Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Inuyasha, or any other characters. Rumiko Takahashi does. Perhaps she will give them to me for Christmas? crosses fingers

-Chapter One-
Inuyasha...

The voice called out to him- hauntingly familair. The face of his first love, the only woman who had understood him floated in front of him. He reached out for her, only to find that his hands passed through her. He could not reach her. He could not touch her. Letting his hands drop, he yelled her name in despair, tears running down his cheeks.

"KIKYOU!"

The terrified hanyou boy awoke, panting. Sweat streamed down his face. The nightmare was always the same, every night. He would see her face, Kikyou's face looming before him. And then she would disappear. Glancing around at his sleeping comrades, he sighed. 'It could be worse...' InuYasha thought grudgingly. 'One of the others could have been woken up. And then it would all be over.' There was some truth to that statement. If Kagome, Sango, Miroku, or even little Shippou found out he had nightmares about the dead miko, well...The boy could already imagine the hurt look on Kagomes face, and the pitying looks of the others. Curling his clawed hands into fists, he growled softly. Kagome was already hurt enough- she had seen Kikyou and himself kissing. But why did he care so much about how Kagome felt. It was Kikyou he loved. Kikyou! Laying back down, he once again fell into an unpeaceful sleep- his dreams full of the one he used to love.

Fifty years, he had been brutally betrayed by someone who he thought was her. Naraku. Kikyou, with the last ounce of her strength, sealed him to a tree, with the last ounce of her strength. Now, after being unleashed, he was shocked to find she was dead. Or at least, she used to be dead. Until the evil Witch brought her back. Having her back with him was both a blessing...and a curse. He had promised her long ago that he would always be there for her. Inuyasha didn't know whether or not he could keep that promise. Sure, Kikyou had tried to take him to hell with her- but that just showed how much she loved him. She wanted to be with him forever. Was there something wrong with that?

Not Far Away...
The miko in question stopped in mid walk. She could feel the soft caress of the evening wind on her shoulder, but it meant nothing to her.Normally, she would call the sensation chilling, and would shudder. But she had found, that when you're dead, you fear nothing. Yes, Kikyou is supposed to be dead. She was denied an honorable death, dying alone at the hands of another.And now, thanks to that awful witch Urasue, she was also denied the restfulness of eternal sleep. It was her fault that she was forced to steal the souls of others justto keep her alive. She was driven by her hatred of the one she used to love. Oh, how she remembered the beautiful days, when she was still alive. Curse Naraku, for taking all that away fromher.It was he who had condemned her to this life. And it was he who would pay.

There was the small matter of her reincarnation, but that she set aside for another day. This girl, they called her 'Kagome', was obviously no threat to her. It was clear where Inuyash's heart lay- inKikyou's hands. It was hers to break, or to cherish. She relished this power, but all the same knew she must be careful. Though Kagome could see the shards of the Shikon No Tama, so could she. And soon demons would realize that. No, it was safer to just let Kagome do her work. "While I watch from the shadows..." The woman thought a bit sadly. She had been following the groups adventures closely, still not wanting to let go of her love for Inuyasha. It was pitiful really, how she watched them. She was there everytime Kagome and Inuyasha had some moment alone. It pained her so much to see Inuyasha, HER Inuyasha actually warming up to the wench. Kikyou knew she could never be with him- as one of the dead, she was destined to wander till the end of time. But it still made her heart ache to see the two together.

"Inuyasha..." She vowed in her serious and emotionless voice. "I will find a way, so we can be together once again."