* Note*

" " Regular conversation

' ' thought process

(' ') Memories/flash backs

P.s I do not own Inuyasha...Wish I did but I don't

Chapter 1

A familiar yet gloom forest came into view as the sun rose behind the curtain of ominous clouds. A jolting gust of wind carried the rain down from heavens as if the gods themselves were weeping upon the cold damp Earth. Tiny rays of sunlight escaped between the creases of the roaring clouds like sand slipping through the fingers of the mother sun goddess of them all.

The trees seemed to sway towards her heavenly light as if a young child glowing under the praise of its sire. The ground sparkled like a million diamonds as flashes of lightning reflected off the dewy grass below.

A giant tree radiating ancient wisdom and warmth beckoned to all those who pass before its sacred grounds, drawing them to it as if a lover searching for her lost love. Its branches stretched to the sky sheltering the troubled and those who may seek the tranquility of this great tree. Indeed, the Goshinboku has seen much over its life span.

Many days had become nights, many months had turn into years and decades faded into centuries. It had seen hardship and success, joy and sadness, love and hatred, peace and war. Yet now it radiated such sorrow that it could bring the strongest of men to their knees.

The beads of rain rolled off of its tough and scarred trunk, coming together to create a rivulet upon its surface, dipping into the fresh gashes that marked its bark. Splinters of wood told the story of a struggle of great violence, as the forest had seen what many did not, two had entered but only one had left. Little speckles of blood littered the ground creating little foot steps along a path of death.

A sudden gasp of air could be heard in the clearing, despite being day time the darkness of the cloud made it hard to see for any audience.

Following the blood, a pale figure laid upon the damp grass, a woman, her raven tresses appeared like ink intermingling with the dark color of old blood, staining the earth.

Her face bruised and splattered with mud and dried blood would have been beautiful at one point. With her wide set eyes, which were framed by fluttery lashes that would have made a peacock green with envy, and plump lips like summer's first juicy berry.

Her porcelain skin had taken on an ashy hue, though many would have assumed she was dead, though any calculating eye could see the slight movement of her chest and hear the weak thumping of her damaged heart. Her clothes soaked with the salty scent of tears and the coppery taste of blood laid limp and wet against her body. The clothes of a priestess though the purity is gone now.

Yes she was alive, but if any one looked into the glassy orbs of grey they would see that she did not have much time left. Once those eyes had been glorious blue of the sky filled with laughter, acceptance and love. Now this soul has been twisted with pain and agony, only reflected unsuppressed rage and the thirst for justice.

You may ask who she was.

A woman of such purity and life.

A woman now full of hatred and rage.

A woman who had once loved.

A woman who had once been loved.

No more.

They say your life flashes before you eyes upon your moment of death, memories of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

('… okaa-san…'

'… k-kikyo … I am not Kikyo my name is Kagome! KA-GO-ME!..."

'… fox-fire!...'

'…would you bear my child…' ' your-r a monk! HENTAI!...'

' …my family was slaughtered… kohaku…'

'…KAGOME!... let her go! Fox-fire…you're my woman now…'

'Kikyo, Naraku tricked you…'

'I didn't… stupid wench … no Inuyasha!. I didn't betray you…Die..')

Her eyes blinked slowly as her parched lips opened. Gargling sounds could be heard as she neared her end. With one final push and exertion she screamed to the heavens.

"I am Kagome!" She cried out as the light faded from her eyes completely.

Her words seemed to have hung in the air, long after they were uttered. The birds took flight as her eyes closed for the final time. Kagome's body was still now in the rain even as the spectator who has been watching this entire time walked stealthily towards her.

A moment of sunshine had revealed who this mysterious force was. Another woman, though she was ripe in her age. Her bent back and crooked teeth only spoke too much about her identity.

A witch, her face weathered and wrinkled like the cloak which covered her lumpy figure. Her eyes a beady black shone with intelligence and greed as she eyed the now still Kagome.

"You will do nicely… such rage … such power…" slobber leaked out of the side of her mouth as her raspy voice filled the clearing.

All life forms seem to cringe and inch away from the wrinkled old bag. She suddenly crouched down and extended her arms towards the body, her clawed hands gripped Kagome's feet harshly as she began pulling.

The sound of cloth being dragged on the ground bounced off the trees and resonated throughout the forest.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'cold… wet....'

She moved her weary fingers, the joints reluctantly moved with an audible pop. The floor of where she laid felt gritty and damp. Little fragments of wet dust or dirt sunk their way under her nails. Her palm laid flat against the cold hard surface, feeling the groves and bumps on which she is currently lying on.

Kagome struggled to open her eyes, but they were made of stone, unmovable. Her lashes felt clumped and crusted.

'Where am I?'

Unable to see, she tried using her other senses, she breathed in deep until her lungs had hurt from the effort. The scent of musk, water and dirt reached her battered nose. The faint roar of water could be heard above her rattled breathing.

Drip....Drip....Drip

Droplets of water hit the ground somewhere around her, the splattering of water was almost deafening to her now sensitive ears.

She winced from the harsh and unforgiving sound.

'Kagome... how do you always end up like this...stupid stupid stupid!' she growled inside her head berating herself for ending up more times than she should in these kind of situations. A sudden look of pain flashed upon her swelled face as she gasped.

'Inuyasha...'

Memories fluttered before her eyes like jigsaw puzzles, an unmeasurable weight seem to settle upon her chest as they all pieced together.

She remembered.

' oh god...please'

Her tiny body shook with agony as tiny sobs escaped her cracked lips. Blood spilled into her mouth as her blunt teeth bit hard into her abused lips. She would no let her tears come down, no, she had shed enough when his claws bit into her flesh, when her back hit the Goshinboku and when his words cut into her heart. No more tears. No more.

(' stupid bitch... why did you even come here... why would you hurt her...I trusted you...' His face had look so twisted with hurt.

'as if I was the one who betrayed him...LIAR!'

'As if he didn't know, as if i hurt him... hurt HER.')

An uncomfortable little rock seemed to have lodged itself in her back, causing her to snap out of her current thoughts. She grimaced as she attempted to move, she felt like roadkill, her limbs felt like lead and her skin seem to be lanced with pain.

She needed to see, she needed to know. Kagome forced her eyes to open.

' I can't see anything!... am I blind?'

Her chest rose rapidly up and down as she panted in panic. Soon she relaxed, it was just the darkness of where she was not her eyes. Though the crusts that had formed upon her lashes did little to sooth her dry eyes, if not it made it itchy and much worst.

As soon as her eyes adjusted she could tell she was in some sort of a cave. Stalagmites hung from the ceiling and ripples of light seemed to dance upon its wet surface. A little pool of water, that's what it was, was reflecting upon the ceiling. What ever light that seemed to be present reflected off of its clean and crystal surface.

Kagome's tongue darted out to wet her lips, seemingly to offer what ever little moisture it had to keep it from cracking even further.

' I have to move... I have to get a drink' she decided.

Her body seemed to scream as she lifted her head. '

'pain.'

That's all she knew was pain. Unimaginable, uncontainable pain.

'you have to do this...'

She grit her teeth and rose to a sitting position. Wetness seem to have dripped into her lap. The fact that it was warm told her that what ever wound she had sustained was now open again.

'ok Kagome you can do this...' She tried to pull in her knees to get footing to stand.

"Ahhhhhhh..." A sickening crunch could be heard as she fell back onto her elbows.

Yes, her leg was definitely broken now if it wasn't before and judging from the pain, in many places. She smothered her moans. The pain was exquisite. It seemed to shoot throughout her body.

" lets not try that again..." she chuckled bitterly.

('stop...what did i do Inuyasha...'

' you hurt her... you hated her all along didn't you...you disgusting wench... you didn't stop not even when she begged you to...you are going to feel everything she felt!You are nothing compared to her you ugly reincarnation.......'

There were claws and teeth everywhere.)

"STOP!" the word seemed to echo in the empty cavern.

Kagome blinked slowly as she got her breathing under control. It was just a memory. The old reincarnation would have balled up and cried, as despair gripped her heart. The other her was just a copy of a greater woman. she snorted at the thought. Bitterness was all she could taste. The woman/child that followed after the hanyou like a puppy dog was the reincarnation but now she was so much more. She was Kagome. Like a phoenix that had risen from the ashes of her innocence. She was reborn.

Growling emitted from her mouth as she shook her head despite the pounding pain. She needed to focus. She needed to survive. She twisted her body with a grunt. Her belly hurt as it touched the cold hard surface of the cavern's floor. Her elbows propelled her towards the small pool of water as the blood pouring from her wound seemed to slick the floor and allow her to glide. Little rocks seemed to be made of glass as they dug into her forearms.

With a happy little chirp, a glimpse of the old reincarnation, though she did not care at the moment, she dipped her hands into the little pool to cup some water. The cool liquid soon slithered down her throat as if to put out the great fire of thirst that she had developed. Her eyes closed in a moment of contentment from this small luxury, and she did not even feel the pain of many stinging cuts upon her hands.

Kagome now thoroughly satisfied leaned over and dangled her face over the pool of water. A fist rose and smashed the surface of the water. As if like a mirror it shattered into tiny beads of moisture.

'Kikyo'

" I am Kagome..." her whispers seem to weave around her, strengthening her resolve.

" Yes you are my dear..." a raspy voice cackled behind her as she quickly whipped her head around, surprised at the company.

"who's there!... don't come any closer! I am armed..." Kagome shouted out despite the fact that she was quivering inside. She willed herself to appear confident.

' don't call my bluff, don't call my bluff, don't call my bluff' Her fingers felt around the ground as it came in contact with a small jagged rock.

'Great... I can see it now... school girl escaped death by hitting death with a rock..' She smothered a giggle as a chuckle came forth out of the darkness. Two yellow eyes seemed to glow out of the darkness, circling her, mocking her.

" spare me the act priestess ," the being seemed to have moved around the cavern without her even sensing the change. Fear had truely gripped her now. A mumble seemed to reached this beast's ear. "what did you say my dear?"

"I said my name is Kagome! Ka-go-me!" She huffed all pain and fear forgotten. What is with demons and names. Her eyes squinted in the darkness to find the position of this being in an attempt to give an angry glare. A gentle rustle of fabric was all the warning she had before she was lifted by her throat. The old reincarnation would have struggled and screamed but not she. She was different now, death was a blessing in disguise. There she dangled from the end of a wrinkled limb. The assailent wore a great brown wrinkly cloak and smelt like old herbs and spices.

" Funny girl, I thought your name would have been Kikyo, the great priestess. Your face, your hair and even your clothes speaks of it..." No sooner had the words left the being's mouth did Kagome's emotionless face light up with unsupressed rage. 'yes..that's it... take the bait...' It said in its head waiting for the girl to react.

"I am not Kikyo!" Her cries seem more desperate than furocious. A painful eep was heard as she was tossed aside harshly. Her broken bones cried out in anguish as they met the hard ground. She laid as a crumpled heap as her soul felt like it was being tortured from inside and out.

" Then you are useless...then what are you girl?" harsh words but they seemed to have rang true in her mind.

'What am I...'

'nothing' her soul seemed to reply back.

"NO! I refused to be nothing, I want to be more!I never want to feel weak again! I will be stronger! Better! more powerful than SHE ever was!" She cried into the humid air as if pleading for this being to grant her silent wish. To fulfill her soul's desire.

" Now...I believe Kagome.."The being lifted her hood to reveal an old saggy face grinning with malice and eyes shinning with something along the lines of understanding, as she said Kagome's name with such finality, " we have something in common..."