"Where did Inuyasha go?" Kagome questioned her traveling companions. They were nestled around a dampened campfire, preparing to leave now that the sun hovered in the sky above. The raven haired school girl left for barely an hour to get cleaned up in a near by stream before they continued their journey, her white haired half demon friend traveled far since then. From time to time he did like to wonder off on his own. When it came to finding the shikon jewel shards however Inuyasha did anything but procrastinate so his disappearance made her wonder.

Miroku, the monk, sighed and shook his head regrettably, Damn Inuyasha... He stared into the distant woods, he didn't want to say it aloud but he knew where Inuyasha had gone. Whenever the hanyou's golden orbs reflected the sadness the group became all but too familiar with, he was on the prowl for his lost love, Kikyo. Sango, the demon slayer, didn't dare meet the modern priestess's gaze in fear of giving away the fact that she knew this as well. Instead she combed through her pet demon's fur, Kirara purred in response. Their tiny fox demon companion Shippo jumped up from his seat clenching his teeth in anger. Kagome deserves to know!

"He went into the woods!" Shippo knew that none of them wanted to talk about his where a bouts in fear of hurting Kagome's feelings but the honest fox demon couldn't hold it in any longer.

Kagome raised a brow, "Oh?"

Sango looked up at Kagome shamefully, "There were soul collectors near by."

As if one of her own arrows pierced her heart Kagome's eyes wondered to the grass beneath her feet. Of course, I should have known. She fought back the sling of curse words that came to mind when she thought of the woman who she was the supposed reincarnation of, the original priestess who had now a body made of clay and wondered the earth with the same goal as their own. To destroy Naraku was on the list of many at this point, both human and demon alike. Naraku was an evil half-demon that had been causing terror for years now and was also after the same jewel shards the gang of misfit hero's were in search of. It was their job to find all of them before Naraku, if that were to happen he would be unstoppable. How dare the half-dog demon delay their search! Kagome's brows furrowed together with frustration throwing the towel in her hand to the ground.

"I'm going after him! We need to find the shards and we need to find them now!" the screeched marching off into the woods, "Don't you dare try and stop me!" she warned her friends without turning around and continued her stride.

"Do you think we should stop her?" Sango looked to Miroku for insight.

The monk shook his head, "If there's one thing I have learned in my many years of dealing with countless stubborn women, never stand in the way when their mind is set on something."

This statement sent a glare his way from Sango, although she knew he was right.

Shippo crossed his arms, "When will Inuyasha ever learn? What a two-timer!"

Kagome was too far ahead to hear the conversation her friends were sharing about the star crossed lovers. The distant mumbles just sent her mind reeling. Even though she said the reason she had been mad was because of the delay in their journey the travelers knew it was a cover up for how she was really feeling. This made her even more frustrated, why should she have to make excuses for the way she felt about Inuyasha? Her insides boiled at the thought of him with Kikyo at that exact moment. Inuyasha knew how it made her jealous, sad, angry, confused, all of these emotions when the slightest hint that his ex-lover might be near. She stopped glancing around at the forest greenery her angry ambitions slowly disappearing as her thoughts wondered back to a conversation she had with Inuyasha not too long ago... she said, even though she knew how Inuyasha felt for Kikyo, she would stay by his side. Her brown eyes welled up with tears at the thought of being without her friend and the man she loved. Maybe she shouldn't go after him, besides, she didn't want to see him in the arms of the dead priestess. I'm not Kikyo... She thought to herself regrettably.

As she went to turn around an airy, whimsical sound passed her ear and she looked to see one of Kikyo's soul collectors pass by, carrying an orb of light, a soul. It turned sharply around the corner and disappeared. She lost sight of it on the unmarked path in the woods. Her heart started beating rapidly in her chest. Curiosity struck her. Was she really that close? If so, was Inuyasha with her or was he still wondering around the forest aimlessly in search of her? Kagome's pale shaking hand clutched the top of her school uniform where her heart thumped loudly. Turn around, don't do this to yourself! She silently yelled, as her trembling legs began to pull her in the direction the soul collector had taken. She turned the corner and clumsily ran to keep up with the apparition, able to make out its snake like form floating in the distance. She stopped as she neared it and took shelter behind a tree. There they were, Inuyasha and Kikyo, standing in the clearing as her collectors circled them.

Inuyasha stared at his dead love with a painful expression as he held her hands in his, "I am indebted to you Kikyo, I said this before, you can take me in the fiery depths of hell with you once all is said and done."

She stared at him with an cold unfeeling expression, "What of the reincarnation? No doubt you love and care for Kagome."

Kagome wondered if Kikyo ever had any other face or if she only had the two looks, cold and angry. A pang of guilt hit her almost immediately after thinking this, how would she feel if she was Kikyo and Naraku deceived her? Kikyo had died thinking that Inuyasha, her lover, killed her.

"I do care about Kagome..." Inuyasha's eyes lingered to the tree Kagome was hiding behind, his nose giving a slight twitch.

This was not what Kikyo wanted to hear, "Then when all is said done, will your feelings for her get in the way of the promise you are making me now?" Her words were harder this time, she wanted a direct answer. She wanted Inuyasha to make a decision. It was either to be her or Kagome Higurashi.

The hanyou's mouth trembled slightly as he clenched his teeth over-whelmed by the sudden decision he had to make. Kagome was always so willing to compromise with his feelings and although disliked his meetings with Kikyo was also willing to try and understand. His former lover stood before him wanting an answer he could not give.

"Kikyo, I love you, I will always love you, and although I cannot absolutely guarantee my feelings for Kagome won't come in-between us, if, when the time comes nothing stands in the way of us; I am more than willing to rest with you, my heart has always and will always lie with you."

Although this wasn't entirely what the maiden wanted to hear she collapsed into him nuzzling herself into Inuyasha's fire rat kimono. "That is good enough for me right now, Inuyasha."

Kagome gasped, tears beginning to burn at the brim of her eyes, Inuyasha... that familiar pain in her chest tore into her harder than ever before. Inuyasha said things like this to her all the time in reverse when it was the two of them talking about Kikyo, and she was always satisfied before. What's changed? Could it be because he talked to Kikyo and herself in the same tone, the same seriousness that she almost felt deceived? The modern priestess decided that it was because she felt deceived, it had to be. Why can't it be just me? She wondered.

"Kagome?"

Hearing her name, her head poked out from the hiding spot behind the tree. Kikyo was being carried off by her minions while as Inuyasha stared dumb founded at the crying girl. His clawed hand reached out for her. She wanted to take it, she wanted to forget what she just saw. She did many times before but this time it was different. Inside her emotions began to suffocate her and even though she didn't quite understand why the heartache was different, she turned on her heels and darted out of the woods. She didn't look over her shoulder to see if he was following, she just continued running, trying ignore the heart wrenching pain from both Inuyasha and her shortness of breath. As she came back upon the camp Sango had finished covering the fire with a pile of dirt. Miroku and Shippo's eyes were widened at the sight of their distraught friend.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Shippo leaped towards her.

She welcomed the fox demon child in her arms and held him close as tears fell freely down her cheeks.

"Kagome, what happened?" Sango asked worriedly clutching the strap of her boomerang weapon, Hiraikotsu.

"I-I-I s-saw them..." she forced the words out, "he had promised to spend eternity with her in hell as long as I don't interfere..."

Miroku stared in wonder, "This does not please you? I'm not surprised."

Sango punched him in head, Miroku let out a "ouch" and continued his thoughts.

"What I meant is that now it seems as if, even though Inuyasha has admitted his feelings for both Kagome as well as Kikyo, its making Kagome feel even worse because Inuyasha is putting her in the position where the deciding factor lies with her."

Shippo looked at the monk with a confused expression, "What are you going on about?"

"You'll understand when you're older, " he sighed stomping his staff irritably in the ground, "Inuyasha's behavior is becoming quite troublesome."

Kagome sniffled letting down her friend and wiped the tears from her face, "Sango, may I barrow Kirara? I would like to go back to my time."

Sango looked at her sympathetically as the small cat demon skipped off her shoulder and transformed into its larger form. "Of course you can Kagome, we were running low on supplies anyhow, its best we return to Keade's and make sure everyone is well rested and we're prepared to move forward."

"Good thing we're only an hour or so away!" Shippo grinned as he took off down the path, Miroku followed him shouting "slow down".

The slayer turned to her friend and assisted her as she climbed on top of the demon companion.

"Don't worry about us Kagome, we will make it there like Shippo said in less than an hour or so, its best you get there on Kirara so Inuysha doesn't catch up with you. She'll take you straight to the well."

Kagome's big brown eyes threatened to well up with tears as she received a side hug from her friend, "Thank you Sango."

The flying cat took off into the sky with the mounted priestess. She burrowed her face into the back of Kirara's neck as they flew. Stupid Inuyasha...

"Kouga! Hey Kouga wait up!"

The whirlwind that Genta and Hakkaku had been chasing for days now stopped, the dust blowing away to reveal their handsome tribe leader, his long black pony tail still flowing through the wind. The cries of his comrades made him stop, an irritated look on his face struck fear in the two Youkai followers realizing they probably shouldn't have whined so much over the course of an hour. They were bent over breathing heavily their other wolf companions now lying on the ground to rest briefly.

"Kouga, I think we should return to the pack for a week or so to recuperate," Genta suggested but immediately regretted it when a snarl came from the wolf prince.

"You call yourselves wolf demons! We are on Naraku's trail! He has to be near!"

Hakkaku rested on the ground next to one of the wolves and decided to choose his words carefully, "If that is the case boss, don't you think we could easily pick it back up later? You've been saying that for days and we haven't reached him."

Just as Kouga was about to knock both of the wolf demon's heads together a familiar scent wafted in the air. This scent smelled like a mix of trees and flowers a smell that he associated with one person and one person only, his woman, Kagome. She was close. All thoughts of finding Naraku left him and he turned to his Hench men and barked instructions. He had to catch her before she was gone. "Go! I'll meet up with you in a few days! My woman is near!" Before the two Youkai could respond to their leaders orders he was gone in a whirlwind of dust once more and far off in the distance.