" We both are not meant to inhabit the same time Inuyasha. Surely you know this, don't you?"

"Why not?"

"We are the same person Inu, from different time periods. She is not meant for this world."

"Neither are you."

"Excuse me?" she looked at him with incredulity.

"You died Kikyo, you died."

"But I am hear once again."

"Hardly. You live off the souls of young women."

"Because my soul is incomplete. Had I been able to recall my soul to my body in completion I would be flesh and blood, not some walking piece of pottery."

"But then Kagome would have died."

"WHich proves that we both cannot inhabit the same plane and time. I walk this earth a shadow of who I once was. I have to steal the souls of young maidens to last every single day. And I know that if I am in pain, she is in agony. How much longer do you think she can last Inuyasha? SHe has not the heart or mind to survive here my beloved. You know this just as well as I. You are saving her more often than she does any kind of good for your sake and the others. Tell me I speak falsities."

"You're right."

"Something must be done Inuyasha."

"Why don't you join us then Kikyo?"

"I cannot. If i were to come within a certain vicinity, her half of our soul will call to me and I will die. I am not strong enough to resist her. I will die Inuyasha, do you wish me gone from this earth?"

"No. I can't lose you Kikyo, not again."

"Then something must be done. We cannot inhabit the same plane beloved." She went to him and hugged him as he held her as if for dear life. "You know what we have to do."

"We have to kill Kagome."

"And then we'll finally get to be together, just as the kami would want." He looked down at her and tenderly kissed her.

The screech of hentai brought him out of his musings. This was the...he'd lost count actually of how many times this particular memory recurred in his mind's eye. It sickened him to know that he had agreed to such a thing, but he had to do what was necessary for Kikyo to make up for not protecting her when he should have. He was doing the honorable thing….right?

She walked in unhurried silence as the forest passed around her vision. SHe allowed her feet to guide her, though she had no specific destination in mind. The gaze of the sun barely broke through the thick canopy of the forest, allowing the filtered light to create differing illusions and shadows to entice her sight. Different animals tickled her hearing, clear as day, the wind even sounding more like a song, though it ended abruptly. The sounds around her suddenly ceased, an obvious alarm. Spreading both her aura and senses, she searched for whatever danger there was. However, due to her time within the Goshinboku, her aura was no longer her own. Instead of her own aura feeling against that around her, the forest came awash in a soft fluorescent crystal blue glow, seen only to her. A sudden burst from the trees by a startled flock of birds caused her to halt mid step. Turning in the direction of the source of the disturbance, she saw a disfigured shape in the deepest of the shadows. Tilting her head as if a curious inu, she watched it, only to come to realize that it was naught but a low level youkai, feasting it seemed. She continued to watch it until its figure stilled, feeling her eyes upon it. She knew that it saw her when it's aura spiked. No doubt it thought that she was just gazing about searching for the danger, not believing that she could actually see it. She saw a certain look enter its eyes as it dropped whatever it was feasting upon. From the secondary spike in its energy, she could tell that it was aroused, no doubt by her state of slowly rose from its hunched position rising to its full height, preparing to attack her? Perhaps ambush? It didn't really matter to her. She could care less for the being until it opened it's putrid maw. There in it's mouth she saw the unmistakable glow of a shard of the shikon no tama. How it had escaped her notice prior to this, she had no idea, but it shan't remain in it's possession much longer.

Kagome slowly raised her arm, fingers delicately flexing to point in the direction of her target. As it reached it's full height and came to notice her actions, it hesitated. Such would prove to be his undoing. It's body stiffened and seized before disappearing in a burst of pink light, leaving nothing in it's wake. There, hovering above the ground, was the shard, still within the grip of Kagome's power. Curling her fingers toward her, as if holding a ball, the shard slowly came to her in all it's crystal pink glory. Gazing at it as if in contemplation, she sensed the forest around her awaited what would happen next. Turning the direction she was originally headed in she walked away, laying her open palm against her heart so that the jewel shard may join the others within her, allowing the forest to come alive once again now that the danger was over.

The paths of the forest were many. Some the treaded paths of humans, some the hidden paths of animals, and then there were the occasional paths off the beaten one. More than likely the path of a wandering spirit, much like herself. They criss crossed and lead to many places, some out of her sight, others right next to her. Twas amazing what she could see with the fluorescence gifted to her, though something in her periphery caught her attention. An aura,one she recognized, but couldn't quite put her finger on. Her time within the Goshinboku left her without memory and with a fuzzy mind. As she steered off course, she tried her hardest to recognize the aura, or at least where she knew it from, but the more she tried, the cloudier her mind became. Such a taxing and confusing notion, she gave up trying to remember and just left it alone. It would return her to eventually, if at all. Just outside of the tree line there was an old woman surrounded by children. A miko, if her garb were anything to go by. The weathered smiling face was too familiar to dismiss. After a few more moments, she turned away and continued on her path, tucking the face away for another time.

A/n: I kind if lost my muse for this, but it's returned...somewhat lol bear with me guys. Don't forget to R&R! I love getting reviews from you guys, it never fails to put the biggest smile on my face and lift my day. And a special shout out to lara5170 for giving me a whole ton of reviews! I love that you actually input your own thoughts into the review. That actually helps the story move along. Thank you and continue to do so please! Until next time :)