Things are normal for Kagome and her friends... or so it seems. There is a darkness that awaits to strike, a twist that may alter fate, and love that will awaken within a demons heart. But what is this darkness? Can love be bound by time?

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA! This fanfiction may take me a while to complete so please don't rush me. This is the first story I have ever done. I apologize in advance for any delay. This story is not set in stone so any input I recieve will be taken into consideration. Thank you!

_

In the beginning I had no real reason to return to this world except to help recover the shards of the Shikon Jewel. However, I slowly fell in love with Inuyasha... He loves Kikyo though so there is no way I could come between them. Even if she is not truly living, she is still alive in some way. She is still in his heart… But maybe being friends is enough for me now.

Kagome sighed while sitting on the edge of the Bone-Eater's Well. It was the one place that could take her home to the future or bring her back to the past. Shaking herself from her thoughts she looked up to the sky.

"Hey wench! Took you long enough to get back." Inuyasha looked at her with an annoyed expression. "Come on, the others are waiting. Let's get going already!"

Putting on a fake smile, Kagome stood up from the well. In a singsong voice she replied, "Alright, Inuyasha! Stop rushing me before I say the word."

Inuyasha growled, "Damn woman… You don't need to threaten me! Just hurry up and stop wasting time. There has been word of a Jewel shard!"

Putting her hands on her hips she glared at him before closing her eyes briefly and sighing. This time she would consent to his ordering tone. She had been gone for a whole week this time after all. But big tests like the one she had taken needed extra studying.

"Well then, let's go get the others."

_

To say that their hunt for the Shikon Jewel shards was a wild goose chase would be very accurate to Kagome. They had been searching over a rumor of a demonic beast that had chased everyone away from a small forest. It was even reported to have a jewel on its forehead. All they found was one large and angry boar with a diamond shaped stone of jade embedded into its forehead. Not to mention that the old hermit who lived within the forest was the owner. Thank goodness Inuyasha didn't kill it or the old man would have had a fit. He had even told them so while threatening Inuyasha and throwing everything he could get a hold of at him. She thought he was crazy for sure but honestly he had reminded Kagome of her grandfather.

Later that night, Inuyasha sat with his back to a tree and looked off into the night sky. His thoughts drifted to that of Kikyo and where she may be. Kagome had knowingly glanced in his direction before looking away. Ever since the last encounter with Kikyo, Inuyasha had that look in his eyes that showed he was thinking of her more often. It was painful really, but Kagome had become to realize that though she loved Inuyasha it was more of the idea of him that she loved. The idea that one day he would choose her over Kikyo. It was sobering to Kagome and showed her how much she must have matured to realize it herself. It was hard to think of Inuyasha as just a friend now, but the truth was that they were never more than that.

Breaking from her thoughts she heard Sango sigh sadly as they sat around the fire that night. "I'm not sure when I may see my brother again… Do you think he could regain his memories Kagome?"

"Yes, Sango. I think that one day he will come back to you. I am sure that once Naraku is defeated we can find a way… I have actually been thinking that-" Kagome stopped. Should I tell her? I haven't found out myself if it could work… I have to ask the next time that he-

"You've been thinking… what?" Sango queried.

Kagome smiled kindly back at Sango. "That it will somehow be okay. Don't worry so much... We will find a way to bring him back to you."

Sango smiled back at Kagome and nodded. "Thank you Kagome. Even if we don't it is nice to think we might can."

With one eye slightly open Miroku looked at Kagome curiously, noting that she appeared to hide her true thoughts. Maybe it was for the best though because even if it was not admitted, they all relied on her. Kagome was the most optimistic of them all and with high spirits she made them all stronger by lifting their own. With her they knew they could deal with the battle yet to come. The one battle that would make or break the evil in this world.

_

This night was indeed darker than most and Kagome thought that it held a sense of foreboding. The moon was hidden through the expanse of clouds that seemed to blanket the sky. Trees swayed, set in motion by the wind that was not going to die down any time soon. A chill ran up her spine and Kagome's thoughts drifted to the ominous feeling she had. Is this just another storm or is this something else? Shaking her head she laughed quietly to herself. Of course this is just a storm! What am I thinking? Storms come and go and this one will soon enough.

For the night the group had found a small abandoned home which was just in a clearing outside of a forest that stretched with open fields in front of the house as far as they could see. Inuyasha had stated that he would stay out in a tree so that he could keep watch until the storm hit. Sango and Kirara were over by a window, while Miroku sat silently in a corner with a hand print from earlier trying to stroke the bottom of a certain demon slayer.

"Uh… Ka-Kagome?" Shippo jumped into Kagome's arms without warning. "Do you feel it too?"

Kagome looked at Shippo confused. "What do you mean? The cold? Of course I feel it, silly." The small home had been abandoned for a while and there was a draft from somewhere. She giggled until she saw him shake his head.

"No, not the cold. The feeling… it's… I don't know. Something is wrong." Shippo held onto Kagome tightly.

Sango looked out the window into the darkness and tensed. "Something is approaching… I can feel it!"

Looking up around her she realized that maybe she had been right about the storm. There was a dark aura in the air around them. Miroku stood up suddenly and Sango grabbed her Hiraikotsu. Kagome hugged Shippo before putting him down and grabbing her bow and arrows. There was a sound of a sword being unsheathed outside that told her Inuyasha was ready for a fight.

The earth beneath them began to rumble and shake. Everyone ran outside and realized that the threat wasn't just from demons, it was from a large horde of demons which they could see nearing them from all sides except the direction of the forest behind them.

"I can sense a large piece of the Shikon Jewel somewhere nearby! With all of these demons here it has to be Naraku… he has us cornered with only one way out!" Kagome stood scanning the area around them.

Miroku glanced at Kagome before turning back to the demons. "I cannot see any of Naraku's insects… For now I will use my Windtunnel. We don't know what trap may be waiting for us in the forest."

"Feh, I can get rid of the demons on the right side easily. Just stand back and take the left monk! Lets worry about the forest after." Inuyasha let loose the Tetsusaiga as he finished speaking and Miroku nodded and opened his Windtunnel.

Kagome and Sango stood back with Kirara in her large form and Shippo just behind them. The wind picked up and had the trees swaying even more harshly than before. The demonic presence was weighing down on them all now. As Miroku sucked demons into his Windtunnel, Naraku's Poison Insects known as Saimyosho appeared. Miroku cursed and quickly closed off his Windtunnel before any of the Saimyosho were brought in.

Inuyasha had easily killed off over a third of the incoming demons but soon they saw more showing up on the horizon to replace them. As soon as one section was cleared it would soon fill up again. By now Sango was in the fight and riding Kirara through the air with her Hiraikotsu. Kagome let loose arrow after arrow of purification and cleared paths through the demons. Nothing seemed to be stopping these demons from their assault. It was as if they were crazed and on a rampage…

Kagome looked around and called out, "Inuyasha! Are you sure we shouldn't try to get away? It doesn't seem like these demons will be stopped right now! We need to come up with-"

"Damnit wench, I'm busy over here! If you want a plan then don't ask me!" Inuyasha attacked the demons heading straight for him with his claws before returning to using his sword.

Kagome was startled as she was lifted into the air by a demon that came from within the forest behind her. It didn't attack but instead carried her roughly away and back into the darkness of the forest. Screaming to be let go she thrashed around within the demons grasp. Miroku was fighting off demons with his staff and Sango was making progress with her Hiraikotsu but when Kagome screamed they both knew they had to hurry and go after her. By now the horde had finally dwindled down and all it would take was a swing from Inuyasha's sword to end it.

Inuyasha was in a frenzy. Once he heard Kagome scream he felt his demon wanting to be let loose. With his sword he set to killing the demons before him once more before he let loose his Tetsusaiga's attack which destroyed the remaining demons in the field. A few Saimyosho had barely escaped Inuyasha's last attack but flew off into the forest before they too died by the hanyou's sword. In an instant Inuyasha was rushing through the forest after the scent and sound of Kagome.

Sango grabbed Shippo up and jumped on Kirara with Miroku just behind her. They had to go after their friend and fast. They had seen the Saimyosho disappear above the treetops of the forest but the direction was not that of the demon that had taken Kagome. There was no telling what Naraku had in store for them with the way the night was going. Kirara tried her best to keep up with Inuyasha but when a lurking demon blocked their path there was no choice but to stop and fight. By fighting the demon that had cut them off they lost sight of Inuyasha and the forest seemed eerily quiet except the wind through the trees. With the darkness all around them they only had a guess of which way he had went. They had been separated and lured into the forest of which they were sure was Naraku's plan all along...