Umbrella

"Thank you." she said softly as Kagome offered her shelter from the rain.

Kagome smiled at her carnation, which Kikyo did return. She sighed, and they walked quietly along with each other.

"Why did you come to me and ask to do this?" whispered Kikyo after a moment.

Kagome said nothing as she stared at the falling rain. Her hiking boots were drenched in mud, and Kikyo's sandal wearing feet did not fare much better, if worse. She stared at their feet, walking through the thick mud in an eerie tune. Kagome looked back up to stare at the face of her future, when she was twenty or so. She smiled at the very bitter look that Kikyo held, knowing that was her fate...

"Why wouldn't I? It such a simple plan. It'll benefit us both, it'll get me the jewel... And you get a soul back." said Kagome with a smile.

"It will kill you." said Kikyo harshly.

Kagome smiled again.

"A lot of people have claimed to know what will kill me Kikyo, and all of them have been wrong. I know how I will die, old age, curled up with whatever sap gets stuck with me in my era, happy, with thousands of grandchildren and children crying their eyes out as I go out with a smile" said Kagome softly.

Kikyo said nothing for a long time, staring at the rain, before she spoke again.

"You can't do that soulless." she said softly.

Kagome wasn't shocked by the tears that slid down her face as she spoke, nor the look of such conflict in Kikyo's black eyes.

"Kikyo, I never said that you would get my soul." responded Kagome softly.

Kikyo tensed.

"What?" she asked softly.

"A soul is a soul, and if this works, you will return whatever piece of soul that witch stole for you, and the soul that was truly your's will come to you."

Silence again.

"What do you mean?"

Kagome simply smiled.

"I believe that will be clear when we face him." she said softly.

Kikyo didn't say another word.