Wow it's been 4 years since I've written a fan fiction. Developing into a devoted high school student and no a freshman college student really distracts you. I admit, I ended my anime phase in 2005, but I want to try it one more time.

Since I do have time on my hands, I think its quite possible for me to write another, and maybe my last fan fiction about Inuyasha. I am a tad bit rusty because I haven't finished watching all the episodes. I think I have 20 more to go, but I definitely watched all the movies thus far.

So this story is going to be more mature than ones I've written before. It is a story about decision; how the choices the characters make impact the past and the future. It is Kagome's decision that is the deciding factor pertaining to how the feudal era, and present day occur throughout time.

This story isn't outlined, it's just comes. So you will find no spoilers before and after chapters. I'll leave you guessing and hanging on.

Ch1 Epiphany —

Present day, and the cherry blossoms bring in the spring season throughout modern day Japan. Cars crowd the streets; their horns blaring. People migrating from street to street and store to store, wondering with a tiny buzzing. The wind blows softly, and there is a distant sound of a current from a river. A door slides open and light shines into an often dark room where only an open well sits un attended.

Kagome, one foot at a time, walks down the stairs, never keeping her eyes off of the rim of the well. She glances further and further into it's dark abyss, until her palms reach the frame of the wooden opening into the earth. She inhales deeply and sighs, a thousand thoughts passing through her head.

"I don't know how much of this I can take," Kagome says aloud to the darkness of the well. She slightly hears her words echo from within it, and the echo of those words reverberate in her mind. With those words, images of F's on exam after exam cross her mind. Not only is her education suffering, her relationship with her family is distancing as well.

"I've been so caught up with the past that I'm not doing a good job at planning my future. At the rate I'm going, all I'll be able to depend on is the past. I just don't know what is best for me to do anymore." Kagome kneeled down until she sat with her back against the wells side. "I just turned 16, and I'm already thinking about what's going to happen to me in the next ten years. I was hoping to finish high school before I start thinking about huge decisions. Wait, what am I saying? I'm already handling situations in feudal Japan that even girls there that are my age aren't even worried about yet!" Kagome brought her knees to her chin and wrapped her arms around them.

A gust of wind traveled across her shrine and a cherry blossom found its way from the tree, to the doorway, and finally at her feet. Kagome stared at it until the image turned into the shikon jewel as a whole. While looking at it, she was dumbfounded at how well she remembered what its magnificence looked after only having it for a short while before she shattered it. And at that thought she buried her head in her knees.

"If it wasn't for my clumsiness, I would not be in this situation. I just had to shatter the jewel and complicate my life!" Kagome looked down again at the cherry blossom and tore off its petals with her feet. "Every shard represents how much time I've lost times 10. I don't think I'll ever get to regain the days I've missed out on with my friends and family. It's hopeless."

"Kagome!" Kagome's mother called from within her house. "You forgot your lunch dear!"

Kagome gets to her feet and brushes the dust off her skirt, "jeez, I nearly left without it. What would they all said if I didn't bring them their tre- ats..." Kagome hesitates as a thought passes through her head. "I'm always dedicating so much time to them, and never for myself or anyone else I always leave behind every day. No matter what I do, I just can't be fair to everyone."

The light shining within the room alters as Ms. Higurashi walks in front of the light in the door way. She pants and says, "Oh honey I thought you might have left already. I found some extra bowls of ramen for you all for dinner. You need a lot of nourishment to keep on going with your journey." Ms. Higurashi smiles when she finishes but her expression changes when she see's Kagome's absentminded look. "Kagome, are you alright?"

At that Kagome came back into reality, "oh, sorry Mom, I was just thinking..."

"About? What's the matter?" Ms. Higurashi, places a hand on Kagome's shoulder while placing the food on the floor by her feet.

'Should I tell her what's bothering me? No— she'll just worry too much and tell me everything I know. But I could use a talk.' Kagome thought and finally builds up the courage to have a heart to heart with her mother. "Mom, do you think I'm being selfish when it comes to traveling to the past and dedicating all my time to the people there?"

Ms. Higurashi was taken aback by this question, but soon a small smile crosses her face. "Lets sit under the sacred tree. I think that's a good place to talk." She wraps her arm around Kagome's shoulders and leads her up the stairs.

When they reach the bench beneath the tree where Kagome first met Inuyasha the wind seems to blow more consistently. All the while Kagome could feel his presence around her.

"You know Kagome, whenever I am beneath this tree I feel your father with me. It has been a while since I've seen his face or heard his voice, but this tree fills my soul with his essence," she breathes. Kagome is surprised the hear her mother say this when she's feeling the same way about Inuyasha. "Kagome, no matter where you are in the world, those that care about you, that you care about in return, can always feel you around. They can feel you in a certain area, or everywhere they go because they believe that wherever you are, you are feeling the same way about them. Don't ever let your decisions make you feel like your are loving anyone less, especially if those decisions are for the benefit of others. As long as you keep them in here..." she points to Kagome's head, "and in here..." she then moves her finger to Kagome's heart, "everything will be just fine."

Tiny tears well up in Kagome's eyes and she hugs her mother, "Thank you, Mom." And that was exactly what Kagome needed to hear. Yet, there was still harboring feeling in her heart that told her she was somehow not doing things right.

Ms. Higurashi places her hands on Kagome's face and lifts her head and kisses her forehead. "Now, you don't want to keep your friends waiting. Go on and help those in need of it." With one final hug, Kagome gets up and walks toward the shrine, leaving her mother there with her thoughts.

When Kagome gets to the base of the well, she lugs her large yellow backpack over her shoulder and takes a large breath. Throwing her legs over the side of the well she sits and thinks, 'My Mom's right, I am doing the right thing, as long as I'm keeping a positive head and working for the benefit of those I care about, everything will play out the way it's supposed to.' On that note, Kagome jumps off the ledge and into the brilliant colors of the wells power.

When she finally touches ground, she sees the familiar silver hair of a particular friend.

"It took you long enough," he says without looking down into the well and then grunts.

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So this is the first chapter, Kagome is a little indecisive at the moment and who knows how she'll take Inuyasha's reaction to her return to the feudal era.

Read and Review.