I honestly have no idea of where I am going with this story, so bear with me! Updates are going to be EXTREMELY slow or EXTREMELY fast depending on if I have inspiration. The story is a bit fast-paced, and kind of confusing. If you have ANY questions, send me a message and I'll reply with an answer.

-Shiori

Kikyo's p.o.v.

Alone.

That one word, a measely five letter word, was what sent Kagome into depression. Quite frankly, Kikyo was sick of it. Sick. Nobody should deserve that much attention! Nobody! Not even her. And yet, all little Kaggie-chan has to do, is stay up all night and not speak to anybody and EVERYONE treats her like she's the queen of england! At first, it was understandable. She lost her fiance, showed up to his funeral in her wedding dress (ironically, his funeral was on their wedding day), and she lost him to what he loved the most. Understandable. But to continue the depression for six months? That's just being petty and shallow. Just thinking of it made Kikyo angered with white hot fury. But she'd continue to be the loving older sister, she'd get her revenge once Kagome finally comes back. And her sadness will make it all more pleasurable, Kikyo mused.

"Kagome, are you sure you don't want anything?" Kikyo asked. Since Kouga died, Kagome had little sleep and rarely changed her clothes. She hardly ate, and was almost anorexic. It was too much to see if you stared too long, and Souta had quit trying to speak with her, for fear that her silence would drive him suicidal. All Kikyo got to her question was a small whimper. She sighed. 'I'll give her one week to snap out of this stupid depression, otherwise I'll snap!' She thought. She turned to leave the room when she heard the news on in the other room.

"What's happening?" Kikyo asked, staring at the TV until she sat down next to Keade.

"Another criminal was killed." She said, shaking her head.

"These killings need to stop, or pretty soon even innocent people will be hurt." She continued. Kikyo nodded.

"I'm going to the store." Kikyo declared. She looked over to Souta as she was getting up.

"Would you like to come?" She asked softly. He looked to her, and glared.

"You are not my sister." He whispered harshly to her. She stood there stunned for a moment, not expecting him to say that. she snapped out of it, and made her way towards the door in a daze. She heard Keade scold Souta, but it still did no good for the tears that were threatning to fall. If I'm not your sister, then you are not my brother. She thought fiercely. For some strange reason, her chest felt lifted, as if the idea of having one less member in her family was relieving. In a flash she was out the door and down the driveway towards her car. Her phone rang and she decided to ignore it.

Kagome's p.o.v.

Fog clouded my mind, and I barely registered what Kikyo said. I was thankful she still cared, even if I was overreacting, or even acting just right under the circumstances because I still wanted to know someone still cared for me. Souta had gotten fed up with my moods, and stopped speaking to me altogether. I didn't blame him though. I mean, who would want to talk to a mute? My mother, Keade, only speaks to me if she wants to know if I'm hungry. Only Kikyo goes out of her way to act like I was still normal, which I was glad for.

Kougas death. I still can't believe it. The doctor explained he had high doses of some sort of chemical in his system that clogged up his oxygen passages, suffocating him slowly. It's like when your arteries get clogged or something. I told the doctor about Kouga and his DNA experiment, and he said he wouldn't know until Hakakku or Ginta were in the same situation. I missed Kouga. It was to the point that if Kikyo stopped talking to me, I'd try and join him wherever he was. I quit going to school, seeing as I only had a year or two left in high school. After his death I studied and worked to the point that I never slept. I studied so much I got too far ahead in my schoolwork, and my teacher had to bump me up in the next grade, and so on and so forth until I graduated 3 months after he passed away. I started to teach myself how to hack into my brothers computer only using a video controller and a keyboard, even though I'm not good at it, I managed. I traveled to the library in secret, checking out books and reading them until there weren't any books left that I wanted to read. I didn't have time for showers, seeing as anytime I took one I felt that Kouga would be laying on my bed when I came out of the bathroom. I hardly washed my clothes, because after I washed them I sprayed them with his cologne that quit selling everywhere. Meaning, I have to preserve the cologne, meaning, that I can barely wash my clothes. I started taking online college classes, only doing them when none of my family members were around. I spent so much time trying to keep myself busy, I even had my own journal that I typed up everyday. This is what it usually starts with;

Dear Kouga-kun,

I still don't believe you got that job overseas! I know you can't reply to anything I send you, so I'll just tell you how my day was.

... Yeah. I have to kid myself that he's still alive out there somewhere. It helps though, even though I never send anything. I hate having to be so weak as to pretend that he might reply someday, but it helps me move forward.

I started applying for jobs online, you know, like making websites or being a virtual agent. Kouga was right, everyone loves the sound of my voice. I hate the way it sounds, because everytime I hear it, I think of the way he used to look at me.

"Do I have something on my face or what?" I asked. He smiled.

"Nope. It's just the way you say things, it sounds like your talking to a bird or something."
Of course, I never knew what he meant by that, but it still reminds me of him. Anytime I said the word no, it makes me think of the night the ambulance came. It's been a year since he died, so I'm now able to at least say his name in my head.

My family doesn't know I've graduated; they think I dropped out. My family doesn't know I have a job; they think I've gone mute. My family thinks I'm a fragile doll; I've been out fighting in the streets. I like to keep it this way, because if I disappear, they wouldn't wonder what happened to me. Next week I'll ask my mother if I can go to a resturaunt with my friend Sango, which in all actuality I'm meeting another hacker that I have a job for. He's good at what he does, which is why I need his help. That, and we've been online friends for three years in the world of play station 3. We met a year ago just to have a game party, me versus him, which worked out pretty well an we've been closer friends since. He knows my husband (I refuse to think of Kouga as only my fiancee) died, and thankfully he doesn't want a relationship. We don't know the other's name, just our usernames online. Even in person, we used the usernames. It didn't bother me, and the same for him, plus, it kept us on formal level-where we don't become close enough to be more than friends.

I fainlty heard Kikyo come into my room. She asked me a question, which I didn't hear. I 'hmmed?' in response, but I guess she took it as 'I don't want to talk right now', because almost right after, she sighed and shut the door. I got up off the bed, knowing that would be the last time she'd check in my room tonight. I changed my shirt to something clean, not really caring what it was, as long as it wasn't brown. My pants were already on, and I slipped on some flats, grabbed my MP3, and walked out the opposite door. My room has a patio connected to it, which was level with the ground. It made it extremely easy for me to sneak past Souta and Kaede, all I had to do once I was out the door was leave the patio, go to the side of the house, and walk out the gate and I'd be free.

I made sure Kikyo's car was already gone, and went to the end of the block. I waited for the bus, holding my ticket that'd I'd paid for online and printed. I never knew where I wanted to go, but I usually stopped by the library first, so thats where I would go. It was one place every one would see me, but they get so used to me they wouldn't notice if I skipped a day. I liked being that person. The person you knew the name of, and asked for help. Not the person you say 'oh, I like her!' or 'I know everything about her!'. I just like being the girl that you go 'I know her! Thats whatsherface!'.

... Yeah. Sounds kind of pathetic. Insert My Like Give A Damn Sentence.

The bus pulled up, unfortunately it was just as I got the bench seat warm, which takes awhile as everyone knows. I tried not to sigh, and smiled at the elderly man driving the bus. He did his bus ticket routine, and I went to the middle of the seats. I didn't like being at the back, because Kouga and I used to sit there, holding hands and making fun of other passengers. The front made me feel too weird, knowing everybody could stare at you without you noticing. The middle is where you can look at both sides, from both angles.

The bus drive was quiet, aside from a business man talking on the phone, and a woman blaring music from her laptop. It was Metallica, and while some of my family members loved the band, I could say they were good... but not my favorite. The ride was quick, and as I made my way off the bus I headed towards the subway station, hoping to go to the downtown library. I ended up getting into a fight with the ticket seller, telling him I had already given him money, but he didn't hand me a ticket. I wasn't one to lie about that worthless stuff, but no one can just rip me off!

"I told you, I handed you that money! Give me my god damn ticket!" I barked. His nostrils flared.

"Security!" He snapped. I was inches away from busting that freaking plastic window and strangling him, when someone moved me aside.

"No need, heres the money for her ticket." The man said. He was calm, but already I could see signs of restraint. I recognised the voice, and froze. I stared at him, his facial features, and build.

Dear lord.