Chapter 7- The Journey Begins

(Inside Kagome's Mind)

The pitch black darkness began to fade into a light gray. All of the light seemed to be emanating from a single point in front of her. Kagome watched it with a unique fascination. Am I dying? She thought.

The light went from a dull shine, to an ovular shape. The streams of light change from white to blue then slowly formed into the shape of a woman. Then the womanly form took on a more definite shape. The shape of Kikyo. Yet her figure maintained a blue hue.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome demanded.

Kikyo just looked at her with a faint smile as her aura got stronger.

"Answer me!" Kagome yelled.

"I am here to reclaim what is mine." The Priestess' soul finally said.

"What are you talking about?"

Kikyo looked at the figure of Kagome with distain, "You are my reincarnation. The only reason I cannot be at peace and have what I want from this Earth is you. As long as you exist, I cannot."

"What are you talking about?" Kagome was completely confused by Inuyasha's previous lover.

"Every soul has a life force. It is this life force that brings life to a soul so that it can become a person. You are my reincarnation because we share the same life force, Kagome." The priestess explained. "I cannot share this time with you any longer, and I cannot live out my days in that mud shell."

Slowly the realization came to the school girl. "So you're going to take my body...?" she asked, not wanting to know the answer.

Kikyo smiled a cynical, almost evil smile. "I have injected my soul into your body. Here, in your mind, we will decide once and for all, who will survive."


(In Kaede's hut)

"Kaede!! What the hell just happened?!?!?" Inuyasha had placed Kagome back on her mat before unleashing his wrath on the old priestess.

"It appears that a soul has just entered Kagome's body." She said calmly, as if she was telling him that dinner was ready.

"A Soul?!?! How? Why? Who's?" he was so furious he couldn't focus on one question his cheeks became red with anger. Kaede had begun packing Kagome's things into her yellow back pack as he badgered her with questions. She knew exactly where this was leading and Inuyasha was not ready to hear it... yet.

"A powerful priestess, or dark priestess, can call the soul from one creature and place it in the body of another."

Sango too had been collecting her own things knowing that time was running out. "What happens to the soul that was the original soul for that body?"

"Kagome's soul, and whomever's soul just entered her body, will have to fight each other. The winner will gain control of the body."

Miroku spoke next. "And the loser?"

"That soul is forced to wander Earth, for all eternity." Sesshoumaru calmly stated from the doorway. Everyone stared at him then turned back to Kaede, who simply nodded.

"We've got to help her!" Inuyasha cried.

"Yeah!" Shippo chirped in.

"We can't." Kaede said finally raising her voice. She was now visibly upset. "Only Kagome can help herself. But we can help her to hinder the other soul. We must take Kagome to the body of whoever's soul is in her. Then, hopefully, the other body will call back its owner."

"But we don't know who hired the assassins." Sango said

"Or even where the assassins are." Miroku added.

"But we know they fled to the North." Kaede said nodding toward Sesshoumaru, reminding the group he was the one who brought them that news.

"Then we'll head North." Inuyasha proclaimed. "I'll sniff them out and Kagome will just have to do the rest."

Sesshoumaru watched what was happening with a blank face, but within his own mind he was dealing with a struggle. Something, he couldn't figure out what, made him feel obligated to help. Despite his contempt for his half brother he felt a sneaking suspicion he should aid him. He felt a tug on his sleeve and looked down to see Rin's brown eyes fixed on him. He waited for her to speak.

In a soft voice she asked, "Are you going too Sesshoumaru?" The others did not hear or notice their side conversation as they exited the hut and prepared a cart and horse for their excursion.

Sesshoumaru kept his face stern as he turned from her and watched Inuyasha pick up the ill Kagome and exit the hut with her. He turned back to Rin and, for just a moment, imagined himself carrying her in his arms and Inuyasha looking on. "Yes Rin, I am going to go with them."

Sesshoumaru exited the hut with Rin close behind him. He watched as Inuyasha carefully lay Kagome in the back of a cart filled with soft straw for padding. He carefully covered her in a blanket and tucked the sides of it under her limbs. Kaede sat in the driver's perch with the reigns in her hand. Kirara stood beside the cart with Miroku and Sango on her back.

"Please let me go!" Shippo cried from the ground beside the cart. "I want to help Kagome."

"You need to stay here." Hollered Inuyasha as he jumped off the cart and picked up Shippo by the tail. The little kitsue kicked and flailed his arms to no avail. Inuyasha walked him to the hut before softening his tone as he put him down, "Please Shippo just stay here."

Sesshoumaru stood beside his brother. "I have a task for you fox-demon. You are to watch over Rin and see to it not one hair on her head is harmed. Do you understand?"

Inuyasha looked at his full-blooded demon brother with surprise as the fox nodded and accepted the challenge placed before him. Sesshoumaru turned and left without another word.

Jaken followed eagerly behind him crying out, "Lord Sesshoumaru! Lord Sesshoumaru! Do you not trust me with Rin? Have I not been your faithful servant?" The demon lord stopped dead in his tracks causing the lesser demon to slam into the back of his leg dropping his enormous staff.

"You are not in charge of Rin because you are coming with us." Sessoumaru said coldly.

"What is this 'us' nonsense?" Inuyasha stormed over and came face to face with his brother. "Who invited you to come? We don't need your help."

Before Sesshoumaru could reply Kaede's voice broke through the argument. "Inuyasha, do not refuse your brother's good intentions."

Inuyasha lifted his nose and crossed his arms over his chest, "half- brother." He corrected.

"Either way," Kaede continued, "he has offered to help us save Kagome, and we are going to need all the help we can get." With that she turned the cart to the North and snapped the horses reigns so that they began to trot.

"Fine!" Inuyasha resigned, "but I'm still in charge." He turned on his heels and began walking. Hearing his comment, Sango rolled her eyes and Miroku smacked himself (for once) on the forehead. Kirara took off into the sky and flew her 2 passengers over the others.

Sesshoumaru looked back at Rin then began walking after the others, Jaken ran to follow his master. What the hell did I just get myself into? Sesshoumaru thought to himself.