A/N: Hello again, and thanks to all who've read! I'd love any and all comments/suggestions!

xoxoxo
Col'sha

Kagome tossed her keys in her purse and slammed the door of her car before heading towards the doctor's office. She wasn't sure how she felt today. She was really disappointed after her last visit. Kagome had really hoped that she would come up with something to explain her strange nightmares and blackouts. Dr. Myouga told her that sometimes it took several visits. Kagome just felt this sense of dread, like she didn't really have the time to wait. The doctor had explained to her that it was simple anxiety she had been feeling.

"When you have a sense of fear or foreboding that isn't related to anything that is actually happening—that's anxiety. And it can be quite dangerous to your mental health if we don't get it under control. What we need to do is help you figure out what it is that you are 'afraid' of so you can face it and therefore wipe out your anxiety. It isn't always easy, but there is usually some underlying cause."

Kagome just felt as though everyone was on edge lately, not only herself. Miroku was acting peculiar, and when she tried to talk to Sango about her feelings, Sango all but brushed her off. Inu Yasha was out of the country with Kikyo again, so she had just had an acute feeling of being abandoned.

'I'm too old for this,' she thought to herself bitterly. She wished she could talk to her mother about all this. She felt the hot sting of tears at the thought of her mother. She missed her so much. She didn't think she would ever get over it. It was supposed to get easier, but Kagome still felt so raw whenever she reexamined the void left in her life by her mother's death four years ago. She quickly swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand before she pushed the door open and was hit with the dry air conditioned coolness of Dr. Myouga's office.

"Good afternoon, Kagome. Dr. Myouga will be ready for you in just a few minutes, okay?" Kagome looked at the desk to see Rin, Dr. Myouga's receptionist. No matter how you felt when you arrived at the doctor's office, Rin always made you feel better. She always had such a bright smile. People just shouldn't be allowed to be so freaking happy, Kagome had thought upon first meeting Rin. This was months after her mother's death, when Kagome was at her very lowest. Rin's sweet chatter felt like sandpaper on her delicate sensibilities. It slowly became obvious that Rin's cheerful demeanor was actually good for Kagome, as she began to look forward to her short interactions with the young woman. Today was no different.

"How are you Rin?" Kagome asked, trying to return the smile.

"Oh, I'm great! And you? I haven't seen you two weeks in a row for quite a while now." Rin observed. She became slightly sober. "How have you been?" she asked, with great concern. Where this would have been a highly inappropriate question from a mere receptionist in most cases, she and Kagome had a good enough relationship that it only communicated genuine care for her friend.

Kagome looked at Rin for a moment. "Actually, I'm really okay. I just need to get to the bottom of some nightmares I've been having lately. Nothing major. I am okay."

Rin smiled again. "I'm glad to hear you're doing fine then." At that, an intercom buzzed on her desk and she gestured towards the doctor's door. "Go right in, Kagome."

"Thanks, Rin," Kagome said over her shoulder. She opened the door and slid inside.

"So, Kagome, you've decided you would like to continue with the hypnosis?"

Kagome nodded her head firmly. "Yes, absolutely. We are going to make progress today, I can feel it," she added insistently.

The doctor took a moment to observe her. He had spent many hours on the phone with his colleagues and just as many in the dim light of his computer screen while reading research and correspondence. He was positively intrigued with the results of Kagome's hypnotism. And he was not at all happy that he could not find any serious research of that type. It seems as though any patient that ever exhibited evidence of having a past life was proven to be a fraud before the end of their treatment. Could Kagome be lying? She had nothing to gain from it and it seemed to truly pain her. Dr. Myouga spent his last week caught up in inner conversations just like this. He felt the need to defend himself and his patient to the other doctors he consulted with as well. One of his closest friends, one who he though would be incredibly open-minded, was the most skeptical. He came within a hair's breadth of flat out accusing him of lying. It was clear that he had some difficult work ahead of him, if what he thought was happening with Kagome was indeed happening. But he definitely didn't plan to discuss it further with his colleagues. Not until they had several more sessions, and he had a lot more information to go on.

"I'm glad you'd like to continue. Let's get started then." Dr. Myouga motioned for Kagome to sit back in the chair while he stood to dim the lights. "Please relax."

The doctor stepped behind his desk and pressed a button on the tape recorder. Then he came around the desk and positioned himself on the chair in front of Kagome.

Kagome again closed her eyes and folded her hands on her chest. She listened to the doctor's smooth voice as he walked her through her relaxation. She followed his directions, clearing her mind, picturing her special place where she felt the most relaxed, and then putting herself there. She found herself surround by lush trees and greenery. The air smelled clean and fresh like it had just rained and washed away everything impure. The grass felt cool beneath her bare feet and the air caressed her arms and legs. She could barely hear Dr. Myouga's voice over the sudden sound of water rushing. It sounded like a waterfall.

"Mmm...a waterfall." She murmured.

"Good, Kagome, what else?" she heard a quiet voice inquire.

Kagome spun around with childish glee in the damp grass. 'I feel so different,' she marveled to herself. She ran to the water and nimbly climbed on to a rock then dipped her foot into the crystal clear water. She closed her eyes, and tipped her head towards the sky and felt the sun on her face. Then she realized one of the things that felt so different was the absence of any fear or anxiety.

"Has it really been so long since I lived without this sense of dread?" she wondered out loud.

"What do you dread, Kagome?" the formless voice asked her.

"Why, nothing at all." She replied. "I feel perfectly calm and relaxed here. It is beautiful."

A gentle breeze tossed her hair about, and flipped the collar of her blouse into her face. She raised a hand to smooth her hair and realized that she again seemed to be wearing her school uniform. She grinned amusedly and looked at her hands. "No wonder I feel so different. I'm probably fifteen years younger." She giggled and stood on the rock, running her fingers through her longer hair. 'I remember how much I loved my hair this long.' She mused. But duty calls, and adult women don't wear their hair like young virgins in the workforce. Not if they want to be taken seriously, anyway. So the locks were chopped after college. But for now, they were back and she was thoroughly enjoying them. She jumped off the rock and admired her legs. 'God, I never appreciated my body when it looked like this. Boy, do I wish it still did.' She ran her hands down her body feeling slightly smaller and incredibly firm breasts. Then a narrow waistline and flat stomach followed by strong thighs.

"Was I really this lean?" she asked aloud.

"What do you mean, Kagome?" the voice again interrupted.

She squeezed her thighs with both hands. "I was never ever this fit. My legs feel like iron. I bet I could run ten miles."

'Ah, good. Again we are not just dealing with her past, we are dealing with a past that she doesn't recall existing. This is the right direction,' Dr. Myouga thought.

Suddenly the sky began to darken. Kagome shivered as the air drastically cooled and the water began to churn as though it was disturbed. Kagome wrapped her thin arms around herself and looked around.

"Kagome, what do you see now?" the doctor continued.

"It's getting dark. Like it's going to storm. And—and cold." The once gentle breeze turned to chaotic gusts of wintry cold air. Kagome began to shake.

Dr. Myouga looked at her sitting in the chair with her arms wrapped around herself, shaking in the 70-degree office as though she were seated in a snow bank. Her teeth began to chatter. He wrestled with himself about how far to let her go. She seemed to really need answers and would probably be disappointed if he stopped now. But he had to consider her safety as well. He had no experience with the ramifications of mentally thrusting someone back into a past life. He had no idea what would happen to her body that was still very much in the present. He decided to go a little longer, if she felt comfortable with it.

"Kagome, do you wish to stop? Shall I bring you back?"

"Wait," she answered through clenched teeth. "I want to see what's going on."

"KAGOME!" a shrill voice called to her. She looked up to see a small child practically hurl itself at her. She caught the boy in midair and he held her with tiny arms while sobbing into her shoulder.

"Inu Yasha's being mean to MEEEEEE!" The child wailed. Speechless, she took a closer look at the 'child.' The young boy was only the size of a toddler, but was obviously older than he looked. He had a ponytail of bright red hair on the top of his head...and a tail. She steadied herself. Again with the tails. Why does everyone in my dreams have tails these days?

Inu Yasha quickly came around a bush with his fists clenched, growling. Kagome practically jumped out of her skin as he made his way to her. He stopped instantly as he saw the look of terror in her eyes.

"Kagome, what is it?"

Inu Yasha stood before her, dressed in a red haori and matching red pants. His head was cocked to the side as he watched her curiously. He wore beads around his neck and had a sword at his side. As in her last dream, he had ears on the top of his head and claws at the end of his fingers. She swallowed hard before answering.

"I—I mean, well..."

"Kagome-chan!"
"Kagome-sama!"

Kagome looked towards the narrow trail and Sango emerged, followed by Miroku. Kagome visibly relaxed at the sign of Miroku.

"You're here." She said, directing her comment to Miroku. He did not catch this and seemed preoccupied with watching Sango. Sango's eyes were on Kagome's face and she was blushing slightly.

Kagome tilted her head up and closed her eyes. "Okay, doctor. It seems as though Inu Yasha and Sango and Miroku are all here now." Kagome looked down at the bundle in her arms that was now watching her face intently. "And an adorable little child with a tail." Shippou gave Kagome a half smile and a sniffle.

Kagome waited for the doctor's soothing voice to come to her through the clouds again, but she heard nothing. Inu Yasha glanced at Sango and Miroku then looked back at Kagome, worriedly.

"Kagome, who are you talking to?" Inu Yasha asked her slowly.

Kagome opened her eyes and looked at the group again. She decided if she didn't have the doctor's help she would take some initiative and ask some of her own questions.

"Okay. Answer a few questions for me, please, Inu Yasha?" Kagome began, authoritatively.

"Sure." He answered.

"Where are we?"

Inu Yasha sniffed the air. "I couldn't tell you exactly, but we are a five day walk east of the village." He sniffed again. "We aren't anywhere near another village, though. So if that's what you were hoping for, it probably won't happen for a few days. Wasn't your bath here good enough?" he asked.

"Never mind." She answered. "What time is it?" Inu Yasha looked at her confused, and then looked at the sky.

"No, no—I mean, what year is it?" Kagome asked, mildly irritated. She saw no roads, no houses, and no civilization of any kind. Everyone in the group was dressed the way she had only seen in books and movies. But, here she was, in a school uniform. And this did not seem to phase them at all."

"Feh! Did you all of a sudden forget where you go when you pass through the well?" Inu Yasha said, offhandedly. "This is Sengoku Jidai, of course."

Kagome thought for a moment. "Sengoku Jidai?" she repeated, as she desperately tried to remember some history. No, that couldn't be right.

Inu Yasha was looking at her as though she had just grown another head. Sango quickly approached Kagome and put her arm around her shoulder. "Inu Yasha, can't you see that something is wrong with Kagome?"

Miroku was suddenly on her other side. Kagome took Miroku's hand and held it tightly to her heart. Inu Yasha's eyes popped open wide and he violently grabbed Miroku's hand and pushed it away.

"What are you doing, you perverted monk? Trying to take advantage of her?"

In a flash Sango had relieved Miroku of his staff and knocked him away from Kagome.

"Hoshi-sama! Behave! Kagome is not well!"

Miroku could only stammer and blush as he looked at Kagome, then at his hand, and back to Kagome again. "I—I—she—she..."

"How can he take advantage of me? He's my husband!"

Inu Yasha's first thought was how he would kill the monk for somehow running off with Kagome and mating with her right under his nose. But the monk had other plans and had passed dead away in a messy pile of robes at their feet.

Kagome reached for him with a cry, but felt as though she were being dangled just beyond his still form. Sango jumped back and Inu Yasha quickly brandished the Tessaiga. Kagome opened her mouth but wasn't able to make a sound. The last thing she heard before the world went white was, not surprisingly, Inu Yasha's voice, sounding irritated.

"Not again!"