First off, before else asks about this, I am aware that there is a distinct difference between the typical western style unicorn and the Japanese Kirin. All will be explained in this chapter so read on.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, do you honestly think I would be writing fan fictions?

Her head hurt.

Kagome gently probed her throbbing skull, wincing when the slight touch further ignited the migraine pounding behind her eyes. Determining to take some Tylenol when Inuyasha forced her up at whatever ungodly hour he woke up, she rolled onto her back to watch the sun rise.

Kagome observed the obsidian horizon lighten, touched with gleaming tendrils of gold and yellow fire. Pink clouds partially obscured the large crimson fireball lazily ascending into the heavens.

Kagome shot up, reeling at the sudden wave of dizziness that struck her. She clutched her head, bizarre memories and powerful emotions she didn't understand pouring into her mind. What was going on? Where was she?

"Be careful. You shouldn't be moving around yet."

Kagome leaped to her feet, tripping on a nearby root when she attempted to face the speaker. Strong arms caught her and slowly lowered her back to the soft moss of the forest floor.

When Kagome finally regained her bearing well enough to sit, she gingerly leaned against a nearby tree and observed the other occupant of the strange clearing she had found herself in. It was a woman, dressed in ancient battle armor. She too was watching the dawn unfold, apparently oblivious to the world around her…but the slight tensing of her shoulders and the hand resting lightly on the katana at her hip spoke otherwise. This woman was a warrior… and she looked vaguely familiar.

The two sat in a companionable silence for a time before the odd woman turned back to Kagome. She smiled softly.

"You don't recognize me, do you?"

Kagome shook her head, shrugging.

"No. I'm sorry. You look familiar, though I don't know where I could have met you before."

The woman closed her eyes, laughing quietly.

"No, I don't expect you would. After all, I was dead the last time you saw me."

Kagome started, surprised. She didn't need Inuyasha's superb sense of smell to know that this woman was not created of bones and grave soil like Kikyo. She could sense the vitality of this woman's soul, the pulsing chaos of life that only the living possessed… but she also could not detect any lie from this woman. Did that mean that she too was…?

"No, child. You are still very much alive."

The woman interrupted Kagome's panicked musings quickly. She touched her shoulder gently, massaging the tense muscles jumping frantically beneath her skin. Suddenly infused with gentle warmth, Kagome relaxed.

"Then how are you here? Where am I? Where are my friends? Who are you? Why…?"

"Slow down child! I can only answer so many questions at a time."

Kagome froze mid-question. She silently closed her mouth, looking expectantly at the woman across the clearing. Said woman smiled, bemused.

"Your friends are safe in Kaede's village. They are recovering from the final battle."

Kagome grinned, ecstatic.

"Does that mean we did it? Did we finally kill Naraku?"

The woman shook her head. Kagome felt her hopes dashed to the ground. She had been so sure that he was dead this time…

"They did not kill Naraku. You did."

Kagome's jaw dropped. There was no way she had heard this woman right. She killed Naraku? That just wasn't possible…and even if it was, how come she couldn't remember anything past the wish on the Shikon no Tama? Wait a minute…the wish…

"Yes child. It was the wish that allowed you to vanquish Naraku's great evil."

The woman had stood up and now stood by a small pond near the border of the clearing. She beckoned Kagome to come to her. Kagome rose slowly, dreading another wave of dizziness. When one did not come, she walked over to stand beside the woman.

The woman gestured toward the glassy surface. Kagome glanced down. Both herself and the woman beside her were depicted in a perfect mirror image.

Kagome turned a questioning glance at the woman beside her. What was she supposed to be seeing? The woman waved a hand over the surface of the water and the reflection rippled, changing form. Kagome glanced back at the water.

Kagome sat down abruptly, shocked beyond belief. This, even more than anything else she had seen since regaining consciousness couldn't be possible.

"This is your true appearance Kagome. You are a unicorn."

The unicorn in the water was the most beautiful creature Kagome had ever seen. It far surpassed anything any human was capable of describing or depicting with words or paint. It resembled a cross between the Western style white horse and the Japanese Kirin yet it was more breathtaking than either could have been on their own.

Kagome stared wide-eyed at the woman beside her.

"Who are you?"

The woman's smile, if at all possible, grew even larger.

"I am Midoriko and we have much to talk about, miko of the Shikon no Tama."

* * *

"Is Kagome ever gonna wake up, Sango?"

Shippo nestled further into Kilala's fluffy tail, staring up at the demon slayer with hopeful eyes.

Sango stared into the forest, her beck resting against Kaede's hut. She sighed. Keade-baba had tried everything she knew to get the miko to rise but none had yet succeeded. Kagome remained suspended in a deep sleep, mumbling half coherent thoughts. Kaede suspected she was dreaming and that once the dream reached its conclusion, Kagome would wake up.

"Shippo-"

"Kit, do you believe in the miko?"

Both Shippo and Sango turned to look at the taiyoukai. They had all been surprised that Sesshoumaru had remained after Naraku's demise, though none more than Inuyasha. As it was, if Kagome had not been more important to him than his brother, Inuyasha would have thrown a fit.

"Of course I do! She's my okaa-san!"

Sesshoumaru nodded, his golden eyes sliding closed.

"Then do not worry. She will return to us when she is ready."

Shippo seemed content with this answer. He curled up and was soon napping. Sango however, continued to watch the resting dog demon. She hadn't missed the subtle us in his last statement. Did that mean he included himself? She thought he hated humans. So what exactly was his relationship with Kagome?

Sesshoumaru felt the demon slayer watching him. Although he would never admit it, the feeling of her intense gaze unnerved him slightly. While he had no fear of the woman personally, her questioning thoughts probed deeper than he would like to go.

"Onna, if you do not remove your eyes from my person immediately, you may find yourself without eyes to stare with."

Sango looked away quickly, embarrassed at being caught staring. What was with touchy dog demons? Still he was nicer about it than Inuyasha would have been …well at least not so rude. She stood quickly.

"My apologies Sesshoumaru-sama. If you will excuse me, I believe I will prepare everyone a meal."

Taking the demon's silence as an affirmative, Sango left to gather firewood for a cooking fire. After all, there would be plenty of time to muse over the confusing habits of dog demons while she was hunting for food.

* * *

"Midoriko?! As in the famous miko?! The Midoriko?!"

Midoriko winced at the shrill screech, wanting nothing more than to slam her hands over her ears and wait out the coming onslaught in peace. Instead, she sighed and replied.

"Yes. My name IS Midoriko."

Midoriko had no choice at this point but to cover her ears if she wanted to maintain her hearing.

"Really?! There's so much I want to ask you! How did you create the Shikon no Tama? How was I born with it in my body? What's it like being trapped as a jewel? Did you ever wish-"

Kagome shut her mouth quickly when she noticed the wince decorating Midoriko's face.

"Oh. You probably want me to be quiet, don't you?"

The ancient miko-warrior nodded and uncovered her ears, sighing in relief. She silently observed the fidgeting girl standing in front of her. How she wished she could tell her…but alas, it was not to be.

"Kagome, all will be explained in due time. However, to answer an earlier question, we are in your mind," Midoriko held up a hand to stop the coming question, "and I am here because we must talk."

Kagome nodded and sat down once again getting comfortable. Midoriko joined her swiftly, setting her katana on a patch of moss a few inches away. She folded her hands in her lap. Kagome took this as a cue to speak.

"Does this have anything to do with my becoming a…a unicorn?"

"It has everything to do with you becoming a unicorn Kagome. However, there are things I must tell you."

"The world must always have at least one unicorn. Unicorns are the source of hope for many who would otherwise have nothing. Unicorns are a source of light for those who live in darkness. Without unicorns, the world slowly loses its goodness, its magic, until only evil remains."

"After a time, man hunted the unicorns until only two remained in the whole of the earth. They requested an audience with the kamis and pled they not to allow the earth to fall into ruin once they were gone."

"When the last unicorn died a century ago, I was to become a unicorn myself. However, when I was forced to expel my soul into the Shikon no Tama, even the gods could not bring me back to fulfill my destiny."

Another was selected. A young girl named Masuyo was chosen. She did become a unicorn and I remained with her until she was killed fifty years ago. At this time, I was entrusted to Kikyo."

Midoriko noticed the realization dawn on Kagome's face.

"Yes Kagome, with the death of a unicorn, Naraku came into being. With the birth of a unicorn, Naraku was killed. It was your pure, unselfish wish that allowed the kamis to work their change."

"What would I do? As a unicorn, I mean?"

"Care for others. Protect those who are weaker than you. Change people. Simply, be yourself. After all, it was for this reason that you were chosen."

Kagome nodded her understanding before questioning Midoriko about something that had been bugging her for a while.

"Midoriko, how come my reflection looked so different from a Kirin? It didn't look like a Western unicorn either…not really anyway."

Midoriko smirked.

"People see what they wish to see my child. When they see something they cannot understand, they try to restrain it with words so they can get a hold of it. The Japanese saw a Kirin. People in the west saw a white horse. Who is to say who is right and who is wrong?"

Kagome nodded slowly, another question slowly forming in her mind.

"What will happen to the Shikon no Tama, to you, once I wake up?"

Midoriko smiled, such a peaceful expression on her face that Kagome wanted to cry.

"You already have our power Kagome. Once you wake up, we will disappear. We can finally stop fighting and move on."

Kagome was aware of three other sets of eyes watching her from the shadows. She didn't look up as three demons stepped into the clearing and sat down beside Midoriko.

"Very well."

There was no turning back now.

Kagome stood and walked toward the lake, staring at the unicorn in the water. Midoriko and the three demons remained seated behind her. She closed her eyes, musing silently. When her eyes opened again, Kagome had aged fifty years.

"The tell me what I must do."

Midoriko smiled, proud of her many times great grandchild. She stood and walked forward, embracing the girl who had already gone through so much and would go through so much more.

"Simply jump in. Oh, one more thin Kagome. When you wake up, you will be in your humanoid form Ask Sesshoumaru to teach you how to change into a unicorn."

Kagome looked at Midoriko as if she had gone mad.

"There's no way Sesshoumaru would teach me, even if he does know how."

Midoriko simply grinned.

"You never know. Goodbye my child."

"Goodbye Midoriko."

Kagome turned, took a deep breath, and jumped into her destiny without even a backward glance.

I hope you like this chapter just as much as you liked the first one. And as for being a crossover or not, I have an idea… that I'm not going to tell you guys about.

Onna: woman

Masuyo: Japanese name meaning "benefit the world."