Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or Naruto

"She's dead isn't she, the woman you love most in all the world. So depressing isn't it, that you'd wish to die just to follow her." Kaoh stated calmly to the trapped InuYasha. Kagome looked away from the two as she listened to the youkai. "Shut Up!" Inu Yasha snarled as he tried to move however the youkai's flowers already had a firm hold on him. "Your soul will have the finest flavor." Their opponent continued as vines shot out and pulled InuYasha into the flowers causing Kagome to cried out to him.

When Kagome turned her attention to Kaoh she found him gone. Kagome felt her heart clench as she thought over everything that just happened. Unbeknownst to her the flowers sensed her pain and began reaching for her. The crackling of the bracelet Miroku gave to her when he realized what was going on brought her back from her thoughts. She lifted her wrist so she could look at it closer. "I see," She observed. "so the flowers can't touch my heart. That's why I still feel sad" Then she began to call for her friend."

She ran towards the castle but was repelled by a barrier. She got back to her feet and aimed.. "InuYasha your in there aren't you?"she shouted The she loosed her arrow only to have it repelled. "InuYasha!" It wasn't him that answered how ever but Kaoh. "It's all ready too late. This person is already shedding plentiful, peaceful tears. Soon he will become happy soil." He told her. Suddenly she heard InuYasha tell him to shut up then a commotion. 'I have to break the barrier.' she thought. 'InuYasha's gone in there and I won't let him stay!' she continued as she removed the bracelet and tied it to her arrow. She ignored the vines grabbing her legs as she took aim and let loose.

The arrow went through the barrier over InuYasha's shoulder and cut though the youkai like a hot knife through butter. Kaoh disappeared leaving InuYasha alone clutching his chest. "Kagome are you there!" he yelled out to her, his voice strained as he stumbled out side. He found her overcome by vines and used the last of his strength to free her. He held her close as she slowly woke up he finally succumbed to the hole on his heart.

Before she could say a word in distress Kaoh made himself known again. "You girl, I hadn't realized, your soul is even more wounded then his what a wonderful flavor..." Kaoh purred. Kagome looked up from InuYasha's pale features with a look of determination. She grabbed her bow and stood up and Kaoh went silent. "You know what what I'm thinking, that's why you went quiet." She said quietly. She took aim in the direction of the voice. "Prepare yourself Kaoh!" She snarled and let loose purifying all the flowers.

"Damn you." He hissed. Kagome pulled out another arrow and aimed. "You think it's funny to peep into a person's heat and announce what they're thinking?" She shouted and released another arrow purifying the room some more. When the light cleared Kaoh had escaped only to appear behind her. Kagome stepped forwards and spun around to face the youkai who was by now a mass of vines with a wooden mask made to look like a Shinto priest. Kaoh reached for her as she ran some distance away and turned around. Taking aim as she faced him Kagome shot Kaoh in the head purifying him for good.

Once she was sure he was gone she ran to where InuYasha lay. She checked for a pulse and called to him but he had passed. When it finally sank in she released a haunting cry that carried down to her friend in the village. When they came upon the pair Kagome had wrapped herself around InuYasha and was sobbing into his shirt. They stood behind her stunned at the out come. Shippo jumped off Sango's shoulder and felt InuYasha's cold cheek before he burst into tears. Kilala mewed her distress and rubbed Kagome's shoulder.

Miroku held onto Sango as they too mourned thier friend. Finally Kagome calmed down as she drifted off to sleep and the rest sat vigil. In late morning they woke Kagome up, they had to bury him before scavengers came. Kagome nodded and got up. They dug a grave and buried InuYasha right there. Kagome marked the grave and Miroku gave last rights. Reluctantly they left the grave site, each lost in their own thoughts.

They walked until night fall and sat up camp on the side of the road. That night Kagome had horrible nightmares about what happened. Sango did her best to comfort her friend. That morning Kagome apologized profusely for keeping them up. The pattern kept on until finally Kagome confronted them. She fell to her knees and begged them to train her so she could be strong.

Kagome knelt down in front of them and bowed until her forehead was touching the ground. "please" she begged. "Teach me to be strong!" The stunned pair stared at her wide eyed, this was not the Kagome they where used to. "Kagome..." Miroku started but Kagome kept on. "I know we don't have much time!" she cried. "I know I should have asked from the beginning, If I had may be InuYasha would be alive, maybe Naraku would be dead! Please!"

Miroku and Sango looked at each other nervously then back at Kagome who was crying at their feet. Then Sango spoke. "Are you sure?" she asked her distraught friend. "Yes!" Kagome answered. "It will be trying and brutal." Sango explained. "I need to do this." Kagome sobbed. "There will be no turning back." Sango said again.

Miroku whispered to Sango, Shippo and Kilala slowly approached Kagome, worried for her. Shippo lay a tiny hand on her head and made a distressed noise. Kagome looked up at him, the blue in her blood shot eyes highlighted. "I'll help, I can teach you about foxes at least." He said bashfully, Kilala mewed in agreement. Not to be out done the only humans left in the group agreed to train her starting the next morning.

The next morning Kagome awoke to gentle prodding. She looked up to see Miroku waiting patiently, Sango standing next to him. Kagome sat up and stretched with a jaw cracking yawn. Shippo stirred next to her and repeated her actions "Is it time to start?" he asked, still groggy. "Indeed it is." Miroku answered. The two got to their feet and faced the people who would be tormenting them for some time.

Kagome and Shippo where diligent students and learned quickly. How ever when they ran up against Kanna who was manipulating some sort of mirror monster it was clear exactly how disadvantaged they were. The knew with out a doubt they would have died if Sesshoumaru hadn't of happened by. Of course he stayed long enough to ask after InuYasha and left.

As the group recovered, camped around a road side shrine, Kagome focused inside of herself, prodding at every part of herself. When she wasn't doing that she was nursing her wounds and helping her friends. Some times late at night however she would cry silently at her broken heart as she slowly came to terms with InuYasha's loss.

One day Kagome felt a surge in her spiritual powers, it was like a blindfold was taken off. She could see things the had never seen before. Not long after she sensed the jewel and soon after Sesshoumaru emerged and gave the blackened sphere to her. It purified on contact and Kagome blacked out.

When she came to she was in a blackened void. "Hey!" She called trying to find her friends. The only thing she heard was the echo of her own voice, then...

"They can not hear you." Came a voice."What?" Kagome cried. "Who are you?" It didn't answer her. "You are alone. Always alone." It continued. "What are you talking about?" Kagome cried. "You don't exist. All alone." It continued. "Shut up!" Kagome ordered then she screamed.

Something was crawling up her leg. "Make a wish and all this will stop." The voice continued. Something grabbed Kagome's arm and waist. "Let me go!" She screamed. "Make a wish." The voice said, then what ever had her pulled. Kagome screamed as she felt her arm come out of it's socket. Her cry grew in pitch as her leg was broken and another thing tore through her chest cavity. "Make a wish." The voice said over her keening.

"Kagome just screamed as she was torn apart until she finally gave herself over to death. Then something happened, She heard a caw, then another, cut through her agony. A bird, a crow had made it's way into this hell. Kagome's one good eye searched until it settled on the snow white crow. If it got in, she thought, she could get out. This whatever wasn't going to win.

Kagome struggled to find her spiritual powers and freed herself with a blinding flash. Then she drug herself towards the bird who took off as soon as she reached it. Kagome drug herself after it noticing the bird was circling her whenever she got to far behind. She also noticed the pain ebbing. Her wounds healing as she felt the muscles and skin knit back together.

Finally Kagome saw a light. That was where the crow was leading her. The closer she got to the light the better she got. Soon she was able to get to her feet and stumbled forward. She reached her goal after what felt like forever and stumbled into the light.

With a gasp Kagome shot up nearly hitting her brother in the face. Confused and disoriented Kagome looked around, This wasn't the past. "You okay sis?" Souta asked. "We found you unconscious in the well." Kagome went to run her hands through her hair and froze. There, fisted in her hand was a white feather.

That was five years ago.

A/N The scenes of kags torture are based on accounts told by shaman about their spiritual initiation.