blackness felt good, to be able to relax, to be able to not worry about the world outside of his mine.

He didn't notice being rushed back to the old hut.

He didn't notice water being poured over his head.

He did notice that there wasn't any pain, and this was good. He fell slowly into the realm of unknowing, sliding into a deep loss of consciousness. The world was black

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. . . Slipping into this blankness . . .

. . . I sigh a sigh of relief - for now I am free . . .

. . . Even if it is only temporarily . . .

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Authors Notes: Ah, I over did it. I know I over did it . . . this is so messed up, it isn't even funny. What piece of crap. Inuyasha rambles a lot, to much . . . but guess that's what you do when your on your last strand of sanity. Right?

This was supposed to be a nice little New Years chapter/gift. Oh well, no matter how seriously overdone this is, please, would you kindly review? I just want to know someone read it. That's nice to know. ::smiles sweetly:: Well, time to go and upload, and pray for your ever kind reviews. Aah, yes, your next update will be soon, so fear not and enjoy the days off! Bye now!

- - - - Eveligne - - - -

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