~Chapter Five~ ~Unwell at heart and body~

Kaede had brought the group out of her hut, now resided by the nurse and the sick Kagome, and to another hut that she explained was hers as well.

Miroku, Shippo, and Sango found the new hut rather comfortable, and they were just as pleased to stay there for a couple of days, or as long as it would take to wait for their ill companion to get better. But Inu-Yasha felt uneasy without Kagome near him.

Kaede soon created a fire in the fire pit, and brewed up some soup for all of them to eat before they all went back to sleep for how many more hours of the night was left for them. It was almost as if nothing was different to Miroku, Sango, and the now asleep Shippo, too young to stay up as late as they were. That is, except for Inu-Yasha.

He sat around the fire pit, his friends slurping up the liquid meal and talking quietly so that they wouldn't wake Shippo, and he just stared at his bowl, until there was no more hunger left in him.

He set the bowl down and laid down onto the floor.

Miroku stared. "Inu-Yasha? You're actually tired?" He questioned.

Inu-Yasha didn't reply.

The monk got the message and didn't say another word to the half demon.

Soon, Sango and Kaede fell into dreams on the floor around the pit, warm quilts over their bodies, but Miroku stayed awake, watching Inu-Yasha.

The half demon tossed and turned, his eyes closed and opened again, finding himself not tired at times, and overly exhausted at other times.

It was impossible for him to find sleep though, not while Kagome lay in pain and sweat across on the other side of the village, where he knew she needed him there.

"Inu-Yasha?" Miroku's voice suddenly broke through the silence.

Inu-Yasha sat up and looked to the monk across the room from him.

"What do you want? I'm trying to sleep." He snapped.

Miroku didn't believe him. "If you are, then you must be having a hard time, and I know why."

Inu-Yasha sighed.

"Inu-Yasha? Do…..do you love Kagome?" Miroku wondered aloud.

Inu-Yasha, being in the middle of the night, and really not in the mood to get angry, replied in a simple way.

"If I didn't…..then why would I care so much if she was to get to Kaede's before she got worse, or the local nurse got here before morning to tend to her? Miroku……I love that girl more then I've ever loved anyone, even Kikyo, and I say that with my head held high. I want to be there with her, and just that thought of her laying there all alone in that hut with only the nurse for company is just horrible." He explained.

Miroku was shocked at what he was hearing. "I always wondered about your feelings for her, but I never thought that you thought her so dear to you!" He exclaimed.

Inu-Yasha shivered. "I can't take it, Miroku. Kagome is there all alone. I need to be there, but….I…"

"Why don't you just go and see her!! The risks are high, but at least you would be cured of your bad karma tonight! Sleepless and unable to think straight isn't good for you!" Miroku barged through Inu-Yasha's sentence and stated what needed to be said all along.

Inu-Yasha thought for a moment, then nodded as he stood to his feet.

"Thanks Miroku. Just don't you tell anyone about this little conversation, or you'll be my next target for Tetsusaiga!!" And off he went out the door.

Miroku shook his head. "Whatever, Inu-Yasha. All I know is you love Kagome, and that's all that really matters here, right?" He stated to himself as he laid down to sleep.

Inu-Yasha ran over the cold paths through the village, heading towards Kaede's old hut, where he could see the light of the fire still glowing inside, and the smoke coming from the air hole at the top of the small house.

He jumped up on top of some stacks of wood, and looked in through the window.

The nurse had removed parts of her overdressings she had worn when she had traveled with him to the hut and now only wore a thin kimono as she bent over Kagome's damp body.

Kagome's clothes had been removed, but she was covered by a quilt to keep her warm. A cloth over her forehead showed that she was still high in fever, and the things that the nurse pulled out of her bag that she had brought was a sign that she was using drastic measures to put medicine inside of Kagome, and fast.

The nurse moved out of Inu-Yasha's path of sight to Kagome's expression, and when he saw her face, he nearly began to cry.

It was so weak and pale. He hated himself. He wished he would have been able to save her from that demon that took her the night before, then she wouldn't be in such a horrid state!!! He felt like it was all his fault.

Suddenly, the wood underneath his feet began to wobble, and he crashed down with the pile in one quick motion.

The nurse from inside heard his fall, and rushed out to see what had happened.

"Huh?? You again? Inu-Yasha?" She exclaimed when she saw him laying on the ground holding his head.

He sat up and nodded to her. "Um…..sorry. I'll be going now." He stated, but just as he was about to walk away, the nurse grabbed his arm.

"I'm sorry for acting so rude! Have you come to see Kagome?" She questioned.

He looked to her and nodded. "Well, I was…..but I can see you're busy with her, and plus, it's so late at night."

The nurse shook her head and insisted Inu-Yasha come inside.

Inu-Yasha did so, although he felt much like a fool for being caught spying, and sat down beside the nurse, as they looked over Kagome's body.

After a long while of silence, the nurse spoke.

"So, why did you venture out into this weather to fetch me for this young girl anyway? I wouldn't think one would be that determined!" She explained.

Inu-Yasha turned to her. "I knew that Kagome wouldn't make it through this night if there wasn't any kind of medicine inside her, and besides, I wasn't about to just wait around till morning just to go out and find you when it might already be too late for her!"

The nurse nodded. "Inu-Yasha. You're smarter then I used to think of you. This girl named Kagome, she wouldn't have lasted until morning without my aid tonight."

Inu-Yasha stared in disbelief. "God. I really had only guessed about that." He stated. "T….Tell me the truth. Will…..will Kagome be okay? How long do you think she could be in this condition?" He got out.

The nurse put her hand onto Kagome's cheek. "She's extremely hot….too hot to be just a few days of illness. If you really want the truth Inu-Yasha….I'm afraid for her. She may be in this state for weeks!! If not, she will become worse and eventually……die."

The last comment made Inu-Yasha heart sink.

"You…..You mean to say that it is possible for Kagome to……pass on?"

The nurse nodded.

Inu-Yasha couldn't take that thought. It was too hard to even imagine how his life would be without Kagome by his side.

He turned to the nurse and looked her deep into the eyes.

"Please…….you have to try your hardest to keep Kagome alive!! I….I couldn't bear to live myself if she left me….."

The nurse stared. "I knew you cared for her. I wasn't born yet when you were with the priestess Kikyo, but….is it true that this girl is her reincarnation, and you care for her because she used to be the woman you still love?"

Inu-Yasha's expression turned to anger, but not for the nurse. She had only asked a simple question. Nothing more.

He shook his head. "No. If you never knew this…or have just learned this, it's not true. I don't even love Kikyo anymore. She's my horrible past that I'd rather forget about then treasure. Yes, Kagome is Kikyo's reincarnation, but…..that's not why I care so much for her. It's just because she's……herself. Nothing more the same, and nothing more different. She's just plain Kagome, and I like it that way. When I was with Kikyo….I did fall in love with her, but it was only because deep down inside of that body of hers, was Kagome! Inside Kikyo's soul was another soul waiting to be freed! Kagome was imprisoned inside of Kikyo, and the cries for help that she so wished for came to me, and there for brought me to love Kikyo, but only because Kagome had called me there. When Kikyo died, Kagome was set free, set free into the future where she was born as her true self! She found me again, and after so long of wondering why I couldn't find that Kikyo I used to know, I finally realized that it was because Kagome was no longer apart of her. The soul that had cried out to me 50 years ago had already been set free into the form of Kagome. Kagome doesn't know this, and I'll tell her one day about it, but Kagome was the one who I loved all along within Kikyo. Kikyo is no longer what my heart cherished so much back then. It is now Kagome. Only Kagome."

The nurse was shocked at what she had just been told. It was strange for Inu-Yasha to spill his guts out to a total guest, but why her!!!???

She said nothing and turned back to Kagome's form.

"Please." Inu-Yasha stated.

She looked to him. His eyes read fear and worry.

"Please just promise me you'll try to save Kagome's life. I…..I can't imagine my world without her."

The nurse nodded, a promise that she would try to keep.

Inu-Yasha stared down at Kagome's sweaty face now. Her expression was of fear. Her dream which had turned into a nightmare still rolled on inside of her mind.

~Returning to Kagome's dream~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The figure that looked down at Kagome's face was no other then Kikyo!!!

The sudden memory of something long past crossed her mind.

She saw herself sitting on a fence post! She had her hands folded, and a wish she formed was there.

"I wish that tomorrow of all days, a child will be born, that will love and cherish all, and have the power to heal any kinds of wounds, and have the magic to cure the injuries of the hearts of millions! I wish for a girl, with hair as black as night, and eyes as brown as chocolate to be created. Let her soul be kind and true. Let the angels of the heavens protect and love her, as I will, for I was the one who made this wish possible."

Such a strange memory to her, but why had she wished for such a thing? And when had it been that she wished it?

She abruptly saw herself watching a woman giving birth to this girl she wished for.

Outside, a man stood in priest's clothing. "What will you name your new daughter if it is a girl, my lord?" Another man questioned.

The priest smiled. "I will name my daughter….Kikyo."

Suddenly, Kagome saw herself being sucked into the soul of this new girl named Kikyo. The wish that she had made had gone wrong, and for some reason, Kikyo worked against her, and pushed Kagome's soul into her own, creating a trap!!

Kagome then saw Kikyo as a teenaged woman, walking through a field of tall grass. Kagome saw herself inside Kikyo's soul, and she was crying for someone to set her free.

Far away, Inu-Yasha was the first to hear her cries, and he rushed to find the source of them, but when he found Kagome's cries, all he saw was Kikyo.

*He fell in love with Kikyo because of me. I was crying for him!! To help me!! But he only saw Kikyo! Only Kikyo!! He Didn't see me. He would never see me. So I spent my life back then, crying to myself, and looking up through Kikyo's eyes and knowing that the boy I loved couldn't see me….only the one who trapped me within her….Kikyo.* Kagome thought to herself.

Suddenly, her eyes shoot open, only to find herself still laying on the ground, Kikyo's shadow hovering over her.

A tear ran down her cheek. "Kikyo? Why? Why did you do that to me?" She whispered in sadness.

Kikyo smirked. "Because…you little fool! It was all a trap for you! It was you who made me real though! You were the one who created me with your silly little wish! You should have been a little more careful with what you trusted back then! You thought that I was going to stand to be apart of your wishes!!?? Please tell me why you even bothered to create me in the first place!!??" She screamed out.

Kagome just laid there, knowing what Kikyo as talking about, but not know how to answer. She decided to try though.

"I created you…..so that there would be just one being on this earth that had a pure heart, and could love and cherish all that was around her!! I never meant for myself to become apart of you!! I want to know why you did that to me!!" She cried.

Kikyo smirked again. "Because……I wanted to be a full person, not just half of what you wanted me to be. I took you and trapped you, so that I could have you tormented for the rest of your life!! I wanted to hurt you!! That's why I made Inu-Yasha fall in love with me, so that the man you loved before you became a part of me, would now love me, and you would have to look through my eyes and know he wasn't yours and he never will be!! I'll continue to try hurting you for the rest of my years."

Kagome's teeth grinded. "You…..I'VE HAD ENOUGH!!!! HE'S NOT SOMETHING YOU OWN!!! HE NEVER WILL BE!!!!! HE'S HIS OWN PERSON!! A UNIQUE AND WONDERFUL MAN WITH HIS OWN THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS!! HE'S NOT JUST SOME STUFFED DOLL YOU BUY FROM THE MARKET AND CALL HIM YOURS FOREVER!!! HE'S A LIVING BREATHING PERSON!!!! AT LEAST I SAW THAT!!!" She exclaimed in anger, then let her raised head fall back to the ground as it was so weak.

Kikyo glared. "You….Bitch!! I'll show you how loyal he can be though!!! He hates you, and he'll always hate you!!! I'll show you!!! You wanna see! You got it!"

Kagome watched as Kikyo disappeared into the shadows again.

Suddenly, what appeared in front of her tore her apart.

~Out of Kagome's dream~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Oh, Oh, so exciting!! Keep on reading! It'll get better! My word!~

~chibikagome1@yahoo.com~