Well, since this is my first chapter fanfic, I'm nervous as heck and felling completely scared about posting this. Ha ha, well, on with the story!

Kagome's time in the Sengoku Jidai is over. Now, she begins her journey in the the Soul Society and see where how she battles, grows, and finds new love in a rather unexpected place. Now the question is, does her past stay in the past or does her past some back to haunt her or does it bring her unexpected surprises?

Disclaimer: Looks over shoulder and feels someone sinisterly glaring at back: AH THAT'S RIGHT! I don't own Inuyasha or Bleach! See See! i admit it! Strange shadow walks away...no matter how much I did! I mean, there are some really good-looking, drool worthy….right the story! Ha ha I knew that!

Chapter 1: Where It All Begins Again

It takes countless months to try to figure out how I ended up in this situation. I'm not sure exactly when or how, but I've finally found my way out. Maybe I should be thankful or even ecstatic, but I've found myself wishing I could go back. It was my safe haven. It was my sanctuary against the outside world. Not even that is the same anymore. My name is Kagome and this is my new story.

I had finally finished my adventure in the Sengoku Jidai. I knew there was no such thing as a pure wish. Wishes are selfish; that is their nature, otherwise they wouldn't begin with the phrase: "I wish…" It took us three years to reach this point. After the final battle, I was pulled into the Shikon no Tama. You would think it would be dark, or a meadow, something to indicate the peace the Shikon no Tama now had. No, it was a battle field littered with the bodies of many youkai. The smell of death was evident, even to my ningen nose. Standing before me, was the once proud Midoriko. I say once proud because of her appearance. Blood and gore covered her. She looked battle worn and tired from the centuries long war she had forced herself into.

"I am Midoriko, Mother of all Miko. Tell me, musume, the name of she who grants me peace."

Make no mistake, just because she was battle worn, doesn't mean it took away from her regality and majestic aura that practically demanded respect. She was the first, and that alone was enough to make all other Miko refrain from disobeying her. I got to one knee and bowed my head, "Midoriko, my name is Higurashi, Kagome."

"Rise musume." I did as she asked, "Know, now that I am at peace, the Shikon no Tama is yours to protect. I will not move on for some time so that my soul may finally rest in peace."

"Wakarimashita."

She looked at me as if trying to gage my reaction from her next statement, "You are strong." I stiffened. "I have a limited awareness of the outside world within the Tama, but I have always been able to sense my daughters. I have never felt such power, nor have I seen a soul as large as yours. Tell me, why does a part of it seem to be missing?"

I looked down, not in shame, but sadness. What she said hit deep; I am not strong, because if I was, I wouldn't be forced to walk in Kikyo's shadow. Something Inuyasha never lets me forget. I just can't argue with Midoriko, so I settled for answering her question. "Not long after I arrived, a youkai tried to bring the previous guardian back from the dead by using the ashes and soil from Kikyo's grave. As it turns out, Kikyo, the former guardian, had been reincarnated into me. When she found out, she took me and tried to bring her back with my soul. It didn't go exactly as planned, but Kikyo does walk the earth once again."

After I finished, I was forced to take a few steps back at the burst of reiki that had been released from the Bushi no Miko. "She continues to walk among seikatsu? It seems my musume has fallen far. How does she remain among the seikatsu, and for what purpose?" She reigned in her reiki as she waited for my answer.

"Kikyo lives off the tamashii of onna and kodomo." I fell to my knees clutching my chest as her reiki exploded with thrice the force of the first blast. Never have I felt such strength from anyone before. I waited as she, once more, reined her power in. It happened so fast, I started coughing. It took a minute to stop, but once it did, I thought to myself, I'm going to hate how she reacts to Kikyo wanting to take Inuyasha to Jigoku with her. "She walked with vengeance in her heart. Also, her former love, Inuyasha, she seeks to take him to Jigoku with her for -" I fell once again as her reiki flared for the third time, making it difficult for me to breathe. Yeah, I knew it was going to suck.

"It seems my musume truly has fallen." She looked at me, eyes hard with suspicion, yet asking that I didn't follow the path of my predecessor, "And what of you? Do you seek vengeance as well?"

"The only thing I sought was to finish my duty. I broke the Shikon no Tama, and as such, it was my duty to make it whole. Now all I seek is to return to my home." It took me a while to catch my bearings, especially in front of my spiritual mother.

"State your wish musume, and remember, it must be pure, lest you bring back those that have finally fallen." She used her katana to point at the fallen bodies of the youkai.

"My Lady, I have no wish, for no wish is pure."

She looked at me and smiled a genuine smile, "Wise choice, musume. I shall return you to the outside world, but if ever you need, feel free to call upon the power of the Tama. You are our Guardian, and as such we will gladly serve. One final word of advice, meditate, musume, and you will be able to unlock all that you hold within. Practice your calling and never let it die. That is the duty of all who call me Okaa-san."

With yet another explosion of her power, I found myself at the bottom of the well in my time. I looked up and knew the well was forever sealed. I began to cry. I never even got to say good-bye. Doshite? I wanted to return when I was ready. I cried for hours and fell asleep in the well, the only connection I had to a past that I could never return to. That was how the found me, hours later, bloody, bruised, scratched, and tired.

I woke up the next morning to find myself completely healed, much to my amazement, and yet, somehow, I felt numb, not because I couldn't return, but because I didn't know what I was supposed to do next. How would I return to school? Would my friends keep try to hook me up with Hojo? Would I finally be able to tell them no, I don't want Hojo, because lets face it, no offense, but don't you think that after three years everyone would get the message? I guess not because they were still trying. I got over Inuyasha long ago. I knew we could never have anything. After a while, it wasn't even about him running off to Kikyo. No, it was about him never recognizing me for me. His put downs, foul language, his vulgarity; that is what finally made me let him go. I couldn't stand it. He didn't know what it did to us. Yes, we were ningen, but he didn't have to say it as if it were a disease. After a while, I thought he was more like Sesshoumaru than he wanted to believe. The only difference was that Sesshoumaru was more open about his distaste of humans and far more honorable. I knew I could never be with someone who hated my humanity; who hated his own.

I thought all this as I was getting ready for the day. The numbness eased with my thoughts as I continued my way down the stairs. "Hey, Kagome, how are you feeling," my mom asked cautiously.

"Surprisingly enough, Okaa-san, I'm okay. I thought it would hurt more, but after everything, the only thing I regret is not being able to say good-bye. I was going to leave anyways so this way, I don't have to think about their faces when I said good-bye for the last time," I said, and I really meant it. I'm okay with never going back. Although I loved the freedom and fresh air of the Sengoku Jidai, and how much I craved its wilderness and forests, I knew that this is where I belonged. This is my home and, while I may never be able to talk about it with anyone outside my family, I was okay with it because I knew the truth.

Okaa-san smiled at me, ecstatic that I was okay, "Well that's great, Kagome. Breakfast is ready, so take a seat." I did as she said and watched as she put the plate on the table. When she sat down, she looked at me with sadness, "Unfortunately, I have some bad news. Your school called and they had to expel you. There are too many absences on your record. How you managed to keep straight A's is great and I'm proud of you for that," she put her hand over mine as she continued, "but even with your excellent grades it is a little disappointing. I thought they could have at least looked past that and focused on your grades, but that didn't work, so I called all the local schools and they all said the same thing. I'm sorry, love, but, on the bright side, I found a school in the next town." She looked at me with a light in her eyes, "If it's okay with you, I think maybe you should go. You were in your last year of high school so it would be good for you."

I thought about it. It was a good thing we lived at the edge of Tokyo. "You know mama; I think that would be a good idea. It's half way through the year and I don't want to start just yet. Maybe, if it's okay with you, I could start next year. I could find myself a job to help and save up for school."

"Sweet heart, would you want to move out so you can go? I was looking for small apartments in the general area of your school and there are a couple of places that are reasonably priced. It will give you time to yourself and you could visit every weekend if you want."

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked confused.

"No love, I just think that it would be good for you to get away from the shrine and the well. I think it might hold some temptation for you and you could find a job closer to there."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea mama. Did you have a place in mind? It's not that I want to leave right away. If you do, well, whatever is easiest for you." I looked at her and smiled. I loved my mama. She was the most understanding mother in the world. I know it must have been hard on her while I kept going back and forth between the times but I think she was ok with it because she knew I needed to do it.

"Well, I found this adorable little place across the street from a clinic. Maybe you can see if they need help there." She laughed, "With all the bandaging you had to do in the Sengoku Jidai, I bet you would make a great help."

I laughed. She was right. I practically learned how to be a doctor, what with all the battles we went through. The bandaging and stitching, not to mention I could open an herbalist shop with all the things Kaede taught me. It brought a small pang of sadness at the thought of the elderly Miko that I had come to love as my baa-san. Her kind ways always helped me in my time of need. I brightened up at the thought that she had taught me all she knew in the three years that I was with them. In all that time, she had been amazed at how quickly and how far I had progressed. It brought a smile to my face as I thought of how proud she would be at knowing I would never let her knowledge die with me.

I quickly brought myself out of my thoughts and answered my mother, "Sure, mama, that sounds like a great place to live. We should go check it out."

My mother looked away sheepishly and laughed nervously, "Funny you should mention that."

I looked at her with fake suspicion, "Mama, what's going on?"

"Well, they were having a viewing today and I thought it would be the perfect chance to go. It's not too far away and there's no school, I was going to take you to check it out today."

I laughed, "Oh, mama, you had the entire thing planned out didn't you?" I shook my head as she smiled brightly and nodded. "Are Souta and Jii-chan coming with us?"

"No, it's just us girls. Souta was going to a friend's house for the weekend and your Jii-chan found a shrine that he wanted to visit, said something about learning what legends they had and comparing notes. Needless to say, he'll be gone till the end of the week."

I looked at her, only she could manage to convince everyone to do what she wanted and make it look like it was their idea. I laughed reminding myself of how I had to deal with Inuyasha. Since he didn't like being bossed around, I would give subtle hints about what to do. Then, he would come out with my original idea like he thought if it himself. It gave our friends a lot of amusement when it happened. Situations like this came around sometimes when Sesshoumaru appeared and with the look he gave me after, I must say, I think he was impressed. All this made me laugh, "How do they ever find anything new to talk about? Don't all the shrines–wait, does Jii-chan tell my stories when he goes to other shrines?" I looked at my mother in mocked horror at the thought of Jii-chan trying to sound like he actually knew what he was talking about. Then I couldn't help but burst out laughing. It seems that my mom caught the same train of thought as me because she joined in the laughter. "I wish–" I stopped suddenly. "No I don't wish."

I said it so quickly and seriously that my mother looked at me with a frown, "Kagome, what's wrong?"

I looked at her with so much torture in my eyes that she almost started to panic. "I almost made a wish, mama. I almost made a wish." My hand automatically flew to the middle of my chest, where I knew the Tama had, undoubtedly, decided to lodge itself. "The Tama is still awake. Now that it is, I don't know if it will ever sleep again. As long as I don't wish for anything, then it's fine. Others can wish around me, since you have to actually hold the Tama to make a wish, but not me. I could never make wish, ever."

Mama put her hand on my shoulder and looked at me with complete understanding. I looked for other emotions, but I only found love. She was always so understanding and trying to lessen the burden, even if it meant bringing it upon her. I knew she was where I got that particular character trait from and I couldn't be more proud to have received it from her. "It is okay, Kagome, everything will turn out for the better. Can it be sealed?"

She looked at me with genuine curiosity, nothing else. She truly just wanted to know if it could be sealed, "No, mama, it can't. I tried with Kaede and Miroku, but no, its call was just as strong and its light hadn't dwindled in the slightest. We tried everything, and nothing worked. Even now that it's in me, I can feel it calling. As long as I'm in contact with it, purifying it, the youkai inside will remain dead, since their tamashii can't pass on from the Tama. I don't know how it works; they are dead, but also trapped. It's odd to think about and will only give you headaches, so don't try, Inari-sama knows I have and always needed herbs for the pain." I laughed as I thought about all the times it really did give me headaches trying to think about it. My mom just rolled her eyes at how I turned the situation from its seriousness, while I smiled in false innocence.

She laughed and shook her head, "Inari-sama, Kagome?

I looked at her and giggled, "Well, what can I say? When hanging around Shippou for three years, you tend to pick up some habits. Especially since Shippou is Kitsune, he would definitely bring Inari-sama into a lot of things. I mean really, I think Sesshoumaru was far more blessed by Bishamonten-sama than anyone. He took war and turned it into a form of art. I mean, no one should be that perfect in the heat of battle, but Sesshoumaru definitely made it possible."

She sighed at the strangeness I seemed to have contracted while in the Sengoku Jidai. "Go get ready, Kagome. Maybe we can check out the clinic while we are there."

I nodded as I got up from the table. She may have look like she thought I was crazy, but I couldn't help but notice that she seemed proud of how I started portraying myself. I think she was happy that I was not like all the other girls in my era. I know I changed drastically from when I first started traveling, but I couldn't help but think that it was definitely for the better. I became more focused on the world around me, more alert, and I had gained a better respect for myself. That had always been one of my major problems; a low self-esteem. Inuyasha didn't help me in that area. In fact, he had made it worse; always comparing me to Kikyo and never giving me a chance to prove that I was in no way the same as her. At least I had learned how to survive if ever I was stuck in such a situation. I felt proud to admit that surviving in the wild was one of the better things I learned. My archery had excelled far beyond what Kikyo could ever have accomplished; I only knew this because Kaede made it a point to tell me. My reiki, while a still a little unstable, was greater than Kikyo's reserves as well.

A/N: well this is it! The first chapter! I hope everyone liked it! If I made any mistakes please tell me. J If you want to put flames go right ahead! Since winter is starting soon I'm going to need something to keep me warm and the flames are it! J Thank you so much for reading this!

I don't know when the next chapter is going to come around but ill try to get it soon! Don't worry; I have my trusty Milkshake-sama here to make sure I stay on track! *Watches as Milkshake-sama doesn't move* Uh, maybe having Milkshake-sama around might not be such i good idea.

Well here are the terms:

+ Sengoku Jidai: Warring States Era

+ Shikon no Tama: Jewel of Four Souls

+ Youkai: Demon

+ Ningen: Human

+ Bushi no Miko: Warrior Priestess

+ Musume: Daughter

+ Wakarimashita: I understand.

+ Reiki: Spiritual Energy

+ Tamashii: Souls

+ Onna: Woman/women

+ Kodomo: Child/children

+ Seikatsu: the Living

+ Jigoku: Hell

+ Katana: Japanese Sword

+ Okaa-san: Mother

+ Doshite?: Why?

+ Baa-san: Grandmother

+ Inari (稲荷) the goddess of rice and fertility. Her messengers and symbolic animal are foxes. She is often identified with the Buddhist deity Dakiniten. *I'm going to use Inari-sama as a woman.*

+ Bishamonten (毘沙門天) also called Bishamon or Tamonten; he is the god of fortunate warriors and guards, as well as the punisher of criminals. Said to live halfway down the side of Mount Sumeru, the small pagoda he carries symbolizes the divine treasure house that he both guards and gives away its contents.