Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha people. If you don't know that by now, you need help. Do not sue me, I don't have money.

(A/N: MUST READ!!!! If you haven't been following up Inuyasha thinks Kagome is dead and Kagome thinks Inuyasha is dead.)

While Inuyasha sulked on a tree branch, three demons surrounded a young woman in a clearing near him. "Why don't you tell us what I want to know and I'll call my men off." the leader lied.

'I cannot let him know, if he finds out the future of the Shikon shards will be at stake.' the young psychic thought uneasily.

Maybe it was Inuyasha's bereavement over Kagome, or the fact that he had not found the person responsible, but for once his first instinct wasn't to fight. 'I just listen in for a while, and then I'll jump in.' he told himself.

"Master Merrick will not be pleased. Khali just answer me, things don't have to end up this way." Khali just stared at the leader, silent. Then she seemed to be peering past the leader, into the trees where Inuyasha sits as silent as the stars.

"Fine Khali, have it your way. Get ready to attack." the leader barked. The two other demons closed in on the girl just as Inuyasha appeared from behind the trees. All of a sudden fist and claws were flying and merging as one to the naked eye. One of the guys was hurled onto a tree branch where he lay unconscious. Another was flung face first into the mud. The leader had enough sense to pull off a quick disappearing act before Inuyasha got to him.

For the first time Inuyasha got a good look at Khali. She looked eerily and painfully like Kagome. "Are you okay?" A little voice squeaked out of his body.

"Yes, I'm quite alright Inuyasha." Khali responded. Inuyasha recoiled backwards and stood guard. Before he could spit out a sarcastic remark Khali spoke to reassure him of her intentions, "Obviously you haven't heard of me yet. You were not supposed to meet me for another year, but I guess this is as good a time as ever. If you had waited any longer to attack your fate would have been sealed."

Inuyasha's face conveyed his thoughts. 'What is this woman talking about?' "Let me introduce myself properly, I'm Khali the psychic. If things had gone the way fate had planned it you would have heard of me 8 months from now and we would meet a year from today. I would guide you on your quest to gather shards and win the fight with Naraku."

Inuyasha started laughing loudly, "Psychic, of course you are. What was I thinking?"

"I'll prove it, your mother's name was Vianzia. She died when you were very young, only a few summer's old. She was a princess who spent most of her life as a shrine maiden. Later she met your father who was the Great Demon of the West. He had already had another son, Sessomaru, who hates you. He also wants the Tetsusaiga. Just before you were born, your father used one of his fangs and molded it into the Tetsusaiga which can only be used by some with human blood them. Naraku tricked you and Kikyo into believing the other betrayed you. Kikyo died and you were pinned to a tree for 50 years. Kikyo's reincarnation from the future from the future from the future came and set you free. You two set off to look for the shards, and somewhere along the line became friends. You left it at that for fear of her safety. Yesterday while she was thinking of you Koga kissed her. You landed without getting all of the facts and she ran off; am I right?"

Inuyasha roared, " If you knew she would have died, why didn't you come to me before? She's dead because you were waiting for the right 'moment' in time." He lunged forward, but instead of landing on her with his claws ready to fight, he landed on the dirt. She had apparently jumped out of his reach.

"Like I said before, I wont do anything to change what fate has planned for you on your journey, I am just here to guide you along it. Things will get better, trust me for I have foreseen it to be so. Now come along with me on my walk." she said boldly.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Inuyasha growled.

Khali stared up at him confidently, "Whether you like it or not, our fates are tied together. Learn to accept that. What I have to show you is important, now come along or we'll be late." They were finally off, but Inuyasha followed behind very vexed with himself to follow this insane baka who 'could tell the future.'

Kagome sat near the cave entrance listening to the rain listlessly while watching the fire intently. She had not said a word since she returned to camp. Mariko wished she could help, but this was not her area of expertise. Everyone else sat quietly in fear that if they should speak they might say the wrong thing. At least she wasn't crying, right?

Kaede was preparing the body for the burial ritual with the help of Miroku. It looked very emaciated, and as beaten as scrambled eggs. 'Maybe he flipped because Koga had kissed me.'

"Kagome, the burial ritual is almost complete. All that is left is to say he blessings and bury…bury Inuyasha." Kaede said tender heartedly.

" We have to do this now Kagome, the rain looks like it is letting up." Sango murmured.

Kagome stared at Shippo for a minute. 'Inuyasha would want me to finish the quest. I'll do it for him.' she told herself. Once she completed the thought, she stood up with strength she never knew was within her, "I'm ready."

" Are we there yet? Why can't you just jump on my back and let me fly. I bet we'd get there faster." Inuyasha pouted stubbornly for the umpteenth time. 'Seriously, how does Kagome put up with him. If I were her, I'd be happy to be rid of him, but to complete their task I have to reunite them.' Khali thought bitterly. It wasn't that she hated Inuyasha, it was the, he was a great guy all around. It was his "endearing traits" that bothered her the most. His ego and his need to rush into a fight without knowing all of the facts were his main problems.

"Oh Inuyasha, hush up and take a moment to enjoy your surroundings for a once." she said quickly. ' Kagome's cave should be around here somewhere.'

Inuyasha's "funeral" had just ended. Everyone except for Kagome was packing up so that they could leave. Kagome was peering out of the cave, to the pasture of grass, tress, and wildflowers. Just past the trees an in a clearing she saw two people walking aimlessly through the forest. One of them was a young girl about Kagome's age and height. Actually, she looked a lot like Kagome. But the person next to the young woman took Kagome's breath away and nearly knocked her off of her feet both at the same time. He was incredibly tall, with long, luscious white hair, and a red kimono. He had claws and even in the middle of the day, his amber-colored eyes glowed. Even though Kagome was a good distance away, she could she the man seemed like he did not want to be bothered.

Kagome could only stare. When Mariko came up to see what Kagome was looking at all Kagome could manage in a voice barely above a whisper was, "Inuyasha!"