Pages: 4

Story Word Count: 1,996


Chapter Eleven- Small Change


"Well I, for one, don't want to be contaminated with Naruto's lack of ability to comprehend things." Sasuke stated since he too had changed into a more comfortable attire, to sleep in. His outfit consisted changed into grey jogging pants and a dark navy blue t-shirt that was semi loose on him, but still showed off the faint outline of his muscles.

"Yeah? Well I don't wanna be infected with your attitude. That would be the worst!" Naruto said jumping on one of the two vacant beds, childishly blowing a raspberry at Sasuke, spraying the Uchiha with saliva.

"Tch." Sasuke clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth swiftly tossing the phone book that had been lying on the side table, at Naruto's head. Almost immediately Naruto had been knocked out cold. And while all that was taking place Kagome had plopped herself down on the other bed and snuggled into the fluffy comforter after wishing everyone a goodnight.

"Er-Sasuke-san…… which b-bed will you be sleeping in?" Hinata asked looking longingly at the bed Naruto had collapsed in. Which caused Sasuke to refrained from rolling his eyes at the Hyuuga heiress. He then slid underneath the covers bordering the point of falling off of the bed, which Kagome had now appeared to have fallen asleep in.

"Oh-okay…." Hinata whispered turning off the lights before gently laying next to Naruto, who had drool coming out the side of his mouth.


"I can't believe it's her, Miroku it really is her isn't it? She seems so different from the happy-go-lucky violent girl we once knew." A familiar feminine voice said with a sad laugh.

"A lot of time has gone by, and Lady Kagome just needs some motivation to get up," A familiar masculine voice stated with humor, but was stopped by a loud thwack that occurred when the young woman's fist met the man's skull. "Tisss, you have seriously wounded me, Sango I thought dying together would mean something to you! When I told you I would go to the end of the world just for you because you're the only one for me, I wasn't joking." He said holding one of her hands with both of his own, staring deep into her eyes brown eyes.

"Yes but next time, don't come back!" Sango said a light blush tingeing her face which ruined the effects of the glare she gave to the questionable 'monk'.

"Hush now you two, pulling her through from the living world was no easy feat." A rather enchanting feminine voice stated in slight annoyance of having to endure the rather odd couple.

Kagome groaned, swearing to herself that she could hear voices swimming around in her skull. Eventually opening her eyes, she saw three people standing over her body. "Sango……Miroku……and Midoriko?" Kagome asked slightly tilting her head to the side in utter confusion. "How? Are you real? Or is this just someone's very sick way of trying to get to me?"

"There isn't any time to explain how you got here Kagome," Sango said before grinning. "But I can assure you it really is us. It's so good to see you again, even if we're... not exactly alive anymore. Despite that-"

"What Sango is trying to say is, we are immensely glad to be able to see you once again Lady Kagome, it is a great miracle." Miroku said with a grin as he inched closer to her bottom stopping in his tracks as Sango gave him a suspicious look.

"Where's Shippo?" Kagome asked feeling deep emotions within her stir, seeing her long time companions once again it all seemed too unreal for Kagome's liking.

"Well we-.......we don't know," Sango and Mirkou answered at the same time looking at their feet. "His parents said that they were leading him to the gates of the final destination, after they had finally finished going through his memories of the past for the hundredth time, so he could re-incarnate peacefully. Then something black quickly came out from the ground then disappeared back to were it came from taking Shippo's soul along with it......and since then no one has had a clue to what happened."

Sango looked up, clearly in agony and she felt her heart shatter as she fell to her knees and tightly embraced Kagome, who had this face of indifference in place. "You've changed……"

"I know," Kagome responded quietly before she closed her eyes and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "I'm so sorry you guys, I should have done something sooner. I could have saved you two."

Miroku kneeled down next to the two girls. "The past is in the past we should all just let it stay there. Kagome, right now you should be living in the present. We don't want to hold you back by making you think you're the one to blame for our deaths. The reason we died, ultimately was so that you could live and for the past couple of centuries we have been waiting to tell you this so you could have inner peace with yourself by hearing this directly from us, before we finally go through the gates of the final destination."

"I've missed you guys so much," Kagome said truthfully her voice cracking as the mask slipped away revealing emotions and the girl they all knew and loved. "I honestly didn't know what to do after I had avenged everyone's deaths. There was a giant gaping space, I felt even emptier that we couldn't rejoice in the defeat. Then I had to come to terms that Shippo wouldn't run out of hiding, laughing and launch himself at me yelling 'Mama!' No Miroku to stare at his palm in amazement that the black hole was gone. No Sango to tell Miroku that he wasn't dreaming. Only silence as well as the stench of death and poison it was almost just like when-"

"Kagome! That really doesn't matter anymore. We just can't have you going back to acting like Sesshomaru on a regular basis this is how the world should see you. So Stop beating yourself up and live your life!" Sango said so passionately that tears had appeared in her she didn't want Kagome to be miserable because of what happened.

"I wish we could spend more time with you, but the fact remains that Sango and I are dead and it has taken us a good couple of centuries to gather this much energy, but since we are only souls, we must depart back to the gates before we waste away." Miroku said then let out a content sigh and smiled his perverted grin as he was able to feel Kagome's ass for one last time.

"MIROKU!" Sango yelled smacking him on the face, quickly whipping the tears from her eyes. "You just ruined the moment, but we love you Kagome nothing can or will ever change that. Make new friends and be truly happy, in fact we WANT you to," Sango said as they slowly became invisible. "This isn't a goodbye Kagome, just think of it as it as a see you soon, until the next time."

"Alright, guys see you soon." Kagome said swallowing another lump that had formed in her throat, her friends knew that she was terrible with goodbyes.

"I'm immensely glad that they have opened your heart back up, now it will be easier for you to help those around you. Like that boy who is cursed for example," Mirdoriko said before looking at Kagome. "Everything happens for a reason."

Mirdoriko gently grabbed Kagome's pushing something into her left hand, then turned it over and pressed Kagome's wrist to her forehead. A brilliant blinding white light came forth and consumed them both. Kagome instantly felt a strange energy burning from her wrist and enter its way into and spread throughout her entire body.

"You will see …..."


While Sasuke, Hinata and Naruto stopped to talk to yet another store keeper, trying to gather more information. Kagome admired the pendant that was the same size and color of the Shikon no Tama, attached to a thin dull chain made out of demon bones. It was about a centimeter thick and Midoriko's forehead markings appeared on both sides of the pendant. This was what Midoriko had placed into her hand after giving her a strange explanation.

She quickly shoved the necklace into her pocket as the others emerged from the store. "Any luck?"

"He said that we should go back to the hotel soon.... there is a gang that roams the streets after six he told us we should go back to our own village." Hinata replied a little worried.

"YOSH! That means we're going to wait until six, then we can stop those jerks from terrorizing the village people and see if they're the ones who are taking those girls!" Naruto almost yelled slamming his fist into his hand sheer determination flashing through his eyes.

"Shut up dobe, you are going to blow our cover," Sasuke stated as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Hyuuga, you should take the girl back to the hotel."

"I have a name you know. It's Kagh-o-may." Kagome replied almost forcing herself to sound rather irked, a long time ago she would have been fuming. Now that was just another distant memory. Just then she felt a small droplet of water fall on her cheek.

"Oi, it's raining!" Naruto said stating the obvious as the sky darkened and the little droplets of rain started to fall to the earth.

"Hyuuga take her back." Sasuke ordered. The girl was probably only going to get in the way and would complain loudly about her hair, how she was getting all wet and how her clothes were ruined and such.

Hinata nodded as she tugged on Kagome's sleeve. "Let-let's go, they'll be alright by themselves." She said as she leading Kagome in the other direction.


Kagome sighed as she came out of the bathroom, she and Hinata had managed to get into the hotel before it started to really downpour but none the less they had both gotten wet.

"It's your turn." She said thanking the purple eyed girl who had insisted that Kagome shower first.

"Oh-okay." Hinata said with a smile picking up her belongings she had gathered to use in the bathroom.

As soon as the bathroom door closed Kagome pulled out the necklace again as she sat on the bed, pillows propped up behind her. Opening the clasp she pushed her hair out of the way and allowed it to fall onto her shirt, once the two sides were joined together. She took a moment to admire it once more, she knew she had seen this exact necklace somewhere, she was sure of it. Rolling the necklace around in her fingers spared a glance to her wrist and noticed the same symbol on the necklace Midoriko had placed onto her wrist. Sighing she didn't know what made her tightly squeeze the two sides together, but she did.

When her eyes opened again Kagome saw Midoriko leaning against a rock panting, she dodged the tail of the mighty dragon demon. She watched as Midoriko pressed her bloody wrist to the marking on her forehead and using that hand she sent the dull almost faded Miko energy to that hand and pushed off the wall and sunk her hand into the core of the demon. The dragon thrashed around violently making the weakened Midoriko swing and made it able to sink its teeth into her body. Blood dribbled out the sides of her mouth slowly lifting her free bloody arm she pressed it to her forehead then sent the Miko energy to her hand and stuck it into herself and using the last bit of her energy she pressed the two souls together and blinding bright light erupted and a tiny pink glass ball fell to the uneven stone ground.