Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and Co. I don't own Kansas or their song "Dust in the Wind" I don't own my friends either! I only own myself and my OC's!!

Warning: Nothing really to warn ya about in this chappy!!

A/N: Thank's to Hunter who ALMOST beta-read this chappy too! Lol.

Is This The Real Life? Is This Just Fantasy?
Chapter Four: Warm Welcome
By: Sweet Raptured Light

Kagome stretched lazily as she pulled the covers over her eyes. The sun crept in the window and shone over her covered face.

The apartment was of moderate size. A little smaller than the first floor of a house. It was big enough to include a guest room next to the master bedroom. The guest room was small, but roomy. The wall with the door had a painting on it from a new artist. The signature in the corner was 'Danielle Cherrystone'. More near the corner of the wall was the bed, which was decorated with red sheets. The corner opposite the bed held the bureau and next to it was the bedside table. In the middle of that was the window. The wall next to it held a door to a closet and a dresser, and then you would come to the door again.

Kagome could hear walking outside her door, and the closing of another one, followed soon after by the running of water. 'It's late,' she thought, 'time to get up,' she stretched and slowly sat up. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked at the analog clock on the wall and it read 9:30.

"Not too late," she said aloud. She got up and out of bed and went over to the dresser to get a change of clothes. With her clothes in hand, she walked to the door and left her room. She walked three feet to stand and wait outside of the bathroom door. Not even ten minutes later, out walked Marahute, fully clothed with a towel in her arms.

She was wearing a black, shiny, faux leather tank top, with a red ribbon laced up the front, the same black, shiny, faux leather skirt that reached halfway down her thigh, and shiny, black go-go boots that reached just below her knee.

"If you want to come with me today you can. I'm just going to meet someone," she said as Kagome went to walk in the bathroom and stopped in the doorway.

"Sure. That would be fun," Kagome smiled and walked into the bathroom to take a shower.

While Marahute was cooking eggs for breakfast Kagome walked into the kitchen nook. She was wearing a black tank-top that had a metallic silverfish-white waning crescent moon on it with a crimson red rose across it. On the back across in script it said 'Danielle Cherrystone'. She had on a black denim skirt and black faux leather boots that rose half-way up her calves.

"Hey Mara, who is Danielle Cherrystone? Her artwork and fashion line are all over," she asked as she sat down at a bar stool that was connected to the island in the kitchen, that acted like a table.

"Mara? Heh, that's a new one," she laughed, "Well Danielle has been my friend since forever, and she made it big in theatre and Broadway and she does artwork and fashion on the side."

Kagome's mouth made and 'o' shape and she kept silent.

"We're going to meet up with her today. She's fun and you'll like her," she smiled as she served breakfast. The two ate quickly and Kagome waited on the couch while Marahute went to make a phone call.

"Hey Kagura,"

"Hey Marahute, what's up?"

"You're gonna bring Sango, Miroku and the kids with you, right? We're going to meet Danielle now."

"'Kay, see you then. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Alright. See you soon… Bye," she laughed and hung up. She walked over to Kagome and slapped her hands together, "Ready to go?" she asked.

"Yep."

They left together on Marahute's motorcycle and drove around until they reached a restaurant that had a gigantic Cadillac coming out of the front, above the glass doors and window-walls.

"We're meeting Danielle there, but we have to go park somewhere else," she shouted over her shoulder to Kagome as she drove on down the street, till they reached a parking garage four blocks down.

As they walked in the doors of the restaurant someone called out to them.

"Chief Cherokee!" Marahute turned around and Kagome followed suit. A woman with long brown hair and soft honey brown eyes ran towards them. She had a big, pearly white smile on her face that matched the gleam in her eyes. She was wearing baby blue sweatpants that had two white stripes down the sides and a maroon colored tank top

Danielle: attacks the authoress in a fit of rage and shouts "Burgundy!!"
Ah-hem… Burgundy colored tank top.

Kagome didn't know who it was but Marahute smiled wide and embraced her friend in a hug.

"Danielle! How's Broadway? How many parts did you and Mary score this time?" she asked as they pulled apart.

"Pretty good," she laughed, "We only got one part in the next play. Oh, who's this?" she asked in return as she saw Kagome.

"I'm Kagome Higurashi," she smiled as she introduced herself, and placed out her hand.

"I'm Danielle Cherrystone," she smiled as she shook her hand.

"So what's the name of this place?" she asked as they released hands.

"Olive Garden," Marahute told her, and Danielle squealed.

"What was that?" Kagome tried her best to raise one eyebrow but both shot up.

"It was the globe!" Danielle said and her eyes darted back and forth.

"No, Danielle, no," Marahute laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Just take us to the table, alrighty?"

"Fuck you Monkey!" she sighed, "Okay," and she brought Marahute and Kagome up both escalators, and brought them to a table by the window. The table was set to seat nine people, but Kagome didn't put much thought into it.

After about five minutes of getting acquainted with Danielle, a waitress with blonde hair up in a bun came to take their order.

"So what'll it be?" she asked with her Brooklyn accent.

"Our whole party isn't here yet, so we will be ordering appetizers," Danielle said.

"What would you like Kagome?" Marahute asked.

"Uh, I guess mozzarella cheese sticks," she told the waitress who wrote it down.

"Anything else?" the waitress popped her gum.

"Yeah, can we also get fried calamari and what about you Danielle?" Marahute looked up from the menu.

"Onion rings," she said, setting down her menu.

"And what about to drink?" the waitress finished jotting down their food order.

"I and Marahute would like an Oreo, vanilla milkshake and what about you Kagome?" Danielle looked towards her.

Kagome was staring out the window, not really paying attention. She was thinking about the past. She missed him so much. After Inuyasha had chosen Kikyou, she ran away. He had broken her heart. But then she found him.

Flashback:

Kagome had just climbed back up out of the well and picked up her bag as she started down the well-worn path back to the village that she went down so many times. On her way, she passed some bushes and they seemed to rustle on cue, as she walked passed. She took a few steps back and put her bag down quietly slowly took steps towards the bushes. She ducked behind a tree and watched the scene before her. It was Inuyasha and he was hugging Kikyou so tenderly, as if she would break if he let her go or held her too tight. Her face looked peaceful. Two streaks glittered down her porcelain cheeks.

"She was… crying…" Kagome ran all the possibilities of why she was crying through her head, "Maybe she's happy. Maybe Inuyasha… chose her over me…" tears started to well in her eyes as she slowly made her way to her bag. She picked it up and almost fell over as all her strength disappeared.

As she got close to camp, she tried to cheer up. She didn't want Shippou to worry, and besides maybe he didn't choose Kikyou. Maybe he was apologizing because he didn't choose her.

I close my eyes. Only for a moment and the moment's gone.

She started to smile. Her heart still felt broken but she wiped away her tears. She arrived back at camp with a fake face. Miroku and Sango were talking amongst themselves as Shippou and Kirara slept in Sango's sleeping bag.

All my dreams. Pass before my eyes, a curiosity.

She made sure her eyes were dried before she ventured over to the fire with her friends. She put on a smile and said hello as she placed her bag down.

'Inuyasha will come any minute, happy to see me…' she thought, and she was right.

A few minutes later Inuyasha came back to camp, and he had brought Kikyou with him. Both their smiles were beaming, and Kagome's smile started to waver.

"Kikyou is going to join our group alright?" Inuyasha announced, then he looked to Kagome, "Is that alright with you?" he asked her, his smile pleading with her to say yes.

Dust in the wind. All they are is dust in the wind.

"S-s-sure…" she stuttered and looked away. She couldn't bear to look at him. Not now, not ever. She stood and made for the forest, "I'll be right back."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Sango started to stand.

"No! I mean… I'm fine, you don't have to come," she smiled at her friend and started to walk into the forest again.

Same old song. Just a drop of water in an endless sea.

After she was sure they would see her, she broke out in a run. Running for her dear life. Running for her broken heart. She ran until she couldn't anymore, by then she reached a hot spring. She collapsed by the edge of the water, and curled into a ball. One hand had supported her head and the other hand rested in the warm water. She started to sob. Why did this have to happen to her? Why couldn't she ever find anyone to love and have them stick with her? Kouga had already found Ayame and now Inuyasha choose Kikyou instead.

All we do. Crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see.

Kagome felt a dark aura close in around her, and she knew who it was. Naraku. She didn't bother to get up, she just laid there. She stopped crying when she heard him walking behind her. She could have sworn she sensed sympathy in his aura, just a bit, very small, but it was there.

"Poor Miko. No one to love. Well, I can give you love, if you give me something in return," he smirked as he was now right behind her.

She thought it over for a minute. He could possibly be telling the truth, but this was Naraku for Kami's sake! He turned Kohaku into a mindless puppet, he cursed Miroku's family with the wind tunnel, and he had killed Kikyou so many years ago! But right now she could really care less. She came close to teaming up with him, but she could never do that to her friends.

Dust in the wind. All we are is dust in the wind.

"Fuck you asshole," she whispered and Naraku's smirk disappeared. She was concentrating on sending her miko energy into her hand, but just as she was about to attack him, someone else beat her to it. She rolled around and sat up to see who had attacked him but all she saw was a streak of white. It couldn't have been Inuyasha, he was with Kikyou.

When the assailant slowed down enough for her to see, she couldn't believe her eyes. The one person she wouldn't expect to see come to her rescue, was the one and only Sesshoumaru.

Now, don't hang out. Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky.

She watched them fight until Sesshoumaru took out his youki whip and cut off Naraku's head. The body disintegrated and all that was left was the wooden puppet. He picked it up and looked it over. Sesshoumaru let his poison seep out of his nails and made the wooden puppet disappear in thin air.

He looked to Kagome and walked over to her. He knelt down when he got next to her. She tried to look away but he grabbed her chin with his hand and held her still. She would have struggled but she was frightened of the poison he could unleash.

"You didn't answer right away. You were thinking of accepting his offer weren't you?" he asked her, his face showing nothing.

"And what if I was. I was gonna kill him anyway, before you got here," she sneered.

It slips away. And all your money, won't another, minute buy.

He squeezed her chin hard and he smirked as he saw her flinch in pain.

"You do realize the consequences of your actions if you were to agree with him. He would have raped you, not loved you. He would have asked for the jewel from you and if you said no, he would have killed you and taken it anyway," he painted her a nice picture to say the least. She flinched again.

"I told you I was going to kill him anyway!" she said louder now and he threw her down as he let go of her.

"If you do not learn to respect your betters, then you will not live too long," he sneered.

She looked away from him. He was handsome, but she could never fall in love with him. He would never love her back.

"Can I come with you?" she whispered and kept her head down as she gazed at him through her bangs.

Dust in the wind. All we are is dust in the wind.

"Why?"

"I don't want to stay here," she whispered again. She truly mystified him. He was an enigma himself, but so was she. He could never understand half of the things she did.

He sighed, "If you must. But every morning you will train with me, and you will be Rin's guardian when you are not training. In my castle you will obey me, and if you try to escape you will be punished."

Kagome thought to argue with him, but as she opened her mouth, she closed it. If she argued, he might not take her with him.

Dust in the wind. Everything is dust in the wind.

"Fine," she mumbled, as she stood up and walked over to him.

Without warning he picked her bridal style and his youki cloud formed under his feet. Kagome started to struggle until she realized how high in the air they were and decided not to.

Dust in the wind. Everything is dust in the wind.

End Flashback.

Kagome snapped out of her reverie when Danielle and Marahute called her name for about the fifth time.

"Oh, sorry. What was the question?" she laughed a bit.

"What do you want to drink?" Marahute asked her.

"Uh, how about what you guys are having?" she laughed again.

"Make those three Oreo vanilla milkshakes," Danielle smiled at the waitress.

"Alright," she smiled back and walked away.

The group waited a bit before a larger group of people started to make their way towards their table. Kagome recognized Sango and Miroku, but didn't know who the rest of them were.

"Hello Kagome," Miroku greeted her. She nodded to him and Sango.

"Kagome, do you recognize everyone, besides Miroku and Sango?" Marahute asked her. She tried to concentrate for a moment, but shook her head.

"No, sorry."

"Okaa-san! It's me!" a little boy with bright red hair and bright green eyes said to her as he came out from behind Miroku.

"Shippou!" she cried and stood up. He ran to her and she hugged him tightly.

"Kagome, don't you recognize the rest of us?" an older woman asked. She had crimson red eyes and dark black hair up in a bun. Kagome closed her eyes and concentrated for a minute.

She opened her eyes and smiled, "Kagura. It's nice to see you and Kanna again."

Kanna let a small smile appear on her face. The action looked like it would break her face off; she looked so delicate, like porcelain, like how Kikyou looked when Inuyasha chose her. It didn't hurt Kagome when she thought of that now. She wasn't in love with him anymore, so now, it didn't hurt when she thought of Inuyasha anymore.

"Don't forget me!" a small boy stepped out from behind Sango. He looked just like her. He was as tall as Shippou, and both looked like teenagers.

Kagome closed her eyes again and tried to remember. She opened her eyes right away. It was simple to remember him. He looked like Sango, so it must be… "Kohaku!" she smiled and gave him a hug.

"When the waitress comes back we can order our food," Marahute told them as everyone took a seat. Marahute next to Kagome's left, and Shippou on her right. Danielle next to Marahute. Next to Shippou was Kohaku, then Sango, Miroku, Kagura and Kanna. They all caught Kagome up on the times and what they had been doing while she was gone.

Kagome got a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Almost all her friends were here to see her. This was the greatest welcome home party she got, which she assumed it was. But she couldn't help but feel upset. The fact that almost all her friends were here was practically killing her. Where were the rest? She knew she would try to recognize them when she saw them. Where were they?! Why weren't they here with her? Did they forget? Did he forget? She prayed to Kami that he remembered her. She prayed to Kami that she would see him soon.

A/N: I'm sorry if you think this chapter sucks! My creative writing class has been draining me of my creative juices because the quarter is almost up, so we gotta work on our portfolios... 2 poems, 2 short stories, and 1 anything piece!! OMG! I'm almost done tho, and that's good, because the quarter is almost over!!

I hope you like the story so far!
Can you guess who still needs to be introduced? Probably, but I won't tell you yet!!

Please read and review!! Arigatou!
Thanks again to Hunter who ALMOST beta-read this chappy! Haha..

Ja Ne!!!
---Sweet Raptured Light