this chapter promises to be very interesting..........

disclamer~ still don't own Inuyasha or the song by Toby Keith.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Wow," was all Inuhaku could manage after the wild ride down the well. Kagome looked aroud the bottom of the

well, noting that the vines were gone.

"Give me a boost," she ordered the poor guy, who was still in shock. He complied, and she then gave an

impressive show of strength by hauling Inuhaku up after her. He gaped, mouth open in awe, at the trees that

were where the houses should have been.

"Where are we," he choked out.

"Feudal Japan," Kagome replied casually. "Welcome to the fairy tale I told you about. We better go find the

village and see if Kaede is still the miko there." Inuhaku followed Kagome through the woods, but was

mystified when she stopped at a large tree. Kagome bent down and picked up an arrow, rotting with age, but

still an arrow. She began to shake, remembering the day she had pulled it out and released the hanyou.

Inuhaku recalled the part of her tale when the girl pulled the arrow from the tree and freed Inuyasha. It

occured to him that this must have been the tree.

[Somebody told you that my

broken heart started mending.

I'm getting by, but the truth

is that I'm still standing

knee deep in yesterday's rain.]

Kagome stopped her tears and turned back to Inuhaku. "Let's keep going."

A five minute walk later, Kagome and Inuhaku entered to small village. Villagers gasped at the sight of

Kagome, recognizing her from four years before. "May I see Lady Kaede," Kagome inquired of a passing woman.

"Of course." The woman took Kagome and her curious companion to a familliar hut. "Lady Kaede," she called

inside.

Kaede stepped out, not having changed much in four years. "Kagome," she cried, embracing the girl. "Who

is he," Kaede inquired, spying Inuhaku, who had been making an effort to hide behind Kagome. "He is almost

identical to Inuyasha!"

"I think he is the reincarnation of Inuyasha, Kaede," Kagome confessed.

"The reincarnation of who," asked Inuhaku. "You think I am the reincarnation of a half demon from a fairy

tale?"

"It's not a fairy tale, are you blind or just stupid," Kagome shouted angerly at Inuhaku's disbelief. "We

are in Feudal Japan! Do you want proof?" She turned to Kaede, "Did you keep the Jewel, I gave it to you

before I left four years ago so you could purify it."

"Aye, I do." Kaede stepped inside the hut, and came out with the glowing Jewel. "It is still incomplete,"

Kaede mused. "Neither good nor evil was ever able to find the last shard."

"That's because I kept it," Kagome confessed. She drew a chain out from under her collar, and on it hung

the final shard. "I never put the Jewel together and made a wish because I wasn't sure what I wanted. Now

the fates have given me a sign, and I know what to do. Kaede, where are Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo

buried?"

"Just outside the village, but what do you plan to do," Kaede asked. Kagome didn't respond, she simply took

the Jewel, her shard, grabbed Inuhaku's hand, and made a beeline for the edge of the village.

They reached a series of four mounds in a row, labeled with markers. One read 'Inuyasha,' and Kagome set

upon it, digging with her hands at the dirt. "They dig shallow graves, and he'll want his body back, she

muttered to herself. Soon she had him entirely uncovered. She praised whoever it was up there that had

decided that demon bodies wouldn't decay, he looked the same as if he had died a second before. "Shikon no

Tama," she said to the Jewel, grant my wish! I want Inuyasha to be returned to his body to live out his

life!"

Inuhaku jumped back as a flash of light engulfed Kagome and the body of Inuyasha. When it cleared and

Inuhaku could see again, he saw Kagome kneeling down, holding an awakening Inuyasha's head in her lap.

"What happened," asked Inuyasha, sitting up. "Is that you Kagome, you look different."

"You're alive, you're really alive," Kagome cried, hugging him fiercely, until Inuhaku coughed and shifted

his weight uncomfortably. Inuyasha glanced at him, and caught a whiff of his scent.

"Gggggrrrrrrr, who are you," Inuyasha jumped up shouting. "How do you smell like me?"

"Look, she just brought me here, okay!" Inuhaku pointed at Kagome. "She seems to think I am your

reincarnation or something."

Both men turned to Kagome expectantly, awaiting an explination. Pity she didn't have one.

"So what, he's my replacement?" Inuyasha asked.

"Of course not--" Kagome started, but Inuyasha cut her off.

"I get it. You use the Jewel to revive me so you can tell me you have fallen madly in love with my

reincarnation. Later Kagome." Inuyasha bounded off into the woods.

"He moves pretty fast for a dead guy," Inuhaku commented. Kagome gave him the meanest look she could manage

with tears running down her face, then wandered off in the opposite direction of Inuyasha, back to the God

tree, which she climbed and perched on a branch, thinking. Kagome thought, and the rain fell.

[Well the fools go rushing,

they don't hesitate. And

the lonley go looking where

the losers wait. And I'm

thinking, somewhere in the

middle there's a love that's true.

But I ain't found one yet,

and I ain't got you.]

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

that's as good a place as any to end it i guess.

Ja'ne!