Chapter 17
Inochi Kokoro

When Kagome shot the arrow, it had gone to Uragirimono's hand like she aimed. Uragirimono's release on her heart had been done, but Kagome's heart shattered into thousands of pieces. Kagome fell to the ground, her heart shattering as well.

Inuyasha rushed over to Kagome, shaking her, "Kagome! Kagome! Kagome! Kagome!" Inuyasha shook her even more, feeling Kagome's coldness. "Kagome! Don't go! Kagome!" Inuyasha went over and took Uragirimono by collar.

Sango rushed and took Uragirimono's wrists so she wouldn't try to attack Inuyasha. "What... did... you... do..." Inuyasha growled.

"It wasn't me," Uragirimono chuckled, "it was Kagome. She shattered her heart and now she's cold, heartless, and unable to love or care! How do you feel now, puppy?"

"This is all your fault, Abazureon'na!" Inuyasha punched her.

"It's not my fault your playmate's heart shattered. Now everyone who finds a shard of her heart can take in a little bit of the miko power. The shards are spread across the land... Remind you of a little fairy tale?"

Inuyasha snarled, remembering the tale of the Shikon no Tama's breaking and its shards being scattered across the land. A hanyou and a miko traveled, gathering the shards, and gaining four more companions along the way. Inuyasha growled once more, showing his fangs. He slashed at her other cheek, but Uragirimono just smirked, "It doesn't matter now. My mission is complete. The kitsune-neko hanyou miko has been destroyed! You won't have your precious playmate back, Inuyasha."

"Abazureon'na," Inuyasha yelled.

"Calling me a bitch won't help, Inuyasha... Your playmate can't love, hate, or be sad. She's just a doll now, a doll you can play with. What are you going to do now? Save your love and go after the shards? Or are you going to leave her there and let youkai, hanyous, and ningens take pieces of your playmate's heart, taking in her miko powers? What to do, what to do..."

Inuyasha snarled and growled. He took all his anger out upon this black youkai miko. He silenced at her, cutting her into little pieces until Uragirimono was no more. He heaved in anger and pain. Inuyasha rushed back over to Kagome. He hugged her and said, "Gomen, Kagome. We'll get your heart back, I promise."

"H-heart," Kagome said plainly, "what's a heart?"

Inuyasha held her close, putting Kagome's hand on his heart, "This, Kagome. This is a heart, it beats for you..."

"For me? Why?"

"Because I love you..."

Kagome blinked in confusion, still talking very plainly, "What's love?"

"It's an emotion, you have to learn and understand!"

"Emotions?"

"Yes, Kagome yes..."

"Is that my name, Kagome?"

"Kagome is your name... I'm Inuyasha. You love me, don't you remember?" Inuyasha pulled her away, gazing into Kagome's empty slate blue eyes.

"I loved," Kagome tilted her head.

"Yes, Kagome! Love! Love! It's what you felt for me, your family, your friends!"

"Of course," Miroku said, "when Kagome lost her heart, she lost her memories as well. Without her heart, she can't feel any emotion, but emptiness. Since that's her only feeling, she can't remember anything."

"What are friends," Kagome asked.

"They're people who are nice and kind to you! They care for you," Inuyasha cried out, shaking her a little.

"Ki-kind... Is that good?"

"Yes, caring is good! Love is wonderful!"

"Love... I still don't understand what love is..."

Inuyasha held her close once more and unwillingly; tears trickled down his cheeks. Inuyasha held her like that, tears falling on her yukata. "What are those," Kagome asked, looking at the water coming from the boy's eyes.

"Tears," Inuyasha whispered. "You cry when you're sad... When you cry, tears come from your eyes. I cry for you, Kagome."

"Ka-go-me. Me?"

"Yes, you..."

"Be-because of love?"

"Yes! Kagome!" Inuyasha held her tighter.

"But what's love?"

Sango wrapped her arm around Miroku's waist, holding him close, crying too. Sesshoumaru was carrying Koishii-Yume once more, and she held Shippou tight. Shippou looked up at Koishii-Yume and asked, "What's wrong with Kagome? She's acting all strange."

"Kagome lost her heart," Koishii-Yume said, a tear slipping down her cheek. "She can't feel things like kindness, sadness, anger, or love anymore."

"Bu-but why!" Shippou cried as well.

"Kagome's heart was shattered when she shot her arrow. The last feeling Kagome felt was a mixture of love and courage, the kind that conquers all evil..."

"Kagome will be plain forever," Shippou sniffled.

"Not forever, just until we get her heart back as one..." Koishii-Yume held Shippou close as he began to cry. Koishii-Yume silently cried too.

Sesshoumaru held Koishii-Yume close to comfort her. He finally understood why he wanted to help that runt, Shippou. He had no one that he could hold. Sesshoumaru held Shippou and Koishii-Yume close, being careful of Koishii-Yume's wound.

Sango began to cry harder. Miroku turned himself and held Sango close. She cried on to Miroku's shoulder as he frowned at the depression being spread across the group. Kiara leapt up on to Sango's shoulder, rubbing her cheek with her head. Kiara was just as depressed as everyone else, but no one could feel the pain that Inuyasha felt right now.

Inuyasha cried, holding the heartless Kagome. Love is this, Kagome. I love you, remember. This is love; I am the love in your heart. You have to remember... Kagome, remember! This is depression, Kagome. I don't want you to feel this pain. Remember our love. Kagome, Kagome, Kagome! Inuyasha held Kagome harder, his tears falling on Kagome.

Kagome had no effect to the people around her. She didn't understand this. "What is everyone doing," Kagome asked plainly.

"They're crying, Kagome," Inuyasha replied. "They're sad."

"Why are they this thing called 'sad'?"

"Because you'll never be you again unless we get your heart back."

"I-I have a heart?"

"Yes, you have one. We have to find it though. We'll find it together. I love you, Kagome."

"I don't know what this thing you're calling 'love' is, Inuyasha. I don't know it at all..."

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The group returned to Kaede's hut. Kaede looked at the depressed faces, but saw one blank, empty look. She tilted her head and said, "What happened?"

"Kagome shot an arrow at the hand of the black youkai miko that was holding her heart," Inuyasha muttered, "and then she shattered her heart by accident... Kind of like that fairy tale of the shattered Shikon no Tama shards. Now Kagome's heart is in shards... Anyone who uses them can gain some of Kagome's powers. We're going to start to find them in the morning."

"Kagome's heart," Kaede questioned.

"Hai," Sango sniffled, "she doesn't know what any emotion is. She doesn't know what love, hate, anger, or pain is. It's terrible..."

"Oh, my Gods."

"Mm-hmm..."

"Could you explain what love is," Kagome asked.

"I'm afraid I can not, Kagome-chan," Kaede replied. "I am Kaede, remember?"

"Kaede... It rings a bell, but nothing. I will remember you now though, Kaede-bachan."

Inuyasha took Kagome and sat her between his legs. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close to him. Kagome just leaned against Inuyasha and fell straight to sleep. Inuyasha nibbled on her neck and fell asleep as well.

Sango, Miroku, Koishii-Yume, and Sesshoumaru stayed awake. Kaede explained to them about the sick child and how she would now have to be by their side more often, so she would spend the night there. They all nodded and Kaede left.

Koishii-Yume petted the sleeping Shippou; he had cried himself to sleep on the way back. Koishii-Yume winced as Sesshoumaru changed her bandages, but she still kept Shippou close to her. When Sesshoumaru had finished, Koishii-Yume slipped her yukata on to her shoulders and scratched Shippou's head.

"We won't know if Kagome will return to her normal self when her heart is together once more, Sango," Koishii-Yume said. "We'll just have to gather them and find out. We have to be very careful thought. If a quarter of the heart is hatred, then that's all she'll feel until there's another quarter and that could be anger. We need to get one half together and then return that half to her body. She'll only have two emotions, but it'll be best to have her feel and understand certain emotions rather than feel nothing for months."

"The heart has for basic emotions," Miroku said, having one of his very wise moments. "They're anger--or hate--, sadness, love, and happiness. We should be able to sense the quarters emotion by its aura."

"Right. Which means we'll probably need four different bottles, one for each emotion."

"Or we could just put them in one and let the shards order themselves. Since they are one heart and they need each other, they will come together in an order."

"Hmm, I suppose. Either way, we aren't sure because this is something extremely new. This hasn't happened ever in the history of the world. All we can do now is guess and hypothesize. The black youkai miko was probably our only hope of finding out information, but she's in pieces now which doesn't help much."

"Mmm, very true. Let's get some sleep now and then we can start searching in the morning, right?"

"Right. Night, Sango, Miroku." Koishii-Yume snuggled into Sesshoumaru's chest, "Night, Sessy-puppy."

"Night, Koishii," Miroku and Sango said in unison. Sango rested her head on Miroku and Miroku rested his head upon hers.

Sesshoumaru made himself comfortable and wrapped his arms around Koishii. He whispered quietly, "Good night, Yume..."

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In a castle, far, far away in the northwest, a man chuckled, "Ku, ku, ku... No emotions. Poor little kitsune-neko hanyou... Thank you for bringing me to this world with the help of your heart." He held a meshed pair of four shards between his fingers, "So lovely your heart is. I shall poison it and kill you and your little friends..."

"Master," said a woman, bowing down, "everything has gone as planned. How shall we proceed now?"

"We'll wait, Uragirimono. We'll wait for those little brats to gather some of the shards for us and then we'll take them from them."

"Hai, Onigumo-sama..."

"Uragirimono?"

"Yes, Master?"

"Call me Naraku..."

"Of course, Naraku-sama."

"Don't try to pull anything foolish, your heart is in my hands, along with your little sisters. Do not forget that, Uragirimono. You have me to thank for Kagome's heart."

"Arigatou, Naraku-sama. I won't forget, and I would never try anything against your orders."

"Good, now leave to assist Kagura and Kanna."

"Yes, Master Naraku..."

Uragirimono left the room smirking; He's so pathetic. A hanyou that uses that hanyou miko's heart to increase his strength and give him more power. Hmph, he's in for the surprise of his life...

"Thinking of escaping, eh," Kagura said, turning the corner to look at Uragirimono.

Uragirimono smirked, "Of course not, unlike you, I don't run out while Naraku-sama is rebuilding a body."

Kagura narrowed her eyes and stood up straight, holding her fan open, "That maybe so, but I'm smart enough to listen to his orders and requests, unlike yourself, Uragirimono."

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They all woke up the next morning, yawning and stretching. Kagome just woke up and stayed where she was because Inuyasha held her so close. Inuyasha still slept, but Kagome sat there. "Are you hungry," someone asked her.

"What's 'hungry'," Kagome replied.

"Do you want some food?"

"Hai, onegai."

"I'll be back."

The person left the hut, carrying someone with them. Kagome shrugged moved a little to become comfortable. She sighed and after a few minutes, the person returned. "Here," he said, handing her a plate of fruits.

"Arigatou," Kagome replied, taking the plate.

The person grunted and sat down in about two feet away from her. "Why'd you carry her with you," Kagome asked.

"She's my mate," he replied, "and she's injured. I'm not going to leave her alone to get hurt again."

"Oh... Who are you?"

"Sesshoumaru. You really have lost your memory?"

"Mmm, I guess so. I only remember my manners." Kagome took the blue berries and held them out to Sesshoumaru, "Here, have them."

"Thanks..."

"Welcome." Kagome ate her fruit in silence until she couldn't help, but ask, "Who is everyone here exactly?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her and sighed, "Well, this is Koishii-Yume, you called her Koishii. She's my mate and she's from a time ten years ahead of the present. We're in the Sengoku Jidai, five hundred years ago to be technical. The brunette over there, the one wearing the armor, that's Sango. She apparently is your best friend and you came with her to the Sengoku Jidai. The one Sango's leaning on, that's Miroku. He's supposedly a hoshi, but he doesn't act like it."

"How's that?"

"He likes to grope girls and ask them to bear his child."

"That's interesting..."

"Yeah, he has a kazaana in his right hand. The little kitsune here, this one that Koishii-Yume is holding, this is Shippou. He lost his parents after he went to the present time with Inuyasha and Miroku. He has no one now, so, before you lost your heart, you, Koishii-Yume, and Sango promised to protect him."

"Hmm, he is cute. He lost his parents?"

"Yes."

"That's terrible."

"Mmm. The one that has your arms around you, that's your boyfriend, Inuyasha. You aren't mates yet, but before you lost your heart, I was guessing you would be soon. It doesn't look like it's going to happen for a while..."

"And he loves me?"

"Mmm."

"And I loved him?"

"Hai."

"How could I if I don't know what love is?"

"You don't have your heart, Kagome. That's why you don't know what it is. I suppose once you get your heart back, you'll understand what love is again and then you and Inuyasha can become mates, I suppose."

"Oh... You don't seem to talk very much, yet we're sitting here having this conversation."

"I'm not much for talking with Inuyasha's 'friends'."

"But I'm his friend."

"I trust you with my mate and my mate trusts you, so, I talk with you."

"Why do you?"

"You could think what my mate would want. I knew what she wanted, but I denied it. You told me what she would want and I finally told myself it was true. Plus, my mate was able to wake up and not be scared of you or worried about where I was. That's why I trust you. Rin also grew very attached to you very quickly."

"Rin?"

"A little girl who lives with me in the present time. Right now, she believes I'm on an extended business trip."

"Oh..." Kagome stirred a little when a grunt came from Inuyasha.

Inuyasha woke up and grumbled, bringing Kagome closer to him. He whispered quietly, "Kagome..." and felt Kagome's relaxed, cold, empty body. It was like holding a dead body, but that didn't matter. The fact that it was Kagome made it worth the world.

Sesshoumaru went back to caring for Koishii-Yume and left Kagome alone to get herself together. I can feel his heart pound... Kagome thought to herself. He's clenching on to me so tightly, like I'm going to leave and never come back. His body's so warm too. Kagome put a hand over her chest, but felt nothing. Feeling the temperature of her skin, she shivered. Am I dead? My chest isn't pounding like Inuyasha's and my body is so cold. But, I'm breathing perfectly fine with my lungs.

"Inuyasha," Kagome asked, "am I dead?"

"No," Inuyasha replied, nipping on her neck.

"Then how come your chest is pounding and your body is warm, when mine is completely opposite."

"You've lost your heart... I promise that you'll get you heart back, every last bit of it. I don't want you to die, Kagome. Zettai."

"Why?"

"I love you, Kagome. You'll understand what love is soon, I'll make sure of it."

Kagome looked down; I don't know what to say now. How can I reply if I don't know what this emotion he's calling 'love' is. I hope I do understand soon, it sounds great, but there's something about it that makes it sound like it's the cause of some pain...

Shippou woke up and rubbed his eyes, yawning. He slowly, carefully pried himself from Koishii-Yume's arms and walked over to Kagome and Inuyasha. "Kagome," he said, almost cautiously, "do you know me?"

"Hai," Kagome replied, "Shippou, right?"

Shippou nodded and smiled, "Kagome!" He lunged at her stomach, giving her a hug, rubbing his head in her stomach. Kagome did the only thing she could think of, she petted the kitsune child and there was a read tint shining around her.

Everyone who was still sleeping awoke to see what the red glow was. It was Kagome. They were confused and unsure. When they looked outside, the sun was up, but something was coming their way. "What is that," Sango asked.

Through the window came in four red shards, launching themselves into Kagome's chest. Kagome winced and held her chest. Inuyasha put his hand on Kagome's and felt it had become a little warmer. There was the smallest pound of a heart. Inuyasha brightened up and Kagome smiled, petting the kitsune.

"Th-this is happiness," Kagome replied, petting Shippou. "I-I'm happy when I pet Shippou because he's... like my little brother or something. I have to help protect him..."

Koishii-Yume smiled and sat up with the help of Sesshoumaru, "That's one way we'll get shards... Kagome's empty heart will call the shards to her and they'll place themselves in Kagome's body. Since Kagome was experiencing a true happiness, four shards of happiness came. This won't happen very often and I think this might be one of the only times it'll happen."

"You know," Sango shrugged, "unless Inuyasha gets himself killed or something."

Inuyasha growled, "There's no way I'm dying and leaving Kagome alone."

"Obsess much?"

Kagome looked down and Shippou and held him close, "Arigatou, Shippou-chan."

Shippou hugged her tighter, smiling as Kagome petted him. Koishii-Yume watched this scene, smiling. She looked up at Sesshoumaru and smiled at him. He half smiled back, not wanting to look too weak. Koishii-Yume kissed him and then held him close as Kagome smiled.

This is being happy. Kagome thought, This is happiness... I can be very happy or a little happy. Laughing and giggling, they're effects of happiness! I know what this is, but there's still something about happiness I'm missing... Kagome shrugged it off and gave Shippou a kiss on top of his head.

Kagome did feel happy. She knew what a little bit of happiness of was, but she didn't know all of what happiness was. Of course, with happiness, there always comes an end where you become sad or angry about something. What everyone didn't know was Uragirimono was breaking Naraku's order and approaching the group for a battle to the death. A final end to Kagome and her silly companions. Except for Sesshoumaru maybe, but that would only be if he acted like a good puppy.