Wow this story has had over 1400 hits! I'm truly impressed, Thanks to all of you reading this. Oh just to answer questions real quick, I'm not sure how the pairings are going to end up or even if it will have one ( Gasp! No don't say that!). I'm pretty much letting the story take me where it wants to go. I have swerved a lot based on the input you give me. Yeaah! Enjoy this part everyone…On with the story…

Cold, my hands were cold. I didn't understand why they were cold but I knew with certainty they were not supposed to be this way. My head fell forward so my eyes wouldn't have to strain themselves to see them. Only my vision was full of darkness. I began to panic.

NO CALM DOWN!

The thought ran through my mind. Even as I thought it, I could feel the blood rushing throughout my body. An insistent throbbing began and it seemed to find a steady rhythm that was making me nauseous. Bile began to crawl its way up my throat. I was hungry, I thirst, and it was keeping me from falling back down to the warmth of unconsciousness.

I fought to return to that state. Because within it I felt no pain. Now pain was all I could feel. Someone was calling me. My ears just making out the vibrations on the air.

I can't hear what your saying!

I yelled it out loud or at least I think I did. Still the sensations continued and they could not be ignored. I felt my strength slowly being drained from me. At first I resisted, I couldn't let them get it from me, all my instincts screamed. But with each moment that passed and with each pull away from me, I felt the warmth return to my body. The pain lessened, it felt nice. But it didn't feel quite right. So I fought. And continued fighting until I felt the touch of hands that weren't there. Until I heard the voice of someone who couldn't be here. Then I slowly began to surrender.

The warmth was turning into a scalding heat. This did not feel good. Liquid ran down me and I was aware in my mind that it was blood. This was wrong, I knew it but could do nothing about it. I screamed again to be heard, but my throat was constricted and no sound came out. I felt my body giving way. If I didn't do something, anything, soon I knew what would happen. I was going to die.

Just give in. Release your burden. Allow me to finish in your place. There is no need for you to suffer like this. I am you. A stronger version of you. I can accomplish what you cannot in this place. Let us share our strength.

I felt the words rather than heard them. And they felt right, but still I couldn't give in. I wanted to so badly, but I didn't know how. All I could do was fight, fight to continue feeling the pain I didn't want. In doing so I knew parts of me were dying and I didn't want that to happen. I didn't want to lose any part of myself.

Let go now and no more of us will be lost. We will reform, stronger, faster, and we will conquer this pain together. We will find resolution together. All you must do is let go and permit me to surface. Allow our strength and magic to join and we shall defeat your enemies together.

Cold. I felt the coldness from my hands and it was seeping into my arms. The heat was dissipating. I could no longer hear anything but the pulse of my blood running in my veins. It was slow but it was loud. I had forgotten that bile was crawling up my throat, that I could not see. But with the coldness came the knowledge. As long as the warmth was kept away I would continue to exist. Me. On my own strength.

Kagome woke with a start. Her hand clutched to her chest, she could feel the rapid beating of her heart. She tried to keep herself from hyperventilating. Looking around her she saw the familiarity of her room. And the dream she had slowly loosened its hold on her. The limbs of her body were still heavy and her head rolled forward, hair framing her face. She felt empty. And a part of her knew where the emptiness had come from. She suddenly realized how it was that she had survived the initial attack from the demon. And she thought she knew why.

Kikyo. She dreamed or rather felt in a manner of speaking, Kikyo's death and her reanimation.

Kikyo, she saved me. She kept me from losing all of ourselves. But she didn't do it for either of us. I wonder if that was what the warmth was, her love.

Kagome shook her head back and forth, like it didn't make any sense to her. She was the one fighting in the dream wasn't she? It was her feeling the pain wasn't it? That was so like what she dreamed of when she passed out after making it back to her time. Inhaling deeply she felt the tear roll out from under closed lids. And with it she felt a release in pressure. If more fell, would the pressure dissipate completely? Even as she thought it, she knew no more would come.

It wasn't her pain, it was Kikyo's. It wasn't her fighting to stay alive, it was Kikyo. Kikyo was fighting against her. She was the one calling to the fallen miko. It was her forcing her incarnate to let enough of herself go so she could be reborn.

Suddenly Kagome felt sick. Scrambling up from her bed she ran to the bathroom. Leaning over the toilet she threw up, and kept throwing up until it was the bile from the dream she felt leave her mouth. Until she felt the tears fall from her eyes. Going to the sink she turned the side lamps on. She ran cold water, splashing it on her face. The coolness giving her a false sense of peace. She lifted her face and stared at the reflection looking back at her.

I'm sorry.

The longer she stared at herself, the closer she came to grasping an understanding of where Kikyo's anger and subsequent hate came from.

OOOO]} { } {[OOOO

"Inuyasha was it really necessary to hit Shippo like that?" Miroku questioned as they continued to Kaede's village. Inuyasha looked at him and his eye showed pride even though his face showed annoyance. Miroku looked at him and understanding ran across his own features. "So you're proud of the fact Shippo was able to kill the demon I see."

"That brat's building his body's strength pretty quick. Before we know it I won't be able to do that to him anymore."

"So?" The monk appeared to be confused.

"When Kagome was with us, I would do something like that and she would yell at me than Oswarii me."

"I still don't understand what you are saying."

" Well even though the rosary spell held me down, she would, not yell exactly, but she would do the same to him."

Miroku looked genuinely confused. "Are you saying that Kagome would chastise him as well?"

"Eh? Yeah, because he usually deserved it when I would do that to him. Anyways, later maybe a few hours maybe a day later, Shippo and I we would come to an understanding."

"No need to explain further Inuyasha. This is a way of bonding between the two of you. That is what you are trying to say, am I right?"

Inuyasha nodded his head in agreement and put his hands into the sleeves of his haori. The group was a few hours away still before reaching the village. He knew Shippo thought it unfair that only he could go to Kagome's time. At first he didn't care about how it affected the kitsune. One day, it did begin to matter and guilt was not something that he had felt comfortable with. That was the day when Inuyasha began to train Shippo.

The first day, the kitsune whined and wailed until Inuyasha wanted to beat him unconscious just to get him to shut up. Instead he, without mercy began to taunt him using Kagome to get the kitsune to fight back. Teasing him, yelling at him, basically telling Shippo that he wouldn't say anything more on how Kagome is, if the kitsune didn't put an effort to learn. Needless to say Shippo began to train in earnest. This year together, without her to act as a sort of buffer, they learned new ways to share their emotions to one another.

Inuyasha stopped and sniffed at the air. "Inuyasha! I smell wolves." Shippo called out.

"Not wolves Shippo. Try again."

Shippo inhaled more deeply. There was the smell of the forest, the river faintly. He could scent out various animals that lived in the forest. The expected scent of the villagers, and the smell of wolves, then…

NO! It couldn't be!

Shippo's body tensed. "I still smell wolves and it smells like, maybe it might be.." He couldn't say it. He didn't want to hope it was what he nose was telling him. The turquoise of his irises darken and the white of Shippo's eyes grew larger. "Inuyasha, do you think that,"

"It's only one wolf Shippo."

"Heh?" Shippo questioned.

"There's only one wolf that's come here." the was a slight growl to Inuyasha's voice as he said it.

"What's going on Inuyasha, Shippo?" Sango asked. The two of them were looking strange. She didn't like the way Shippo was tensing up. It was as if he was preparing to go into battle.

Shippo tried to scent past the smell that was popping memories in his mind. The wolves, he had to pinpoint the lupine scent. It was hard, he kept wanting to go and bask in the smell. "It smells like Kouga." he finally said.

"Kouga? Why would he come so far from his pack?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, it's Kouga. How old is the scent Shippo?" Inuyasha said.

"I…" the kitsune concentrated. How old is the scent? It was still strong enough that it couldn't have been more than a week. It would take that long for the other animals and humans scents to overlap and overpower it. Less than a week. Her scent was just as strong. His little heart began to beat faster. Less than a week! She's been here and they just come back!

"Shippo! How long?" Inuyasha prompted.

"A few days. Definitely less than a week." he answered. Trying to keep the excitement within him. The other must have heard it in his voice. Sango looked to him. "What's going on? What has got you all excited Shippo?" she asked.

"It's not just that mangy wolf he smells." Inuyasha answered for him. The others looked to him. " Your nose isn't playing with you Shippo. He smells Kagome." Sango and Miroku both started with that announcement. "Yeah, she's finally come back to us."

Wow I am so sorry I took so long to put this out. I have a bad habit of introducing people into my plot than forgetting about them. This chapter was of way better quality than the last one. Nice little twist on Kikiyo and Kagome huh? Yeah my mind was feeling a bit evil today. I am going to post new chapters late Mondays and Fridays nights now, those are the only days I know for a fact I can. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, I really appreciate them.