Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Inuyasha.

A/N: This fic is definitely rated M. This chapter is particularly violent, so this is just a quick warning, if you wish to avoid it.
Also a quick shout out to my friend Saruwarui. She kindly beta'd this chapter for me. So go check out her stories if you get a chance!

Traitor

Servants opened the large wooden doors to the palace, and Kagome and Jaken entered the courtyard.
She was immediately surprised to see a large gathering of youkai. Kagome followed Jaken as he entered the crowd.

"Get out of my way, you lazy worthless soldiers!" He shouted at them. The soldiers seemed to respect Jaken, about as much as he respected them. They all slowly moved, creating a pathway to the center. Kagome secretly hoped a soldier would kick him.

They finally reached Sesshoumaru who had been given a wide circle of room around him.

He held a cat youkai by his throat, who hung limply in his grasp. Sesshoumaru's eyes alighted on Kagome. He flung the youkai at her feet.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, what's going on?" she asked bewildered.

The cat sat up and glared maliciously at her.

"He is a traitor of the West!" Sesshoumaru shouted. The crowd around them erupted into angry shouts and growls.

"Miko, this cat was supposed to be informing this Sesshoumaru of the wellbeing of your village. He spread lies to this one's trusted vassals."

The air left Kagome's lungs. This was why Sesshoumaru never checked on them. He had been counting on this spy to keep tabs on them, and he had been purposely lead astray. Sesshoumaru had been led to believe that everything had been okay. Kagome stared at this dispicable youkai, realizing that because of him, no one had come to their aid.
They might have had help long ago, if not for this cat youkai.

Inuyasha might even be alive. Hate quickly consumed her thoughts.

"Are you going to kill him?" Kagome asked.

Sesshoumaru could feel her anger building, her reiki skimming across his skin.
"Yes."

Kagome stared down at the youkai with such unbelievable hatred. The youkai showed no remorse. He even had the nerve to look defiant. Kagome had such a violent urge to wipe that smug look off his face, that she had to clench her fist to stop herself from acting on it.

Sesshoumaru observed her reaction. He knew then that he was right to have her there to witness this punishment. He had this strange need to prove to her his strength, his protection over those he considered pack; probably because he had already failed them once wanted her to see what he did to traitors. He wanted to see her face
when he systematically ripped this traitor apart by hand.

She stood very still with a rigid back. Her fists were balled at her sides. It was obvious, she was angry.
Kagome's reiki began to rise to dangerous levels. Sesshoumaru did not know whether to be amused or annoyed as the soldiers closest to them, began to move uncomfortably under the onslaught of her reiki. Apparently, it would please Kagome very much to watch the traitor die, and he was eager to please her in this way.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, may I have the honor of killing him?"

The traitor turned to look at the miko. A malicious smile broke out across his face.

"This weak miko wishes to kill me? She couldn't evensave her mate from dying! I watched as she tried in vain to keep him alive! She's worthless!" He threw his head back and laughed.

Kagome spun away from the cat demon, and spied the crowd around them, searching. Her eyes alighted on a soldier, with a sword on his hip. She marched up to him and yanked the sword from his waist. The soldier immediately
caught her arm, stopping her. "My lord!"

Sesshoumaru gave him a glare, which made him drop his hold on her. Kagome pulled the sword from its sheath, and dropped the scabbard on the ground. She leveled the sword at the traitor.

"My lord, do I have your permission?" She asked, her eyes searching his. She needed this. She needed revenge for Inuyasha. She hoped it would help her sleep at night, knowing that she had killed someone responsible for his death.

Intrigued, Sesshoumaru nodded, giving his consent. This was a side of the miko, he had never seen before. She was so very angry and...beautiful in her vengeance.
The traitor looked petulant. "Truly, oh mighty lord Sesshoumaru? You are allowing a human woman to do your dirty work?" He mocked.

Kagome stabbed him in the chest, pinning him to the ground. He snarled in pain. "Is that the best you can do bitch?"
Kagome smiled viciously. The sword in his chest began to glow. Her reiki rose to a suffocating level. The cat youkai gasped for air like a fish out of water, struggling to breathe.

The surrounding youkai took several steps back in fear. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes dilated. The reiki danced across Sesshoumaru's skin in a most delightful way. He closed his eyes, and basked in the pleasure. When had her power become so intoxicating to him?

The wound in the traitor's chest began to sizzle and burn. His mocking glares quickly turned to panic. He started to claw desperately at his chest to remove the glowing blade. Kagome obliged him removed the sword with a jerk. The youkai immediately began to try to escape, but found he was unable to move, held in place by her reiki.

"Oh no, are you trying to run away from this weak miko?" Kagome taunted.

She tilted her head up, looking down at him.

"You know how Inuyasha died, don't you?" Kagome accused, while walking around to his side. "You watched, and did nothing to save him. You did nothing to save a prince of the West. You betrayed your allegiance and your lord. So you would know that he had sustained a neck wound, which caused him to bleed out. He died an honorable death while protecting his child. You, however, will not be so fortunate." She slid the sword up and along his body. "I believe you should suffer the same way he had." She drew the sword's tip across his throat agonizingly slow.

The traitor spit at her. "Just do it bitch!"

She stabbed him on the side of the neck, effectively slicing his carotid artery. The traitor cried out in pain. "You stupid whore! I won't bleed out from a simple neck wound."

"You're right. Normally this wound wouldn't be enough to kill you. However, I have found that when I inflict a demon with reiki, the wounds do not heal as quickly." Kagome brought up the blade glowing with holy aura to her face. She examined the long blade dripping with his blood.

A look of panic passed over his face. "Perhaps, you will not die from just that wound." Kagome slashed across his groin, severing his femoral artery. Blood quickly pooled beneath him. He began to feel weak, as his blood fled his body.

"Who paid you?" She demanded.

The cat spit at her.

She drew the sword down his chest, slicing as she went. His skin sizzled and burned from her reiki. He screamed and writhed on the ground.

"The southern snake lord!" The traitor cried out.

"What are his motives?" Kagome asked in a cold voice.

"He..he...wishes to weaken the western kingdom! I swear I don't know anything else."

Kagome looked back at Sesshoumaru, standing behind her. He opened his eyes and focused on her. Her reiki flowed around her, making the air crackle with energy. She looked radiant, and utterly powerful.

"He's speaking the truth." Sesshoumaru said eying the supine traitor.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, would you mind cutting out his tongue?"

His eyes darted to Kagome, impressed. She was certainly not the same girl, who fought alongside him to defeat Naraku.

Kagome turned back to the traitor in time to watch his face turn to horror. She heard Sesshoumaru say in a gruff voice behind her, "It would be my pleasure."

Sesshoumaru brushed past her to walk around to the front of the traitor.

"I was telling the truth! I don't know anything else!" he begged.

Sesshoumaru smiled and grabbed his jaw, and forced his mouth open.

"Too little too late." Kagome said bitterly. She closed her eyes as Sesshoumaru jabbed his claws in the liar's mouth, and ripped out his tongue, while his garbled screams filled the air. Sesshoumaru stepped away and carelessly dropped the offending appendage on the ground. Kagome lifted her arm, and with it a current of her holy powers flowed outward and lifted the traitor off the ground. Blood poured from his body as he hung in midair.

"Now you will watch helplessly as I crush your heart before your eyes. After you die, I will remove your head from your body, and place it as a marker to all who dare to betray the West. You will die in humiliation." Kagome declared.

The traitor's eyes widened in horror, and he gurgled weakly his protests, choking on his own blood.
Sesshoumaru watched as her reiki rose and flowed around her. Her travel torn miko clothing whipped around her as her power rose. He watched fascinated as her power channeled through her arm, and swarmed out toward the traitor. Her reiki invaded his body through his gaping bloody mouth. His body writhed in uncontrollable pain as her reiki burned him from the inside out. Kagome held out her hand open palm up. She held him suspended in air for another moment, before she clenched her fist, crushing his heart. Blood spewed from his mouth, and his protests stopped.

Kagome threw his body to the ground. Sesshoumaru bent down, and ripped the dead traitor's head from his body. He turned to a soldier closest to him. "Place his head on a spike outside the gates. Let it be known how the West handles betrayal." The soldier took the head by the hair, and disappeared into the crowd.

Kagome bent down and picked up the forgotten scabbard, and sheathed the sword once more. She approached the soldier she took the sword from. The soldier back away from her with his hands up. "Uh, no it's alright, my lady. You can have it."
Kagome held it out to him. "Are you sure? I didn't mean to steal your sword..."
"Please my lady, consider it a gift. I will get another one."
"Oh, well, thank you very much." Kagome said, then gave a small bow. When she looked up, the soldier had disappeared, along with much of the crowd. Surprised at everyone's quick disappearance, she turned to Sesshoumaru.

"Is it alright if I retire for the night?"

"Hn. "

"That's great, because Rin told me you have hot water here, and I do believe I could use a bath right about now."

Together they walked side by side back toward the open doors of the palace. As they ascended the stairs, Kagome began to feel lightheaded. Her vision swam, and she tripped. Her sword fell from her grasp and clattered on the stone steps. Sesshoumaru turned and caught her arm. "I'm so..." Kagome faltered. He watched as she began to collapse, and swiftly swept her up in his arms.

Her vision was dimming.

"Kagome. Kagome!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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