Salutations! . Okay, this is my first ever fanfic - so be nice, okay? This is the first chapter - I'm planning to make more. I'm making at least one more, but if I get enough reviews, I'll make even more! It would be really nice to know that even one person took the time to read my novice-quality fanfic. So, read on, and enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: Nope, I don't own Inuyasha...if I did, Kikyo would already be burning in hell along with Envy from FMA and Akito from Furuba! But, enough about my hatred!

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The chilly autumn breeze rustled through the trees, and Kagome shivered. She pulled the thin blanket over her head. Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were undaunted by the cold, but Kagome was unable to fall sleep. She shivered once more, and sat up.

I should've brought some extra blankets, she thought.

Wide awake, Kagome walked over to the river nearby the campsite. As she dipped her feet into the icy water, she heard a rustling from behind her. Instinctively, she paniced.

"W-Who's there?" Kagome called out into the darkness.

A single frog lept out from behind the bushes. He let out a mighty croak, and hopped across the dirt into the river. Kagome mentally scolded herself for getting scared over something as harmless as a frog.

Phew...I'm happy it was just a frog. But I shouldn't have gotten that scared - am I really that weak?

The young girl sighed and gazed at the moon. Often, Kagome questioned wether or not she was helping the others at all. If she was just dead weight, taken along because she can sense jewel shards. The wind started to blow fiercely, and Kagome hugged her knees to her chest.

Her gaze ventured from the moon, to the tree in which Inuyasha slept. Even now, after all this time she had spent at his side, Kagome still couldn't make heads or tails of her feelings towards Inuyasha.

"Sometimes I just want to ring his neck..." Kagome whispered to herself. "But then, there are other times...when he seems to truly care for me. Times when it's simply magical. I just can't make up my mind!" She let out a huge sigh.

But then again, maybe I won't have to, Kagome thought, sadly. Inuyasha is in love with Kikyo, right? So it doesn't matter how I feel about him - I'm just an ally. The one who stands in the background, practically part of the scenery.

Kagome once again stared at the moon. She was completlely still for a while, until she felt a warm drop of water sliding down her cheek. As it gently reached her lip, the salty taste was unmistakable.

Am I...crying? She thought. Yes...but why? I'm not sad about anything...

As if it were a cruel response to her question, an image of Kikyo floated in Kagome's mind.

"Yeah...that must be why I get so despressed about this kind of stuff. I guess there are certain times when Inuyasha really does seem to care. But then, afterwards...I remind myself that, most likely, he was just using me as a gateway to Kikyo. He didn't see me - he sees her. I'm just some kind of cheap substitute when she isn't here."

Kagome's tears fell freely now. Her brain told her that this wasn't something worth crying over - but her heart told her otherwise.

I'd love it if I found out that he truly cared for me...She realized. Maybe then I would be able to decide wether or not I loved him myself.

The wind grew even stronger, and Kagome realized how cold she was. Groggily, she stood up. However, her vision instantly became hazy, and her whole body seemed to go numb. Kagome stumbled backwards into the river. She tried to swim out, but she was in the early stages of hypothermia, and he body was starting to fail her. In desparation, she cried for help.

The last thing Kagome remembered was sinking to the bottom of the river, and a feeling of complete desolation.

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Ta-da! So, what do you think? Oh wait - don't talk to your computer screen. Leave a review. Okay? Ugh, I hate the last sentence...and I hate the fact that it's so short...but I just couldn't think of anything else. Don't worry, chapter 2 is gonna be longer! Oh, and by the way - Kagome isn't gonna die. lol, so don't think she drowned to death.