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Japanese Volcabulary:

hanyou: half demon

taijiya: slayer

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Episode 28: The Betrayal

The moment Miroku's lips touched Kagome's, he felt the wretched emotions that any traitorous person would feel were they to betray a friend, ram forcefully against the barrier that he had put up to keep back any and all emotions that may keep him from his mission. He could hear his conscience screaming out its objection in his mind.

He desperately wanted to pull back, spill out Narakuna's whole plan, act as if nothing had happened, turn back time, have them all suffer from a severe case of amnesia, anything! Anything at all that would stop this madness, have this betrayal never happen, keep him from having to face the vile emotions he knew he'd have to face, keep him from having to see the pain and betrayed face he knew Inuyasha would have, keep Inuyasha from having to feel that in the first place! He begged every god he knew that something, ANYTHING, would happen!

. . . But he guessed none were listening for nothing happened.

No severe case of amnesia, no time turning back before this whole thing happened, nothing. . . .

Nothing was heard expect that the footsteps had halted, an almost silent choked sound of disbelief, and the soft thump that was Inuyasha's backpack as it dropped from his lax fingers.

Knowing that it was all too late, knowing that the ultimate betrayal had been done, knowing the final step had been completed, and knowing.... knowing all that was to follow, all the pieces that were going to fall into place to complete Narakuna's villianous and drastically cruel plan, knowing all this....

And despite all he knew, Miroku knew one more thing.... The moment he broke the one sided kiss and released Kagome.....

All hell would break loose.

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Inuyasha couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He couldn't believe it at all... but there it was. The horrible scene that lay before him in front of his very own eyes.

Everything he had in his mind, vanished. Poof. Like a puff of smoke. He was no longer thinking back to his recent trip back home or the good news he had been told while there, or finding out what had been bothering the female hanyou he'd grown to love, or the things he'd brought back for the girls, or even the words he'd been prepared to speak before he'd stepped inside.

All that was left was the shocked disbelief he felt wash over him, leaving him with a numb feeling.

His mind was blank, unable to comprehend what he saw. The sight of one of his close friends lip-locked with the girl he loved.

It was then it hit him, like a bucket of icy cold water had dumped on his head, drenching him with the painful return to reality.

Miroku, the one who had grown to be his close friend, the one who had helped him to realize his feelings, the one who he had TRUSTED, had just betrayed him in the worst kind of way.

It felt like a punch to the gut as the feeling of betrayal hit him hard. Miroku had BETRAYED him. He KISSED Kagome despite knowing how Inuyasha felt about her. . .

Then, a fierce scorching rage consumed him, mixed with the painful feeling of betrayal. It burned through his veins, scorched his skin, and he could have sworn his vision now held a tint of red.

Before he knew it, he'd grabbed Miroku and torn him away from Kagome to hit the ground. He glared down at his traitorous friend. He has angry. He was mad. He was hurt. He was betrayed. He was so many things...

And every single one was directed at the taijiya before him.

Miroku.

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The demon slayer sat on the floor where Inuyasha had thrown him. He truthfully didn't expect Inuyasha to react any less than he had. The boy of the future was pretty good at holding his temper, but the moment it was unleashed, it truly was a force to be reckoned with.

Miroku kept his head bowed. He was sure that if he were to look up into the eyes of his betrayed friend that the already stretched thin barrier, that held back the miserable emotions that pounded desperately against it even now, would be broken and then all those emotions would come ramming into him at once. If that were to occur, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep himself from breaking down and spilling everything. The only thought that really did hold him back from revealing anything and letting slip the emotionless mask he wore, was the thought that if he did, Kanna's life would be lost.... and he knew there was no way he could allow that to happen again.

The taijiya unconciously noticed that Kagome had slipped away sometime earlier. Shaking the absent thought from his mind, Miroku braced himself against what he knew was to come, feeling the anger that was practically rolling off Inuyasha in waves.

There was a long moment of silence, the tension in the air thick enough to be cut with a knife, as Miroku felt Inuyasha's gaze burning holes in the top of his head.

Then, after a moment longer... the words came.

"How could you, Miroku?" the white haired boy gritted out, the anger, betrayal, pain, everything, heard clearly in his voice.

When the slayer didn't answer, Inuyasha continued louder, slowly unleashing his anger.

"How COULD you, Miroku?!" Inuyasha started. "What? Were you planning this all along?! Were you PLANNING to betray me like this?! Even back then, when you made me realize how I felt?! You knew how I felt about Kagome! You KNEW! You were THERE when I..." The boy paused, struggling for a moment. "You... You... I thought... I mean... You kissed her, Miroku! KISSED her! You kissed Kagome! You know that I lo..." He shook his head, angrily. "You KNOW how I feel! I thought I could trust you! Hell! I DID trust you! Was it all an act?! Were you just PRETENDING that you wanted to help me?! Did you WANT to hurt me like this?! Did you... I..."

Inuyasha choked as the anger slowly drained away. He tried desperately to grab at it, to stay angry, so he wouldn't feel the terrible ache of betrayal and the pain that came with it. The white haired boy swallowed hard. Why couldn't he stay angry? Why couldn't he stay mad? Why?

"I trusted you, Miroku," Inuyasha said softly, voice filled with pain and betrayal.

He turned his gaze to the bowed head of the slayer before him. The taijiya still hadn't looked at him.

"Miroku..." the boy of the future said, voice still pained. "Look at me."

The slayer paused hearing those words. It was a simple enough request but he wasn't sure if he could do it.

"Look at me, right now," Inuyasha repeated, but this time, forcefully.

Miroku tightened the barrier forcing back his emotions and turned emotionless eyes up to Inuyasha. When he caught Inuyasha's gaze, his barrier almost slipped but he held on tight.

When the taijiya complied, Inuyasha didn't expect the unemotional expression he got. He had been expecting anything, a triumphant glint to his eyes, a smug smirk. Maybe even regret or shame. But he received that emotionless gaze instead and somehow....

...that made the ache even worse.

Miroku watched as the pain, hurt, and betrayal darkened Inuyasha's eyes further and he could have sworn he saw regret in that golden brown gaze for a moment. But then, an anger that almost seemed forced, snapped in place to cover the painful emotions.

The taijiya watched as Inuyasha's hands became tight closed fists and his jaw clenched firmly. Somehow, it didn't seem like those two guestures were done in the supposed anger in his betrayed friend's eyes, but instead were done to hold something back.

He didn't give it much more thought as Inuyasha turned and walked away to exit the hut, but the boy paused just before the door. Inuyasha turned his head sideways, so Miroku could see his face but without actually looking at the taijiya, pained eyes staring at the floor.

Miroku watched, inwardly puzzled as to why he had stopped. But then, Inuyasha spoke in a voice so soft that the taijiya almost didn't catch it.

"I thought I knew you, Miroku," the boy spoke. "I really thought I did..."

Then, he bowed his head, bangs shadowing his eyes, as a wry grin tugged at his lips.

"Guess I was wrong."

And with that, Inuyasha left.

Miroku stared after him, his emotionless mask still in place. He knew when he finally freed his emotions from the barrier that held them back, he was going to be in for a world of pain.

Fortunately, yet Unfortunately at the same time, the plan was not fully complete. Yes, Inuyasha was gone, feeling betrayed, and from what he could tell, was heading in to the forest alone, just as Narakuna had planned.

Glancing around the room, he confirmed that Kagome really had left the building. Inuyasha hadn't noticed in his anger. Thinking back to just after Inuyasha had torn him away from Kagome, he remembered her frightened and pained gaze just before she had left the room in a blur of green and black. Kagome was pretty closed up when it came to emotion most of the time and so he knew he had done a great deal of damage for her to have shown emotion so openly. That wasn't going to help him feel any better.

Now, she has probably reverted to the way she was before Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, distrusting, closed up, planning for a life of lonliness.... Or at least, that is what Narakuna had planned.

Now for the final pieces of the puzzle....

Miroku closed his eyes.

With Kagome as she was and Inuyasha soon to fall into the next part of Narakuna's plan(She hadn't told him exactly what that was.) all that was left was Sango and Kirara. . . . .

'When they learn what I've done, they will hate me...' Miroku thought, with as much emotion as his expression held. '... Just according to plan. All I can do is wait and brace myself for their betrayed words of malice that is expected.'

After that was to be done, Sango, learning the two main members of the group were gone, the two that kept them all together, she would have no reason to stay in Rin's village and it was expected that she would revert back to the wandering monk she had been before.

Kirara, who had grown to have a close bond with Inuyasha, would run off, angry at Miroku for ruining the last thing she had that was even CLOSE to a family.

Narakuna had observed all the members closely and had determined how each one would react. Miroku would have thought it a very good and clever plan, if it were not so cruel and evil at the same time.

Miroku's mouth tightened into a thin line. In truth, he didn't really have to stay and take their words. Narakuna had actually told him to come back to her once the final step was complete. But some part of him felt he deserved the words they would cry out in the betrayal, hurt, and anger, and he couldn't bring himself to leave without getting what he felt he deserved.

Sango and Kirara may hear what he'd done from Inuyasha but if they didn't, he'd be the one to tell them. He must reveal nothing and take their abuse. That's exactly what he deserved. Every. Single. Bit.

Miroku stood up and headed towards the door. He wouldn't leave the village but if he didn't leave the hut, Narakuna could grow angry and kill his sister for his disobedience. That was not what he wanted.

He would make sure that they found out before he left and was given the tongue-lashing he deserved. Then, Narakuna would be satisfied, his conscience would perhaps lessen its continued cries, and the guilt he knew he was going to eventually feel be alleviated, if not but a little.

With all this in mind, he pushed aside the bamboo mat that was the door and took a step outside, one step closer to the confession he was to make and the punishment he deserved.