These Tears I Cry

(A/N: Hi again! It's me, The Kikyo Hater, back for another, hopefully, kick-ass story! True, I have yet to write another really good one since 'Whispering Winds' but… Ah… Hm… Anyways, yet again, I do NOT own InuYasha, never have, never will… Well, when Chas-chan takes over the world… MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! –cough cough- -splutter- -dies-)

Chapter 1

Into The Past

"So this… this portal takes us to the past?" Kagome asked, feeling unsure about what to do. It had been half a month since Kikyo's death, and InuYasha was still sullen and stiff. Especially around her.

She watched as Myoga bounced around a shimmering wall of what looked like gas; you could see right through it and was positive it wasn't solid, but it was wisest not to find out.

"Precisely. There is no knowing how far back it could take us but…" Kagome sighed and looked down at her hands. This was InuYasha's chance to save everything with Kikyo. To save her… and himself.

InuYasha straightened visibly and glared Myoga down. "And how far back does this portal take us?" Myoga sweat-dropped under his lord's gaze. "Well, I, um…" He looked pleadingly at Kagome, but got no help there. "Well? Spit it out Myoga-jiji!" "I guess it could take us where ever we needed to go…" InuYasha looked up, his gaze pained. "Kikyo," he whispered, but not quiet enough for Kagome to miss it.

She swallowed but… no matter how much it hurt, Kagome didn't want to see InuYasha in so much pain like this. She wanted him to be happy, even if it meant that she and him could no longer be…

Kagome took a deep breath and stepped through the portal. A cooling sensation rushed over her skin and she felt the world rush past her. It was shorter than her jump through the well and the space and time around her wasn't blue, but purple and red.

Finally, Kagome's feet touched the ground below her and she looked out across to what was to be Kaede's village.

The sound of four other bodies landing gently behind her alerted her to her companions' presences. No doubt Shippo and Myoga were ridding on somebody else.

InuYasha looked down at the village. It was exactly as it had been 50 years ago. The smell… Kikyo's scent was on the wind. The stars glittered overhead and he knew, somehow, that this was the eve of Kikyo's death. Everything was the same, down to a shooting star that shot across the sky. Somewhere, a younger InuYasha who was positive he was to live the rest of his life with Kikyo sat somewhere, watching the sky and daydreaming about what the rest of their lives together would be like.

He started down the hill and paused only outside of Kikyo's hut. One day, it would be Kaede's hut.

"Kikyo, I can't wait to become human! Why don't we do it now?" "No, InuYasha. I told you. The powers of evil are stronger at night." "Ok then… How about we do it tomorrow morning, as early as possible." "I guess that would be ok." Silence. "InuYasha?" A figure that resembled InuYasha's shot away and a small chuckle echoed slightly. He took a step forward but Miroku's hand clasped his arm. "InuYasha… don't."

A growl escaped InuYasha, but he stopped, his amber eyes narrowed at where Naraku had just been.

Kagome and Sango were on the outskirts of the village, staring off into the distance. Sango didn't listen to what was being said, but thought about her own village and how it was alive and well. Kagome was straining to listen to what was being said.

"Ok, I'll go in there and tell Kikyo to meet me at the same time as we had first agreed!" "But InuYasha, won't she notice that you know have the Beads of Subjugation and the Tetsaiga?" "Well then, I'll tell her the truth!" "But M'lord!" "What!?" "What about Kagome?" Silence. "What do you mean 'what about Kagome'? She'll be alright, won't she?" "Maybe. We are trying to change the past, which means we will change the future! You might never meet her!" A long pause. "But… she'll be safe, won't she?"

Kagome made sure to look towards the fields, but strained her ears harder to hear Myoga's voice. "My lord… she might never be born! If you save Kikyo, she won't die at her appointed time! Kagome might not be her reincarnation anymore and so… she'd never have been born… It would be like killing her, only she'd-"

She stood and walked over to InuYasha. Myoga fell silent and watched her. Taking a deep breath, she said in a soft voice, "Tell her."

She had heard!? Her words stung him to the core. "Kagome…" he said softly, his golden orbs pleading. He couldn't just… kill her! She… he… "Tell her," Kagome repeated, before turning away. "I won't be angry… I'm not scared. Life's full of these kinds of things… right? Where you have to choose, but no matter what, somebody ends up hurt…"

It broke Kagome's heart, but she couldn't see InuYasha anymore. He'd tell Kikyo and Kagome would either be forced to forget about him and him to forget about her or she'd be…

She walked purposely towards the portal again. At the very least, she wanted to get back home when everything changed. She half hoped that he'd follow, but no sound of footsteps speeding rapidly towards her came.

Finally, the shimmering rainbow portal was before her. Taking a deep breath, she stepped through it. She needed to get away… back to her own time perhaps, but mostly away from InuYasha… and yet she still longed to be close to him.

Her feet touched down on soft grass and she looked up through her tears. They had begun to pool in her eyes. Looking behind her, the portal was disappearing. Was it getting ready for InuYasha to tell Kikyo when to really meet him?

Looking up, she saw a patrol of what felt like strong demons, due to their jaki, come towards her. She backed away a little, her eyes widened slightly. Something felt… different. Wrong. Not what it usually felt.

The patrol surrounded her and she shied away as one grabbed her roughly by the arm. "Hey! What'ya-" She was cut short as he grabbed her roughly by the arm. "Hey! Let go of me!" she cried, pushing him back. A flash of pinkish purple light shot at the guard and he fell back, his face contorted in pain and an angry scowl on his face. "This ningen is a miko," he hissed, clutching his arm and his icy blue eyes narrowed in distaste. "Best to keep her in the castle."

Kagome swallowed. "Na-nani?" she asked, feeling her knees buckle under her. "What castle!?" It was as if she had been thrown into a strange world.

A kind looking pig yokai stepped up beside her and shook his head. "No, Kimiro," he said in a booming voice. "At least have her work as a servant. Sesshomaru-sama might not take kindly to her being in the prison." Kagome looked up, fear clawing it's way into her heart. "Se… Sesshomaru-sama?" she managed to gasp, her eyes wide and fearful.

Both yokai looked at her, one in scorn, the other in confusion. "How do you know our lord?" he asked, raising her too her feet. "I… I…" What was she to say? That he had tried killing her, both times failing miserably, and was in love with the half brother that he despised so much and who had cut off his left arm? Yeah, and hope that he doesn't lob off your head!

A new yokai, this time what looked to be a wolf yokai, stepped forward and shook his head. "Inu no Taisho is here. As usual, his word goes above Sesshomaru-sama's."

Hold on a sec… Inu no Taisho…? Wasn't he… Sesshomaru-sama's and InuYasha's father!? Which meant this was the past… and even before InuYasha was alive… Crap!

Kimiro licked his lips with a forked tongue and his brow furrowed. "Well then… we make her a servant, like what Hiro said."

"What did Hiro say?" asked a cold voice that rumbled in somebody's throat. Kagome swallowed and shivered slightly. Ah, juuuuuuuust perfect… Sesshomaru-sama.