Disclaimer: The characters of InuYasha are not mine, they are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise, and Viz. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Kagome lifted her hair from her neck, sighing heavily. Glaring at the gathering clouds in the distance, she mentally cursed the storm for taking its sweet time in lazily making its way across the land. The storm seemed to be mocking her suffering, her body sweltering in the summer's heat. Even now, in the late afternoon, the sun was unrelenting. She was never a fan of the summer months. She wiped at the sweat that had accumulated seemingly over her entire body. How she longed for her school uniform and the freedom it allowed her, not to mention how much cooler it was compared to the attire of this era.

She would never get used to the itchy fabric of her hakama as it roughly rubbed against her skin as she tended to her daily errands. Though it was perfectly acceptable to wear a simple yukata during the heated months of the year, she was a miko. After the defeat of Naraku and the well suddenly closing without remorse, she knew there would be a few things she would miss from her time. Right now, air conditioning would definitely be at the top of her list.

She fanned her neck then bent over at the waist, using a leather cord from her wrist to tie her mass of thick tresses into a quite messy bun atop her head. Her hair had grown considerably since the closing of the well, tickling the back of her calves. She often contemplated the idea of taking her blade and ridding herself of such trouble, but Inuyasha liked the length. She ceased her walking, a frown marring her face.

Inuyasha. That was another topic altogether that had grown over time.

Kagome moved her basket to the other arm and ventured further into the forest, peering back to the darkening sky. The storm was not yet close enough to cause any concern and she still had a few more medicinal items to find. It seemed that even the weather mimicked her emotions lately, the oppressing thickness in the air bearing down on her soul. Walking slowly, her eyes examining her surroundings closely, her mind began to thumb through pages of her past, memories of naivety and innocence. Events had unquestionably not played out as she predicted.

She pursed her lips, a sigh escaping as she brought fingers to pinch the bridge of her nose. She did not want to think about this right now, or ever again for that matter. She paused, a hand on a tree to steady herself.

After her arrow had pierced Naraku's barrier, forcing its way into his personal space then into his body and thus purifying him from inside out, Kagome thought things would be different. She could still hear his screams of agony—screams of a tormented man devoured by a demon long ago—as her miko powers consumed him, destroying him completely and leaving nothing behind except the remaining half of the Shikon jewel. She had expected an explosion, a calamity of sorts, or perhaps the defeat to be more dramatic than it was. Blinking slowly, her legs had slowly caught up with her mind as she made her way to where the hanyou had stood moments before.

She had retrieved the missing half of the gem, its aura instantly being purified at her touch and matching the other half's flawless white gleam. With the jewel whole, she wasn't sure what to expect. She had looked around smiling brightly holding the completed jewel up, but her smile faltered when she heard no cheering. This was not the outcome she had expected.

There were heart wrenching sobs that could be heard as Sango had hugged herself tightly, her eyes focused on her brother's unmoving body. Everyone had known it was highly plausible that once Naraku was defeated, Kohaku would not return to the living. Now, it had seemed even harder to believe since there had been some form of hope, however fleeting. Miroku lay unconscious, though most of the blood that stained his clothing seemed to be from his opponents that lay slain around him.

Kagome had watched Inuyasha from beneath her bangs. While he had mostly kept her out of danger, he was now at Kikyo's side, cradling her broken body to his chest. She turned, not being able to stomach watching her only love love another. The only slightly joyous thought she had was that Shippou was unharmed as she had told him he needed to stay with Kaede and Rin to protect them if the rest were to fail. It was the only way she could convince him not to follow her into the battle, the outcome uncertain. She had sighed, her fingers running over the smoothness of the jewel.

She had made the wish without thinking of the outcome; her friends meant that much to her and she would sacrifice her own happiness to see smiles on their faces once again. She couldn't take this much sadness after Naraku had finally been vanquished. She had held the gem close to her body, whispered and called to it, then made her wish, wishing for everyone's happiness.

How many times had she played this scenario over in her head, thinking of the possible outcomes?

She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of the flood of memories that kept coming. It was as if the dam that she had strategically built around her memories had somehow sprung a leak and it was becoming more than she could bear. She reached for a mushroom that was growing in the crease of the tree. No, things did not turn out as she had thought.

Sango and Miroku were not married; Kohaku had been revived with the wish and so Sango and her brother had thanked her then traveled to their village in hopes of rebuilding. Miroku took the news better than expected. Kagome had expected him to plead with Sango to become his wife and bear his children, but instead he let her go. It seemed a few years from someone's life was not enough to change their ways. Changing their ways...

Kagome stopped, pressing her lips into a thin line. She did not want to think of him right now and how many times she watched him go to Kikyo's grave site, even after he promised to be by her side. She huffed, reaching down to gather a specific herb she had been looking for.

She suddenly felt a demonic aura brushing against hers, very closely. She stood up slowly, not wanting to turn around.

"Kouga."