I really like the idea of this fanfic, I've never been that fond of the Kagome-damsel with an attitude theme that everyone uses, so giving her a bit of 'girl power' (did I just say that?!) seems more appealing to me. Although it does seem a bit silly to be writing a story about "Inuyasha," without Inuyasha...haha. Oh well. Please review!

Disclaimer: So hey, I still don't own Inuyasha. No surprise there. I also don't own the lyrics to Epica's wonderful song "The Obsessive Devotion ."

talkstoangels77: Thanks for the review!

Silverspirit101: I'm glad you like it, thanks! Sorry it took so long to update, midterms...ugh...

Chapter 2: False Hope

"I feel only misery for myself when I
Look through the eyes of someone else
I can't even recognize the path which has to be
Taken to enter infinity."

"KAGOME!"

"Got it!" the young girl grunted, barely dodging the sharp tip of the insect demon's tail – it was some kind of mutated scorpion, an escapee from Naraku's hordes. They'd been running into more and more of the random demons in the past few months, always they were out of control...wrecking things, eating people, same old story. Nothing ever changed, nothing except the school girl who'd fallen down a well and released a cranky hanyou from his prison...

Kagome darted under the creature's legs, drawing her blade and turning at the last minute to splice off a chunk of the demon's armored hide. It roared in rage, spinning and launching venom at her – but Kagome was not a harmless girl any longer, she relied on no one but herself for protection, and this demon was low class compared to the other victims she'd brought down over the last three years. Like lightening, Kagome leapt into the air and landed gracefully on the demon's back. It screeched, turning in circles to find her, and she took this opportunity to ram her blade down into its spine – the defeaning cry of its agony filled her ears like sweet music, and she almost regretted having to cut the beautiful symphony off.

Priestess magic ebbed out of her hand, spiraling down the blade and entering the beast's body...it screamed one more time before collapsing to the ground, its body slowly evaporating from the purity of her power. In the end, all that was left was a pile of ash and a glittering jewel fragment...and a young woman standing in the center of the chaos. Rich chocolate brown eyes shifted slowly from her fallen opponent to the two other fighters in the clearing – Sango was finishing off another scorpion demon and Miroku was collecting a shard from his own dead beast.

This was their lives now; no more traveling back to her time, no more resting in Kaede's village when things got tough, no more 'sit boys,' or ramen noodles or ninja food. Just slaying demons, collecting shards, and tracking their true enemy; Naraku. It seemed to selfless to outsiders, to other humans they were saints...the trio of powerful humans, a slayer and a monk and a slayer-priestess, killing off pesky demons and saving Japan. Everyone had long since forgotten the half-breed that used to travel with them, with his strange silky white hair and vibrant dawn colored eyes.

"How bad is it?"

"Don't worry about me Sango...I...I'll be just fine, my lo-"

"PERVERT!"

Kagome flinched at the accompanying slap to Sango's indignant scream; three years ago she would have chuckled at Miroku and shook her head, admonished him for being so idiotic, and then she'd have run after Sango...leaving Inuyasha to deal with the downed monk. Now, though, the monk and slayer really only played the old 'pervert grope game' to remind Kagome that she still had them...as if giving her some kind of familiar memory of the past would be a balm to her heart. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the effort they put into it, but she'd rather just forget the past altogether; she lived to fight now, and once she collected all the shards she'd end her life for good.

And she'd take the cursed jewel with her to hell.

"Kagome wait up!" Sango called, flagging down the younger woman who was already back on the main road – leaving the carnage behind her. Kagome paused and turned to face Sango, who flashed her a smile, and the two women waited impatiently for Miroku who was dragging his feet and sulking...one hand rubbing the red slap mark on his cheek.

"Look what Sango did to my beautiful face Kagome!" he pouted, pointing to the 'wound.'

"You deserved it!" the slayer shouted heatidely, waving her arms about and glancing at Kagome for support; but the young girl was gazing off towards the surrounding forest, brows furrowed in concentration. Slayer and monk both tensed and reached out with their own senses, recognizing Kagome's vacant expression as a sign of danger.

In the past, they'd relied on their half-breed friend to pick out trouble before it arrived – his acute senses latching onto things before any of the humans could even think about it. With Inuyasha's death, they'd been short a good nose and strong set of ears...it had been tough going at first, and they'd ran into a lot of trouble, but when Kagome had returned and started to train her abilities had proved even more sensitive than Inuyasha's. She was stronger than Kikyo ever had been, physically and spiritually, it was the girl's emotional and mental strength that was the problem.

"What is it Kagome?" Sango asked, expression worried.

"An aura..." the girl murmured, and Miroku grunted.

"Spiritual, not very powerful...we shouldn't concern ourselves with it, probably a passing monk or priestess." Miroku commented, shrugging it off. But Kagome didn't budge, her eyes still glued to the treeline...there was something about the signals she was getting, something familiar and frightening. Where had felt this before?

"Kagome?" Sango queried.

"It feels...it feels like...Kikyo...but it isn't." her voice was flat, eyes blank.

"Very good my girl, very good indeed! Oh-ho-ho, my oh my, you've gotten prettier with age; wait til Inuyasha sees you! Oh-hohohohoooo!" an old woman, hideous in appearance, staggered onto the road. The three travelers stared in bewilderment at the hag, whose hair was ratted and clothing torn...to top it off, she was carrying a large bottle of sake and was clearly drunk, her stagger and smell making even Miroku gasp.

"For Buddah's sake, and our own, please remain there." Miroku said, covering his nose with his sleeve and gagging. Sango and Kagome, whose faces were covered with the shell masks, stood in stony silence as the hag tumbled to the road and sat down, chugging more of her alcohol and belching loudly.

"Inuyasha is dead old woman, who are you?" Kagome spat, fingers clutching the sword at her hip.

"I'm Krazen dear girl, your old friend Krazen!"

A few hours later found the group, and the old hag, huddled around a fire – Miroku sat with Shippou and Kirara on the far-side, down wind, with sour expressions on their faces. Sango was stirring soup over the flames and Kagome was leaning against a tree in the shadows...Krazen, as the hag had identified herself, was slurping on her sake and hungrily eying the food Sango was cooking.

"I don't know a Krazen, as I said, nor have I ever known a Krazen." Kagome said again, tired of arguing with the old woman.

"'Course ya do girl! We're good pals, you and I! We know each other quite well, yes quite well indeed!" the old woman cackled, tossing her head back and rolling around on the floor.

"The crazy old lady reminds me of the old swordsmith who rode the cow all the time..." Shippou said from his perch on Miroku's shoulder, the monk nodded sagely.

"Listen to me, old woman, I don't know you!" Kagome shouted, frustrated. Krazen blinked owlishly at her, took a sip of sake, and then motioned for Kagome to get closer. The young girl leaned in until her face was inches from the vile smelling woman's, and the others gathered waited in apprehensive silence for whatever secret Krazen was about to spill...

"I'm out of sake, go get me more wench!" Krazen said suddenly, pointing and laughing. Kagome stood slowly from her bent over position, eye twitching as she began to draw her sword; Sango was up on her feet in a second, holding back the raging priestess, and looking back at Miroku for help. The monk cleared his throat, catching Krazen's attention.

"Perhaps, lady Krazen, you might be so kind as to tell us how you know the Lady Kagome...and maybe why you've sought us all out?" ever the charming diplomat, the monk's silky voice seemed to have the desired effect...for Krazen got deadly serious all of a sudden, her wrinkled eyes staring into the flames.

"Very well, if Kagome so desires it." Krazen said, and at Kagome's strangled grunt of approval began her story, "I am she, and she is me, and we are nothing bound in silence." Krazen murmured.

"What the hell does that mean?" Kagome snapped, pushing Sango roughly away and stalking to go sit against the tree, "You're not making any sense!"

"Shut up, listen." Krazen ordered, and Kagome growled. The old woman started again, "I am she, and she is me, and we are nothing bound in silence. You can know someone without ever meeting them, and they can know you without ever knowing about you...for instance, Kagome was in love with Inuyasha long before she knew him, and Inuyasha was in love with Kagome when Kagome was Kikyo." Krazen closed her eyes, as if weary, "Two beings, one soul, one love...and so, he never really loved one without loving the other, hence the conflicting emotions – but in the end, he chose the one who rightfully had his heart, not the puppet."

"Forgive me," Miroku said, "I believe I understand the first part. Kikyo knew Kagome because Kagome was her reincarnation, and vice versa...but whereas Kikyo was aware of Kagome, Kagome was not aware of Kikyo. 'I am she, and she is me, and we are nothing bound in silence.' That's what you mean by being able to know someone without ever meeting them, correct?"

"Very preceptive monk." Krazen nodded, eyes still closed.

"However, if I am to understand the second part correctly, you are saying Inuyasha chose the one who had his heart, and not the puppet...therefore, you refer to Kagome as a puppet?" Miroku glanced at the mentioned woman, whose face was covered in shadow. Sango had gone back to stirring the soup.

"No. I mean Inuyasha chose the same woman he always chose, and that is the one who had Kikyo's soul – however, Kikyo...the one who dragged him into darkness, was a puppet...a shell filled with emotion and portion of her old soul, the one who felt nothing but hate for the half demon. Kikyo and Kagome are one in the same." Krazen clarified.

"Shut up hag, I'm nothing like that...that...-!" Kagome was standing now, fists clenched and face hidden by her hair. Krazen didn't seem effected, rather she seemed amused by Kagome's outburst.

"Did you love him?" Krazen asked suddenly, staring at the younger priestess. This made Kagome pause, what kind of question was that? Everyone knew the answer.

"Of course I loved him!" she hissed, brown eyes glittering with unshed tears in the firelight. Krazen nodded, satisfied.

"Would you do anything to bring him back?" the old woman asked coyly.

"What are you talking about? He's dead!" Kagome said, astonished, "There's no way to bring back the dead, hag, you should know that!"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Krazen waggled an aged finger at Kagome and the others, who were staring at her in shock, "There is a way, because Inuyasha is not dead!"

"He is dead, we saw him die!" Kagome roared, stomping her foot.

"Do you have a body?" Krazen asked, gulping down more sake.

"N-..no..." Kagome admitted, shaking her head in disbelief. It couldn't be true; she'd watched Kikyo drag him to hell! She'd seen him disappear! He was...he was dead...

"What would you be willing to give to bring back your beloved half demon?" Krazen's voice was gentle, almost loving...like a mother's.

"Anything." Kagome answered instantly, "I'd do anything, just to see him...alive..."

"Even your own life?" Krazen's eyes snapped open, glittering like fireflies. Kagome nodded.

"How is this accomplished? Are you saying Inuyasha is simply...trapped somewhere?" Sango asked, face pale. All this time they'd wasted, why hadn't the old woman sought them out sooner to safe their friend?

"He is sealed, as he once was, but not in the same way...in order to drag a soul to hell, that soul must want to go. Something, or rather someone was holding him back this time." Krazen's eyes traveled to Kagome, who looked ill, "And so, Kikyo failed to take his life."

"How. Tell me how." Kagome whispered.

"It could mean your death Kago-"

"I don't give a damn!" Kagome stumbled to kneel in front of Krazen, whose shocked expression went unnoticed by the crying young priestess, "Every night I see his face, every day I feel this aching void in my soul – he is dead because of me, and I lived with that. I accepted it! Now you come to me, you offer me this...this hope! I haven't felt hope, I haven't felt anything but despair and agony these last three years! I am in hell! I live it each day! If you are telling the truth, if what you say is true, than I will gladly give my life to see he is free...please," she grabbed Krazen's hands, placing her tear streaked cheek against the weathered skin of the woman's palm, "Please..."

"Very well, if that is what Kagome desires..."

Don't forget to review! The more I get, the more likely I'll update :P Short chapter, I know. I'm sorry lol! Don't worry, next chapter is uber long. I'm almost done with it! I think you'll like the little twist I have in mind! : D ha ha ha...oh and if anyone can guess who Krazen REALLY is...I'll dedicate an entire chapter to you :o

Review!