Heart is aching,

Mind is screaming.

Feeling numb,

No one's listening.

Pulled one way

Pushed the other

Feeling trapped

About to smother

Greedy hearts

For what has been

In this game

No one wins.

~~ WaterLilly37 ~~

A/N: Hey everyone. I am back again! Sorry for the HUGE gap in updates. Hoping to continue this story after looking it over and fixing up every chapter. So yes, spelling mistakes (hopefully all of them) have been fixed to make the story more appealing. Now, onwards to the story!

~ ~ Kagome ~ ~

The awkwardness was suffocating, that much was apparent. No one spoke a word.

Kagome sat down by the fire the group had made shortly after she and Daisuke returned from their conversation from the forest. They had decided to join the group in order to find out more information, or at least find out the truth.

The monk was prepping tonight's supper as he stirred a pot on top of the fire. From the smell of it, Kagome figured it was some sort of stew. The young female hunter and her feline companion were out fishing claiming that since they had more mouths to feed, she felt as if she should add more. The little fox kutsune was off playing somewhere, though he was always within sight. Daisuke, still not trusting of the group, decided he wanted to work on his sword. He leaned against a tree furthest from the rest of them, but close enough that he could keep Kagome within his sights if any of them tried to do anything funny.

As for the white haired hanyou…

Kagome tried to ignore the feeling of him watching her ever since she returned from the forest after her conversation with Daisuke. There he was, lying on a branch of a tree overlooking the campsite, golden eyes transfixed on her. Every so often, she would peer over in his direction, and he would grumble than look the other way acting as if SHE was the problem.

"Don't mind him," The monk chimed in, sensing Kagome's distress over the hanyou. "He's always like that. Just know that he means well."

Though the monk tried, it didn't make her feel any better.

"Here, you must have had a rough day." The monk handed Kagome a small cup of tea that seemed to be freshly made. "Just try to relax, okay? We're your friends. We're not going to do anything to you."

"Miroku, was it? " Kagome asked.

"Correct."

"You keep saying that." The young raven haired girl cradled the cup of tea in her hands and looked the monk in the eyes. "Friends. But even still, I don't feel as if we have any connection whatsoever."

"Well, I guess that can't be helped after all." Miroku signed, as he laid the cover onto the pot and proceeded to let the stew cook. He sat across from the young maiden as he too, looked at her. "Your memory was taken after all. How could one recall on anything they no longer have?"

"Taken?" Kagome was shocked. She figured she was just suffering from some sort of amnesia. It had never crossed her mind that her memory was intentionally taken away from her. "By who?"

"I'm assuming Eiji, one of the demon twins we have encountered. It seems that he has the power to do so."

Eiji? Kagome was unsure of who the monk was referring to, but there was another question burning in her mind she deemed more important. "But why? What good are my memories?"

"They're not," came a voice that still seemed to shake her to the core. "They just needed them gone."

The hanyou, who had been silent up until this point, was now leaning his back against a tree trunk. His golden eyes continued to watch Kagome.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"It makes plenty of sense. They want you to forget everything so they could fill your heads with lies. Much like that human hunter has probably been doing this whole damn time."

Clearly he was still annoyed from the battle he had beforehand with Daisuke.

"Daisuke has nothing to do with this. He has done nothing but help me this whole time. As I see it, it's you guys I should be worried about with filling my head up with lies."

"What are you talking about, dummy!?" Inuyasha pushed himself off the tree he was leaning on and slowly started walking towards her, arms in the air. "We're the ones trying to protect you!"

"Oh really? Could have fooled me." The raven haired girl turned her head away from the hanyou, clearly upset with how the conversation had turned, and faced the monk. "I am done for tonight. I think I will go eat my supper alone if you don't mind."

"Sure," Miroku replied, though he was clearly disappointed that the atmosphere turned sour so quickly.

"Keh, you have no idea the danger you are in, do you?" The hanyou barked at her.

"And how am I suppose to know, moron? I don't have any memories!" Kagome shot back, turning to face the hanyou once again.

"That's why I am saying you should let us protect you so we can keep you away from the demons and retrieve your memory!"

"Ah, like you protected her from getting her memories stolen in the first place?"

Both the hanyou and the young girl stopped their bickering and turned their attention to the human hunter who had all but enough of the little show.

"What did you say!?" Inuyasha pushed his sleeves up as he walked towards the hunter, golden eyes glaring with an anger that would send a shiver up the spine of any demon.

"You heard me! Don't play stupid. If she was truly safe with you, she wouldn't be in his mess from the start." Daisuke, though clearly annoyed, looked cool and collected as he stared down the hanyou, arms crossed against his chest.

"Cocky little –"

"Now you two, we're not here to fight." Miroku, by now, jumped between the two, waving his hands in a friendly gesture. "I get it, you both want to protect Kagome –"

"And I will be the one to do it. We don't need his help, or yours. Got it monk?" Daisuke interrupted. "We're just here for information and whether or not you're telling the truth. And if I find out you're lying-"

"We should be saying that to you!" Inuyasha retorted. "You're the enemy."

Kagome could feel her own blood pressure rising. She wanted information just as much as Daisuke, but this seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. She doubted that they would be able to get any more from them at this point.

"Then answer me damnit. If you're going to protect her, then why was her memories taken in the first place? Where were YOU when she was in danger?" Daisuke's voice was shaking, as if Kagome could feel the anger finally spilling over. How long was he holding that in?

Kagome expected a smart remark from the hanyou, but instead she didn't hear anything. The hanyou, hands by his sides clutched in two hard fists, took his gaze from the hunter and stared down at the ground. Was that hurt in his eyes, or guilt?

"You don't know anything about me, hunter." Inuyasha replied, before he turned away and ran off into the trees.

"Dog with his tail between his legs." Scoffed Daisuke, as he turned and faced Kagome. "Stay away from him. I trust him the least."

Kagome nodded, as she quickly grabbed some supper from the pot and made her way towards the spot Daisuke had claimed for his own in the camp.

Miroku signed. This was not how he wanted things to go down.

Daisuke soon joined Kagome at his spot and he sat back down, rag in hand, and continue to work on Katsu. That's when she noticed Daisuke didn't bother grabbing any food Miroku had prepared.

"Hey, aren't you going to eat anything?"

"I already ate." The hunter answered, coldly.

"Oh" she replied. He was upset.

"You really don't like them, do you?"

"I don't like anyone I can't trust, so I guess you can say I don't like anybody. Well, besides you."

Kagome smiled at his words, but that still didn't fix their problem.

"Listen, I know this is probably upsetting you but I need to find out how much they know. It seems as if they hold key pieces of information regarding my memory loss."

Daisuke signed. "I know that. It's just…I find it hard to be buddy buddy with these people when they let this happen to you in the first place. Friends wouldn't let friends suffer like this."

"It's not that bad, believe me. If it didn't happen, I wouldn't have met you."

"True," The demon hunter responded, his tone going from cold back to its original sound. "But maybe meeting me was not so much a good thing either."

Kagome was taken back by this response. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure if I have the strength to protect you from those demons. Don't get me wrong, I will do whatever it takes to make sure they don't get you, but the chance is always there that I will fail."

Kagome could see the pain in the hunter's eyes. This was so unlike him. What happened to the tough guy she had travelled with in the past month?

"I am confused. Where is this coming from? Not too long ago, you were duking it out with puppy ears that you would be the one to protect me since you doubt he could. So why now all of a sudden, you think that you can't?"

Daisuke turned to face the woman, who he could see was hurting just as much as he was, if not more. He was never one with words.

"Kaori…I mean Kagome, listen. I'm not as good as you think I am. Do you ever wonder why I travel alone? Why I don't like having people tag along with me? Why I was so intent on having you go instead of journeying with me?"

Kagome shook her head. "I didn't get the details, no. But I assumed from our past conversations that you have a painful past." She noticed Daisuke wince as her words trigger what she figured was a very painful memory. "Daisuke, you have helped me more than I will ever be able to repay you for. Please, if I can then let me help you."

The hunter shook his head apologetically.

"Don't worry about it Kagome. It's my burden, not yours. Besides, you got your own problems to solve."

Kagome felt a little disheartened that Daisuke refused to open up to her, but decided to drop it. She didn't want to push him in a direction he was not ready to go in.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I won't ask about it anymore."

Daisuke gave her a small laugh as he nudged her in the arm. "Cheer up already."

"Yeah, okay."

~ ~ X ~ ~

Kagome finished washing the dishes she used in a nearby river and made her way back to camp. Daisuke was leaning against a tree, eyes closed, assumingly asleep. Miroku was now talking to Sango with the little fox kutsune sleeping upon the woman's lap. Kilala was beside Sango, resting in her smallest form, watching the fire crackle.

"Ah Kagome, I hope you are feeling better. " Miroku chimed in with a smile upon his face.

"I am, thank you." She responded, placing the clean dishes to the side. She took a quick glance around. No hanyou. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure," replied the monk. "What would you like to know?"

"That half demon, Inuyasha was his name?" Both Sango and Miroku nodded in unison. "Why does he keep staring at me? Did I do something to him?"

Miroku let a soft sign out. "How should I put it…"

"Inuyasha and you are very close Kagome." Sango interrupted. "More so than you'll ever know. That's why he is acting out the way he is. He cares about you, a lot, and doesn't know how to properly express it. It has been a problem of his since the moment you two met I am certain."

"Oh." For some reason, this seemed odd to the miko. A hanyou and a human, close? The only things she remembered about demons was that they were trying to kill her or kidnap her. "Then, could you explain to me how we met? What's my relationship with him?"

"Well, as far as we were told, you awoken Inuyasha from a spell that bonded him to a tree a long time ago. Ever sense then, you've been together collecting shards of the shikon jewel." Miroku answered, sipping some tea from a mug he held.

"Collecting shards? Saved him? Why would I do that? He's a demon." It felt as if every time she spoke with these people, she was even more confused.

"Half demon actually" Miroku joked. "But honestly, the Kagome we know we always put herself on the line to save others, demon or not."

"Wow, I seem so heroic" she replied sarcastically. It brought back the conversation with Daisuke not too long ago about the Great Savior and Priestess Kagome in which she was so envious of. How ironic.

"Well, I guess you can say that." Sango added. "But Kagome was much more than that. I'm sure you'll come to realize that when you regain your memories."

"Yeah, if that ever happens." Kagome was starting to have her doubts if she would ever remember. "Last question, my relationship with the half demon… it wasn't… you know… romantic… was it?"

Miroku spit out his tea and he began to cough, hitting his chest trying to get fresh air into his lungs. Sango turned red as she started to stammer, "Um ah… about that… ahh, Miroku, I think it's your turn to answer some questions." And with that, she got up with the little fox kutsune in her arms and headed toward the bed rolls. Kilala quickly followed.

"What? Are you implying that we…we were…together?!" Kagome could NOT believe this. No way was she involved with that selfish, and highly dangerous, hanyou. This was some sort of trick.

"To be honest, I'm not the one who should be answering this. Like Sango, we may imply there was something going on between you two, but the only ones who would know for certain are you and Inuyasha." Kagome looked at the monk with disbelief, before she placed her hands upon her knees and rested her head upon her hands.

"I don't want to hear anymore." Clearly this piece of information was very upsetting.

"I know you probably don't want to hear this, but why don't you try talking to Inuyasha? He can answer a lot more of your questions regarding your relationship with him. It might even be beneficial in order for you to get along while we journey together."

"Like I would want to talk to him." Kagome pouted. She knew she was being childish about the situation, but she didn't want to hear about her undying "love" for this hanyou.

"Suit yourself. But I have a strong belief that in order for you to regain your memories, you have to learn a little more about yourself. Your back story, your connections, your friends and family, your love interests," Kagome shuddered when the monk said the last part, "Basically, your life as Kagome Higurashi."

~ ~ X ~ ~

She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. She was actually going to take the monk's advice. Someone she met only hours before, and listening to his words. Clearly she was crazy.

But why was he making this harder by being so difficult to find?

And Daisuke? He was going to be furious when he awakens only to find out she was missing, and to top if all off, looking for the hanyou no less.

She was positive he headed in this direction, but then again, that was hours ago so who knows how far he could have travelled. Still, she continued through the brush trying to spy the white hair male lurking about. She was even checking the treetops, figuring he might be sleeping on a branch away from everyone. No sign of him anywhere.

She signed. It was no use. She stopped walking and started looking around for a clearing. Her legs were tired, and quite frankly, she was also mentally tired trying to process all this information she was given in such a short amount of time.

"This was stupid." She said to herself out loud. "He clearly went off by himself not wanting to be found." She leaned against a tree and slid down the trunk until her bottom hit the ground.

She then looked up to the sky. The sun was beginning to set. It was getting late and she was not going to be out here in the woods alone again. That didn't end so well for her the first time.

Just as she was calling it quits, Kagome heard a noise like something falling in the distance. She jumped and stared in the direction the sound came from. Was that another wild demon? Should she try running in the direction she came from or scream out for help? She had brought no weapons with her which she realized was very stupid on her part.

Then there was nothing.

She tried straining her hearing to make sure that whatever made the noise wasn't about to sneak up upon her. Nothing.

Maybe she imagined it.

She continued to listen.

That's when she heard something else. It sounded as if someone was talking, or more so yelling. It was quite a distance away. Could it be?

She started walking in the direction of the sound.

What felt like ages of fighting through bush and uneven ground, Kagome finally made her way to the source of the sound. In the middle of a clearing was a tree that was lying on the ground. From the looks of the bottom half, it had been knocked down by force rather than occurring naturally.

Kagome, not yet daring to walk out into the open, starting looking around for the source of the destruction. That's when she found him.

The hanyou.

He was standing about a yard away from the fallen tree, back onto her. She noticed his hands were balled into fists, arms hanging off to the side, and head low.

He was still clearly upset. The tree was the poor victim of that anger.

Just as Kagome was rethinking her idea of talking to the hanyou, a gust of wind started to blow her hair in the direction of him. Within seconds, the hanyou quickly turned around and made eye contact with the young miko. He had caught her scent.

Great. She couldn't back out now.

"Oh hey," Kagome started talking as she made her way into the clearing, awkwardly trying to strike up a conversation. "Umm, so what are you doing all the way out here? Supper was hours ago you know."

"Kagome." The hanyou looked lost, as if he had no idea what to say to her or how to approach her. She felt a ping in her heart.

Pity. Kagome chalked it up to pity for the poor hanyou and nothing more.

The hanyou stayed where he was, just gazing at her with such a sad face.

"Jeez, don't look so happy to see me." She joked, in hopes that it would lighten the mood even just for a little bit.

"It's not because of you."

"Oh? Well I am glad then." What was she even doing here? It was so very awkward for her, she just wanted to disappear.

"Listen, about before…" The hanyou made a few steps toward her.

"No, stop!" She practically yelled. The hanyou stopped walking and looked at her. "I mean, it's not your fault, ok? So yeah, don't beat yourself up over it." What was she even saying?

"No, it is my fault! It's always my fault god dammit!" With that, Inuyasha turned away from Kagome. "I don't blame you for what you did."

"For what I did? What are you talking about?"

Inuyasha didn't answer her.

"What do you know? What are you not telling me?" The awkwardness all but left her. Now she was starting to get mad. What was with people and holding back information from her? Anger was slipping into her voice.

"Tell me!"

"I'm the reason that damn Eiji stole your memories! I am the reason you are suffering right now and don't remember any of us!" the hanyou screamed. He turned to face the miko again. Kagome could tell he was fighting an eternal battle that she knew nothing about. He was suffering just as much as she was. All anger dissipated.

"The hunter was right about me. I couldn't protect you."

Kagome didn't know what to say. Was he telling the truth? Was he the reason she was in this predicament?

"But I will make it up to you, I swear it." He answered hands back into fists. "I will return your memories; I will have you go back to normal."

Kagome walked the rest of the distance that separated herself and the hanyou. She looked him dead in the eye.

"Tell me everything. Please. From the very beginning."