Author's Note: Better late than never ever again. Here's chapter 22. Enjoy!

Dedication: Here's to all of you who have stuck with the story so far. I still get reviews every so often, a year after my last update. You guys motivate me to keep coming back even when I think I might never finish this story. So here's to you, reviewers. Thank you so very, very much.

This chapter was written to random techno songs, as I've been forced to write at work. I do not suggest reading along to techno songs, but you know, to each his/her own.

Disclaimer: I wrote my first Inuyasha fanfiction thirteen years ago. And still, I own none of the Inuyasha series or its characters. So sad.

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Chapter 22: Betrayal

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Inuyasha

Inuyasha sat in his prison; legs folded, back hunched. Elbow propped on his knee. He sat facing away from the glass. The fingers of his right hand tapped a rhythm on the floor in quick succession.

tap-tap-tap-tap

tap-tap-tap-tap

His glass cage was hidden away from the sunlight in the back of a closet, the clothing allowing only the brightest rays through. They cast the barest of shadows against the stone floor.

Inuyasha's vision swam in red.

His youkai was taking over, bit by agonizing bit. The urge to kill ran through him. He was charged; electricity coursed through his veins. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. His fangs pricked at his tongue.

His fingers tapped against the floor.

tap-tap-tap-tap

tap-tap-tap-tap

The image of Kagome running to the hunter, the way she defended him…

The way she kissed him.

tap-tap-tap-tap

tap-tap-tap-tap

He focused on the tapping. On the rhythm. His breathing was steady but held heavy in his chest, tightening his insides.

He wanted to rip the hunter to shreds.

He fantasized about it. The blood. The screams. Kagome's pale, terrified face as she watched from the sideline.

And he would make her watch. It would serve the bitch right.

tap-tap-tap-tap

tap-tap-tap-tap

He let the visions consume him. He welcomed his youkai. The anger raging through him cleansed his soul of any lust he felt for the bitch.

How could you expect anything different? She's Kikyou birthed again. They are one in the same.

They were absolutely one in the same. What had he been thinking, trusting the bitch? Kikyou had been nice and convincing when he first met her too, and look how that had turned out.

Kill her. His youkai seethed.

Keh. Kill her.

Kill her.

Kill her.

Kill her. His youkai lusted, chanting in glee at the idea of Kagome's blood on his hands. But not yet. Not yet. Make her watch first, then kill her.

Yes, kill her. Kill her. Kill….

Inuyasha's chest tightened. His breathing hitched in his throat. He felt sick.

But why? His youkai argued. Why do you fight to protect the bitch?

He wasn't protecting her! He didn't give a damn what happened to her, she had chosen her side as soon as she kissed the hunter, chosen her side as soon as she'd let her stupid hunter boyfriend carry his cursed mirror up the stairs and placed him in the back of her closet.

She had chosen.

He didn't fucking care.

You care. His youkai accused. You foolish bastard. What do you think they're talking about down there? You think they're discussing the best forest in which to set you free? You think they're fighting for you?

No. He wasn't an idiot, he knew what they were doing. But still.

You are an idiot. A damned, foolish idiot.

Shut up.

Your pathetic nature will be the end of you. Kill her.

Shut up.

KILL HER.

"SHUT UP!" he roared, slamming his fists onto the rock over and over and over again. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" The skin around his fist grew raw and peeled away, and still, he pounded. "Shut up! Shut up!"

He felt his youkai seep back into him, felt himself gain control. The visions of Kagome choking on her own blood sickened him, and he turned his head to vomit.

Only nothing came out.

Damn this cursed magic mirror, he thought, curling up into a ball at his side. His vision had returned to normal, his mind was his own again. And all that was left was the hurt and a sick stomach that he could not rid himself of.

He would still kill that damned hunter boyfriend of Kagome's, she could be sure of it. Doing it in front of her still sounded like a fantastic idea. But the wench herself….

Kagome herself….

If his Youkai turned out to be right, Inuyasha would just forget her. If she did end up turning him in, so be it. He had survived under Kikyou's control for centuries. What were a few more? The very fact that Kagome existed as Kikyou's doppelganger meant that there would be more down the road. He would eventually run into another, and he would seduce her to bring him out of the mirror, just as he had Kagome, and he would make it his sole mission to kill Kikyou.

He was so damned close this time. He'd gotten a little taste of freedom and got careless. As soon as Kagome let him out of the mirror he should have run off with her into this crazy modern era and kept her away from complications. Like friends. If only she didn't have all her damn friends.

Inuyasha curled tighter into a ball, hugging his knees to his chest. He looked at his hand. He wouldn't feel the pain he'd inflicted on himself until he stepped outside the mirror again. He wished the same could be said for the pain he felt on the inside.

He was so caught up feeling sorry for himself, he didn't hear the wench creep up on him. She was there suddenly, pushing the hanging garments aside, allowing light to flood into the cage.

Inuyasha felt his back stiffen. He couldn't help the automatic reaction. He fought to keep his emotions in control, despite being hidden inside the mirror. He would not let her see how much her actions affected him.

"Hey." Her voice floated towards him, soft and light. "You in there?"

What kind of fucking question was that?

"Sorry." She said, realizing the innuendo. "I meant can we talk?"

Inuyasha kept his mouth shut. If he ignored her she would go away at some point, right?

"Please, Inuyasha? I need to talk to you." She begged.

He felt the growl rumble up from deep inside his chest. "What?" He bit out.

"We… we've been talking downstairs, and -"

"I don't give a fuck what you and your slayer friends talk about, bitch. Leave me alone."

"Um…" He heard the hurt in her voice as she trailed off, and he could smell the sharp sting of salt in the air. She was crying.

He almost turned around to look at her. Almost.

"I want to tell you what we're doing because you deserve to know."

The sick feeling in his stomach swelled up again. He knew what she was going to say.

"We're taking you to Kikyou."

He fought to keep his youkai in check. It tore at his insides as her words rang in his ears.

"They're my family, Inuyasha. I have to save them." The smell of salt intensified. Big, fat, traitorous tears rolled down her cheeks.

He bit his tongue against the scream climbing up his throat. Blood pooled slowly inside his mouth. He swallowed it bit by bit, "Do what you want." He said. It was all he could do to keep it together. He didn't want to look at her.

"I just…" Her voice wobbled as she trailed off. "I'm looking for some understanding, I guess. Some… forgiveness?"

Ha. Hahahahaha. Forgiveness. She'd go to her grave in 90 years or so, although now he hoped sooner, deprived of his forgiveness. She could be damn sure about that. He would make damn sure of that.

"...Inuyasha?"

What the hell was she thinking? How dare she come to him begging for some sort of permission? What the hell did she expect him to say? It wasn't okay. It wasn't okay.

Kill her.

Shut up! He snapped. He wrapped his arms around his torso and bent over his folded legs. He realized he was shivering. A shivering mess of anger and betrayal and fear, dammit. And fuck the stupid doppelganger priestess and her stupid youkai hunter friends. Fuck them for turning him into what he hated most.

Weakness.

He didn't realize she left until much later. He lay back on the cold, hard floor of his cell and stared up at the rocky ceiling. He tried to sleep as the filtered sunlight shifted slowly across his prison. When it stretched out to touch his skin he pulled away, back further into the darkness. Sleep eluded him. His mind replayed the decisions he'd made since first seducing Kagome into releasing him from the mirror.

Why? Looking back on it now, what had possessed him to act so brash? His confidence in controlling the situation was a facade. He had no control. The two women in his life he had been stupid enough to trust had the control, and he had given it to them without a fight.

His cage moved. Inuyasha sat up, resigned. He sat cross-legged, hidden from view as Hojou crouched into his line of sight. The youkai hunter had changed his clothes. He now wore some sort of futuristic body armor, all black and rough-textured. The smile on his face was soft and unassuming.

"Hey." He said.

Inuyasha bit back a growl. Fuck that guy.

"I know you're in there, youkai. Deadline is almost here, we've got about an hour and a half." He paused, waiting for a reply, then shrugged when none came. "Kagome wanted to come up and get you herself, but Sango and I convinced her that wasn't such a great idea. She seems to have some sort of weakness when it comes to you. Although," he chuckled, "I have every reason to believe those youkai powers have something to do with it." He shook his head. "I'll say this about that girl though. She's a sweetheart. And for a reason I can't seem to understand, she doesn't want you hurt."

Inuyasha tensed at his pause. He knew the slayer was trying to goad him into saying something. Bastard.

"I'll say it just once, youkai: If you touch her again, I will kill you. I'll do it elsewhere, away from Kagome. She'll never know, because I don't want her to be in pain, but I'll do it. And it will hurt." His smile never changed. It was like he was having a chat with a friend. He shrugged, then stood and picked up the mirror.

Inuyasha stared straight ahead while the interior of Kagome's house swung by; back and forth, back and forth, as Hojou carried him out of the bedroom and down the stairs. "Almost time now, Youkai," Hojou muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Inuyasha to hear.

He couldn't help himself. He strained his neck to look around the living room as Hojou set him down propped against the wall. Kagome was nowhere to be seen. He caught Sango shoot a look his way before schooling herself and focusing on packing her weaponry splayed out on the table.

"Just let me finish this and I'll be ready to go." She said, stuffing her gear into her bag.

"Take your time," Hojou said. "We'll be in enough of a rush to get out of there once we have Kagome's family."

She nodded, opened her mouth to say something before snapping it shut again. She glanced towards the mirror for a second time.

Inuyasha wasn't stupid. Kagome was in the room somewhere, out of his line of sight. But why were they keeping her from looking at him? What the hell did it matter at this point? She'd already shown her true self, the bitch.

"Let's go," Hojou said, and Inuyasha's cage moved again; outside of the house and into the front yard. His prison lit up, golden and warm. He closed his eyes.

No one spoke as they made their way down the steps and into the street. They walked on for a bit, the gentle sway of carrying the mirror an unfortunate mix with Inuyasha's already tumbling stomach. He opened his eyes again.

They were passing a field; wide open and green. Wildflowers sprinkled bright colors in patches. He watched the colors sway from his prison.

He felt it then: the panic. It tore at his insides. This would be the last time in a very, very long time that he would be able to see the sun again. Kikyou would probably have his mirror thrown into a deep, dark cave where no one could come to visit. He'd only be let out at night time. He'd never be able to feel the warmth on his skin again. This was it.

This was it.

"Kagome! Kagome!" The words tore from his throat before he could stop them. He tried to swallow them down, but it was too late, and fuck if he cared anymore. The knowledge that this would be it drove him mad.

"Inuyasha!" He heard her voice just out of his view. His cage rattled as he was set down, and Hojou bent over the glass, a pleasant smile on his face.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I ain't talkin' to you, bastard," Inuyasha snapped. He yelled for Kagome again, ignoring stupid Hojou's face.

"Inuyasha, what is it?" He heard her call, then grunting, the sounds of a struggle. Hojou sighed and stood up out of sight.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Kagome."

More grunting. "Sango, let go!" He heard her shout. Then she was in his view, hair tumbled and face red. Sango was next to her, trying to pull her away. "Ow, Sango, stop it!" She said, punching her friend in the arm. Sango huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." She snapped.

Ignoring her, Kagome, reached out to grab at the edge of the mirror, gazing inside, searching for him.

He didn't dare show her his face. Did it show on his face? How broken he felt? How panic-stricken he'd become? He didn't want her to know. He didn't fucking want her to know she was his last hope.

"Are you in there?" Kagome asked. Her voice broke.

For a moment he didn't speak, just watched her face. She looked like she was in pain. She did. But it was an act, it had to be. She knew what she was doing to him. She knew what she was turning him into.

"Just…. take me to the field," he said. "I want to feel the sun. One last time before I go back."

For a moment she stilled, and seconds felt like hours. His plea was weak, and it made him weak. But he didn't care. He didn't fucking care. He just wanted one more moment. One more moment to bask.

Kagome nodded. She grabbed the mirror and tucked it under her arm. The world turned sideways for Inuyasha.

"What are you doing?" He heard the others ask.

"Just a sec!" She called over her shoulder, stepping into the field and making her way out until Inuyasha spoke.

"Here. Lay the mirror flat."

"Like that?" She did as he asked.

"Yeah. Give me a second."

She looked over the top again, and a tear dropped from her eye onto the glass. It shattered into a thousand pieces and spread across the smooth surface, magnifying the sun a thousand times.

"Can you show yourself?" She whispered.

Fuck, his chest hurt. Why was she torturing him so? Why did she pretend to care when she so very obviously didn't?

He didn't want to say her name again. He couldn't do it.

"Just… leave me be for two seconds," was all he managed.

She bit her bottom lip. Nodded.

Gone.

Inuyasha breathed in deep. He could almost smell the wildflowers he knew were sprinkled out around him. He closed his eyes against the sun, the light filtering through his lids, orange and beautiful. If he concentrated hard enough, he could almost feel the grass pressed up against his back, tickling his fingertips, his ears. Feel the wind sweep around him. Hear the sound of a million different creatures, all alive and free and going about their lives.

For just a moment his world was of his own, and he could lay in the meadow forever. For just a moment the horrifying tasks he'd soon be carrying out left him in peace.

For just a moment he was free.

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Apologies for the wait yet again. As always, comments and critiques are welcome, let me know what you thought!

See you soon!

~SugarRos