A/N: Thanks all for reading! I spent a while trying to make a good Inuyasha story...^__^

Pogo: Yea, I always thought that there was more to Kikyou than her selfish behavior. So I guess I am trying to portray the more human side of her, if she even has one anymore….O.o

Love Transcends

Chapter Two: Misjudged

 The sun set to the west. The sky painted with the creamy pastels of pinks and reds. Miroko sat near the edge of the small village that Keade lived, staring down at his hand. The purple satin fabric tied to his arm by the string of white beads had been there to block the Kazaana from sucking in him and companions. The houshi brought his shaking hand to the string of beads, fingering them over with the tips of his fingers. Miroko gulped, feeling fear seize his heart. He began to tremble terribly, afraid of what may happen when he removed the satin seal. Had destroying Naruku truly removed the curse?

 Miroko looked back up at the pastel sky. It was beautiful, and for the first time in his life, Miroko could see the beauty of Nature's painting. Ever since he was a young boy he could tell the sky was darkened by the blood of demons that had plagued the world because of Naruku. Yet, today it didn't seam stained. It seemed, tranquil. Miroko smiled. 'I wish you were here, father. So I could share this lovely sunset with you.' He sighed. Miroko still felt the deep hatred for loosing his father to the curse, a deep hatred for Naruku.

 To much of the houshi's disliking, not everything was prefect. It had been four days since the demise of Naruku, and not everything seemed right. Kikyou and Keade had been locked into Keade's hut, healing Inuyasha they said. Kikyou herself seemed different, she wasn't as cruel…perhaps the demise of Naruku had helped. Kagome and Sango were usually entertaining the children, or Kagome was studding for her tests in her home world. Shippou, the Fox Demon, had become a little detached from Kagome, and began to whine. Miroko smiled, that normally would have gotten Inuyasha mad.

 Now, something else bothered him. Miroko sighed and leaned back on the log that he had positioned himself on. His staff sat across his lap, his cursed hand now holding his chin as he thought. Now that Naruku had been destroyed, what would happen? Surely Sango would leave, as seeing her enemy was destroyed, this saddened Miroko. Even though he flirted with other woman, he had a deep affection for the youkai exterminator. Miroko sighed. Kagome may return to her home world, since now the Shikon no Tama was complete. Shippou would probably go and find a kistune youkai family that would adopt him…and, Inuyasha. Miroko let out another heavy sigh. Inuyasha would be hard to tell. His deep affection for both Kagome and Kikyou, though he never admitted either, would tear him apart. If Kagome returned to live her normal like in her home world, Inuyasha would try to drag her back. Yet, then again he may stay with Kikyou.

 Kikyou was another matter. The miko was the undead. She only existed by the small part of Kagome's soul inside the clay body. Now that the Shikon no Tama was complete, what would the miko do? And if Kikyou hated Inuyasha as she had claimed, then why was she helping Inuyasha? He sighed. There were too many questions.

 Miroko looked up at the sky again as the sun disappeared between the great mountains and the sky was blanketed by the stars. The air turned to the summer warm breeze. The wind blew softly through Miroko's hair. He closed his eyes and heard Shippou calling him from the village. The houshi smiled softly. He knew that the group would be soon broken to return to their normal lives. "Might as well enjoy the company while it lasts." He said and stood with his staff in hand, returning to the village.

~*~*~*~

 Kagome sat down on the bench outside the small inn that was in the village. Kikyou had refused anyone of the group to stay inside Keade's hut while they healed Inuyasha. Kagome was worried about him. She looked down at her miko outfit, feeling much like Kikyou. She knew she'd have to go home and change, but she couldn't leave Inuyasha, no matter how hard she tried. She looked down at the completed Shikon no Tama around her neck. No matter how long she looked at it, she couldn't believe it was over. The friends she had met here in the Sengoku Jidai... would they remain friends? Kagome gulped. What if Inuyasha, when he had healed, made her go home? Kagome couldn't bear that.

 Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard footsteps. The raven haired girl looked up as Kikyou approached her. Kagome stood, ready for anything that Kikyou may say, although she dreaded that the miko may say that Inuyasha had failed to live. Kagome gulped again, that thought was too unbearable. She seized to tremble as the ancient miko approached.

 Kikyou looked at Kagome for moments, looking over her with a steady gaze. "I expect that you wish to know how Inuyasha is."

 Kagome gulped. "W-well, Kikyou…I don't want to seem as if I am annoying you, or even nagging." She looked up at the miko as the paleface refused to give a defiant answer to her worries. "Is there something you wanted to say?"

 Kikyou looked over her shoulder as a few children from the village ran to their mothers. She looked back at Kagome. "You need to leave this time, Kagome. Return to your own."

 Kagome was struck. She hadn't expected this. "Why?" she managed to ask through her shock. "I cannot leave Inuyasha like that! He has protected me so much, and now when he is hurt I cannot protect him!?"

 "Your houshi and youkai exterminator friend can protect him." Kikyou stated with no tone. "You worry too much of Inuyasha. He will pull through." She glanced over her shoulder again. "I suggest you leave tomorrow." With this she turned and headed back to Keade's hut.

 Kagome fell back on to the bench, feeling as if she was just slapped. She couldn't leave Inuyasha like this. She couldn't! Inuyasha needed her, she was sure of it. Kagome let her bangs fell to her eyes and ran into her room inside the inn. She threw herself on the bed that lay underneath the window – showing the near full moon. She cried softly. Why did Kikyou hate her so much?

~*~*~*~

 Keade looked up from her boiling herbs as her sister returned. Kikyou walked across the floor then sat in front of her younger sister. There was a silence, besides the occasional bubbling of the herbs and Inuyasha's violent coughs. Keade studied her sister. "You told Kagome, didn't you?"

 "Yes, I did Keade." Kikyou stated, not looking up.

 "You did not explain our reasoning, did you onee-sama?" Keade sighed as Kikyou did not respond. The old miko stood slowly with her hot pad on her hand, and took the pot of herbs off the fire. She walked over and poured them into a container. The now green substance lay unshaken in the bowl as Keade mixed in other healing herbs. "You must hate Kagome."

 "I do not hate her, Keade."

 "Then why must you be so cold to the girl?" Keade asked. "I know it is not my position to judge you, onee-sama…." She trailed off and mixed the herbs in the bowl with a flat wooden stick. There was another unnatural silence that fell between the two sisters. The firewood cracked and crickets chirped, with the occasional Inuyasha coughing. "What shall you do now, onee-sama?"

 "What do you mean?"

 Keade sighed. "Will you continue to steal souls of the dead to stable yourself, onee-sama? Will you continue to damn the souls so they may not rest in peace?" she did not turn to look at her sister as the wood continued to crack. Keade sighed and took the stick from the mud-green mixture. "Here you are onee-sama. You may now treat Inuyasha's wounds." With this the old miko left for her room.

 Kikyou looked at the fire for a moment longer, pondering upon what her sister had said. She stood then, and walked over to the counter, picking up the bowl. She looked down at her refracted reflection. She saw an emotionless face. Kikyou found herself disturbed by her own reflection. She shook her head and picked up a different wooden stick, heading to the healing room.

 Inuyasha's eyes snapped open and he sat up in a flash. His amber eyes darted around the room, finding him on a futon. He let out a snarl as pain shot from his chest up through his entire upper body. His ears twitched as he heard soft feet coming. He looked at the closed door, recognizing the smell. 'Kikyou.' He thought.

 The door opened a moment later as Kikyou stepped into the room. The miko stared down at the hanyou, whose shirt had been removed to heal the wound, and now only he wore bandages around his injury. Kikyou closed the door then came down to Inuyasha's side, re-stirring the herbs so they would not become mashed together. She felt Inuyasha gazing at her, and she was reminded of when they first met.

 "What am I doing here?!" He demanded, though he winced and his ears bent down in pain.

 Kikyou did not look at him. "Keade and I are healing you, Inuyasha." She heard him snort and fold his arms. "Lay down. I need to put these herbs over your wounds so they may heal. It will sting." She brought the bowl up in one hand and the stick in the other. Inuyasha refused to move. Kikyou pushed him down by the shoulder and then began to undo the bandages on his abdominal. Inuyasha snapped his hand around her wrist. Kikyou looked down at him.

 "Where is Kagome?!" Inuyasha demanded again. "I want to see her."

 "She is at the inn sleeping."

 "Then let go of me and I will go see her!"

 "You cannot move until your wounds are healed, Inuyasha." Kikyou said. "You may have been poisoned by Naruku when he attacked you."

 "And since when do you care?" Inuyasha sneered. He pushed the miko away from him with his hand and sat up again, attempting to stand to find Kagome.

 Kikyou did not answer. She grabbed Inuyasha and placed him down. "Do not make me seal you to this futon to make you stay still, Inuyasha."

 "So, you'd kill me again?" Inuyasha asked coldly and looked away with his ears bent down. Something in the back of his mind nagged him about getting to Kagome. He had the feeling she wasn't alright, that something was troubling her. Kikyou did not answer him again.

 "Tell me, Inuyasha. What do you plan to do?" Kikyou asked as she spread the mixture over his wound, hearing the hanyou let out a snarl of pain. "The Shikon no Tama is complete. Do you tend to become full demon?"

 Inuyasha did not answer right away. He remembered what Miroko had said a long time ago, that if he were to use the Shikon no Tama he could become corrupt and end up hurting Kagome. He glared at the ceiling. He would rather die than become a monster and hurt Kagome.

 Kikyou glanced at his face. There was a silence between the snarls of pain the hanyou let out. She smoothed the mixture over his wound. "So, then if you will not become a full demon, then you would become a full human….for me or for Kagome?"

 "I never said anything about becoming a human!" Inuyasha declared, glaring at her. He wondered why Kikyou kept trying to bring him back to her – she was dead, there was nothing he could do about it! "And don't you dare pressure Kagome to make her ask for your desires or I'll…."

 "You'll what, Inuyasha?" Kikyou questioned. "You will kill me?" Inuyasha looked away and Kikyou shook her head. "You could not kill me, Inuyasha."

 "Are you trying me, Kikyou?"

 "Not trying, telling the truth." Kikyou wrapped the bandages around him. She stood. "I suggest you sleep more, Inuyasha. Otherwise it will take longer to heal." She turned and left the room.