Kikyo stared at her hands, relieved that once again that jewel had been destroyed. This time no spirit would come back to haunt her with it. Inu Yasha would never get the chance to become a full youkai. If her dreams were destroyed, then so would his be. He would never find happiness! Never!

            “Oi! Kikyo… what are you still doing here?” Kikyo looked up at Inu Yasha. Damn him. Could he not age as she had? Why did it have to end the way it did? Inu Yasha never got the chance to grow old with her. There was too much demon in him. She cursed him for his inability to age. Now she was stuck in the old body, while he taunted her with the past. Like Kagome did.

            “I am still here, Inu Yasha. This is my home. I do not know why you are still here, though, when you no longer have a purpose here. The jewel, after all, is shattered. What reason do you have left to stay around amongst this village?”

            Inu Yasha shrugged. “No reason. I never got the chance to ask you, Kikyo. Why did you betray me?” He voice was low in his throat, and even she sensed the venom in the words. Kaede stepped forward, as if to protect her sister, but Kikyo waved her back.

            “This is between Inu Yasha and I, Kaede. If he can not remember what he did to me, it is best that I show him.”

            She tugged on the sleeve of her robe slightly, exposing the scarred skin to Inu Yasha. “Does this look familiar to you, Inu Yasha? You were the one who caused this.”

            Inu Yasha’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you are talking about Kikyo. You blame me for this? I was not the one who betrayed you. Was that why you came after me with those arrows, determined to kill me?”          

            Kikyo shook her head in disbelief. “You did do this! You taunted me as you tried to kill me, and said how you would never become a human. I lay there, in a pool of my own blood while you continued to slash at me. Then you ran off, and that was when I realized that you intended to steal the Shikon no Tama for your own evil purposes.”

            Glaring at Kikyo, Inu Yasha snorted. “If I wanted to kill you, Kikyo, I would have done it, not left you with enough of your own power to seal me away. I had no reason to want to kill you, until you fired that arrow at me. I loved you at that time.”

            Kikyo’s eyes narrowed in anger. “You never loved me! It was all a trick! I was stupid and naïve to think that a hanyou could love. A bastard halfling that was deceptive. I will never believe you, and mark my words, Inu Yasha… you will die from my hands once more. I will kill all that is dear to you.”

            Inu Yasha sighed. “I say I loved you once, Kikyo. That strong miko who wanted so much to become a normal human, who did not let hatred rule her and cloud her judgment. I no longer see that woman, Kikyo.”

            Kikyo could not think of a word to say, and Inu Yasha left the hut, but he heard her last words.

            “I will not let you see that ray of hope, of a second chance. Girl that taunts me with images of my own past; you will die as well, and Inu Yasha with you.”

 

 

            Inu Yasha ran towards the well, arriving at it in a matter of seconds, Kikyo’s words on his mind. Why did she believe that he had been the one to injure her? She had been the one thing that he had allowed himself to love after the death of his mother. She had been so strong, so brave. She had taken of the duty of protecting the Shikon no Tama from the youkai that coveted it. She who was a Miko, but still a human had fought so hard. Now bitterness had overtaken her. He spoke true when he said that he did not see Kikyo anymore. Not just because her appearance had changed, but the Kikyo he remembered would never be so angry at the world, where she would consider killing an innocent young girl.

            Feh. I’m getting soft already. Thinking of that wretched girl in such a way. She was the one who held literal power of him now. Not by his heart… he was not going to open that anytime soon, and especially not to someone that resembled Kikyo so strongly.

She had the power of the prayer beads, and her ability to find the Shikon no Tama. Speaking of that…

            Inu Yasha jumped into the well, wondering if would find Kagome in a heap on the ground, or if it really did lead back to her strange time.

 

 

            Kagome leaned against the edge of the Sacred Tree, trying to clear her head while her friend’s chattered on.

            “We were so worried, Kagome! Sick for two days in bed, and no one knew what it was! Are you okay, now? Should you even be out of bed?”

            Kagome nodded. “I told you, I’m fine! Jii-chan just worries too much. I didn’t think I was sick at all, but…” She let her voice trail off while her friend’s started chattering again, this time about Hojo.

            “I think he likes you, Kagome! He was so worried about you! He kept on asking when you would be back, and if anyone heard any news about you!” Kagome was getting bored, and wondered if she should feign sickness when she heard a familiar sound above her, and she paused like a frightened deer, praying that it wasn’t him, and if it was, that he would stay where he was.

            “Minna… do you want to go inside and talk? It would be much nicer to go to my room and relax.” Yuka nodded, and Keiko dragged Kagome with them to her room.

            Kagome couldn’t help making one last comment before they reached the door.

            “Let’s go sit down in the living room first. I’m sure Mama will have some tea for us.” Kagome heard a thumping noise and a muffled curse before she shut the door. Served Inu Yasha right for following her. She wouldn’t give in without a fight.

 

            “Ja ne, Kagome! I hope we’ll see you in school tomorrow!” Kagome waved weakly as her friends walked down the steps to the shrine. She hoped that Inu Yasha would not be around still. His face had to be stinging from the “sit” she had given him.

            A low growl confirmed her suspicions, and she looked nervously up at Inu Yasha. “Inu Yasha! What are you doing here?”

            Inu Yasha jumped down out of the tree, landing before her, his eyes glinting angrily. “You thought that you could just run off, did you? You forgot something. You have a duty. Aren’t you supposed to be protecting something?”

            He dropped the sliver of the Shikon no Tama into her hand, and she looked up at him, surprised.

            “Inu Yasha… don’t you want this? Why are you bringing it back to me?” He tilted his face away from her, nose in the air.

            “Feh! What do I care for a shard, when I can have the whole jewel? Here is one piece, now find the rest!”

            Kagome glared at him. “Why are you ordering me around?” Inu Yasha glared at her, but she wasn’t finished. Now that he handed her the shard, she almost felt it reverberate through her, but to truly accept it meant that she was accepting the task of finding the other shards.

            “Look, girl. I know that you don’t give a damn about what’s going on here, but let me tell you something. If any other youkai get a hold of even a shard, there are going to be a lot of people dead. Some youkai will be happy with a shard of the Shikon no Tama, because it still gives them power. Do you want to die?”

            She glanced up at him. “It’s not my time, it’s all just a dream. You don’t really exist. This is all just something that my mind made up because I wasn’t paying enough attention to Jii-chan’s stories about the shrine.”

            She rambled on, Inu Yasha staring at her as she went on, his eyes getting wider with each word. Finally he could take no more. Grabbing her hand and pulling her close to him, he glared down into her eyes.

            “Does this feel like a dream, wench?” Kagome’s face blushed red, and he smirked. Humans got flustered so easily. He hit her on the top of her head, causing her to wince.

            “It’s no dream. I will stay here and bug you until you come back with me. I may not like you, but I want that damn jewel. You are the only one who can get it for me. You are the only one who can see it, and even if you want that jewel in one piece to protect it from the youkai who will come after it, then you need me.”

            Kagome stared at him a few moments longer, and drew her hand away slowly, but still aware that Inu Yasha was looking carefully at her.

            “What are you staring at?” She demanded.

            “You… “ Kagome threw her hands up in the air.

            “Of course you are looking at me, you baka! Why are you staring at me like that?” She tried to get away from him without yelling sit. She thought she might start a friendship with him, and one did not act friendly by slamming them into the ground, even if they did stare at you like a nut.

            “I’m trying to see…” His rough explanation was cut short by the sound of a door sliding open and light flooding the yard.

            Kagome hung her head. “Kagome! What are you still doing out here? And who is that with you?”

            “Nothing, Mama! I’m only out here with… with…” Her voice trailed off when her mother stepped closer to see who was with her daughter, alone, this late at night.

            Her eyes took in the gleaming yellow eyes, the claws, and the hand that was firmly clamped around Kagome’s wrist.

            “Who are you, and just what do you think you are doing with my daughter?” Inu Yasha grinned.
            “I’m going to drag your daughter back in time where she can fight demons. She’s going back now.”

            Her mother’s eyes widened more, and a new voice called out.

            “You! You’re a demon! I should exorcise you right now!” Her grandfather took a handful of scrolls that he always carried with him, and threw them at Inu Yasha.

            “What are these?” He picked one of them up, and he and Kagome stared at each other as he picked out a few of the scrolls that landed in his hair.

            “Aahhh! They are supposed to rid you from this sacred temple! These are scrolls handed down from many generations! Dating back to the time when the Shikon no Tama was protected by the great Miko of our shrine!”

            Kagome gulped and started backing away, while Inu Yasha laughed.

            “I have news for you, old man. Old Kikyo is not what she is said to be. She is powerless. These scrolls are crap.”

            Jii-chan’s face looked shocked, and Kagome smacked him on the arm. “OSAWURI!”

 

            Inu Yasha cringed at the bright lights of the room, and Kagome’s family members all staring at him.

            “Are you really a demon? Are those your real ears?” This came from Kagome’s mother, who pulled on his ears. He growled softly, but he didn’t want to hurt her. Damn but he had a soft spot for mothers.

            “I am a real demon. Your daughter is coming with me so that she can fix something that she broke.”

            Kagome glared at him. “It wasn’t me who did it! It was Kikyo! I am not Kikyo! Get it through your dog-eared head!”

            Inu Yasha jumped up, the last “sit” that Kagome put on him wearing off. “It was your fault for trying to run back to your world, anyways!”

            Kagome got face to face with him. “I don’t belong in your world, Inu Yasha! Go find the shards yourself. You’re a big strong demon. You can fight the youkai that you come across. You don’t need a damn reminder of your past distracting you and making you angry all the time.”

            Growling, Inu Yasha advanced on her. “You are nothing like her! Kikyo had courage! She knew her duty. She wanted to make me happy with the jewel. If there is any shred of her in you, why don’t you find the shards for me? I can’t do it by myself.”

            Kagome poked a finger into his chest. “I hope that I turn out nothing like that old bat that I saw. She is a selfish, and hate-loving woman. Her spirit carries an enormous amount of hatred in it, and I hope I never turn out like that! How you could even compare me to that old lady is unbelievable. You cared for her? She pinned you to a tree, damn it!”

            Kagome’s mouth got the better of her, and she realized by her mother’s shocked gasp, that she and Inu Yasha had an audience.

            Great. Two days around the demon and my language goes down the tubes. Mama is never going to let me out of this house again.

            “Kagome… how long have you known this boy? You seem quite familiar with him…” Kagome couldn’t believe it. Her mother wasn’t caring what was going on? What was she doing, matchmaking?

            “This isn’t happening to me…” She muttered. She looked at Inu Yasha once more, her face calm.

            “Let’s go, Inu Yasha. If I’m going to continue this, I’m going to yell at you in your world. Let me get some stuff to take, though.”

           

            Inu Yasha growled and simply picked Kagome up the hair, covering her mouth. “We’re going.” He looked at Kagome’s family.

            “Kagome says goodbye. I’ll make sure she stays safe.” With that, he leapt out the door, landing softly next to the shrine of the well.

            Kagome looked pissed, and he knew that by the time that he got her to “safer” ground, away from her family, that he would be in a lot of pain.

 

 

            Eh……that’s what I have so far! Please, minna… write me! I hope that you all are enjoying this!

 

Laz