"I see. This demon does not seem to be another of Naraku's progeny. I am surprised that both you and that wolf demon would have such trouble with it." Kikyo said.

"It wasn't just a demon. It did have jewel shard fragments." Inuyasha responded.

She looked at him with a condescending look to her face. He immediately went on the defensive, attempting to explain himself. She stopped his tirade and told him rather bluntly that she was leaving, that he had told her all she needed to know. This story of his was definitely worth further introspection. As her soul collectors began to gather she turned to give final words to the hanyo.

"It might be for the best if you would refrain from retrieving Kagome for a time. If her healers can keep her alive, she will undoubtedly need time to heal her body before commencing her search for more Shikon fragments." with that said she left Inuyasha.

He remained there for the rest of the day. Thinking on his conversation with Kikyo. She did have a point. He didn't see how bad Kagome's injuries were. He told the mangy wolf to grab Kagome and get her back to the village as quickly as he could.

No, he didn't see the wounds, but he could smell the blood. It came close to overwhelming his olfactory nerves. His blood, Kouga's blood (well this didn't bother him too much), the demon's blood, and then suddenly Kagome's blood.

As soon as he detected it, he turned towards it, and saw that the demon had Kagome in his reach. He couldn't use Tetsusaiga if he did Kagome would be hurt further. So he ran to her, and slashed at the demon. But the demon, it held fast to her. Kouga had already been attacking full on before he reached them, and it still held Kagome in its grasp. None of Kouga's hits seemed to have any impact on it. Inuyasha rushed forward. Kagome screamed. The demon lifted her up higher with his arms and flipped her body so her side was more conveniently exposed to its mouth.

Something in the way he was holding Kagome up struck a nerve in Inuyasha. Rage flared to life within like never before…

Shippo had gone to forest behind Kaede's hut as he had been doing for the past three days. Three days since Kouga had brought Kagome, broken and bleeding, to Kaede for healing. When they were unable to undo the damage done to her body; he was the one who urged the wolf prince to the well. He was there when Kouga jumped in with Kagome in his arms. When at first nothing happened Shippo felt his heart begin to shred, but mercifully the well accepted Kagome, and took her back to her own time.

When Kouga fazed (he had no other word for it) back and fell, he knew with absolute certainty that if he didn't get help right away, the wolf would die. So he ran as fast as his little legs could carry him back to the village for help. Sango and Miroku, along with a few of the villagers returned to the well with him. The villagers went to help Kagome, and were somewhat hesitant about helping out when they realized it was a demon that needed aid. Shippo, was a child, Kagome's child/pet, so to them was accepted. But the demon in the well, it still had blood covering his entire body. They debating leaving it there to die, but the monk had pointed out that it was the demon who mostly likely sacrificed its very existence to try and save Kagome. The least they could do was pull the poor creature out and give it a decent burial.

So in relatively short space of time, they had pulled Kouga out of the well and took him back to Kaede's hut at the insistence of the kitsune. In a brief moment of consciousness, Kouga said that he wanted to be taken back into the forest. That the smells of the humans was burning his senses. If he was to die, he wanted the only impression of human in his mind to be of Kagome. So the monk lifted him and took him to the forest.

Shippo approached Kouga's form slowly. It didn't appear as if Kouga had come out of his comatose state. But Shippo wasn't a fool, he was a demon himself, and any injured animal is likely to attack any who approach. More so a demon, combined that with the animalistic instincts of a predator, better to go slowly and make sure. Just as he was nearing the wolf prince, Kouga turned his head towards him and opened his eyes. A feeling of relief passed Shippo.

"I'll bring you some food in a little bit. You must be hungry. You haven't moved in almost four days, I didn't think you would survive. I should have warned you about the well's power. I'm..I'm sorry. Only Inuyasha had been able to travel with Kagome through it. I tried once, but it rejected me. What happened to you didn't happen to me. I just stayed where I was while Kagome faded back to her own time…" Shippo ranted.

Kouga just lay there looking at him. It made him uncomfortable and he took a hesitant step back. Kouga stared at him as though not really seeing him. But it was that the wolf was trying to gather his thoughts. Shippo knew what Kouga was mostly likely wanting news about, so it was a bit surprising when he said, "What happened to Inuyasha?"

At first I would like to say it was a form of denial. But no matter how hard I tried to deny it, I knew I would have to face up to it. Eventually. Trouble with that was, that I had gotten so good at avoidance, that I was afraid I wouldn't know the way back. I mean it's not like he came back for me. Or ever came to see if I even survived my wounds. The mind has a very good way of forming roadblocks to paths you really don't want to go down. Maybe THEY didn't survive the encounter. Feh! Yeah right. One of them obviously did if I managed to find myself home again. But Inuyasha would have come back for me, I know he would have. So maybe pit stop one is that he didn't live through the battle and I'm scared out of my mind that when I go back it will be to have Miroku look at me with pity consuming his entire being. He's been with us for so long I know they all know how much I love him, but he's been the silent keeper of us, he would no doubt offer condolences and try to convince me to go back to my own time, that it is just too dangerous to stay any longer. But, I can't use that as an excuse, (although up to this point it has been a good one) they probably are just as afraid I've died. They probably think that, I've seen the scars on my body; I've gone to physical therapy to regain use of my hands and my legs. Whatever the aftereffect it is, the thought of what I looked like before the clean up job was done…. Most likely to them I AM dead.

Another thought would be that Inuyasha DID come to check up on me and once he learned I would live, he just cut me off. Not literally, but in his own macho way, would think that my life would be in too much danger (much like Miroku) to risk. He's right of course, I'm not completely lacking in self-preservation skills, but we would argue and it would end with me having my way and going back. He would then double his efforts to hone his skills to protect us all better, and in the process learn something new about himself.

But I think what has been holding me back the most is my family. Momma fortunately didn't suffer too much damage from the stroke she had. Only a slight speech impediment they said. When she gets angry we can tell now, she stutters. Before, it was hard to tell. I used to just be able to brush it off and go on with my merry way. Now when I hear that stutter I feel the most horrible body paralyzing guilt. She knew it was dangerous, that something like this might happen. But she trusted me to know when to stop and come home, and she also trusted Inuyasha to keep me safe. Mom doesn't really trust my judgment much anymore. And Grandfather believes that Inuyasha should have stayed pinned to the tree. It's their anger lashing out. But it strikes hard and it wounds just as deep as the claws that marked me.

They all know the story. Even Hojo. I kept my promise, I told him everything that happened to me from the moment the Centipede Lady pulled me down the well for the first time to the last thing I remembered before waking up in the hospital. It wasn't easy to say these things, it took a long time, but he was patient and understanding and the only one who I felt didn't hold judgment on me at the time. He went to physical therapy with me, helped me catch up on all my schoolwork. He helped us all heal. Sota went from idolizing Inuyasha to mourning him to keeping him as a fond memory. Grandpa went and contacted other shrines to try and see if it was possible for me to get further training to learn how to control my newfound Miko powers. I would wake sometimes from nightmares that I would forget whenever I try to remember them, trying to purify a demon that was only in those nightmares. The energy I would give off would burn whatever was nearby, but would never harm me. That was the real reason Grandpa was looking for a Master to train me. He was afraid I would self-combust.

I have an appointment in three hours with a plastic surgeon. She's flying in from America, Los Angeles, California, just for me. I should feel honored that they went to so much trouble for me. But I'm not really concerned with my looks right now. Maybe in ten or twenty years I will be, but right now, I could care less. This doctor, Hojo's family arranged to come to Japan. Sota said it wasn't easy; the doctor's very busy because she's the best. When I first heard, I didn't care one way or the other, and then anger set in. I ranted and rave on how dare he presume to do this. Mom said I was being ungrateful, and that I'm dishonoring the family by refusing such a gift. The time and effort alone should be enough to at least meet with the woman. Mom was right. So I went up to my room that night shamed and stayed in my room for another day just crying.

Hojo has been so good to me; I would hate to debase his efforts by being childish. So what if I'm sixteen now, I still have the right to be childish from time to time. But even I can see that this is not one of those times. I have three hours; I should call him and go get some ice cream before then. Just because I can't be childish doesn't mean I can't indulge my inner child.