Don't own inu yasha

Kagome woke feeling as though her head had been split horizontally along its back. She opened her eyes but the light was too harsh. Lightly, she brushed along the back of her head with her hand. From what she could gather without hurting herself too much, underneath her black hair, matted with congealed blood, was a large bruised bump. From this epicenter numbing pain throbbed in agonizing harmony with her pulse, throughout her body. Slowly she placed her arm back to her side. It felt as though it was weighed with lead, along with the rest of her.

Kagome couldn't remember the exact events that had led up to this moment, but from what she'd previously endured her situation didn't come as great a surprise as it might. Unfortunately, her split head might as well have been full of lead for all it was proving useful. She felt so helpless.

"Awake?"

Kagome startled unintentionally. That was a voice she knew all too well. Slowly her mind, at least, began to loosen, though the pain did not diminish. After several steady and deep breaths, Kagome made another try at opening her eyes. It hurt and made her head ache all the more, but she didn't feel quite so helpless.

Blinking she looked around her surroundings for the speaker. She was perched upright in a sitting position against a rock beside a river. The same river, Kagome quickly remembered, that she and her friends had camped beside that night, though she couldn't tell whether or not she was upstream or down. After the quick epiphany, the entire events of the past night came flooding back...at least she thought it had been the past night. Any confidence, though, gained from this small feat was quickly shattered by a renewed confusion.

The voice seemingly belonged to Kikyo.

Disbelief welled up inside Kagome. This wasn't Kikyo's style. No, she generally used far more finesse than a strike on the head. It could of course be a demon impersonating her. That was far more logical. Yet, gazing up into her captors eyes, Kagome felt that the most logical explanation wasn't the true one.

Surprisingly, for though Kagome was the injured one, the one in danger, Kikyo's eternal calm had been broken. A clear frown was visible between her eyes...and she was pacing in clear frustration.

Licking dry lips Kagome managed to stammer a quiet question. "Why Kikyo?" she said simply. There didn't seem to be much else to add.

"Why not Kagome?" she responded bitterly. "Every day you spend here you distance Inu Yasha from me. You are not meant to be here."

Kagome wished suddenly to burst into tears. Though cruel, Kikyo's words held a note of truth. Nevertheless, she succeeded to resist and attempted to hold a mask. "Why so suddenly worried? You're the one who keeps on leaving!"

A slight smile flicked across Kikyo's face, contradicting the ever present furrow between her brow. "You're the one who is going to leave. This era. That way we will both get as what we want."

"And how do you figure that?" Kagome threw back defiantly. Unfortunately the gusto in which she'd expressed herself recoiled back with a painful knock on her head on the rock. Stars swam in front of her eyes.

"Because you don't belong here," she replied.

Kagome didn't have any retort for that. She didn't have it in her to shout out something pointlessly loyal. It would only sound stupid. What Kikyo said was the truth. But, to make up the lack of stupid dialogue, she felt wet tears fall on her cheeks.

After waiting a sufficient time for an answer, Kikyo continued. "You honestly have no idea what I'm speaking of, do you?" She chuckled coldly. "But I can see it in your eyes. I am not a priestess for nothing." Kikyo paused yet again, waiting. But Kagome had nothing to say. Her head hurt to much even begin considering what Kikyo seemed to think utterly and completely obvious. Finally, exasperated at Kagome's refusal to speak, Kikyo resumed parole. "Before you left your own time, did you not encounter a boy whose resemblance and poise was that of Inu Yasha, save that he would surely be a common mortal in you time?"

Surprised yet again, Kagome nodded dumbly.

"And yet you have no idea still?" Kikyo said, laughing louder than previously. "You didn't honestly believe that the puppy would chose to become a demon? Not when he clutches mindlessly to that sword to remain a half-demon. Whether in battle, old age, or my personal plans, he will eventually perish to world around us."

Something tickled in the recesses of Kagome's mind. She knew that what Kikyo spoke of was true, but the point that Kagome, like all good students, was to discover for herself remained lost. Maybe if Kikyo hadn't hurt her than she would be able to comprehend this seemingly importants message. Her head simply hurt too much.

Kikyo remained staring at her reincarnation. For the third time, Kagome's lack of comprehension disappointed her. Sighing in frustration she shook her head and started walking away, leaving Kagome helpless and impaired beside a rock.

Still shaking her head, she said, "Go home. See what I mean" She looked into the distance and proceeded, "I'm sure your friends will find you soon." She flitted Kagome a knowing and sarcastic smile and walked into the distance.

Kagome wasn't sure what to do. She dare not follow the demon priestess...even had she wanted to. It would probably be more prudent to stay where she was. Inu Yasha would surely be able to sniff out her trail. If she chose to follow the little river, with her current luck, she would end up in only distancing herself from her friends. Besides, she'd always been told that if ever lost to remain in one place.

Teetering slightly, she shimmied herself up the rock. The leaden feeling seemed to have abated considerably during Kikyo's rant. She drank from the river and, on impulse, rinsed the back of her head, cleaning her hair and deadening the bump.

Soon she heard shouts over the distance. They were quickly drawing closer, and after only a few more minutes, she could make out her own name being called by her friends.

"I'm here!" she shouted back.

Quickly, Inu Yasha appeared from over the bank. "You okay?" he inquired softly.

"Yes," she responded.

"What happened?" he said, touching lightly the tear stains on her cheek and gazing at her uncharacterly messy hair, rage poorly hidden behind amber eyes.

As the rest of the gang rushed up to her, Kagome gave a censored recount of the recent events. Somehow she didn't want to tell the whole truth. It revealed too many of her feelings that she hoped were at least veiled hazily to her friends.

When she was finished, Miroku asked her if she knew what Kikyo had wanted, but she adamantly replied that she didn't. He had let it drop.

Inu Yasha's anger had dropped completely at the mere mention of Kikyo. He seemed to be struggling within himself, lost in thought.

After several minutes of rest and some quick remedies thanks to her anachronic first aid kit she felt up to traveling.

"I think we should go back to the village" Sango said kindly, avoiding Inu Yasha's look. "Kagome is still hurt and she does have that report due soon. Unless you sense a shard nearby Kagome?" Kagome shook her head. "Come, Kilala will take us," she finished gently.

Smiling gratefully at Sango, she climbed onto the giant demon-cat's back.

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