Normally I'd say something borderline clever to thank my betas, but I can't think of anything right now. So... thanks to Chris, Kat, and Merith. Additional non-clever thank-yous to Niamh. Oh, and some Prozac. Will you please stop with the angst? You're going to put Sess in therapy. :)

Chapter epigraph and title are from "Dreaming With Tears In My Eyes," by U2, which is a beautiful, if rare, song.

***

Why should I always be lonesome
When sunny and blue are the skies

***

Inuyasha's ears swiveled back, tracking the progress of Miroku's shakujou through the woods. Normally he appreciated the jingle because it gave him more time to get away from the nosy monk. But strangely, he couldn't bring himself to care whether Miroku found him or not. His eyes were fixed on the scar marring the smooth bark of the God Tree. He could almost feel the arrow once more piercing his chest, drilling through him into the wood. Die, Inuyasha! Inuyasha rubbed the scar over his heart idly. The healing powers of his youkai blood ensured that his skin was remarkably clear considering the injuries he'd sustained over the years. But Kikyo's arrow had been different, whether because of her miko powers or because of the fifty years the wound had remained unhealed, he wasn't sure. Her arrow had gifted him with his first scar.

"Inuyasha?"

"What?" Inuyasha said. Miroku winced at the flatness of the tone.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right."

"I'm fine." Inuyasha tucked his arm back into his sleeve idly. Y'know.... I can't figure out what's different 'bout this. Kagome and I fight all the fuckin' time. Why is this different? Why does this hurt more? His ears flattened momentarily as he heard Miroku sit down on the ground behind him. Gods damn it, Miroku, go the fuck away.

"Did Kagome save the cubs?"

Inuyasha didn't answer for a moment, remembering small cool hands smoothing medicine he didn't need and that stung like a bitch onto his wounds, remembering brown eyes that laughed and blazed in quick turn, remembering a warm soft lap that brought him the first moment of peace he'd ever had on a new moon. She needed me. She wanted me. Nobody wanted me since... since my ma died. I got used to things bein' that way, damn it. How come I ain't used to it anymore? Ever since she came here, I got used to bein' wanted. And now she don't want me. I don't know who she does want, but it ain't me. He realized belatedly that Miroku was waiting for an answer. What'd he say? Oh yeah. "Yeah. She did."

"What happened?"

"She saved 'em. Brought 'em out to the river." He stopped, swallowing against the memory of Kagome, beautiful and exhausted, cradling the youkai pup in her arms. "And... I dunno, gave 'em herbs and stuff, made 'em eat. She healed 'em."

Miroku almost smiled. "She's got a gift for healing."

Inuyasha's mouth twitched. Yeah. "Wiped her out, though."

"She's still asleep."

"Well, it took a lot outta her."

"Sango and I gathered as much when we saw her."

Miroku, make a point or go the fuck away. "Lemme know when she wakes up."

"Of course." Inuyasha had almost lost himself in his brooding again when Miroku spoke again. "She was crying."

Damn it.

"Did Kouga hurt her?"

If he had, I woulda fuckin' killed him. "No."

"Did you fight with him?"

Inuyasha huffed. "Nah. She was out cold. I just wanted to get her back." Miroku made a soft sound of understanding and silence fell between them again. I coulda told her. I coulda said... somethin'. Then maybe she'd understand. She always does. But... if she don't want me worryin' about her anymore.... He felt his stomach roll and he clenched his hands, claws piercing his palms lightly. She held onto me. She held onto me and said my name. But it didn't mean. A. Fuckin'. Thing. And I shoulda known that. Idiot.

"What happened between you and Kagome, Inuyasha?" Miroku said softly.

Inuyasha shrugged. "She woke up. We fought. I brought her home." It ain't her home. Damn it.

"Fighting with Kagome doesn't usually get this reaction out of you."

"Keh. How'm I supposed to react?" 'Specially when she don't want to deal with me.

Miroku rose to his feet, brushing off his robes. "I've never seen you this quiet."

"Maybe you just ain't around when I am."

"Possibly. At any rate, I wanted to make sure you were all right. Kagome-sama's been acting so odd lately--"

Inuyasha let loose a bark of laughter. No shit.

"....Not that I have to tell you, obviously, but I can only imagine it's been hard for you."

"You got no idea, bouzu." Inuyasha saw Miroku's sandals move into his field of vision.

"You could tell me," Miroku said gently.

Inuyasha raised his eyes to Miroku's slowly. Miroku blinked; he'd never seen so much emotion in Inuyasha's eyes. Or so much pain. "She don't want to 'deal with it' anymore."

"Doesn't want to... deal with it?" Miroku repeated incredulously. "Kagome-sama?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "It's what she said."

Miroku sat down again slowly. "That doesn't sound like her."

"I dunno." Inuyasha sighed. "Maybe she means shards. Maybe she means bein' here." He swallowed. "Maybe she means me."

"You?" Miroku said. "You think...."

Inuyasha growled. "I dunno what to think. She don't talk to me, she don't even fuckin' look at me anymore. She ain't ridden on my back in fuckin' weeks; practically had to force her to get her back to the damn village. The fuck'm I supposed to think?" She sleeps all the gods damned time, lookin' happy.... Looks at me and she's fuckin' disappointed.

"You think she no longer cares for you?" Miroku shifted his staff to his other shoulder. The concept of Kagome ceasing to care for Inuyasha seemed about as likely as Sesshoumaru marrying a human.

"I think she'll prob'ly go back to her own time when she wakes up. After that, who knows?" Inuyasha shrugged. "Anyway, it ain't my problem." Almost convincin'. Good job.

Miroku was shaking his head slowly. "She wouldn't leave us. Or you."

Inuyasha shrugged again, tilting his head forward. You weren't there. You didn't see her. He closed his eyes. 'You're not him.' His stomach knotted tighter.

Miroku sighed. "I should have said something to her sooner."

"Who cares? She'll go home when she wakes up, and we'll get on with it." Maybe he's in her time. Or maybe she'll come back. Miroku's frown deepened, and Inuyasha huffed impatiently. "If she don't wanna be here, then I ain't gonna fuckin' force her to stay."

"And if she doesn't want to be here," Miroku snapped back, "something's wrong."

He nearly laughed. "Right, cause combin' through the gods-forsaken countryside for those fuckin' jewel shards, maybe gettin' killed by Naraku or some other fuckin' demon in the process, is a great fuckin' time."

"None of that mattered to her before."

Inuyasha lifted his gaze back to the pale scar on the trunk of the tree. "Well, maybe somethin' else matters to her now." Maybe someone else does.

Miroku studied Inuyasha's averted face for several moments. "Do you think she's in love with someone?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Never said that."

"You didn't have to," Miroku said.

"Keh. So what if she is?" Inuyasha swallowed against the huskiness in his voice. Miroku nodded slowly, and Inuyasha repressed the urge to smack the understanding look off the monk's face. It ain't my fuckin' business. If it ain't me she wants, I should be relieved. It's probably some simperin' human boy at that 'school' she goes to. Makes things simpler. Then why the hell does it hurt so fuckin' much?

Miroku stood up slowly. "I believe I'm going to have a talk with Kagome-sama." Inuyasha shrugged. Miroku sighed to himself and put a hand on the hanyou's shoulder before he began to walk towards the village. He'd often wondered what would happen between the pair if Kagome finally moved on to someone who was free to return her feelings. Miroku wasn't surprised that it had wounded Inuyasha to this degree, but was surprised that Inuyasha expected Kagome to abandon her responsibilities as the guardian of the Shikon-no-Tama as a result. That's not the Kagome I know. He sighed as he drew within sight of Kaede's hut. Damn it. I shouldn't have let this go.

Sango sat on the stoop, carefully polishing her katana. Miroku's expression softened momentarily as he paused to watch her. I suppose I can't blame Inuyasha for acting as he is. When I thought Sango would marry that warlord.... He shoved that out of his head.

Sango glanced up as she heard the sound of Miroku's shakujou stop. "Houshi-sama? Are you back already?"

Miroku nodded. "He's...." He trailed off as he searched for the right word to convey Inuyasha's mood.

"He's brooding, I would imagine," Sango said, running an exploratory thumb down the length of the blade.

"It's more than that, though," Miroku said. "He seems... heartbroken." Sango paused, her silence conveying her disbelief more eloquently than any thing she could have said. Miroku shrugged. "He seems to think she cares for someone in her own country, and that she'll go back when she wakes up."

Sango resumed running a cloth over her sword. "I wonder what gave him such a foolish idea?"

"I didn't manage to find that out. I felt I'd pried about as much as I could without getting my head beaten in." He grinned at her.

Sango shook her head fondly. "You always deserve it, you know."

"As you say," Miroku replied. He eyed the curve of her hip for a moment. No, I want her to talk to me. He sat down on the stoop, placing himself out of arm's reach.

The cloth paused for a moment. "She's not, though. Is she?" Sango said, carefully avoiding acknowledging Miroku's choice.

"I'm going to ask her." Miroku twirled his staff idly, listening to the rings jangle. "I shouldn't have let this go on. I knew she was acting strange, but I thought it would pass."

Sango pursed her lips. "Her strange behavior...." She paused again, resting the sword across her lap. Miroku waited patiently. "I don't know, houshi-sama. She's behaving like a woman in love, yes, but.... I don't know if that could possibly explain everything that's been strange about her."

Miroku's laugh was edged lightly with irony. "I must admit, I'm not familiar with the behavior of women in love."

Sango ignored this. "Sleeping all the time? And... her unusual display of power in the woods. And the idea that she'd neglect her duties to us?" She shook her head slowly.

Miroku frowned. "You know.... we can dismiss the idea that this is all simply because she's in love. Because if these were side effects...."

"Then we would have seen them long before now," Sango said dryly.

"Exactly," Miroku said, matching her tone. "No.... Naraku may be involved, but it's best to start with the easiest method of finding out what's wrong. We should talk to her." Sango nodded. Miroku grinned at her. "I suppose I shouldn't try to wake her up."

Sango raised her eyebrows at Miroku. "How were you planning on waking her up?" Miroku's grin only broadened. Sango rolled her eyes and got to her feet, sheathing the katana pointedly. "I'll do it. That way she doesn't have to worry about being molested."

Miroku clapped a hand to his heart. "You wound me, Sango." She merely tapped the scabbard meaningfully before ducking through the door. Miroku heaved a sigh that was meant to sound put-upon, but his heart felt lighter. I will never understand why her threatening me cheers me up so much.

Sango knelt next to the futon where Kagome lay. Sango rested a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. "Kagome?" Kagome's head rocked slightly, but her breathing remained deep and even. Sango frowned. "Kagome, wake up. Houshi-sama and I need to speak with you." Nothing. Kagome's eyes didn't even flutter, as if she couldn't hear. "Kagome?"

Miroku looked through the flap. "What's wrong?"

Sango frowned, shaking her head. "She won't wake up."

"She's been difficult to awaken before," Miroku said, kneeling next to Sango.

Sango lifted Kagome so the younger girl's shoulders rested against Sango's arm. "Come on, Kagome, wake up," Sango said clearly, slapping her lightly. "Kagome, wake up." She raised her friend a little higher, and Kagome's head rolled back, showing no resistance or recognition. Sango swallowed against a rising sense of panic. "Kagome."

Miroku held his left hand over Kagome's mouth. "She's breathing, at least."

Sango laid Kagome back down and leaned over, pressing an ear to her chest. "And her heartbeat is strong."

Miroku sat back on his heels. "Damn it. We need to get Kaede-sama."

Sango straightened up. "She's in the village." Miroku nodded, rising to his feet and she grabbed the hem of his robe. "We should get Inuyasha, too." She sighed as Miroku's jaw tightened. She didn't relish the idea of telling the hanyou either, but he needed to know.

Miroku tried a smile. "He'll panic."

Sango smiled weakly back. "Well, if she can sleep through his panic, then we'll know it's serious."

"True." Miroku paused, tempted to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. No, she'll think I'm making a move and we can't afford to lose the time. "All right. I'll get Inuyasha. You get Kaede-sama." Sango nodded and came to her feet in a fluid motion Miroku allowed himself to admire before striding briskly out of the door. He sighed and turned his feet once more towards the God Tree.

Inuyasha sat exactly where Miroku had left him. Miroku gritted his teeth. Oh, this could get ugly. "Inuyasha?" He felt slightly relieved that this time the hanyou actually turned to look at him.

Inuyasha frowned, ears flattening. He smells worried. Somethin's wrong. "Yeah?"

"We need your help for a moment."

"What happened?" Inuyasha asked, getting to his feet.

"Sango and I tried to wake Kagome-sama so we might talk to her. But... she's not waking up."

Inuyasha's eyebrows drew together and his eyes grew dark. "She's not waking up? Whaddya mean, she's not waking up?" She ain't.... She can't be....

"She seems to be quite deeply asleep," Miroku said quickly.

The tension gathering in Inuyasha's frame immediately dissipated. "Keh. You just ain't tryin' hard enough."

"Probably," Miroku said easily. "Will you help us?"

Inuyasha snorted, shoving past the monk. "If I gotta." He strode off toward the village. At least I can help. Even if she don't want me anymore. He barely registered the chime of Miroku's staff indicating that the monk was following him. Inuyasha burst through the door flap and stopped. Kagome lay quietly on the mat, curled up on her side. He stared at her for a long moment, ignoring the worried gazes of Kaede and Sango. What the fuck're they worried about? "You people," he said casually, dropping down next to the mat. "She's just sleepin'." He nudged Kagome with a careless hand. "Oi, Kagome. Wake up." A faint smile crossed her mouth. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Dumb wench is just playin' games with us. "Ka-go-me! Hey, Sleepin' Fuckin' Beauty, wake up!"

Miroku crossed to stand next to Sango, who looked up at him worriedly. Miroku shook his head slowly, watching Inuyasha.

Inuyasha bent closer to the sleeping girl, frowning. What the hell? He lifted her up by her upper arms and shook her as hard as he dared. "Damn it, Kagome, wake the fuck up." Her head lolled back and forth with the rhythm of the shaking, but her eyes didn't open. Inuyasha swallowed. Please. Wake up. His heart leaped for a moment as she let out a breathy little sigh and her head rolled forward, but then she fell still again.

"That's enough, Inuyasha," Kaede said.

He gathered Kagome closer to him and glared up at the watching miko. "What happened to her?" His voice had dropped to a dangerous growl.

"I don't know," Kaede said gently.

Inuyasha turned his glare on Miroku. "Well? You don't go to sleep and just not wake up. Who's been here? Who did this to her?" Kagome sighed again and turned her face against him, nestling closer. He felt a fresh crack run through his painfully aching heart. Kagome....

"Sango," Miroku said quietly. "Did you see anyone approach the hut this morning?"

"No, houshi-sama," Sango replied formally. "Shippo came in and out, but he's been doing chores for Kaede-sama most of the morning. And, of course, neither he, I, nor you would hurt Kagome."

"And," Miroku continued, "We were both here last evening when she went to sleep. So no one has been near Kagome-sama."

Inuyasha nodded, distractedly running one hand through her hair. Wake up. Please wake up. It's okay, Kagome. You can love him, whoever he is. Just wake up. Please, Kagome. "That can't be it," he said gruffly. "That can't be all there is."

Sango sighed. "Inuyasha, nobody besides us has been in or out of here all morning. I've been here the whole time."

"I don't care if no one came in or out," he snarled. "This ain't normal!"

Miroku sat down slowly, puzzling over the situation. "Obviously, it's not," he murmured.

Inuyasha settled more comfortably on the ground, cradling Kagome against him. Her smile deepened and her hand curled into the fabric of his haori. He glanced down at her. "Kagome?"

Miroku tilted his head thoughtfully. "I wonder why she responds to you."

Inuyasha shook his head slowly. "I dunno."

Kaede knelt next to him and laid a gentle hand on Kagome's forehead. "Houshi-dono. You said she was caring for some ill wolf youkai cubs?" Miroku nodded. "She has no fever," Kaede mused, then probed gently at the girl's neck. "No swelling here." She sat back on her heels. "She doesn't appear to be ill."

"Just asleep," Miroku said without a trace of his building frustration.

"Very asleep," Sango said. Something about Kagome's face caught her attention and she leaned a little closer. "....And she's dreaming."

Miroku looked at Sango with surprise. "How can you tell?"

"When he was very young, Kohaku used to have nightmares -- he was often afraid for us when my father and I would go off on an assignment. Sometimes he dreamed about the day when he would have to fight youkai. I used to sit with him some nights. And I began to notice that his eyes moved when he was having some of his most vivid dreams and nightmares." Sango smiled a little sadly, remembering. "Just like Kagome-chan's are doing now."

"I see," Miroku murmured, peering at Kagome's eyes.

"Usually, when his eyes were moving as fast as Kagome-chan's are, he'd wake up calling for me or father."

"But she ain't wakin' up," Inuyasha pointed out. "And she ain't callin' for anyone."

"Not out loud, anyway," Miroku said. "But she's responding to you."

Inuyasha swallowed and held her closer.

Kaede said slowly, "Inuyasha, would you put her down for a moment?"

Incredulous golden eyes snapped to hers. "What?"

"I said," she repeated, a bit more tartly, "Would you put her down for a moment?"

"No."

"I merely want to see something."

"Inuyasha, Kaede-sama only wants to help," Sango interjected.

Inuyasha laid Kagome back on the mat so gently it wouldn't have woken a fretful child. A small voice in his head cried out to pick her back up and never put her down again, but he drew away from her slowly. Kagome's smile faded slowly until she merely lay on the mat like a discarded rag doll. Kaede nodded and turned to Miroku. "Houshi-dono, would you mind?" Miroku started and looked at Kaede with surprise.

"Would he mind what?" Inuyasha snapped.

Kaede sighed. "I merely want to see something."

"He ain't touchin' her."

Miroku swallowed, well aware of the furious golden eyes and suspicious hazel ones drilling into him. "I won't do anything, I swear." After a long moment, Inuyasha nodded curtly and moved away from the sleeping girl. Miroku sat down next to her and lifted her carefully into his lap, keeping his hands well away from any areas that might get him beaten unconscious.

Sango chewed her lip, watching Kagome lie senseless in Miroku's arms. "Maybe... if... Houshi-sama would hold her a bit more like Inuyasha was?" Miroku shot her an incredulous look, which she ignored. Very gently, ignoring the low growl building in Inuyasha's throat, he slid an arm around Kagome's shoulders, tucking her against his chest. She didn't respond, for which he felt a twinge of ironic relief.

Kaede nodded. "You may put her down now."

Miroku laid Kagome back on the mat, fondly brushing a strand of hair off her forehead before moving away from her. Kaede turned to Sango. "Sango?"

Sango started. "Yes?"

"For the sake of completeness...."

"Oh, yes. Of course." She sank cross-legged onto the mat and lifted her friend into her arms. Sango looked down at Kagome's still face. "Kagome-chan," she said softly, brushing her bangs back in the way Miroku had done. She sighed when it became clear that Kagome wasn't going to move, and laid her back on the mat.

Kaede nodded and looked at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha."

He started, having had his concentration fixed on Kagome. "What?"

Kaede suppressed a smile. "If you wouldn't mind?"

Inuyasha dropped down, cross-legged, and lifted Kagome into his lap, cradling her against him. Instantly, she curled closer to him and reached up, twining her fingers into his clothing. He sighed a bit. She knows it's me. It can't be that bad if she knows it's me. He brushed once more at her hair, whispering, "C'mon, Kagome. Wake up, huh?" Her mouth curved, but she didn't move again. He swallowed. Please....

Kaede turned to Sango and Miroku. "It might be best if Kagome were moved to the quarantine hut."

"No," Inuyasha said flatly.

"No?"

He looked up at Kaede, resolved. "No. She ain't gonna be left alone in there. Not if we don't know what's doin' this."

Kaede quirked an eyebrow at him. "Did I say she should be left alone?"

Inuyasha blinked. "You said... quarantine."

Kaede smiled kindly. "I thought that since there's quite a bit of activity in here during the day, she might be better tended somewhere quiet. As it is, Inuyasha, you'll need to stay with her."

Miroku raised his eyebrows. "He will?"

Inuyasha rose to his feet, cradling Kagome securely. "I am, whether I 'need' to or not."

"Why is that, Kaede-sama?" Sango asked.

Kaede watched the girl sleeping trustfully in Inuyasha's arms for a moment. "Inuyasha draws a response from her, which keeps her tied to the waking world. Until the houshi and I discover the source of this sleep, it's best not to let her... slip deeper."

Inuyasha nodded. "All right then." He ducked out of the hut, carrying Kagome. Somethin' I can do, at least.

Sango waited until she was sure he was out of earshot, and then looked between Miroku and Kaede. "So what do we need to do first?"

Kaede sighed, lowering herself to the ground. "Are the both of you convinced this is unnatural?"

Miroku nodded. "I don't see how it could be anything else. Kagome-sama never sleeps this heavily. And...."

Sango picked up the thought. "She's been behaving strangely." She began to tick the odd things off on her fingers. "She's been impatient, irritable..."

"Distracted," Miroku added.

Sango nodded. "When she wakes, it's like she doesn't even recognize where she is. And for as much as she sleeps, she's always tired, never rested."

Kaede frowned. "You didn't mention this before."

Miroku winced. "I suppose I thought she was under so much stress from her dual lives...."

"And it was easy to dismiss each incident separately," Sango said. "It's when you consider them all at once like this that you realize how strange the situation is."

Kaede nodded. "Houshi-dono, we'll need to ward the hut. Later, we can try to probe her for foreign magic and see if she's under a spell."

Miroku cleared his throat at the prompting glance Sango shot him. "However, there was something we should have mentioned."

Kaede looked at him steadily. "Oh?"

"She... cast a barrier."

Kaede blinked. "She what?"

Miroku nodded. "It was about a week ago, while we were shard hunting. We were attacked by a boar that was controlled by a tainted guardian forest spirit. It was tainted by a shard. Kagome-sama cast a barrier that blocked the controlling spell."

Sango murmured, "And then she found the shard."

"She pulled it out of midair, Kaede-sama. It was... astounding."

Kaede simply stared at the two of them for a long moment. "Has she done anything else?" she said finally.

"Not that I've seen," Miroku said.

"I haven't seen anything either," Sango chimed.

"She went off with the wolf youkai, as I told you, but.... Since she considers him a friend, I thought nothing of it," Miroku said.

Kaede nodded. "From what I've gathered, what was ailing those cubs was well within Kagome's ability to cure." She got stiffly to her feet. "We need to ward that hut as soon as possible, houshi-dono."

"I'll be with you in a moment, Kaede-sama." Miroku waited until the old miko had stepped out into the sunlight before slumping and rubbing at his forehead. "May the gods forgive me," he muttered, rising to his feet.

Sango cleared her throat. "Houshi-sama." He turned self-reproachful blue eyes on her and she nearly smiled. How he can be so irresponsible and yet chastise himself for something that isn't his fault.... She glanced in the direction she knew the quarantine hut was in. "We didn't know for sure there was anything wrong. If we blame ourselves, we aren't helping Kagome-chan."

He frowned faintly. "Didn't we?"

She rose to her feet, nearly stepping closer to him before she forcibly reminded herself of who he was. "Her life -- dividing her attention between her responsibilities here and her responsibilities in her own land -- is stressful. There were explanations for each thing by itself. We simply didn't realize they were tied together. But now we do. And now we do what is necessary. And we don't dwell on what we might have done."

Miroku sighed. "You're right." He paused for a moment and shook his head. "No, you're right. I simply...." His voice trailed off.

Sango offered him an ironic commiserating grin. "Feel like you should have seen it coming? Me too."

His mouth turned up at one corner. "I feel stupid. I don't like feeling stupid."

She almost shook her head. "Of course you don't. No one does. But with all due respect, now is not the time to concentrate on how you feel. Now we concentrate on what we can do. Because we can always help her as long as she lives."

Miroku's eyes darkened briefly. "Don't even think that. She's not going to die." He walked slowly towards the door.

"No," Sango said softly. "She's not." Please, gods, don't let her die.

He paused at the door and looked back at her. His eyes had cleared and for a moment, she saw the man she suspected truly lived in that convoluted mind. "Thank you, Sango."

She smiled back at him, feeling a blush touch her cheeks. "You're welcome, houshi-sama." And he vanished into the sunshine, without making a move towards her.

***

Kagome sang wordlessly as she tied the gathered herbs into bundles. She remembered when she'd hated these chores, but it was much less tedious now, when she knew she would see Inuyasha at the end of the day. Her shoulders ached and she wondered if she could tease him into rubbing them for her while she babbled at him about all the things she'd learned. He's so shy about his strength, but it feels really good on sore muscles.

Her hands paused. She wanted to cry again. She'd been fighting a strange wave of melancholy all day, but had been able to ignore it more easily by concentrating on the tedium of her chores. Get a grip, silly girl. There's nothing out there. You probed the area yourself. You even set up those minor wards. There's nothing out there.

But still, her throat was closing and tears blurred her vision.

"Honestly, Kagome," she muttered. "What could possibly upset you? You have everything you want." She bent back over the herbs, picking up her tune. Unnoticed, a stray tear spilled down her face and splashed onto the bundle she was tying.

***

While shadows and loneliness linger
I'm dreaming with tears in my eyes