Prolog

Kagome walked towards Inu Yasha's forest. She was sure Inu Yasha had gone this way. Faintly she could hear a murmured breathy conversation just beyond the next few trees. The closer she became the more she could see and hear. Up ahead she could just make out Inu Yasha's silver hair and his bare back. If she had thought about how odd that was, she would have turn around and walked away; but she didn't think. She could only stand and stare in horror as she entered the clearing. Inu Yasha had Kikyo bent over a stump, plowing into her from behind.

~OXO~

Kouga tracked Inu Yasha's scent; it was the fastest way to find his Kagome since the mutt rarely bathed. The closer he got to the scent he began to hear the sighs and moans of someone matting. He raced even faster to see if his precious Kagome had chosen Inu Yasha over him. If he had been calm, he would have noticed that Kagome's scent, while close, was not mixing with Inu Yasha's. As he raced he saw Kagome walking towards the same clearing. At first he breathed a sigh of relief, it quickly turned into a hiss as he realized what Kagome was about to witness. Had he been a few moments faster he could have grabbed her and rushed away, so she would never have to see Inu Yasha mating that dead clay bitch. Inu Yasha had his back to both Kagome and Kouga.

"Inu Yasha Do you love me more than Kagome?" the clay bitch purred at him.

"I'm here with you instead of that copy, what do you think?" Inu Yasha demanded. Kagome turned and ran toward the well. Kouga would have given anything if he could have saved Kagome from hearing that. He growled at Inu Yasha's stupidity, Honestly how could the mutt not smell Kagome three feet from him? Kouga bound after Kagome, watching her jump down an old well, but when he looked in, Kagome wasn't there. He jumped down, her smell stopped about half the way down, yet he couldn't find where she had disappeared.

"Damn it!" he howled his anguish into the night. His eyes bled red as he speed back to Inu Yasha; that mutt would tell him everything about the well.

~OXO~

It had been almost five years since Kagome caught Inu Yasha with Kikyo. Since then Kagome had grown into a beautiful woman; she had been such a pretty child it was no wonder. She had also grown quiet and withdrawn, almost cold. Most of her days were spent tending to the shrine. When she had first returned home, her family begged and pleaded with her to tell them what happened, what had caused her so much pain. She refused to say anything, except that her time in the past was over, she was not going back.

For that first year she had tried to return to her old life, school, boys, shopping and gossip, but they all felt empty and hollow to her. She couldn't concentrate in school, gossip was a bore, and those boys, how could they compare? She had loved a hanyou, been friends with multiple demons, and powerful warriors. No one from her time could compete with that. Depression grew in Kagome. Her trips to the past had broken something inside of her so she couldn't assimilate back into modern society. To escape her pain she built a small archery range behind the shrine. No one, not even her family, knew about it. When the pain became too unbearable she would disappear for a few hours to her range and shot arrows until the pain was replaces by numbness. But that only lasted so long as a fix, shooting eventually would remind her of the past and re-open her wounds.

Almost a year to the day that she returned home, she tried to return to the past, the well refused to let her pass through. The missing half of the Shikon no Tama sat at the bottom as if waiting for her to find it. As soon as she touched it, the pieces of the jewel merged together, purifying in a blinding flash of pink light and the jewel slid into her. Kagome stared at her stomach in horror as she realized she was just a case for the jewel. She was stuck in the future, with no way to the past. Her depression reached a breaking point that day and Kagome slit her wrists in the well house, trying to take her own life. Hojo had stumbled upon Kagome before she bled to death. Although her life was saved, for a short time while she had been bleeding out, Kagome felt something other than pain. Kagome felt a release and she desperately wanted it again.

Kagome had begun to where long selves so no one would see the cuts and scars that kept appearing on her arms. She had enough medical supplies left from her trips to the past, it was years before her family realized she was a cutter.

The next four years Kagome rarely left the shrine. She refused to wear traditional Miko garb, it reminded her too much of the past. When she was sweeping she would sing to herself. She became somewhat of a legend in their neighborhood, the beautifully melancholy shrine maiden with the voice of an angel. Many visited the shrine just on the off chance they would not only see her but hear her sing. Kagome ignored them, they were nothing to her.

Kagome rarely slept anymore; her dreams only showed her the past. She would work herself until she was too tired to move, than she would take a few hour nap, before starting her day again. As the years went by, her mother grew more and more concerned. Her once bright happy and care-free daughter was broken beyond repair and Kun-loon didn't know how to help her heal.

Ch1

Kagome was sweeping the back of the shrine when she heard the delivery van pull up. It wasn't unusual to get deliveries, the shrine had become quite popular the last few years, and grandpa was always keeping the gift shop well stocked. Occasionally other shrines would lend them a few relics to display, and they in turn would lend out their relics. Kagome took no notice of the van until she sensed a very faint demon aura. She was so surprised she dropped her broom. Looking around, she saw the van's driver giving her a confused look. Their eyes locked and his flashed into a bright jade, just like Shippo's had been, before returning back to their dull brown. Kagome began to walk over, the driver gave her a terrified look, dropped the packages he was holding and ran for the truck. The driver and truck were gone by the time Kagome reached her Grandfather's side.

"How strange we normally have to sign for these. That boy must have been in a huge hurry. Come on Kagome; help me carry these things inside."

"Yes Grandfather." Kagome briefly debated telling her grandfather about the demon deliver driver and shook her head. She had just gotten grandpa to stop throw oufas and yelling 'demon be gone' at random people. She didn't need him to start again. Besides this driver was the only demon she had sensed in her time since meeting Inu Yasha, it was probably just some little fluke.

"Oh look, a few of these are for you. More secret admirers?" Grandpa chuckled at his own joke, Kagome hate male attention. Any boy she tried to date would bore her with-in a week.

"If you just let me shoot one or two, I'm sure the message 'not interested' will get through to all of them."

"We both know scared arrows don't work on humans. Open those and put them away please, you know where they go." Dropping the packages on the kitchen table grandpa hobbled off to the shrine. Kagome sighed and began to sort the packages. Three mummified kappa hands for Grandpa the bless, two stones of malady to purify, three rings of ill intent to ward, and twin daggers from some famous dead monk on loan from another shrine to display. Making quick work of the items Kagome turned to her own packages. On was a certified letter in a thick full sized envelope. After reading the letter she threw it down in disgust. Kun-loon entered the kitchen as Kagome threw the letter down. She went to pick it up.

"Wow a record deal with the Western Kingdom Media group! There's even a personal contact number for their CEO, Sesshoumaru Taishou. They're begging you to sign with them. Isn't that great honey?"

"Mom, I don't want to be a singer. You know I can't have a life in the spotlight. I've already told them that five times. I guess I'll call Sesshoumaru Taishou-" Kagome stopped mid-sentence. Sesshoumaru Taishou? Of the western kingdom? No it couldn't be, Lord Sesshoumaru. Demons lived longer than humans, that was true but he was already what? a couple hundred years old when she met him? He couldn't have lived another five hundred years could he? No it had to be a coincidence.

"Kagome dear is everything alright?" Kun-loon looked at her daughter's stunned expression.

"Yeah, sorry mom. I'll call him tomorrow and ask to be left alone."

"If you think that's best dear. What's in this other package?" Kun-loon placed the letter next to the phone as Kagome picked up the other box. Kagome nearly dropped it when she felt it pulse with demon energy.

"Get back mom!" Kagome called as the air around her glowing pink. Kun-loon backed behind her daughter to watch. Carefully Kagome opened the box, inside lay a sword, more specifically, a demon fang fashioned into a sword, one that she was very familiar with.

"Oh My God! The Tessaiga." Kagome's legs gave out and she fell in a heap on the floor just staring at the demon sword. Kun-loon quickly came back to the table.

"No note or anything?" Kun-loon searched but nothing had come with the sword. She wanted to ask why someone would send her daughter Inu Yasha's sword but she knew Kagome wouldn't answer. Shaking, Kagome stood and looked at the package. There was no name, just a return address on the other side of Tokyo.

"I'm going to find out who sent this to me and why." Kagome growled and grabbed the sword. It seemed to hum in recognition of her. Kagome stormed out of the house and down the shrine steps.

"Dear it has the same address as your letter! You could call Western Kingdom and ask." Kun-loon called after Kagome, but she was already gone.

~OXO~

People kept giving Kagome weird looks on the train. It must have been very odd seeing a girl in jeans carrying a sword with a murderous look on her face. It was at least enough to keep the other passengers away from her. The car slowed down and the last remaining passengers left her car. She had another four stops before she reached her destination, and she hoped no one would enter the car. Her mind took her to the last night in the feudal era. Inu's words played over and over in her head.

Kagome was so lost in her thoughts; she missed it the first time the lights flickered. The second time, the lights stayed off longer. Kagome looked out the train windows, the sky was unusually dark, a nasty storm was about to hit. Lightening flashed outside and the train car shook. The lights flickered before going out completely. Kagome could barely make out the storm outside the windows. Another flash of lightening and crash of thunder shook the train car violently, sending Kagome tumbling to the floor.

Where she should have felt hard cold metal she felt warm soft earth. Looking around her, she seemed to be in some sort of hole. She could hear the storm ragging up above her, rain began to pelt down on her. All too quickly, she was standing ankle deep in water. Tying Tessaiga across her back, Kagome grabbed some roots and vines and began to climb out of the hole. As she reached the top she noticed stone work, and a wooden lip; peering over the lip, she looked around. She recognized where she was immediately. She gripped the wooden rim tighter, before pushed off falling backwards into the well. She landed in waist deep water; she was still in the past. Cursing under her breath she climbed back to the top of the well. Pulling herself out she glared down at the Bone Eaters Well.

"WHY?" Kagome turned to the sky and screamed her anger.

~OXO~

The storm brew fast and seemingly came out of nowhere. Low level demons and humans took shelter. It wasn't long before they heard an angry female scream echoing around the land. People huddled together shivering, praying they would make it through the night. Twin demon ears perked up. That voice was familiar. A reddish brown blur ran through the forest towards the Bone Eaters Well. Shippo stooped and starred. Sitting on the lip of the Bone Eater's Well was Kagome; her faced raised to the sky.

"WHY? Why did you send me back? Haven't I suffered enough? Wasn't my heart enough? What more must I give? What more do I even have to give?" She demanded.

"Kagome?"

Kagome's face flashed towards him. He couldn't tell if the streaks running down her face were just rain or if she had tears mixed in.

"Shippo?" her voice was softer, less angry than a moment ago. Without warning Shippo ran and tackled Kagome over the well. He sobbed into her chest.

"You came back! You didn't leave me! You came back! You came back!" Kagome held Shippo tightly. In the past five years he had grown almost three feet. Kagome felt a twinge of guilt for leaving him but quickly squashed it.

"Come on Shippo we need to get out of this storm. Kaede's place is probably the closest. Shippo froze at her words.

"Kagome, war broke out. Edo was attacked and burned to the ground; Kaede died trying to defend Edo. There's nothing left. Come one, we can find shelter under Goshinboku, till the storm passes." Shippo jumped up and grabbed her hand pulling her along. Reaching Goshinboku Kagome was surprised to find it dry, and virtually untouched by the storm.

"Where are the others?" Kagome asked softly. Shippo looked up at her.

"The night you disappeared, Inu Yasha disappeared too. We thought that maybe Naraku had gotten you two. We set off to rescue you but Sango got hurt really bad. Kouga helped us escape. He told us he saw you jump down the well and he demanded to know how it worked. We told him what we could, but nothing seemed to satisfy him and no one could figure out how to cross to the other side without Inu Yasha. Miroku and Sango made a nice little hunt outside the old demon slayer's village. I haven't seen Kouga for years. Kaede was supposed to start train Rin in the miko ways, before the war started. Sesshoumaru came here himself to ask. I was so surprised to see him. I had been living with Kaede, hoping you'd come back one day." Shippo looked down, his ears drooping slightly. Kagome fiercely hugged him.

"I had to leave Shippo; I couldn't be around Inu Yasha anymore. He'd just done too much. Let's head to Miroku and Sango's after the storm lets up alright?" Kagome's voice was colder than Shippo remember it being, and he could tell the smile she gave him was fake.

"Why didn't you come back?" Shippo asked. Kagome was silent a long time before she answered him.

"Inu Yasha hurt me deeper than I thought anyone ever could."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one I can give you."

"Stupid Inu Yasha!" Shippo growled.

"You wasted your tears on that mutt-faced fuck-up. Five years is a long to mourn dog-boy." A Bitter voice stated above them. Both quickly looked up.

"Kouga!"