Story by: Eric Lentz

Chapter Nine: Kagome Awakens

(Kagome's time)

(At the Hospital)

It was almost a week after that incident when Kagome was recovered enough for the doctors to allow Kagome's friends to visit her. The very moment that Kagome was allowed to have visitors, Inuyasha and the gang went to visit her even though unbeknownst to the doctors. Inuyasha had been visiting her room from the window by either climbing to her room or using Kirara to fly up to her and look at her through the window. Inuyasha would never touch her; he would though just watch her for all he wanted was to be close to Kagome as he could. Sango and Miroku both figured out where Inuyasha was disappearing to for hours very early on and both fully understood so they didn't say anything and just let him be.

The doctor came in and said, "Who would like to go first? I can only allow two at a time and only for a about 15 minutes, I don't want to overtax her." Inuyasha looked pained with guilt but he said, "Let someone else go first..." and Kagome's Mother said, "Are you sure Inuyasha?" and he simply nodded softly before turning his back to her. At this point, Miroku said, "I'll go." And Sango spoke up and said, "I'll go too." The doctor nods and says, "Come with me, I'll guide you to Kagome's room."

When Sango and Miroku walked in through the door to see Kagome, she looked better than she had when they brought her in but at the same time she still looked quite pale. Kagome opened her eyes and met her friends with a relieved look but with something in her eyes that got their attention immediately.

Kagome's eyes looked at them from tired eyes, eyes in pain that silently asked for help as if she could barely find the strength. Sango and Miroku had traveled with Kagome long enough to get to know her very well and knew that she was one of the strongest women that they've ever met. The doctor said, "Please remember not to overtax her, she still needs her rest." And with that the doctor left to give them some privacy.

Miroku and Sango approached Kagome, and leaned over her with Sango softly saying, "Kagome? Are you alright?" while Miroku took a good long look at Kagome and said, "Something's wrong with her spiritual powers, I can sense it."

Sango looked at Kagome for a few seconds and nods, "But its unlike anything I've ever seen. What could be causing it?"

Miroku held his right hand with the staff over Kagome's head and his left hand over her body high enough that Sango wouldn't get upset and did a strong spiritual scan of her which normally would have been impossible with Kagome's own strong spiritual powers but as low and weird as they were he was finding it quite easy.

Sango looked at Miroku and said, "Anything Miroku?" knowing that his powers were more sensitive and stronger than hers.

Miroku stayed silent but his face showed intense focus with an eyebrow twitching up and down and sweat started to form upon his forehead.

Sango stayed quiet and looked down at Kagome. Kagome closed her eyes as she seemed to be struggling against something and she softly seemed to say something since her lips were moving but neither one could hear what she was saying until Sango leaned very close to where her ear was practically upon Kagome's lips and all she could hear was Kagome whispering by breath only, "Stop... Stop her please... Stop her please Sango... Naraku...is..." but the strain of even saying that was too much for her and she passed out.

Sango got immediately worried over her friend who was as close to her as a sister and reached out to grip her shoulders as she yelled, "Kagome! Wake up!" This was enough to get her to wake up but she couldn't say anything more other than her eyes seemed to reflect her desire to say something more, to warn her friends.

Sango looks down at her friends and takes her hands off her shoulders to say, "It is ok Kagome, you get your strength back and you can tell us then." Before she exhales from a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding when Kagome passed out.

Miroku suddenly stopped what he was doing and said to Sango; "Somehow someone or something has tapped into Kagome's strong spiritual powers and cleaved them in half. If she doesn't get help soon, she is going to be weak as a kitten and might even do irreversible damage to her mind. I sense also that the effect is being enhanced by demon magic.

Sango remembered one of Kagome's words and said, "Naraku, he's behind this." She then meets Miroku's eyes and says, "Isn't there anything you can do for Kagome?"

Miroku closes his eyes after staring at Kagome and thinks, "There might be a thing or two I could try, but it might hurt her in the process." They both look down at Kagome and with a nod of her eyes, they understand and then with a heavy sigh, "I only can hope that Inuyasha will forgive me for what I am about to do." Sango says in reply to comfort Miroku, "Don't worry, I've got your back Miroku."

Miroku simply nods and brings out some very special sutras and starts to chant which causes his whole body to start glowing with the paper in his hand glowing the brightest until it is more light than paper in his hand. Miroku throws the glowing paper down at Kagome's forehead and there is a flash of light that emanates through the whole room blinding everyone with Miroku's thoughts as the light overwhelms him, "I didn't realize Kagome was so strong!" before both Sango and Miroku pass out from the brilliant light.

Only 2 minutes pass before Miroku, then Sango wake up and stand up and quickly move to Kagome's side to look down at her with Sango first saying, "Kagome! Are you alright?!" Kagome slowly opens her eyes and then she smiles for the first time since they both entered the room. Kagome softly says, "Thank you, my friends..." and they both smile.

(Feudal Era)
(Within Naraku's Barrier)

Naraku looked at the two new forms sitting in front of him and had a grin as the plan was proceeding smoothly before one of them started to howl loudly and clutch at her head for a few moments as she glowed very brightly and seemed to lift up for a few seconds before she then settled down. Her power within seemed to be struggling within her despite Naraku's demon sorcery and this made the expression upon Naraku's face darken in anger.

When she settled down she looked at him with her own anger and said, "She's found a way to stop me for now. It can't last forever. Her power will be mine." And with that she settles down in front of Naraku again. Naraku turns his eyes to look at the other figure before him and sees that the strong spiritual powers within that one are unaffected so he then stands up and says, "Get some rest you two, we will begin at sunrise tomorrow." To which both of them get big evil grins that match Naraku's in evil look.

Naraku walks out of the room and casts a barrier over the room before walking down the corridor and sees Kanna so he walks up to her and says, "Come with me, I wish to see something..." and with a quiet nod she turns to follow Naraku to another room.

(Kagome's Time)

(At the Hospital)

Dr. Yama is in the room with Kagome and much to his dismay he was feeling very crowded in the small room where Kagome lay in her bed. As he checked Kagome's blood pressure and rate he felt the eyes of Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango along with Kagome's Mother. Dr. Yama didn't know why but he felt best to be on his best behavior for there was a sense that something big happened and recently from the way Miroku and Sango were acting. Whatever happened, the others might have been told but, not everything was explained for the sense wasn't as strong and there was one thing that Dr. Yama had learned in all his years of being a doctor and that was to trust his sense for it had served him well and saved more lives than he could count. He knew one thing for certain; it all centered on Kagome and so he smiled to Kagome in his nicest smile that he could manage as he talked to her, keeping his voice friendly.

Inuyasha never liked sitting around and healing, that was the one thing he liked the most about being half-demon, it allowed him to push past his pain and to heal quickly with little or no scars. Inuyasha didn't like seeing Kagome sitting in the bed when she could be up and doing something, like going after whatever demon that did this. Inuyasha stood in the room with his arms crossed, his senses very alert even as he watched and waited for the news on Kagome's recovery.

Sango and Miroku stood as close to Kagome's bed as allowed by the doctor at the insistence of Kagome, occasionally looking at each other and doing the eye-talk to each other. Sango was thought at Miroku, "What happened to Kagome?" and Miroku thought, "I don't know, I have never seen anything like what happened to Kagome." Sango and Miroku would look at Kagome who seemed to be in good and healthy spirits as if it had never happened. However, something had happened that was not yet fully understood for the time being it had been agreed that Kagome would be watched carefully to see if there were any aftereffects.

Kagome was smiling and joking with the doctor, as he would talk to her so nicely, which made her feel all the better despite the strangeness recently. Kagome for some strange reason felt so full of... to put for a better word, happiness which was like a bright light within her. She had never felt so happy, so secure. It was as if the weight that she'd always carried and never knew had been lifted from her but strangely enough a small part of her wanted that weight back as if somehow she felt like that she needed it. Kagome smiled at Inuyasha who looked surprised at how happy and lively she was being, but she didn't care and beamed at her other friends in the same room as her.

Dr. Yama finished his check up of Kagome and said, "Well Kagome I must say you're an amazing girl, you came in here on the brink and now it seems that you've just about made a full recovery!" Dr. Yama straightens up and turns to Kagome's Mother and says, "I'd like to keep her for another day of observation but if you want, I don't see any reason why she can't go home as long as she gets her rest there."

Kagome's Mother looked at Dr. Yama with a smile and nods, "Yes Doctor, I would like to take Kagome home, can she go now?" Dr. Yama nods, "Just give me a few minutes to check her out and I'll be right back." Kagome's Mother nods and says, "I'll be right here." And then walks over to her daughter to take her hand into hers who just smiles big at her mother and says, "I can't wait to go home Mom!" while almost bouncing in the bed in excitement. Kagome's Mother smiles and nods "When the doctor comes back we'll go home." She then turns to Inuyasha and Miroku, "You two, leave the room please. Kagome needs to get dressed."

Miroku nods and says, "Ok, but we'll be right outside if you should need anything." So then Miroku turns to walk out ahead of Inuyasha and then stands with his back to the wall.

Inuyasha nods to Kagome's Mother and walks out the door but stands right outside of it while watching the corridor for anything strange and waiting for the doctor to return so he can watch over Kagome better at her house. Inuyasha flicked his ears as he listened to everything and could hear even Kagome's Mother talk to Kagome within the room as she got dressed. He even heard Sango as she talked to Kagome and even though she kept reassuring that she was feeling great and that she was ok, Inuyasha knew that something was wrong. Kagome never acted like this, yet her scent was Kagome's with something off about it. It was irking Inuyasha that he couldn't figure out what was wrong with Kagome.

Miroku turned to look at Inuyasha and said, "Inuyasha, does Kagome seem alright to you?" getting right to the point as he could plainly see on Inuyasha's face the answer.

Inuyasha frowned and lightly shook his head as if trying to hear his mind before answering, "I'm not sure. She seems too happy for someone who's been through what she has been through." Miroku nods and says, "That is true, I find her behavior most puzzling."

Inuyasha stared at Miroku before saying, "I can't quite put my finger on it, but something is missing from her and it is affecting her scent." Miroku raised his eyebrows and then said, "Affecting her scent? In what way?" Inuyasha turned sharply back to the corridor and says, "I don't know! It just seems off for her, like it is her but at the same time it feels as if a piece is missing from it."

Miroku frowns and crosses his arms, going into deep thought with the staff he carries still in one hand before thinking, "Inuyasha has confirmed something that I've suspected but the big question what was taken? Kagome's lost parts of her soul before and it has never affected her like this. No, I suspect something else was taken from her."

Miroku turns his head towards the room where Kagome is and thinks, "Kagome is too carefree and not like herself." Then it hits him, "Could it be? Could Kagome have lost what makes up all human beings?" Leaning upon his staff a little in the sudden weakness at what the realization brings him before straightening up and looking at Inuyasha and thinking, "Inuyasha will eventually figure it out, and when he does he'll be a force to be reckoned with when he finds out. I must figure out a way to help Kagome before that happens." Glancing at Kagome's room he adds in thought, "If she even wants that part of her back that is, after all she is much more happy now."
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An: Kagome is going home! So the next chapter will have her there. For all the people (you know who you are) that wanted her home, you got your wish! I'm sure some of you know what Kagome's missing already. Please review!