And here we are! Chapter 2! Let the story continue! I still don't own InuYasha... Damn lawyers T_T...

The summer season passed slowly as Kagome Higurashi gradually acclimated herself to feudal Japan. She worked alongside the elderly miko Kaede, learning all that she needed to so that she could carry on caring for the villagers once she passed. Jinenji was teaching her about all the herbs in the surrounding area, those that were harmful and those that could be used to heal. In the evenings, as the sun set, she would spend time with Sango and Miroku, playing with her new nieces and nephew and Shippo. And the nights she spent watching the stars with InuYasha by her side.

When it came to InuYasha, Kagome couldn't help but notice that he had changed in her three year absence. He was always at her side, whether he was watching over her from the trees as she learned from Jinenji and Kaede, or he was sitting at her side as she played with the children. He never let her out of his sight, his eyes trained on her figure with different emotions flickering through topaz. For the first few weeks, she didn't complain. In all honesty, she didn't want him out of her sight. When the well had taken her back to modern day Japan, he wasn't the only one who'd lost someone. She'd lost him as well. So, she let his protective instinct pass.

But once they hit the mark of a month and a half, something had to be said.

InuYasha followed Kagome as she made her way to Kaede's hut. She was on her way back from the fields where she was helping Jinenji collect those herbs that needed collecting. She had some things she wanted to discuss with Kaede in private and she didn't want to wait until tomorrow.

As Kagome neared Kaede's home, she inhaled deeply and turned sharply on her heel, surprising the hanyou close behind.

"InuYasha," she said sternly, hands clasped in front of her. "I need to talk to Kaede."

He nodded, hands tucked into the sleeves of his red robe, arms crossed over his chest.

"Whatever," he said with a shrug. Kagome gave him a pointed look. He just stared back at her.

"Alone, InuYasha," she said slowly, emphasizing her words. He smirked.

"Yeah, got that," he replied. She waited for him to turn around. He did not.

"In private, InuYasha," she said again. He rolled his eyes.

"You need to talk to Kaede, alone, in private. I got that, wench," he said and started towards Kaede's home. "Are we going or what?"

Kagome was officially annoyed. She let out an annoyed huff and crossed her arms across her chest.

"InuYasha," she started, and he recognized well her tone. He winced, as he knew what was coming next.

"Osuwari!"

He fell to the ground, sprawled face first in the dirt.

"Oi! What the hell was that for?!" he demanded from the ground, spitting out a mouthful of grass. Kagome sighed and crouched down to face him.

"InuYasha, when I say I need to see Kaede alone, in private, I mean by myself. Without you, InuYasha. I understand that you want to be around me, and I want to be around you, too. But this is getting out of hand. There are times when I need to be alone. I have to sneak away to take a bath! You've got to relax," she explained herself.

InuYasha's expression and mood dropped considerably.

"You want to be alone?" he asked quietly, topaz eyes dropping her gaze.

"InuYasha, it's not like that," she murmured. She stood with a sigh and waited for him to get to his feet.

"I'll just be a little while with Kaede, then we can go for a walk or something. Okay?" she offered.

"Just a little while?" he repeated. She nodded in confirmation and turned towards Kaede's home. She waved over her shoulder and walked away, leaving a somewhat dejected hanyou on the dirt path.

"What is it you are trying to ask, Kagome, child? I'm not sure I understand," Kaede questioned. She sat in front of a fire pit, stirring something in a pot that smelled strongly of fish and vegetables. Kagome sat on the other side of the fire, legs crossed, hands fisted around the fabric of her light blue kimono in her lap.

"I understand that Kikyo could never be married to InuYasha. Why is that?" she asked quietly. Kaede looked up at Kagome and sighed, understanding now.

"A miko cannot marry a demon, half-human or otherwise, Kagome," Kaede responded gently. Kagome's head snapped up and she met Kaede's kind eyes.

"But then..." she trailed off, not even wanting to finish her train of thought.

"Yes, child," Kaede affirmed. Kagome closed her eyes and dropped her chin. After several moments, Kagome straightened and met Kaede's gaze with a determined expression.

"I cannot become a miko. I can use my spiritual abilities and the skills you've taught me to heal and take care of people, but I cannot officially take on the title of priestess," she said, her voice firm. Kaede smiled.

"I understand, child," she said with a nod. Kagome smiled. "We will continue your training as we would have should you have chosen the path of a priestess so that you may acquire the skills," Kaede instructed and Kagome nodded thoughtfully. She stood slowly and made her way towards the flap leading outside.

"Goodnight, Kaede."

"Goodnight, Kagome, dear. Tell InuYasha I said hello."

InuYasha kicked a pebble as he strolled along beside the river. He wondered exactly what it was that Kagome needed to talk to Kaede about.

Maybe it was about her lessons with Jinenji?

That made him stop and think.

They were training her to be a proper miko, a priestess in the village.

Priestesses didn't marry demons.

She couldn't marry him.

That devastating thought hit him full force. He couldn't marry Kagome, couldn't mate with her, give her a family and a life together. As he couldn't with Kikyo before her.

Why is it he could never truly be with the woman he loved?

Because he fell in love with priestesses, that's why.

InuYasha kicked the pebble again in frustration and ran his fingers through his long silver hand. His ears twitched several times as he frowned, deep in thought.

He could take her away from the village. But that would be taking her away from Sango and Miroku and he could never do that to her or them. And Shippo would throw a fit at the mere mention of it.

He could mark her without telling her, but that was cruel and he couldn't ever do that to her without her permission.

He continued to think up random, ridiculous, and useless ideas until one thought he'd been trying to avoid struck him. He stiffened and closed his eyes with a sigh.

He could let her go.

Kagome stood on the path where she left InuYasha, waiting for him as the sun sank below the horizon and the moon took its place in the sky. Stars began to reveal themselves and she shivered slightly as a cool breeze swept past her. She looked around, wondering where exactly her hanyou was.

She smiled softly, at the thought of him being her hanyou. Four years ago, she wouldn't have dared think of him in such a way.

A rustling nearby brought her back to attention and she looked towards the source of the noise.

"Inuyasha?" she called, unable to make out the approaching figure in the darkness. It came closer, but did not respond to her call.

"Who are you?" she asked and the figure stopped, cocking its head to the side as if in amusement. She could hear a deep chuckle.

"You're worst nightmare, sweetheart."

(A/N: Bolded - demon Italicized - human Bolded and italicized - hanyou)

InuYasha had come to a decision long before the sun fell. But he couldn't quite bring himself to face Kagome and tell her. Would she be happy that he was leaving her to her responsibilities as a priestess? Or would she be upset with him for deciding this without her?

But she knows she has obligations, said a little voice inside his head. She knows where her loyalties must lie when the time comes.

He frowned.

But what if she chooses to stay with me? There's still a chance isn't there?

If she was choosing you, would she still be training with Kaede and Jinenji every day?

InuYasha's thoughts remained silent as reality hit him harder than ever.

She would be happy that he left, wouldn't she? She wouldn't have to make the choice herself, and she wouldn't have to hurt him. At least this way, he was the one doing the leaving.

And that's what you must do, at least for a little while. Leave, allow her to focus on her training. You can return once she's a full fledged miko and you can love her then.

Love her like I did Kikyo? Following her like a lost dog, a faithful companion because that's all I can be for her?

Another voice intruded in his inner conversation.

Mate.

He paused at that one.

Kagome?

She's mate.

InuYasha blinked. He shook his head quickly. He had to be going insane. He was having a conversation with his human and demon halves in his head.

You must leave!

Stay for mate! Stay for Kagome! Mark her! Tell her!

Let her live her life as she was meant to! She's a priestess, damnit!

And she's our mate! Screw you!

Hey! Enough with the shouting match!

InuYasha inhaled deeply and squared his shoulders.

I'm going to talk to Kagome and let her tell me what she wants to do. I'll give her our options and let her decide. It's her fate as a priestess at stake here.

You selfish demon.

You weak man.

Just shut the hell up.

Silence echoed in his head at the command and he smirked in satisfaction.

Much better.

His smile slid off his face, though, as a familiar scent swirled through the air and his stomach dropped.

That's blood.

Mate.

Kagome!

Kagome fell to her knees, breath coming out in ragged gasps. Her kimono was torn in several places, her blood staining the blue fabric. Her hair was matted around her face and sweat dripped down her neck. Her chocolate eyes were closed, due to her exhaustion, and she had her right arm clutched against her stomach to stem the flow of blood due to the gash stretched across her pale skin. Her left hand still held a glow, though it was weak and her aura was diminishing greatly. She'd used all her spiritual and physical energy to defeat the demon, and now she was exhausted.

But she knew that she was weak and wounded and needed to get to safety. Another demon would smell the blood, and she didn't know how long she had until another imminent attack from a predator on the prowl for weak prey.

I have to at least get to Jinenji. He can get me to Kaede. Where is InuYasha?

Kagome knew that her blood gave off a strong enough scent that he could smell it. Usually he was here, saving her, fighting by her side. But he was nowhere to be found. Where was he?

Her vision slowly began to blur as she struggled to remain conscious. She braced her left arm against the ground, the glow surrounding her hand completely gone now. She attempted to stand.

It was too much. Her legs gave out and she collapsed, pain ripping through her wound, her blood staining the grass crimson.

"Inu...Yasha..." she whispered, the world becoming a haze of red. Just as a blur of red and silver came into her view, darkness consumed her.