Okay everyone, here we go. If I sound a little upset, well, I guess I'm kind of disappointed that my story, which at first delighted me with reviews, is now receiving less than 5 a chapter.  However I feel stupid being upset, and, truthfully, the reviews I have received have been so wonderful and motivating that it almost makes up for it. And I'm definitely not mad. I'm also definitely not going to quit on this story. That said, please review! If only so I know people are reading this!

Anyway, enough desperation. Thank you to Kristen Sharp and Moonlight Storm for reviewing last chapter.

I'm tired of trying to be clever so I'll just say as a Disclaimer, that I don't own Inuyasha.

Now on with the show!

Chapter 4: Them Again

Kagome and Shippou's reunion was interrupted when a bright pink light and a dull thud alerted them to the fact that Inuyasha had just collapsed. Kagome yelped and ran hastily to the hanyou's side. Had he been hurt more than he had let on? He hadn't seemed wounded.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha, wake up!" she shook his shoulder gently but with urgency. She searched his clothing with her eyes and fingers for any trace of blood from a wound she had not noticed. Nothing. But then…there! Kagome felt a small warm lump beneath his haori. In her mind things were clicking into place. She smoothed a finger over the jewel in her pocket. Pink light…reaching into his shirt carefully and found herself rewarded with a pink jewel that looked identical to the one in her pocket.  How could she have missed it before?  Her miko senses should have immediately picked up the jewel in his chest. Had hers been inside her? What was the meaning of the jewel halves? When Shippou spoke she jumped, having nearly forgotten anyone was there.

"Kagome? Is he…" his voice was unsure.

"He's alright Shippou-chan. I don't really understand what happened, but he's just unconscious. He had a half of the Shikon no Tama in him. It came out. I don't…really understand this. Maybe Kaede-bachan…" her voice broke off and she frowned. From what she had seen of this world there would be no Kaede here. "Shippou-chan?"

"Hn?"

"How long...What year- When are we?"

"It's been 200 years Kagome…since you and Inuyasha d-died in your time."

"Oh. My time…" Kagome's voice was small and she cursed it for that. 200 years. From her time. She didn't know how, but Shippou-chan wouldn't lie. And that meant…Mama, Souta, Grandpa, Miroku, Sango… She sent a searching look up from her position kneeling with Inuyasha's head pillowed on her lap to the girl who was Shippou's companion.

"Who are you?" she smiled at the thought of her being Shippou-chan's girlfriend and switched her gaze to the kitsune with a wide smile."Girlfriend?" both of the parties in question blushed. The girl recovered quicker and while Shippou stammered she said,

"No. I just met him today. But he says he is an old friend of the family. I am Noroibushi Uzura. You can call me Uzura. Most people do." Kagome wasn't surprised. With a last name that meant cursed warrior…

"Thank you Uzura-san" she studied the girl's face closer, though she could tell that it made her uncomfortable. She was definitely familiar.

Shippou, collecting his thoughts, answered her unasked question. "She's a decendant of them Kagome. Of Sango and Miroku. That's why she has Hiraikotsu and Kazaana. He pointed Uzura's right hand, which she hastily tried to hide.

"She has Kazaana…and Hiraikotsu too. She must be a good fighter." Kagome wrinkled her nose. "She isn't a hentai is she?" Shippou let out a bark of laughter as Uzura's jaw dropped.

"I-I-" her face was fiercely red and she glared at Shipppou "It isn't funny! Why does she think I'm a pervert?" she hissed. Shippou only laughed harder, joined by Kagome.

"I'm sorry Uzura-san. It's just…If you're a descendant of Miroku…it just seems natural."

She let out an undignified snort to which Inuyasha, who no one had realized was awake, smirked and gave a snort of his own. Kagome blushed.

"You're awake! I was worried!" she scolded. He tried to look unconcerned and failed miserably. He didn't move his head from her lap.

"Keh! Well you didn't sound that concerned, laughing about that pervert's descendant!" Inuyasha finally sat up, seemingly ignoring Kagome as she hung anxiously at his side. Taking in their surroundings, he distracted himself from her by yelling at Shippou.

"Oi! Shippou! Why are we just hanging around in the damn street! Stupid kit!"

"Hey! I'm not the one who fainted, dog boy!" The kit was glad that he had a diversion from his thoughts. He didn't want to cry in front of them anymore. And fighting with Inuyasha had been one of the joys of his childhood.

"I didn't faint! I'll kill you!"

"GAH! Stop! I could take you Inuyasha!"

*BONK*

"OW! Damn it Inuyasha!"

Kagome sighed. Hooking her arm around Uzura's, who was looking shocked and confused at the strange show of male immaturity, she chose to walk in the direction they had been heading before Inuyasha's collapse.

"Come on Uzura-chan. They always fought like kids. I would have hoped that Shippou at least would have grown out of it." She either ignored or was oblivious to the other girl's cautious, slightly uncomfortable look as Kagome failed to release her arm. "So do you have a home nearby where we might stay for the night? It's been a bit of a tiring day for me."

"Ah…yes…I live in the city...um the other way though" Kagome smiled and wheeled them around, pointedly ignoring Inuyasha and Shippou.

"Kagome!"

"Keh! Still can't fight your own battles? What kind of demon are you?"

"I don't need her to rescue me from YOU, you jerk! I just think it'd be funny to see you get sat!"

"Why You…"

*BONK*

"Damn it Inuyasha! I'm not a kid!" he struck out with his own fist.

*BONK*

"Why you-"

*BONK*

Kagome sighed

"Inuyasha…" the hanyou froze and narrowed his eyes.

"Bitch you better not be-" She wouldn't, would she?

"Osuwari!" He slammed into the ground and Shippou stepped on his head on his way to join the girls.

"I missed that so much!" Kagome caught the sadness that flashed across his eyes before the laughing grin and was suddenly struck by how it must have been for him.

"Shippou-chan" the ear tips poking through his thick red hair twitched. She wished it was possible for her to hold him. She wished he hadn't grown up with out her.

Uzura was experiencing a mix of emotions. These people…demons, strange reborn girls, and half demons…And the sense of them. They fought, physically and verbally. She eyed the half demon suspiciously. Whatever the girl had done to him was wearing off and he was now spitting obscenities at her from his half-prostrate position in the concrete.

"-you bitch! In the middle of the damn street! Do you know what it feels like to be slammed into three feet of solid concrete?"

Uzura's eyes slid to the girl, who was developing a twitch in her left eye. The girl was strange. Very emotional, and these emotions were unpredictable to Uzura, they fluctuated wildly. She was unforgivably friendly. How could she expect to face Naraku with her emotions so freely flowing, and so much trust in her? Trust that Uzura was sure she could sense, as she sensed anything else. Calling her Uzura-chan! And meaning it, really meaning that level of intimacy and endearment.

No one since her parents had been so, not informal because few people were offered her respectful formality, but using endearments?- dare she imagine friendship?- was something that she was completely at a loss to respond to.  She decided to offer a tentative smile.

"Ah…" Kagome tore her eyes from her glaring contest with the white haired boy and smiled at her apologetically.

"I'm sorry Uzura-chan. You were going to take us to your home! Inuyasha's just such a jerk!"

"Keh. Bitch."

"Osuwari."  Kagome said, then. "Let's go. You better hurry up Inuyasha; you'll get left behind."

"ARGH!" he tore his head out of the cement, and held his cursed down to a disgruntled muttering as Kagome led the girl in the direction indicated, Shippou trotting up to walk in step with them. For all that Uzura could tell she was oblivious to the young demon man still prying himself angrily out of the small crater her had made in the street.

"Should we really just…" Uzura began. It was so strange. She was sure they were friends. In fact, when she had seen the girl's dismay over the hanyou's condition she was sure they were lovers of some kind, mates even. But now the girl responded flippantly, as if nothing could be more normal than fighting an evil dictator and then face planting one's friend into the ground.

"Leave him? Yeah. He'll catch up in a second anyway."

"Yeah. And he's got such a hard head that it can't possibly hurt him too much." Shippou laughed too, and Uzura watched he and the girl share a mischievous smile.

True to her words though, the demon appeared as if out of nowhere at that moment, knocking the fox demon around the head. This time however, the girl's scowl collapsed in favor of an exasperated smile.

"Inuyasha…" but her voice was only slightly scolding. "Uzura-chan has been nice enough to let us stay at her home for tonight. I didn't know if we should chance my house tonight. I don't know if it'll still be there. The city is so different."

"Yeah. That bastard…" The girl, Kagome, patted his arm reassuringly. He shot her a look that Uzura could not interpret. She looked at Kagome's face but the other girl had apparently missed it, looking at the sky in thoughtful sadness.

"It's been so long Inuyasha. The sky, even the sky is different from my memories."  The look was on his face again as he regarded her profile, staring into the sunny sky. What was it?

"Keh. We shouldn't be lagging out here anyway." Uzura frowned at that. He was the one who had collapsed and then had engaged the kitsune in a loud, childish brawl in the middle of the streets. She spoke calmly, but indignantly. She was proud and his unforgivable rudeness to the first person ever to extend unwarranted friendship irked her.

"I'm sure if someone was going to attack us they would have during the many other opportunities we have given them. It's not as though some of us have exactly been acting covert." She watched his scowl deepen as he regarded her.

"Listen, bitch," Inuyasha stalked forward menacingly. She stood her ground, but felt her heart speed up. She realized her position. He was the strongest creature she had ever met, face to face. He was angry and seemed quite violent. Even one of those hits to the head…how much would it hurt her? Why had she spoken so rashly…She resisted the urge to hide behind the girl beside her, who was now alternately regarding her curiously and glaring at the hanyou. That wouldn't do. She had been raised a warrior. She would fight him if need be. She would lose, she knew, but she would fight. Maybe the girl would stop him, force him to the ground again. Maybe he meant only to threaten, perhaps injure her. It wasn't the point what would happen. She would not hide. But as all these thoughts and more raced around in her head, the scowl on the hanyou faded and he frowned.

"Keh. Let's just go." He grabbed Kagome's arm. "Oi, get on. Shippou you carry the other one."

"Who made you the boss?" But grinning good naturedly, he motioned Uzura over. Inuyasha already had Kagome on his back, and was looking forward in what to Uzura looked like stubborn impatience. The whole thing was so confusing! Later she would tell herself that that was why she readily climbed onto the kitsune's back for the second time that day.

Realizing that they were waiting for her to direct them, she cleared her throat slightly, "It's straight, turn left in front of Naraku's stronghold, then right at the next street, then left two streets later, then straight. It's near the other edge of town. The last right and I'll have to guide you from there." She was proud that her voice didn't shake.

"Good enough. Shippou, let's go. Don't fall behind either, brat."

"Jerk." Shippou muttered. The hanyou yelled back something but Uzura didn't catch it because Shippou had turned to her with something that looked like exasperation.

"You were afraid?" Uzura felt a blush sweep across her face.

"I wasn't-"

"You took out two of those blasted metal demons and you were afraid of Inuyasha?" he sighed. "You really haven't dealt with many demons have you? How is that possible?"

"How did you know? That I was…"

"Scared? Well it was pretty obvious." She glared indignantly and he sighed again. "To a demon I mean. The smell is pretty recognizable. Plus there's the way your breathing sped up." Beneath her fingers his shoulders shrugged. "To a human it probably wouldn't be noticeable. Well, 'cept to Kagome. But she's special."

"Special?" He was throwing in too much information.

"She's a miko, a strong one too." Uzura's eyes widened. She knew of mikos. They were getting rarer each time Naraku engaged in one of his purges, but still known and respected. "I don't know if that's why she woulda noticed. She just knows things like that, she knows about people. Don't know how. I'm not sure if it's part of her being a miko or not."

"Really?" Uzura was surprised. "A miko? But it seemed like she…With the hanyou that is…"

"Oh, yeah, course she does. But what's that got to do with anything?"

"I thought mikos disliked demons. She doesn't worry about becoming unpure?" She was feeling more comfortable with the conversation. Miko lore was something that had always interested her and she had even spoken to one a few years back. There was a loud snort from hanyou in question and she glanced at the couple slightly ahead.

"Er, he can hear me?"

"Yeah. So really, how is it that you've never met any youkai?"

"I've met youkai! Just not any highly evolved youkai before. The one's I've met, they weren't much more than animals.  You were the first demon I ever met that spoke to me, in my memory at least."

"Hmph. That's a damn shame. You'd think a girl like you would have more experience. But ya did alright anyways, back in there. So I think you'll handle it okay."

"Handle what?" What was he getting at? His voice was off hand, as if they were old friends making small talk. He ignored her interruption.

"You just gotta learn who's an enemy and who's not. And Inuyasha, while most definitely a loud-mouthed, reckless, sometimes abusive, violent, selfish-"

"OI! DO YOU WANT ME TO COME BACK THERE SHIPPOU?! GET TO THE DAMN POINT!"

"-Rude, jerk, he is definitely not a real danger. First, he doesn't hurt humans, seriously at least. Second, he doesn't hurt girls. Third, you guys have got the same enemy, and since we'll all be working together, he knows he has to tolerate you at least."

"What?" This threw her. She was expected to fight with them? That couldn't be. She had just met them. And she had already insulted the hanyou. There was no way that she would be allowed to join with them. She tried to tell the kitsune as much, "I don't-"

"Fourth, I know you don't understand all of this, and we'll explain it at your home, but we all knew your ancestors. We loved them, (another snort up ahead) and you don't realize it but you have a lot of them in you, so he wouldn't hurt you because of that too."

Uzura didn't know what to say. She was shocked and curious. Wary and yet wanted to trust these strangers. She was, if nothing else, a smart and capable warrior, she knew after seeing them fight that they were a powerful group who it would be prudent to work with. With them what damage could she cause Naraku before her death? Certainly more than she could ever hope to accomplish without them. A part of her also knew she had been lonely, for a long time.

"I …"

Kagome felt warm on his back and it was a calming warm, that spread through his whole body. She was tired and near sleep. He didn't want to disturb her. But he couldn't hold back the angry, indignant, snort when her hear that girl's idiotic comment. Unpure indeed! Kagome stirred, and her hands squeezed his shoulders.

"What's the matter Inuyasha?"

"Keh, it's nothing. That little bitch just asked Shippou if you worry about being unpure (the word dripped with disdain) from…being friends with me." He cursed himself for telling her that. He didn't need her reassurance. He didn't want it. He didn't…deserve it.

"She hasn't met many demons I don't think. She was afraid wasn't she? When you started to yell at her?" Kagome yawned and Inuyasha felt guilty for keeping her awake. "I'm pretty sure that was it, even though I'm not as good at you at knowing that sort of thing of course."

"Yeah, she was scared. Idiot." Her hands squeezed tighter for a moment then relaxed again, reassuring him. He realized he was leaving himself too open to her and mentally berated himself. She didn't say anymore, and he wondered if she had noticed his sudden discomfort. It was most likely. She was good at reading things like that.

It was silent for only a second until Inuyasha found himself once more forced to react to the conversation behind him.

"OI! DO YOU WANT ME TO COME BACK THERE SHIPPOU?! GET TO THE DAMN POINT!"  Kagome moaned softly.

"Mou, Inuyasha. So loud. What'd he do now?" Despite the complaint and petulant tone of her voice, he could tell that she was smiling.

"Nothing. Just being a brat." Truthfully he was glad to see the kit, all grown up and seemingly a capable youkai. He also realized that the kit was standing up for him and he was remotely touched, though he would never admit it.

"Hmm" Kagome murmured. "He grew up to be so tall." She giggled softly. "Still cute though. I can still see my Shippou-chan."  If the possessive bothered Inuyasha he made no indication to himself or her. They were silent for a while longer, except when Inuyasha made another sound of indignation in response to something being discussed ahead. And when they neared the point where the monk's descendant's instructions ended.

"We're almost there. OI SHIPPOU! Bring that girl up here!" Privately Inuyasha was glad that he had just made the second left turn and could see the end of the city, which meant it wouldn't be much longer. She was too close, too soft. And too caring.

"Sheesh, you sure are loud, Inuyasha. Have you been paying attention at all? We're in a city ya know, and you're drawing attention!"

"Keh, let 'em come!"  Kagome made some small sound of exasperation. She was so tired. Was something wrong with her? Had Naraku done something to her?

"Turn here." The not quite familiar voice thankfully pulled him out of quickly darkening thoughts. He'd check on Kagome when they got to this girl's house. In the meantime…

"Where?" He looked at where Shippou was turning. It was a tiny street, if it could even be called a street. It was narrow and dirty looking. Here on the edge of the city, the activity was slightly more noticeable. Here and there he even heard snatches of children laughing. The machine sound was also quite loud, and the air was dirtier. He tossed a glance at the girl. She lived here? Alone? He had expected…well, better of her. Noticing his look she frowned.

"I can't exactly afford to live anywhere else. And…it used to be nicer around here…before…people think it's a cursed place so you don't get many good folk around here." A moment later Inuyasha understood and felt slight guilt, he felt Kagome stiffen a bit, and knew she recognized it too.

A large crater broke up the crowded urban sprawl of the rest of the area. He noticed that the houses nearest the crater had clearly not been lived in since it formed. Well, no, that wasn't quite true. One house, was lived in. It was small and shabby but looked as if it had once been quite nice as, Inuyasha noted, the other abandoned houses had been. It was made of stone rather than the wood Inuyasha was used to, making it seem to him as if it had once been a small castle…or something. However, the bricks were chipped and the house was dirty and vandalized. The girl's emotions were unreadable.

Landing, he privately marveled at how Kagome managed to look so regal, and so gentle at the same time. He also knew she was exhausted, which again sent a shiver of worry and anger through him.

"Thank you Uzura-chan. For sharing your home with us." Inuyasha watched the girl offer a tentative smile. Kagome's smile widened at this. Her ability to form instant friendship, was a notable trait, one that always surprised him, one who definitely did not possess such an ability.

Inside the house was better than it had looked from outside. It was immaculately clean and furnished with worn but fine quality furniture.  There were five rooms, but one…

"Oi? What's that room?" Inuyasha looked suspiciously at a heavy door to the right. Uzura gave him an odd look, as if she didn't know what to make of his question. He thought it was obvious and found this a bit irritating. Did the girl have any common sense at all?

"It's a work room." She replied, still looking suspicious. "The fire has to be kept running all the time. It's very hot to people other than myself but not noticeable and requires no chimney." Shippou beamed.

"Because it's a fox fire!" he said proudly. Kagome smiled at him.

"You've gotten so strong Shippou-chan!  I saw you fighting, you were good." Shippou's grin widened under the praise. Inuyasha felt a familiar irritation and smacked the kitsune, disliking that his hand had to aim upwards to do so.

"Stupid brat, stop sucking up." Inuyasha glared at the kitsune, not realizing that the possessiveness he had pushed out of his voice still shone from his eyes. "Oi, wench, weren't you going to sleep or something?"

"Yes. Uzura-chan, is there somewhere I can sleep?" Inuyasha doubted that the girl had anything in the way of a spare bed. She didn't even have a couch. So he was mildly surprised (and annoyed to be so) when she replied,

"I have a couple extra futons." She smiled warmly at Kagome, then warily at Inuyasha. "They, aren't in the best of condition. You can sleep on mine for now, it's in that room over there." Kagome was followed to the room by Inuyasha. He had no intention of letting her sleep in this unprotected house without protection. After all, they were now in Naraku's world. Kagome smiled at him, but made no protest when he settled himself against the wall. He figured that it was because she was tired. Hopefully, she would be back to normal in the morning. The looks he had seen chasing across her face…

"Oi." She looked at him bemusedly, from the futon, where she had already been settling down to sleep.

"Is something wrong?" she was clearly hanging just on the edge of conciousness.

"Why are you so tired? Is something wrong with you?" Subtlety had never been his strong suit, nor had it ever been a skill he wished to cultivate. It was something he associated with Naraku and his mind games and therefore disliked imploying.

"I don't know. I don't think so." At the look of angry impatience and veiled concern on his face she elaborated. "I think that…Where ever I was, I didn't move around much. I was kind of lost Inuyasha, I don't know, and there's still…" She shook her head in a way he took as meaning to clear it. "I used a lot of miko power too, and I think the combination has just exhausted my body. After a good sleep I should be fine."

Satisfied, he made a sort of grunt, closing the conversation. He also closed his eyes, though Kagome was sure he had no intention of sleeping.  She hoped he would anyway. He had to be tired too. It was a relief that he had not pressed her on the circumstances of her imprisonment. Although she knew that she had not been able to do anything during her stay in what she now knew as the stronghold of her worst enemy, it brought a range of emotions. She felt inexplicably guilty, for not being able, or truly having any great desire for answers or even to recover her own soul, She felt sadness when she realized that the second set of memories that had occasionally haunted her were the memories of a girl who's body Kagome had taken when she died, and wondered what Inuyasha would think of that. Accompanying that was the question of whether she was the same person. It certainly felt as though she was, but she wondered if she had changed. Inuyasha told a lot by scent, had hers changed? Kagome was also trying to adjust to the fact that it was 200 years after her time, which meant that nearly everyone she had ever known was dead. And even though Shippou was alive she was struggling with how to treat him. He had lived a multiple human lives worth of time without her and part of her still looked at him and saw a little boy who was possibly the closest to a son she would ever have.

On top of all of this and more, Kagome was acutely embarrassed, shamed even, to think that she had done something wrong in what ever she did to the Shikon no Tama (if that was even what had really happened) to bring her back together with Inuyasha 200 years after their death. She wanted to know how they died, she wanted to know why she had been stuck in that strange in-between existence that she had been in for who knew how long. She wanted to know why the jewel didn't disappear if she really had used it to preserve her and Inuyasha. She wanted to know a very large number of things. But her body had not moved more than a few meters at a time and had not felt fear or adrenaline or miko power for a very long while. So Kagome did the only thing she could and fell into a deep, if restless, sleep.

When she awoke it was dusk, and she once again had a gasp and his name on her lips.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

How was that? Now come on, review! You know you want to!

That said, Wish me luck. Tomorrow I go back for my second year at college! I'll try to update asap, but reviews are always helpful.