"I am so glad to be home Mom!" Kagome kicked her shoes off at the entrance and slipped on her slippers. Her mother was in the kitchen when she heard Kagome came through the front door. Miyu was so happy to see her daughter was healthy…and alive.

"Oh Kagome! Look at you! How have you been?" Her mother wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace.

Tears stung Kagome's eyes, she was so happy to be home, back with her family and away from all that was the Feudal era. "Mom, I'm so glad to be home…where's Souta?"

Souta heard the front door open from his bedroom and he shot up from his bean bag chair and tossed his Xbox controller to the floor and made for downstairs. He skipped the last couple steps, jumping down with a loud THUD and ran for the kitchen where he saw his mother embracing his sister.

How he missed her. Everytime she left he wished he could go with her and see her in action. Protect her if he could. But he knew the dangers of the Feudal era and had witnessed on a couple occasions where Inuyasha had carried Kagome home, she would be covered in dirt, bruises and blood and he was always in fear for her life. He knew his mom and grandpa were the same way. He held back this swelling feeling that was building in his chest and stepped into the kitchen from the hallway. At least she didn't come in with a broken leg…again.

"Sis? Your back?" Souta said with a cracking voice, trying his best to hold back his tears. Inuyasha never cries. Inuyasha never cries. Inuyasha never cries. Inuyasha never cries. Inuyasha never cries.

He wanted to be like Inuyasha so badly; strong and unafraid. He hoped to see that Kagome and Inuyasha would get together. God only knew. They were so meant for each other.

"Hey Souta! Yea I'm back for a while now." Kagome said as she walked over to her 12 year old brother and ruffled hes wavy brown hair. He looked so much like his mother; same dark eyes, same wavy short brown hair. Kagome looked more like her father, though she was starting to forget as the years went on, just exactly how her father looked. His death had been hard on all of them and his mother kept quite a few pictures around of them as a family, Souta was only five when his father died., and kagome was ten. She was seventeen now. She had stopped crying for her father years ago but she couldn't help feeling like a part of her was missing.

Her little brother wrapped his arms around her in a quick hug and then bombarded her with questions. She knew this would lead to a top she most definitely did not want to speak about.

"Souta,'she cut her brother off right when he was about to ask where Inuyasha was and how he was doing, "I really need to take a shower and change my clothes. I'll talk to you about everything when I get out."

Miyu, who had turned back to her cooking, glanced at the two and had to do a double take. Something like blood was sticking to Kagome's skirt and was caking into the green fabric.

"Uh, Kagome, you're bleeding?" Miyu asked concerned.

Kagome stiffened. Sweat clinging to her neck as she turned to her mother with a sheepish look.

"Um…yes.."

Miyu turned away from her bubbling soup and put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Souta looked at his sister with worried eyes.

'Is everything okay honey? What happened? Are you hurt?"

"Is it demon blood? Did you do battle?" Souta asked excitedly.

Kagome's face went bright red as she turned away from her brother, he was so weird sometimes. "Mom I'm okay…it was just…it's my…you know." She raised a hand to rub the back of her head shyly and Miyu immediately understood.

"I'm so outa here!" Souta said as her rushed away from the two woman.

Miyu smiled at her blushing daughter and said, "Go clean up honey ill run your uniform through the wash." With that she turned back to her food and Kagome thanked her and went upstairs to her room.

Her room was pink with a matching bedspread and a few white fluffy pillows. Her bed was given to her on her 16th birthday and she was so happy to get it. It was a bed, but underneath her bed was another bed that could be pulled out-attached. It was great when she wanted sleepovers. She had always wanted Sango to sleepover…she really wished her other friends could pass through the well, and a certain hanyou couldn't…

A computer desk was tucked in the corner of her room, her silver laptop looked lonely and she took note to spend as much time on the internet that she could. A orange flower shaped rug was in the middle of her floor and her white dresser was up against the wall on the other side of her room. She walked toward it, stripping of her dirty uniform and her undergarments. She grabbed some clean clothes and glanced at the picture frame that was next to a old picture of her family; her father, mother, baby Souta, grandpa, and her younger self. The picture next to it was one she took a few months ago; Sango was wearing her demon slayers outfit, holding hiraikotsu over her shoulder with one hand. Miroku was next to her Holding Kilala in his arms with a stupid grin on his face. Inuyasha didn't smile, no. He was furious. Shippou was on his head and he bit his ears, so the camera caught the whole scene perfectly.

Kagome giggled as she set the picture down.

She made her way to the bathroom, running the water super hot. She had gotten used to the hot springs and there extreme temperatures so anything below that seemed too cold.

She tipped her toes in, testing the waters and practically dove in the water, relishing as it took away all the stress and dirtiness of the day.

She replayed everything that happened today.

Your one to talk, you're just an imitation!

Inuyasha's voice rung loud in her ears and she dunked her head back into the water, trying to clear her mind of her thoughts.

Does it matter how I feel for him? When he only thinks of me as an object? A shard detector? An imitation of the one he truly loves? No matter how hard I try…no matter how much I care, he will never feel the same way as I do for him.

And what exactly was it that she felt for Inuyasha? He had traveled with her for so long, it was hard to imagine what life would be like had she never fallen into the well…

Kikyo can hold her own

But I'm not Kikyo.

You're just an imitation

Do I mean that little to you Inuyasha?

You should just go home.

But what if I never came back?

Feh!

What if I died Inuyasha?

Then I would have one less person to worry about.

But…

Kagome! We need to find the jewel shards! Hurry your ass up! Her mind was relaying memories of Inuyasha. You're not going home stupid wench! Naraku has some jewel shards! She was pushing her head farther in the water. Kikyo, I love you. I'll go to hell with you…I will die with you. She was remembering the kiss Kikyo and him shared in the forest and she held her breath and sunk her face completely under water.

KIKYO! KIKYO! NARAKU! FULL DEMON! JEWEL SHARDS!

Is there nothing you feel for me Inuyasha? Am I really that worthless to you?

Kagome…

Am I just something you can toss away?

Kagome…

Why do I feel this way? I can't stop thinking about you…why can't you see I've fallen for you?

She closed her eyes under the water and bit her bottom lip, if she was crying she wouldn't know-everything was wet.

An image appeared before her. Everything was misted and clouded. A cloaked figure was looming over something…something Kagome knew…somehow? There was crying. People were crying? Why? She glanced in the darkness, the mist swirling over them. "Why Inuyasha?" A voice sounded, much like hers…no wait…it was hers! She shot back to the cloaked figure and stepped toward it. "Stay back Kagome! Please stay back!" "Why did you do this? Why Saiyuri?" The cloaked figure turned to the one talking-facing directly at Kagome. "Kagome you don't understand! It was-" "I don't care Saiyuri! You killed him! You KILLED HIM!" Kagome could hear her own voice but it wasn't coming from her mouth, it was coming from behind her. She looked back and saw herself, only she looked different. Her hair was longer, her eyes were flooded with tears and she was wearing a red Kimono that looked like it had been slashed to pieces. Kagome whirled back to the hooded figure and ran to her…right through her. Kagome was scared, just a moment ago she was in her tub and now..this? She looked down at her feet and fell to her knees.

INUYASHA!

He's dead. His eyes are closed and blood adorned his lips, he wasn't breathing. He had to be dead.

"Kagome it wasn't me!" The cloaked woman pleaded.

"LIES!" Kagome turned to see the last image in front of her. Her own arrow pertruded from the cloaked woman's heart and she fell face first into the ground. Kagome's eyes were wide, and she looked at her other self in shock. The other Kagome felt to her knees and crawled to the fallen woman, sobbing. "SAIYURI! OH GOD! NO!"

Kagome shot up from the tub and gasped for air. And rubbed her eyes, her heart racing.

Who the hell is Saiyuri?