Disclaimer: Obviously, I am not Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. All I own is this story line and whatever OCs I may decide to add for the purpose of my story. Please refrain from suing.


Chapter 2

"Kagome!"

The force of her scream echoed far enough to reach a certain hanyou's ears. At the desperation and fear that colored Sango's voice, Inuyasha sped up, already having been walking back towards the clearing. When he reached his destination, he did not like what he saw.

His friends were on their knees, circling an unconscious figure that lay sprawled on the ground. He ran to them, fear growing within him at what he might find.

"What's wrong?!" he asked, panicked at seeing the young girl on the floor.

"I don't know!" Sango exclaimed. "She was fine and then suddenly she collapsed."

"She hasn't woken up since," continued Miroku. "We've tried shaking her awake but she just won't wake."

"Shit! Kagome! Dammit, Kagome, wake up!" he yelled, shaking her shoulder slightly.

Upon hearing his voice, her face contorted in pain, a small whimper leaving her. Slowly, slowly she began to wake, her eyes fluttering open blearily. At the pace of a snail she forced her unwilling body up, wincing at the unbearable pain that seized her head. With a tentative shake of the head she attempted to thwart the disorientation that accompanied the insistent migraine.

"Kagome!" exclaimed an unfamiliar voice.

She turned to the voice who had spoken her name, and she was met by beautifully warm golden eyes filled with a mixture of relief and worry. Slightly startled by the foreign color, she began to slowly take in this new face.

He was handsome in a rugged sort of way, his skin a light tan, his hair a mane of silver, equally silver bangs framing his stunning eyes. Peeking from that mane of hair were a pair of triangular little dog ears, of which were tilted slightly downwards. He wore a red haori, a necklace hanging from his neck, a sheathed sword at his hip, hands clawed, his presence unknown yet familiar.

"Kagome!" cried Shippo, throwing his arms around her.

"Oh, thank kami, you're okay!" Sango exclaimed, hugging her as well.

"Dammit, woman, what the hell happened?" demanded that same voice.

"Excuse me," Kagome began, addressing the stranger, "but, who are you?"

Silence met the question, the relief of having her wake dissipating almost instantly.

"What the hell do you mean, 'who are you'?" he asked.

"I mean what I say," she replied. "Who are you? And how do you know my name?"

"Kagome, that's Inuyasha," Miroku said carefully.

"Oh…" she replied. "But how-"

Abruptly the stranger stood, an inscrutable expression on his face as he walked away.

"Um, what was that?" Kagome asked, confused.

"Kagome, don't you remember who he is?" asked a bewildered Sango.

"I know him?"

"Kagome, he's the reason you're here and even know us," Miroku continued.

This time, Kagome remained silent, this sudden information startling to her.

"That's not right. I can't know him, I don't even recognize him!" she insisted. "So how can you say-"

"Up to this point, Kagome" interrupted Miroku, "you've known and recognized him."

Once again she was quiet, unable to find a way to prove him wrong.

"It's a bit odd though," Sango remarked. "She can't remember Inuyasha, but she remembers all of us just fine. Why is that?"

"Good question. It is odd," agreed Miroku. "Maybe we should ask Kaede about this."

"I'll go tell Inuyasha," said Sango, and she left to find the missing hanyou.

After a brief pause, Kagome spoke.

"I'm sorry…"

"No, no, don't be," Miroku said gently. "It's not your fault. But," he added in a more serious tone, "who ever did this will be."

o ~ oOo ~ o

"Inuyasha? Inuyashaaaa!" Sango called, her voice loud in the dark, quiet forest. "Where are you? Inuya-"

"Dammit, Sango, quit yelling! I'm up here," called back an aggravated Inuyasha.

"Well, I wouldn't have had to if you hadn't been hiding up there," she replied, looking up at the irritated hanyou nestled safely in the branch of a treenot too far from the clearing.

"Keh, I'm not hiding," he snapped. "It's not my fault humans have a tendency to not look up."

"Point taken," she said with a laugh. In a softer tone, she said, "Hey, Inuyasha? We're planning on taking Kagome to Kaede to see if she could tell us what's going on."

He remained silent for a time, before replying.

"…fine."


A/N: And there's chapter 2. Please review!