Kensei looked up just in time to see Miroku and Sango walk in with Kagome in their arms, his mum and sister rushing ahead of them to find bandages.
"What happened?" he asked calmly as they settled her onto his bed and Akemi began redressing the wound on her leg.
"I don't know," his mum said "We just found her with this cut, about to black out."
Kensei glanced at the couple standing beside the bed, the woman clutching Kagome's hand tightly.
Miroku noticed the curious look on his face and said "I'm Miroku and this is Sango, we're…"
"…friends of Kagome's," Kensei finished, grinning "I've heard about you. I'm Kensei."
Akemi got up and started ushering them out of the room "She needs to sleep right now so you can go and talk outside."
Miroku choked back a laugh. It had been a long time since he'd had a motherly figure telling him what to do and he almost answered back only to be given a stern look from Akemi, telling him that if he did he would regret it.
"When did you find Kagome here?" Sango asked Kensei, following him to the main room where Yaeko had set up futons.
"About 4 days ago," Kensei said seriously "Do you have any idea what we have to do to get her soul back?"
Sango and Miroku looked at each other and then Kensei in surprise "She grew on you fast!"
Kensei grinned and Sango had to refrain from fanning herself, making Miroku narrow his eyes at her.
"She's an easy person to like," Kensei said thoughtfully, his grey eyes storming over.
"She sure is," Miroku said, without a hint of peverted-ness " But as for how to make Kagome better, we have no idea. We just wanted to make sure she was still here."
"We thought she might have been dead," Sango said quietly "Neither of us said it but we both thought it."
Miroku wrapped his arm around her and Kensei admired their perseverance to find their friend. Then again, he had a feeling that when it came to Kagome there aren't many people that would refrain from helping her.
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Inuyasha stopped walking suddenly causing Kikyo to ask "What is it?"
She felt a little alarmed at the disgust that flitted across his face "I smell a wolf."
All Kikyo could do was watch in confusion as a man appeared from nowhere and stalk his way up to Inuyasha.
Kouga snarled into his face "Where is she?"
Inuyasha growled and pushed Kouga back "Get out of my face you mangy wolf."
Kouga's expression became one of horror as his eyes fell upon Kikyo "Who's that?"
Inuyasha could tell by his expression that the wolf had a fair idea about who she was, either from the rumors that had been floating around or by the slightly guilty face Kikyo wore. Kouga looked at Inuyasha then back at Kikyo.
"You actually gave Kagome away for…her?" Kouga said, too shocked to attack him for his stupidity…yet.
"Where did you hear that?" Kikyo said, unable to help feeling curious about how many people knew what they had done.
Kouga snorted "It's everywhere. I just didn't think you could do something that stupid."
Inuyasha growled. Sure, he knew what he had done was beyond bad but that didn't mean this smelly wolf could tell him that.
It appeared that Kouga's shock was wearing off, and in its place was a dangerous, burning anger.
"Where is she? What did you do to her?" Kouga yelled, swinging at Inuyasha.
Inuyasha pulled out Tetsuiaga and brandished it in front of him, "You think you can beat me without a sword…"
Then he looked down at the rusty old piece of metal in his hands…it hadn't transformed.
Kouga laughed viciously "And you think you can beat me with that junk? Wrong!"
Inuyasha growled again and threw it to the side "I'll kill you!"
"Go ahead and try you insolent little pup!"
With a war cry erupting from both of them, they started ripping each other to pieces. Except this time, Kouga seemed to be winning. Whatever it was, Kouga wasn't fighting any differently than what he usually did but when they broke away, both panting, it was Inuyasha that was barely able to stand properly.
Kikyo immediately came to his side but he pushed her away and she realized with horrified fascination that there was an unusual gleam in his brilliant amber eyes. Both Kouga and Kikyo seemed to notice his lack of thought to his own safety at the same time. Inuyasha had blood pouring down his face and into his eyes and yet his grin remained firmly in place as though he was enjoying his own slaughter. Kouga hesitated after sending a damning blow under his chin, snapping Inuyasha's head up and effectively breaking his jaw. The hit had sent Inuyasha to his knees, where he was now spitting blood into the damp soil. Kouga could finish him off right now with one punch to the stomach, he was sure of it. Apparently so was Kikyo, who rushed forward probably to try to persuade Kouga not to kill him. But before she could say a word, both her and Kouga froze in their spot. Inuyasha had looked up from where he was kneeling and was watching Kouga with one eye, the other blinded by blood, his grin sneaking back onto his face.
"Inuyasha…" Kikyo whispered, uncertain whether he was even the same person. He looked insane…
"Are you going to finally kill me, wolf?" he said, spitting blood.
Kouga remained frozen in his place.
"You're too scared aren't you?" Inuyasha laughed, making Kikyo recoil.
Kouga wasn't scared. All that made him stop in his quest to end his enemies life once and for all was what Kagome would do to him when she found out. That and the fact he wanted Inuyasha to suffer. The way Inuyasha had been taking his hits and eventually stopped throwing his own, Kouga knew that he was fighting the dead shell of the enemy he once knew. Inuyasha was fighting for his own death, something he inevitably felt he deserved, and Kouga knew it. But that didn't mean he was going to fulfill his wish.
"You're pathetic, mutt" Kouga said turning away "I'll find Kagome and bring her back from whatever you've done to her and then…" he turned back and glanced at the bleeding mess "then we'll have a real fight."
Then he was gone.
Kikyo didn't know what to do. For so long she had been emotionless, so high and mighty, above everyone else but right now she was lost. She found herself regretting what they had done for yet another reason. It had been so long since she had been able to feel; suddenly having her emotions back…it scared her. She didn't know what to do with the tidal wave of emotions washing through her body as she looked at her fallen lover.
"Inuyasha…" she said softly, her voice quavering. She kneeled beside him and started wiping the blood off the side of his face.
"Inuyasha…look at me," she made her voice stronger and firmer.
He did and she saw the tears in his eyes.
"We will find her," she said "And we'll set this right."
I just wish I knew if we actually can, she thought sadly.
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Kagome was sitting on the edge of the well that enabled her to go from her time to this one. She didn't know what she was doing there but the breeze was warm and the air smelt of Sakura and she felt relaxed. She knew she was dreaming, where else would she feel so at peace and carefree but in her own mind?
She knew that she would soon wake up, but she wanted to relish this peaceful quiet before she returned to consciousness. However she had that nagging feeling you get at the back of your mind, like when you've forgotten something and you're desperately trying to remember what it was. She could hear a little voice talking to her from deep inside, the same one that had tried to keep her awake before she passed out and came here.
-it's so obvious. The reason why you are still functional though you have no soul, why you have sudden lapses in your senses, why you can still EXIST…-
-if its so obvious then tell me!- Kagome said back, annoyed that the answer to these questions were within her grip but she couldn't quite get them.
She could have sworn that the voice was laughing at her.
-I can't do that! Just think carefully…what is similar about every situation where you lose your human abilities, to think, to feel…-
-I don't know! I can't…- Kagome said frustrated with herself.
-you are supposed to be without a soul yet you don't act like it …where are you getting that power to feel from?-
-Stop asking me questions you know I can't answer! You don't make any sense! I mustn't be without all my soul or else I would be like Kikyo was all the time rather than little moments. - Kagome said, a little triumphant at the thought of outsmarting that know-all little voice inside her, until she heard it laugh again.
-unless you are sharing somebody else's soul…-
-What- Kagome said, alarmed – What do you mean? Am I sucking out someone else's soul?-
All she could hear was tinkling laughter and she got the sudden feeling that she was being pulled out of her dream.
Oh no, she thought desperately, I'm waking up! But I don't know why I'm like this! If I wake up now I might never know whose soul I'm stealing! No! No…wait…
But dreams don't wait for anyone, so slowly Kagome regained consciousness, with only a hazy memory of what that little voice had told her.
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A/N: Wow HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm sorry it's been so long but I've been busy and then I had trouble with how I was going to write the next part and…the list goes on. I decided to try and write a long chapter to make up for my delay…I hope it worked! I hope you don't count this as being a cliff hanger because this is the only place I could end it!