Aurora Whisperwind: I'm miserable…

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

"You're awake" a soft voice said, as Kagome opened her eyes. A handsome man was bent over her, his dark eyes filled with concern. Kagome tried to speak, but no words came out. "It's alright. You're safe now" he said, "I found you surrounded by demons. You were barely alive. I was afraid you wouldn't make it"

Hundreds of demons towered over her, leaving her no place to run. Tears ran freely, and she could hardly breathe from sobbing so hard. "Inuyasha! Where are you?"

"What exactly happened?" she asked him, unable to place this memory. "My name is Naraku" he said, a faint red gleam in his eyes. "Well, as I said, I found you unconscious amidst all those demons. There was another young woman there too, but before I could rescue her, a white-haired boy rushed in from the woods nearby. He seemed to know her and blasted half of those demons with one swipe from his sword. I left, since he looked quite capable of handling himself. Do you know them?" he finished, running one hand through his long dark hair, fingering the curls.

"I think so…" she murmured, looking at the grey ceiling of this cave like place "I don't remember anything much" Naraku said nothing, just lifted her head gently and poured a few drops of some liquid down her throat. Instantly, her vision blurred. "It'll help you sleep. You went through quite a traumatic experience; we'll talk again once you get some rest" Everything blacked out after that. "Now, work your charm" he addressed a green mist surrounding her.

Kagura was waiting outside. "Why didn't you just kill her?" she asked Naraku. "Quiet Kagura" he rasped, "She is more useful alive than dead. And besides, I can kill her anytime I want, unlike with Kikyou" Kagura narrowed her eyes at him "So you're going to use her to kill Inuyasha?" Naraku's voice was low and deadly as he answered "Precisely"

"This was all that you found?" Miroku asked Inuyasha as Sango burst into tears. The hanyou nodded wearily, throwing Kagome's blood-soaked sleeve a pained look. He had spent all of last night searching feverishly for Kagome and screaming her name "It's her scent, I know it" he mourned, burying his head in his arms. "I searched the entire place. I couldn't find a trace of her" his eyes glimmered with unshed tears, tears he would never let fall. Shippou stared at the sleeve, unable to believe it. It just couldn't be. Kagome can't be dead, not now, not when they all needed her, Shippou the most.

"Let's go back there. There has to be something you missed" declared Miroku, placing a comforting arm around Sango's shoulders. Inuyasha shrugged, he was dead to everything now. 'I promised her. I promised her I would protect her. How could this happen?' Miroku spoke up again, interrupting Inuyasha's guilt-torn thoughts "But something's not quite right here. Why did Kagome kill Ginengi? And why was she acting so weirdly the past few weeks?"

"So Inuyasha, what can you smell?" Miroku asked the depressed hanyou. Inuyasha felt distinctly irritated as he replied "I told you before, a great load of stinking demons" Hadn't he said it over and over again? Miroku said nothing, just walked around with a frown on his face. "Look at this!" Sango shouted from a little away. In her hand, without doubt, was Kagome's bottle filled with jewel shards. "Now why would those demons leave these behind?" she asked them. Inuyasha was stunned. Miroku looked at them, and then reasoned slowly "This would mean she was attacked for a different reason. That would mean she's probably still alive, as whoever this person was didn't even bother to take the shards. They must need her for some reason. But the question is, who?"

"Naraku" Inuyasha whispered, "It's him, that bastard must be the one who did this. I'm gonna kill him, I'll pound him to the ground for even touching Kagome!" His voice rose, scaring a pair of squirrels who were watching them from the tree. "If it is Naraku, what does he plan on doing with her? Inuyasha, maybe we should try and find Kikyou. She might be able to help us, you know" Miroku suggested. Kikyou. Inuyasha's heart ached when he thought of her. If he hadn't gone chasing after her, Kagome would be fine now, and Ginengi would still be alive. But he couldn't be blamed for being worried about Kikyou; he loved her, didn't he? Kikyou was the one he was meant to be with, the one cared for, right? After all, Kikyou had given her life for him, she was everything for him. However, she was not the only one who meant so much….

"Darling?" Kagome's father crooned "Are you alright? I was so worried about you" Kagome's heart lifted considerably, hearing her father's voice again. "I'm sorry sweetie. Maybe over you, he cared for the other woman, Kikyou, more. But since he promised you, I thought he'd keep his word…" he trailed off.

'No, you're wrong Inuyasha does care for me. He does. He'd never abandon me like that, would he?'

"I'm sorry you fell for someone like that, Kagome. You deserve so much better" her father finished, a touch of anger and frustration in his voice.

'But-'

"Enough Kagome. I'm your father. I know what's best for you. He had equal opportunity to save you, he just chose not to. Surely you don't deny that?"

'No'

"I know it's hard to accept the fact that someone betrayed you, honey. But trust me, it'll heal. It may take long, but it will heal"

Kagome opened her eyes again. Naraku towered over her, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Well then priestess, what have you decided?" he asked her, red eyes gleaming. Kagome smirked back, and narrowed her now cold green eyes at him "Revenge" she whispered "I'll take my revenge" He smiled at her, offering all his support just as her father said the same. But as Kagome left the cave they were in, slinging her quiver of arrows behind her, a part of her that could not be repressed warned her she was wrong, that this was not what she wanted. Ignoring it, she blinked away the morning sunshine and disappeared into the woods, hunting a silver haired hanyou.

I'm so sorry for the short chapter. I'm not exactly very happy as my anime is cut off and all…. To everyone who's reviewed, thanks you guys. Read and review, please.