"Charge Nurse, please dial 7901."

The young registered nurse tapped her pen on the top of her clip board before instinctively picking up the phone. "This is Kagome." She sat and listened silently to the voice echoing on the other end. "That's fine. I'll put you down for a sick day." Pushing herself wearily from her chair, Kagome walked calmly down the hall, greeting fellow nurses and patients alike. Her thoughts roaming elsewhere, she almost forgot to clock out at the end of her shift. "I'll see you guys next week." The 22 year old pulled her coat tighter around her as she walked the snowy streets of Tokyo, back to her family's shrine. Although five years had passed, the memories still haunted fresh inside her worn subconscious. Wetness of burning tears began to sting her eyes, forcing her to will away her thoughts. 'I...I can't keep living this way.' Her mind tried to win her over, but her heart was the real problem. She couldn't let go. Her love for that rude, selfish, foul-mouthed half-demon had possessed her very soul. Pain. That was all she knew anymore. Her family didn't understand. How could they? They didn't know what she had been through. The suffering, the betrayal. She had secretly kept her emotions bottled for five long years, and she refused to stop now. Snapping back into reality, Kagome's breath almost lost it's way as she realized where she was standing. The well. The portal that used to send her to him. The portal that took her away. Forcing herself to look away, she dashed into the shrine, believing that the pain clutching her heart would take her very life. She took a deep breath to compose herself and prepared to continue her masquerade. "Hi, mama. I'm home."

"Hello, dear. Are you hungry? I've made some ramen."

Kagome halted, her shoulders tensing around her small neck. "Ramen..." She whispered with a smile. She walked out of the room, leaving her mother to ponder on what she had done wrong. Throwing her coat in the chair at the desk, Kagome laid down across her bed, hoping sleep would ease her agony. "I wonder what you're doing right now. Probably asleep in a tree or beating up on Shippo." She had to giggle at the thought. Her moment of relief was shattered by a glimpse of yellow underneath her desk. Kagome sat down in the floor and pulled the old bag over in front of her. Trying to hold in the obvious pain she felt, she pulled open the old, tattered bag and shifted through the contents. Clothes, books, and plenty of essential medical supplies. She giggled as she pulled out one of her old school uniforms, comparing it to her now state of dress consisting of jeans and a sweater. Her smile reluctantly faded as she spotted the old, dried blood on the side. "You were always getting hurt on my account." Her slender

fingers traced around the crimson stain. "You always found a way to save...wait..." Her mind jumped, throwing ideas at her like baseballs. "Found a way..." Kagome grabbed a large duffle bag out of the closet and wildly threw clothes and supplies inside. Moments later, she found herself standing by the well, pondering her next move.

"What are you doing?"

Kagome jumped and turned, her brother staring her down with a suspicious glare. "Souta, I...I'm going back."

"No! You can't! I'll tell mama!"

"This is something I have to do!" She determinedly turned back to the well.

"But, you promised!"

"Don't believe everything you're promised."

"Kagome!"

The young woman turned back and saw her mother running to her. "I'm sorry, mama." She looked down at the stained fabric in her hand and peered into the darkness of the well.

"Kagome! No!"

She turned back with tear-filled eyes. "I love you all." Without another thought, Kagome jumped into the well.

"Kagome!"

"Ow!" Kagome cried, hitting the hard dirt at the bottom. 'It didn't work...' She thought, still hearing the strangled shouts of her mother. "There's got to be a way! I have to get back to you!" She dug her nails into the soil, not really sure of what it would accomplish.

"Kagome! You can't! Please, there's nothing there for you!"

"But there is..." Kagome sobbed just loud enough for her mother to hear, "...the man I love."

Her mother watched as a blue light engulfed her daughter, taking her from sight as soon as it faded.

"I love you, too, my daughter. Go and find him."

Kagome's heart pounded, in both fear and anticipation, as she peeked over the edge of the well. Her thoughts were no longer coherent and she feared her body would fail her any

second. "I'm back." She whispered, feeling herself tremble. Something wasn't right. An uneasy feeling came over her. Fear. She was afraid. A light shone brightly over the trees as smoke drifted through the air. "What's going on?" She found herself running toward the village. The location was still fresh in her mind as if she were only gone a few days. The closer she got, the more her fear grew. As the carnage came into sight, Kagome skidded to a halt. 'What happened here?' Bodies, blood and fire were all that remained. Swallowing hard she forced herself to enter, stepping across the dead and around the flames. "Sango! Miroku! Anyone!" A gasp arose from her throat as she stumbled upon the body of the old priestess, a single arrow protruding from her back. "K..Kaede..." Covering her mouth, she staggered back, scampering away. Her hand landed on something soft and wet. She looked out of the corner of her eye to see a glimpse of red. "No..." She pulled the bloody bandana into her view, wanting to scream. Her mouth opened but was covered before a sound could exit.

"Be quiet! They'll hear you!"

Kagome cocked her head around to stare into the dark eyes of a certain monk. "Oh, Miroku! I thought you were dead!" Her tiny arms found their way around his neck. "Where are the others?" Miroku pulled back a little to place his hands on her shoulders.

"Sango, Shippo, and the surviving villagers are hiding in a cave just north of here."

"And...InuYasha?" He dropped his hands and bit his bottom lip. Her heart sank. "Miroku...tell me..."

"We...believe he's dead."

Kagome felt faint. She had deceived her family to get back to him and now he was...Her hand clutched tighter around the bandana.

"We're not sure. After a while, he realized that the demons were after the jewel, so he led

them away."

"So, InuYasha still might be alive?" A small streak of hope gleamed in the miko's eye.

"That was 8 days ago." It was gone. She lost it. Kagome bit back her fears and frustrations as best she could.

"Who...who did this?"

"They seemed to be ancient warriors. Ninjas it seemed, with lightning speed. They had metal armor covering fangs and claws. They seemed to have no weakness. No one lived once they decided to kill them. Their arrows were poison, it killed within minutes. Those that didn't die by arrow, did so under much worse means."

Her stomach rolled. "Let's get out of here."

Miroku stood, reaching a hand to the distraught young woman. Kagome ignored his offer and searched the village for any sign of life. "We will return and give them a proper burial." Kagome nodded and accepted his help.

"Let's get going." She said with one last look over her shoulder. 'Please, be alive...wherever you are...'

"Kagome!" The little kitsune was in her arms before she could even blink.

"I've missed you so much!" She cried, cradling him into her shoulder. "Where's Sango?"

"Well, well..." Kagome looked up to the exterminator with red, teary eyes. "...welcome back."

Sango threw her arms around her friend. Kagome opened her eyes on Sango's shoulder and looked at the awful sight facing her. Men, women, and children alike were sick and wounded.

"Listen," She said pulling away, "I have some medicine in my bag. I worked in a hospital, so I have more than I usually did. Treat these people while I'm gone." She picked up a bow and a quiver of arrows, then turned her sights on a sword. "Can I borrow that?" The man nodded, handing her the belt.

"Where are you going?"

Kagome thrust the sword into the sheath and threw a small bag of medicine and bandages over her shoulder. "I refuse to believe that he's dead until I see the proof. If he's alive, I'll find him."

Clinching his teeth, he wrapped a torn piece of his kimono around the open wound in his thigh. "I'm losing too much blood..." His vision became blurry as he examined the gaping wound in his side. "I...can't let those damned things get the jewel." He sat up with a jolt as a rustle in the bushes got louder. 'Shit...'