When the third day arrived, Gome woke up earlier than her band of brothers and stretched her limbs. Ever since her encounter with the wolf demon, a thrill of excitement coursed through her, and she ached to see him again. Kouga had told her interesting stories of his adventures, but aside from mistaking her from the love of his life, a person who had recently gone missing, Gome wondered who this other woman was.

Regardless, she crept past her family, her brother Bankotsu cuddling a jug of alcohol, while the others slept sprawled out on their fur hide bedding. A cool wind drifted through the cavern, and she stepped outside for some fresh air. It was already sunrise, and she admired the fluffy clouds above.

But something tore her gaze from the sky when she sensed she wasn't alone. Her blue orbs shifted to a group of travelers standing a distance away, a group of six people, including Kouga. Gome blinked her tiredness away and squinted at the unfamiliar faces. Were they Kouga's friends? The ones he had spoken of in his stories?

"Kagome!"

"You're okay!"

There was that name again. Kagome. Was she really similar to this other woman? Who exactly was she, but better yet, who were these people? An uncomfortable feeling settled inside her when she recognized those tearful and relieved expressions. Why did they seem somehow familiar? Anxiousness crept through her suddenly, and she backed away.

What was happening?

Gome's gaze drifted to Kouga standing beside the group, his aqua gaze piercing her from a distance. And then he approached her, followed by a small fox child with tears cascading down his cheeks. Gome needed answers, but not here. Soon her brothers would awaken, and there was no telling what would escalate between them and the outsiders.

But before a breath of warning escaped her, it was too late. A hand grasped her shoulder and pulled her away, and she saw the figures of her brothers standing in front of her. Their weapons drawn.

"Well, well, well… if it isn't Inuyasha and his companions," Bankotsu said, the tip of his blade planted into the grass near his feet. "What brings you all the way up this mountain?"

"You know damn well why we're here!" Barked the half demon as he unsheathed his blade. "Did you think we couldn't track you down after you made off with Kagome?! Her clothing reeked of your filth!"

"Let her go!" The small child said, now sitting atop Kouga's shoulder. "Give back my mama!"

Gome blinked and glanced around brother Jakotsu's shoulder to stare at the boy. This Kagome had a child? But that boy was a demon! Unless… Her eyes shifted to Kouga, and a wash of anxiety overcame her. So… he had a child with this other woman?

But something else troubled her. Give back his mama? Were his friends also confused by her similar appearance to this Kagome? And why were her brothers acting so calm about the situation?

Bankotsu chuckled and rested his head on the hilt of his blade. "You must be confused, Inuyasha. For what reason would I need that wench? If I recall, she put an arrow through my arm months ago. Had I run into her on our voyage, I would have killed her."

"Drop the bullshit, Bankotsu! We know she's here! What the hell did you do to her?!"

"Kagome! It's me, Shippo! Don't you recognize me and the others?" The boy asked.

"You're wasting your breath. There's no Kagome here! But you saved us the trouble of having to search for your asses! We've been itching for a rematch!" Suikotsu said, bearing his claws. "How about I tear those jewel shards out of your legs, wolf boy?"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"H-hey, hold on a minute!" Gome said, pushing between her brothers to stand between them and the others. "Before you guys swing your swords around, do you mind filling me on what is happening?"

"Gome, go back inside the cave," Jakotsu said with a tone of warning, his eyes narrowed.

"I won't. Kouga is my friend! I don't want you hurting him!" She said, and the explanation surprised them. "I… met him a few days ago while hunting. He was the one I told you about that stole my jewel fragment, but regardless, I like him. And I don't want you to hurt him or his friends."

"Gome! You musn't side with them!" Renkotsu said, shaking his head. "They are our enemy!"

Enemy? But why? What did they do? "Look. I get it. You all have a grudge against the other and you're all dying to shed some blood, but right now there seems to be a misunderstanding. One that involves me. And I'd like to know more about that, if you guys don't mind?"

"What's there to misunderstand? They're lying through their teeth to steal you away from us, Gome!" Jakotsu said. "They'll use you for your powers, Gome. Remember what I said before about your gift."

Her eyes widened, and she nodded. "There seems to be a missing gap I'm not filled in about… Are you hiding something from me?" She asked, and a dead silence swept past her. They were! "So you are?"

"Gome…" Jakotsu said and turned his glare to the group. "How dare you confuse her! I'll make you pay!"

But before he could unsheathe his blade, Gome stopped him. "Stop it! That's enough! I want answers!" The tone of her voice quieted her brothers, and they hesitated, unsure how to proceed. In fact, this was the first time she raised her voice at them. "The last thing I want is to misunderstand all of you…"

"Gome…" Jakotsu said and looked down. "Bankotsu… what do we do?"

"Gome, they are our enemies. That's all you need to know," Bankotsu said.

"Why are they our enemies?"

"It's… complicated," Renkotsu said.

Gome folded her arms. "It doesn't have to be complicated if you just tell me the truth. Are you hiding something from me?"

A deep sigh escaped Suikotsu. "Well, the cats out of the bag now. Might as well tell her, Renkotsu!"

Gome turned on Renkotsu beside her. "Spill it. What is going on?"

Renkotsu's eyes strayed to Bankotsu. "This…"

"Go on, Renkotsu. I had a feeling something like this would happen. Didn't expect it'd be this soon…" Bankotsu said, sighing.

It was true! "Tell me!"

"They… are your former friends, Gome," Renkotsu said, looking away. "I understand your confusion…"

Former friends? Wait a minute. How was that possible? She'd never met them before! Then again, she couldn't describe the familiarity surrounding those people, or even the similarity between Gome and Kagome. So it wasn't a coincidence? But something wasn't adding up. For starters, there was no memory of them! "How is that possible?"

"You mean to tell me you wiped her memory?!" The loud-mouthed half demon asked. "You bastards! Kagome, move out of the way! I'm going to fucking kill them!"

But Gome struck him a look. "You will do no such thing! Swallow your vengeance until I've spoken with my brothers! After that, you are free to fight it out!" She said, noticing that she'd caught him and his friends off guard. It couldn't be helped. "I'll listen to your side of the story after."

Renkotsu cleared his throat. "The fault is mine. After stealing you away from your friends a month ago, I created a concoction that erased your memories. But it instead… reversed your age, Gome—I mean… Kagome…"

Gome's eyes widened. "So my name is Kagome? And you… you've all tricked me?"

Jakotsu turned at this and grabbed her shoulders, his eyes tearful. "Please, don't be angry… At first, we only thought of ourselves. We wanted to get back at Inuyasha and his friends for what they did to our brothers."

"You mean, the ones who lost their lives?" She asked, and he nodded. After hearing this, she turned to the others across the way and stood beside Bankotsu and Suikotsu. "Okay. I've heard their side. Now it's your turn. Why did you attack their brothers?"

A growl escaped the half-demon, and he said, "Don't start misunderstanding! Those assholes work for Naraku! They've been massacring village after village! Don't tell me you're siding with those murderers?!"

"Kagome, think about your family! The ones beyond the well!" The young woman of the group said. "Have you forgotten them?"

Family? Well? If there was a family inside the well, she didn't recall, and she turned to her brothers for answers. They seemed just as confused. Regardless, Gome found herself in a pickle. Who could she trust? "I… don't understand."

"It's a lot to take in. Don't think too much about it. Okay, Gome?" Jakotsu said, reaching for her hand, but she pulled it out of reach. "Gome…"

"You… lied to me. All of you. Did you kidnap me? Brainwash me?"

"Yes," Renkotsu said, calm about the situation. "Since you can sense the sacred jewel shards, we planned to use you to get back at your friends. We raised you our way in hopes you would become a weapon that would defeat our enemies and lead us to power. We had bigger plans, but…"

Gome sweat dropped. And he says it so easily. If what he said is true, then the idea of manipulating me stemmed from him first. That doesn't make it any better. Though she was hurt by the revelation, she took it in stride. "What other plans?"

"To go up against the one manipulating us," He answered.

"Naraku?" The monk asked. "If that was your intention, allying with us would have benefited you more than resorting to this! By yourselves, how could you hope to accomplish that?"

Renkotsu sighed. "The idea never came to mind. But now that it's like this, I'm afraid we're at an impasse. Kagome… from this point on, you can decide whatever you want to do. Go with them or stay with us. It's your choice."

"What are you saying?! We raised her!" Jakotsu said, glaring at his brother.

"But we are not her family. Don't forget that, Jakotsu."

Bankotsu scoffed. "This is annoying. We'll postpone this battle for now, Inuyasha."

"Are you kidding me?" Suikotsu asked. "Damn it all! I knew nothing good would come from all this!"

A heavy silence filled the air, and Gome watched as her brothers gave up on their vengeance, if only for the time being, to allow her a chance to wrap her head around the situation. From them to the others across the way, she wasn't sure where to turn. She'd gotten her answers, but she wasn't satisfied.

Tears prickled the corners of her eyes. All her memories spent with her brothers were nothing more than a lie. They had wanted to use her for their own benefits, and her sense of identity had shattered. A life she had once known with those strangers no longer existed. Now they left her with a choice. Stay or leave.

How could they ask that of her? How could they do this to her? Who could she trust anymore?

"Kagome!" The fox child said. "You'll come back with us, won't you?"

She looked away from the eyes watching her. "Look… no hard feelings, kid, but I don't even know who I am anymore. Just… give me space. All of you…" And with that said, she ran from the cavern, away from her brothers and the others.