Prelude to Sorrow

Kagome smiled contentedly at Inuyasha as they walked through a thick forest. It had been peaceful ever since Kagome had returned from taking an exam in her own era. No demons had attacked recently and Kikyou had not appeared. Kagome was merely happy to be standing beside Inuyasha in the forest along Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippou back in the feudal era, an era in which she was beginning to feel as if she belonged.

It was odd now that she thought of it. For so long she had felt uncomfortable and even worthless in the feudal era. She did not have the strength of the others and the only merit she had was her ability to see the Shikon no Tama shards, however, it had dawned up her when she was talking to her friends back in her era that she did not truly belong there any longer. Things seemed too peaceful and superfluous. Life was monotonous and boring, and there everything seemed less genuine. Her friends back there could not begin to comprehend the bonds she had with Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and all of the others just as Hojo could never understand what Inuyasha was to her and how much she loved him with all of her heart. That was what had made her realized that she was beginning to belong here, in a dangerous world full of wild beauty and strange savagery.

"The forest seems very quiet today," Miroku observed, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Eh?" Inuyasha responded, quirking an eyebrow. "I didn't notice."

Miroku rolled his eyes. "That's because your powers of observation are seriously lacking. If you can't smell it, you don't notice it. That's your problem Inuyasha."

Inuyasha turned his head to glare at Miroku, who was walking a little bit behind Inuyasha and Kagome. "I resent that you perverted monk!" He shouted indignantly while continuing to glare at Miroku. In fact, he was so busy glaring at Miroku that he walked straight into a tree branch and gained a large lump on his head. "OUCH! DAMN IT, THAT HURT!"

Miroku sniggered. "I rest my case, you rely too much on that nose of yours."

Inuyasha rubbed his head. "That was your fault Miroku, I—" he cut off suddenly. "I smell…" He quickly pushed Kagome out of the way and ran off into the forest. Kagome fell into the underbrush and hit a strange prickly plant. She stood up quickly and brushed herself off, but not before she notices a large rip in the sleeve of her shirt, probably due to the bush. Kagome began to stomp off after Inuyasha but Miroku grabbed her hair.

"Lemme go!" Kagome yelled.

"Nope. Kagome, there's no point in you going off after him. You'll never be able to catch up, you'll only get lost. Let's just wait here for him." Miroku said as he let go of her hair.

Sango smiled at Kagome. "Don't worry, I'm sure he didn't mean to rip your shirt Kagome."

Kagome sighed. "I know he didn't," she responded, "I just don't like how he always rushes off without me and treats me like a liability or a weakness."

"I think he' s trying to show he cares, " Sango said dryly.

"I wish he would do a better job of it," Kagome muttered angrily under her breath.