Shattered

Day by day

I feel it break

Cracked by the pain it absorbs

How much more can it take

Before it shatters

Pieces scatter

Like broken glass

Reflecting the past

Shattered

Scattered

How long can my heart last

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"HENTAI!"

A resounding slap could be heard throughout the clearing. Shippo burst out laughing and Kagome chuckled under her breathe while stirring their dinner over the fire. Miroku would never learn.

Inuyasha picked that moment to come bounding into the clearing a stack a firewood perched on his shoulder. Dropping the wood to the ground the inu hanyou spun his silver hair glinting prettily in the firelight, his puppy dog ears twitching as he tried to pick up on the smallest night time noise, and his large warm golden eyes reflected back the light of the fire. Kagome couldn't help but think him handsome even with that annoyed expression on his face. At least until he opened his mouth.

"Oi, wench! Where the hell is my ramen?!" he snapped.

Her eye twitched and she had to fight the urge to introduce Inuyasha's face to the earth's crust. Shippo puffed up in anger. He hated when Inuyasha treated his mama like that!

"Leave Kagome alone you jerk! It's not her fault your clay doll hasn't shown up in a while!"

Shippo shouted before trying to run away. He didn't move fast enough and Inuyasha managed to grab him by his fluffy tail and smash his fist into poor Shippo's little auburn head.

"Shut up you brat!"

Kagome had enough. " Inuyasha SIT!"

Shippo leapt onto Kagome's shoulder as Inuyasha slammed into the ground.

"I've told you not to hit Shippo like that! He is a child Inuyasha YOU are supposed to be an adult. Start. Acting. LIKE IT!" Kagome scolded.

She stood above him hands firmly on her waist watching as he glared up at her cursing up a storm as he scrambled to stand.

"You bi…"

"Now Inuyasha," Miroku interrupted violet eyes flicking between the two hands held up in a way that just screamed calm down.

"Let's not be hasty. You wouldn't like to kiss the ground again would you?" His eyes danced with mischief.

"Feh!" Inuyasha snapped turning away.

"I thought not. Now what has you so riled up?"

"I told you," Shippo commented from the safety of Kagome's shoulder. " He's mad Kikyo hasn't shown up in a while."

Kagome winced on the inside. Shippo and the others didn't know that Inuyasha saw Kikyo just last night.

They don't have an internal Kikyo detector she thought with grim humor.

"That ain't it brat." Inuyasha snarled at the young fox.

"Then what is it Inuyasha?" Sango asked from where she sat polishing her weapon. Kirara was napping at her side.

"We haven't found any jewel shards in a damn week and we haven't had any luck tracking down that bastard Naraku!" He growled frustrated.

Kagome and Miroku both sighed and sat back down. Even little Shippo shook his head in exasperation at the hanyou. It was always the same thing with Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, Naraku is probably hiding behind a barrier right now healing up after the battle on Mount Hakurei and I told you a million times I can't sense any jewel shards. I don't think there are any more undiscovered jewel shards out there." Kagome told him tiredly. She was so tired of repeating herself.

"But you don't know for sure do you?" the hanyou quipped snidely. " If it were Kikyo she would know. Naraku wouldn't have most of the jewel shards either and SHE would have never shattered the damn jewel in the first place!"

Kagome's temper finally snapped. " It is because of your precious Kikyo that Naraku has so much of the jewel! Did you forget Inuyasha that that bitch nearly killed me, stole all my shards and gave them to our mortal enemy!"

"She made a mistake!" he defended.

"It was more than a simple mistake Inuyasha! And what about all the times she's tried to drag you to hell or attacked me huh? Were those all mistakes too!"

"It is none of your damn business what Kikyo and I do. And it is still your fault the jewel is shattered in the first place! " Inuyasha shouted ignoring what she said about Kikyo trying to harm her.

" And you know why? Because you're just a weak copy of a better orginal!"

Kagome's body tensed and the clearing fell absolutely silent. Not even the crickets dared to chirp as nature held it's breath waiting for the explosion of anger that was sure to follow such a statement. She reached up and placed Shippo on the ground before she stood to face Inuyasha. Her cobalt eyes glared at him furiously and the hanyou flinched his ears pinning themselves flat as he waited for the s-i-t they all knew was coming. To everyone's surprise Kagome didn't say anything instead she simply turned on her heel and walked into the woods. Seconds later a loud thud reached the young miko's ears as the angry demon slayer struck Inuyasha.

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"Inuyasha you bastard!" Sango shrieked angrily.

"Owww! What the hell did I do!"

"How could you say all those horrible things to her?!"

"I didn't say anything that wasn't true!" Thud! "Owww! Would you stopped hitting me with that damn thing already!"

"NO!" she exclaimed taking another swing at him. "How dare you compare her to that clay abomination! Kagome is hundred times- no a thousand times better than Kikyo could ever hope to be!"

Inuyasha glared at that but for once wisely kept his big mouth shut. The violet eyed purple robed monk shook his head sadly at the half-demon. Shippo just glared at the older male with disdain and disgust in his eyes.

"Sango is right Inuyasha. We all understand your frustration but that is no reason to be needlessly cruel to Kagome. You know it is not her fault and that none of what you said is true. Kagome is more than Kikyo's reincarnation and she is stronger than you give her credit for. " Miroku stated calmly pinning Inuyasha with a disapproving look anger glinting in his normally friendly eyes. Inuyasha ears pinned to his head again and shame flittered across his face before a stubborn look replaced it.

Inuyasha turned his face away and put his hands in his sleeves. "Keh! Whatever she knows I didn't mean it anyway."

The half -demon leapt from the ground to perch on a tree branch. He refused to look at any of them. Miroku shook his head sadly at the hanyou's stubborn pride and refusal to admit he was wrong. Sango huffed irritated by the Inuyasha's attitude before turning and heading in the direction that Kagome had disappeared in.

"Wait Sango."

Sango turned to eye Miroku questioningly. "What is it monk?"

"I think it best if we allow Lady Kagome some alone time."

She eyed the forest in which her heart sister disappeared worriedly.

"Do you really think she'll be alright?"

"Yes. Lady Kagome is not foolish she will not have wandered too far from camp. If she has need of us she will call."

Sango sighed knowing he was right and sat back down. Shippo hopped on her shoulder.

"Do you think 'Gome is alright?"

She smiled at the concerned young boy reassuringly. He truly did love Kagome like a mother.

"I'm sure she is fine Shippo. She just needed time to herself to cool off is all."

He nodded his head his blue bow shaking with the movement before glancing in the direction his mother had gone in.

I wonder if the Fate's Path granted my wish as well.

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Kagome stomped through the woods angrily for a good five minutes before sitting down on the roots of a large tree.

Kami why does Inuyasha have to be so infuriating. It's always Kikyo could do this, Kikyo was better at that, and if it were Kikyo.

Kagome turned her face to the moon. It was bright cloudless night and the stars glinted like diamonds winking at her from their distant homes. The moon shined down softly fuller than the other night and still offering the same comfort it did the previous night and every night since Kikyo's rebirth. Kagome smiled gently towards the moon letting the soft light bathe her soothing her agonized soul and bruised heart.

"When?" she asked her silent companion. "When will he see that I am not Kikyo?"

"Of course you are not the undead priestess, your heart still beats does it not Miko?"

Kagome stilled her whole being frozen in surprise and fear. Slowly she turned her face from the moon and in the direction the smooth deep voice came from. There he stood his tall lithe form painted in moonlight and shadows his beautiful aristocratic features frozen in their normal expressionless mask. His golden eyes a darker amber then Inuyasha's watched her with no emotion. The dark golden amber just as uncaring and cold as the rest of his regal persona.

"Sesshomaru." the word left her lips on a single breath filled with discontent, wariness, and tinged with just a bit of awe. Even after three years and multiple encounters his inhuman beauty still stunned her. Of course the years had also taught her to grab a weapon as soon as he appeared. Afterall, she thought warily as she reached for her bow. Where there is Sesshoumaru a battle is sure to follow. Her hand grabbed empty air and she turned and cursed. She had left her bow and arrows at camp.

I swear if I survive this encounter I'm going to super glue my bow to my hand.

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Sesshomaru watched in amusement as the girl swore upon realizing her weapon was not present. Apparently the indecently dressed Miko was picking up rather unbecoming habits from his brother.

I will have to correct her of that if she is to spend time around Rin.

He watched as the woman-child scrambled to her feet to face him.

"What do you want Sesshomaru?" He could hear the fear she tried to conceal in her voice.

"You will come with This Sesshomaru onna."

This seemed to surprise her. "Why?"

He narrowed his eyes at her dangerously. " You will not question This One woman. You will simply obey."

He watched as her spine straightened and her eyes took on a determined edge as she glared back at him. He would admire her defiant spirit were it not directed at him. "No." She whispered before bellowing for his annoying a put upon sigh he was beside her instantly and grabbed hold of her right arm. He heard crashing in the forest and seconds later the youngest son of the great Inu no Taisho appeared brandishing his sword.

"Sesshomaru! You bastard get the fuck away from Kagome!" He shouted falling into a fighting stance. As if his meager strength could truly keep the Lord of the Western Lands from what he desired. Sesshomaru watched as the fire neko landed bringing with her the taijiya, houshi, and kitsune kit.

"Cease your irritating shouting half-breed. I have no intention of hurting the girl."

The girl in question was tugging incessantly upon his hand trying to free herself from his grasp. He ignored her. She was nowhere near strong enough to free herself from him.

"Then what the hell do you want with her you prick?!"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the half breeds words and flexed the claws on his hand that wasn't holding the girl. They began to glow green with his poison.

"You will cease with your insults to This one if you wish to keep your miserable life little brother."

"Feh bring it asshole."

Sesshomaru nearly took a step forward before something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He smirked and pointed towards the sky.

"It seems I am not your greatest concern at the moment half breed."

They all turned to see what Sesshomaru was pointing at and Kagome could not help but gasp in shock. There in the night sky a few miles away Kikyo's soul collectors did battle with Naraku's hell wasps. Sesshomaru watched as the hanyou dropped out of his fighter's stance and turned his body fully towards the battle in the sky.

"Kikyo." The word left the boy's lips almost like a prayer.

Sesshomaru watched him intensely. "What will you do Inuyasha? Will you stay and battle me for the girl or will you go to the undead one and aid her in battle against the spider-hanyou?"

Everyone in the clearing, with the exception of Sesshomaru, waited with baited breath for Inuyasha's answer. Inuyasha whipped his head back to stare at his brother and Kagome then glanced back at the battle in the sky before locking eyes with his elder sibling. He moved just slightly in the direction of Kikyo's soul collectors even as he gazed into Sesshomaru's golden eyes.

"You are a rotten bastard but you are an honorable one. If you say you won't hurt her then I believe you." Inuyasha whispered before casting his eyes down to the ground turning and sprinting towards the battle in the sky. For one second complete silence fell over the clearing as everyone watched Inuyasha abandon his friends without a backwards glance. Sesshomaru felt a sudden pulse of power from his left and turned to look down at the young women trapped in his grasp. She turned to look back at him her once lively cobalt blue eyes changed. The eyes that gazed back up at him where no longer a simple blue. No, now those eyes were streaked through with jagged silver that reached towards her dilated pupils. Sesshomaru felt another wave of power wash over his skin and he watched as the silver in the girl's lifeless eyes pulsed.

Could this power be coming from her? He raised an eyebrow intrigued despite himself. The pulse of power he felt was impressive; uncontrolled, unguided,and untutored but still very strong almost on par with his own. He continued to gaze down at the unresponsive girl.

She may prove more interesting than I previously thought.

He formed his yokai cloud beneath their feet and took to the sky ignoring the shouts of her friends as they awoke from their stupor.

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Kagome's lightning kissed eyes gazed at the moon unseeingly. The scene from moments ago playing out repeatedly before her eyes. She watched as Inuyasha turned away from her leaving her in the claws of his murderous older brother again and again to go save a dead woman. Somewhere deep inside of herself she heard the quiet tinkling sound of falling glass as her battered and bruised heart finally broke apart completely. It joined her soul in crying out in tormented agony and for once the silver light of the moon offered no comfort.