Disclaimer: walks in wearing nothing but Inuyasha's haori, much like Kagome did in the Peach Man episodes Hahahaha! I told you he loved me!! O.o;; thinks to herself 'heh heh heh, they may think I'm his mate now, but I really stole it from him in the night. I don't own him though... He is his own person... But he owns me!

A/N: Tired of the poems yet? . ;; Too bad, because I'm not. I've got enough poems to be satisfied for a while.. Remember think of them all from Kagome's POV, because they fit this situation.. I'll try to make them shorter.

12/15/04: Revisions: same as the other chapters.. The poem and minor content.

A soft whimper escapes my lips like it should...

Pain flowing through me,

I leave this lonely world for good,

A cruel world full of lonely pretenders

All those people are just like me,

All the deaths for the same reason as mine..

As I lay back, the world goes black, and I can barely see..

But my last thoughts are on the pretend love you had for me...

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, finding herself clinging to the oddly familiar man who had saved her. She glanced over his shoulder, his black hair flowing behind him. She saw the men on the ground in pain.

But that wasn't what had her wide-eyed...

It was that this man seemed so familiar.. His arms, his well toned chest, his hair...

One word came to mind...

"Inu..Yasha.." she whispered, yet it was enough for him to look down at her.

The man looked exactly like his human form, she was sure of it! His violet eyes gave him away! Then she knew it was him.. because it was a new moon! Tears formed in her eyes and she tightened her grip, yet he de-tangled himself from her and stepped in front of her, producing a badge.

"FBI! You're under arrest!" he called out to the men on the ground. Kagome barely heard the words though, for her own thoughts were spinning so fast in her head. She was barely aware when the man handcuffed the thugs and Tsubii came over to put a comforting arm around her shoulder and wave a hand in front of her face. Her eyes still remained fixed on the man's back.. Memorizing the image of the man she lost months ago.

"Inu..Yasha..." she whispered, her eyes still glassy as she watched him walk over.

For the brief moment their eyes locked, she saw recognition flash across his face, soon to be covered up by a scowl. He crossed his arms, his eyes wandering over her as if to check for injury. "Keh..You okay, miss?" His voice was still gruff, yet it held a softness to it.

"Inu...Yasha..." she whispered again, her vision blurring with unshed tears as she lunged into his chest, crying. "Inu Yasha! I thought I'd never... see you again.." she sobbed. People around them stared wide-eyed and the man she was clung to, looked down in surprise. For a moment, it looked like he would wrap his arms around her, his eyes looking soft, but then he grasped her forearms and pried her off.

"Keh! I'm not who you think I am... I go by the name Smith... Agent Smith.." He produced his badge under her nose and she glanced down, Tsubii and Kiki glancing over her shoulder.

"Oh... gomen nasai..." Kagome muttered, her knees beginning to wobble as the last of her strength vanished.

"He's the real thing.." Tsubii muttered, looking at the badge, Kiki nodding. Kagome could do nothing but stare up at the Agent Smith guy, her heart sinking and a tear slowly running down her cheek.

'It's him, I know it's him... But... Have I gone insane?!' she thought as everything blurred from the tears and she dropped to her knees, her hands clutching at the floor below her. 'Why me..?'

Agent Smith bent down to her level, grasping her chin gently in his hand and tiling her head up to look at him. "Are you.. Okay..?" he asked again, his violet eyes meeting her wet, hazel ones.

'Okay...?'

"I'm..." Another tear ran down her cheek as she searched his eyes, still seeing the man she loved.

'Okay?'

"I'm... fi..." A slow smile curved on her lips as she looked up at him with emotionally pained eyes.

'Okay?!'

"No.. I'm not okay..." And with that said, everything went black...

Darkness...

She was surrounded by it. It was such a thick and cold, uncaring darkness that it threatened to smother her to death. Kagome looked around frantically, looking for some source of light to help her find her way from the dark. She reached out, yet couldn't see her hand... It was like she was out of her body, just floating along...

She began to run, though it seemed like she wasn't going anywhere...

Darkness... It was everywhere...

She cried out... Cried out for someone to come to her aid...

She called out his name... The one person that always seemed to protect her... She called out for him in the darkness..

Yet, no sound came out.. The darkness swallowed the sound greedily, wrapping itself around her; enveloping her in its cold embrace.

She ran faster.

Soon, she saw a faint light in front of her. By now, she was shaking uncontrollably, tears dripping from her cheeks. She smiled as she saw the light, hope going through her as she ran as fast as her tired legs would carry her. She literally hurled herself through the light..

Only to stumble into a clearing...

"No.." she whispered hoarsely, looking out at the scene before her. She saw Inu-Yasha and herself...

With Kikyou..

Kagome looked to herself... She was watching the scene she had tried so hard to block from her mind..

She saw herself standing in front of Inu Yasha and Kikyou, her hands up as if to grasp Inu Yasha's arm and cry. Her liquid brown eyes were locked with his soft, golden ones. Kagome took a few steps forward to the scene, standing right beside herself. She reached out to touch her, but her hand went right through. Kagome pulled her hand back as if it had been burnt, feeling like a ghost.

"...I'm sorry, Kagome..." Inu Yasha's words drifted to her ears and she slowly turned her head to look at him. He looked so real.. His eyes were soft and full of regret and his ears were lowered like that of a puppy being scolded.

The soft breeze that swept through the clearing caused everyone's clothes to sweep to the side. Inu Yasha's haori sleeves billowed to the side, his long, silver hair flowing like a curtain that was trying to obscure her view of the Ice Bitch from Hell behind him.

Her eyes watered and her knees wobbled as she looked up at the man she had fallen in love with. 'No.. I wanted to forget!' her mind thought desperately, 'I wanted to forget it all!'

"S-sorry..?" she looked over to herself. The dream version of herself was now holding her arms across her chest, fighting back tears as she shook with sobs. "Inu Yasha... What do y-you have to be s-s-orry for?"

'For breaking your heart..' Kagome thought bitterly as she looked past Inu Yasha to the undead bitch who caused all her suffering.

Kikyou...

Kikyou stood there with a confident smirk on her face– as if she had just single handedly defeated Naraku. Her bow was gripped in her hand, the tip resting on the ground and her quiver of arrows resting on her left shoulder. She miko kimono and long hair flowed much like Inu Yasha's clothing and her pale complection showed up quite nicely against the darkness of the forest.

Kagome felt hatred for that woman.. She hated herself for it, but since all this had happened, her once pure heart was tainted. If she got the chance to go back in time to this very moment, she would have pulled out an arrow and shot Kikyou...

Part of Kagome hated herself for that bitter thought.. The miko part of her... But the regular teenage girl part cheered on the hatred for the woman that had stolen the only man she had ever truly loved.

But then again... since Kikyou -was- her in a past life... She hated herself...

A smirk curved at the corners of Kagome's mouth as a solemn tear ran down her cheek. She -did- hate herself...

"For breaking the promise that I'd always be there to protect you...." Inu Yasha's voice broke into her thoughts, answering her dream self's question. His voice was so thick with emotion that he was trying to keep back, that it made her legs give way, causing her to drop to the ground, watching the scene from a vulnerable position on the hard ground.

A tear slipped down her dream self's cheek and she looked up at Inu Yasha with an emotionally pained smile. "Is this what will make you happy?" Her voice came out stronger than she felt.

Inu Yasha nodded shortly. "It's not really a matter of that.. It's that I need to repay this debt with my life..."

"But you love her. So, it must make you happy..." Dream Kagome stated, a smile on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes. Kikyou walked up from behind him and clung to his arm, kissing his cheek, and Inu Yasha stiffened slightly, his eyes slowly fixing on the moving clay statue attached to his arm. His eyes fixed back on the dream Kagome's, seeing the tears gleaming in her eyes as her smile slowly widened, full of emotional pain, yet support. "And whatever makes you happy.. Is what I want for you.."

'No, you're wrong.. You didn't want him to..to..' Kagome's thoughts trailed as she watched Inu Yasha's fist clentch and unclentch several times, his eyes refocusing on her dream self.

"I'm sorry, Kagome..Tell the others I said goodbye... and just...try to forget about me.."

'I can't forget...'

"I couldn't do that... You'll always be a major part of my life and I'll always hold your memory in my heart..." Dream Kagome tilted her head slightly, smiling up at him, her eyes still gleaming with unshed tears that were ready to start cascading down her cheeks at any moment.

"Try to... Try to forget how I hurt you... I'm sorry, but this is goodbye..." Inu Yasha took a step forward and hugged her shortly, pulling away at Kikyou's audible growl behind them. Dream Kagome had shook when he hugged her, grasping his haori in her hands like a life-line. When he pulled back, dream Kagome smiled, her eyes closed as she waved, Inu Yasha walking back to Kikyou...

Kikyou opened the pits of hell... and flames licked around the clearing...

'No...'

"Goodbye I-Inu Yasha!" Dream Kagome's voice cracked as she waved. When the pair began to descend into the pits, she turned away and ran as fast as she could through the forest, her hands to her eyes as she sobbed, hitting every low branch and tripping several times as she ran blindly for the well.

'No..'

The scene began to fade around as Kikyou's lips met Inu Yasha's, and Kagome pushed herself up off her knees, running towards them. 'No.. Don't leave me!'

"No!" Kagome jolted up, wincing as her eyes shot open, the light blinding her for a moment. As spots danced in front of her, she wobbled, her hands to her eyes. "Aaahh...The light..."

"Are you okay..?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder, steadying her, and she looked up to find herself looking in soft, violet eyes. 'Inu..... Agent Smith...'

"No.." she softly replied, taking in her surroundings. She was on a table at the bar, all the people cleared out except for Agent Smith, Tsubii, and Kiki. Kiki was leaning against the bartop and Tsubii was sitting in a seat to her side. "What happened to those guys..?"

"I already took them in.. You've been out for a few hours." Agent Smith replied, leaning back in his chair, his hand still on her shoulder.

'Hours?!'

"I hope this doesn't effect business... What's with you anyways, kid? First you fall down the stairs, then you flip out on us!" Kiki stated, pushing herself enough off of the bartop to place her hands on her hips.

"You.. Fell down some stairs?" Agent Smith asked, looking her over. "I think I should go take you to a doctor.."

"No! I'm fine!" Kagome shouted out, sitting up further and jumping off of the table, starting for the door... that is, before she realized she was still dressed in her lap dancer "uniform". "Kyahh!" she blushed and turned towards the dressing room. "I gotta get dressed!"

Agent Smith caught her wrist though, pulling her back slightly. "I'll give you a ride home after you get dressed..." Kagome's eye twitched as she spun around, slapping his hand away.

"I don't want it!" she shouted, looking everywhere but his face. He looked exactly like Inu Yasha! 'I must be insane... Now I'm seeing Inu Yasha in guys...'

She stormed off into the dressing room before he could grab her again, ignoring his protests. She sighed, looking in the mirror as she began to undress. She stopped as she had pulled the skirt off and put her own schoolgirl skirt on, placing a hand to the mirror as she leaned closer.

"Oh my god..." She whispered as she stared off into the shell of herself. Her eyes that were once so full of life and energy were now so sad and dull. Her skin was pale, the rings under her eyes dark against her complection. Her bottom lip would tremble every now and then, and she had gotten so thin....

Her eyes slowly filled with tears and a rueful smirked curved at her lips.

"Her and I are one in the same after all it seems.." she whispered to her reflection, "We're both walking, dead shells... Only I'm just dead on the inside.. And now she's at rest..."

A tear slipped past the barrier of her eye, slowly trailing down her cheek. She watched it move, not making an effort to swipe it away, or the one that followed it. The two tears met and combined, following down her jawline and dripping from her chin. The light reflected in the tear, causing it to sparkle as it fell through the air, splattering on her foot, the material of her sock greedily drinking the tear up.

She pulled her shirt over her head and wiped at her moist cheeks with the back of her sleeve, leaning back against the counter to try to get her emotions in check. She sniffed once, biting her lip as she tried to focus on something other than Inu Yasha, or the fact that a man identical to his human form was sitting outside the door.

'A few hours...' She searched the walls for a clock, and when she found one, she gasped. "Oh shit!" she cursed, another trait she picked up after her travels in Senjoku Jidai. "Momma's gonna be angry!"

She flew through the doors of the dressing room, forgetting about the stairs. She yelped as she stumbled, turning slightly to try to keep her balance as she flew down them, her eyes closing as she waited for the inevitable meeting of her face with the ground...

...Only to meet a firm chest and strong arms come to steady her....

Agent Smith...

He had caught her when she fell and her eyes shot open, looking at his chest.

"Keh! You're -not- okay, and I'm taking you home!"

His voice... was like Inu Yasha's... exactly.. like it...

Her shoulders shook and her jaw clentched as she wretched herself from his hold. "I don't need your help getting home! I'm FINE!" She wasn't sure why exactly she was going off at him like that, but all she knew was that he was exactly like Inu Yasha...

And she didn't like that.... She didn't like that she might be going crazy... and that he wasn't her Inu Yasha...

She wanted to get away from him... now!

So she shoved past him, running towards the door. "I'll be back for work tomorrow!" she shouted at Tsubii over her shoulder as she sprinted away. She ran past the alleyway and the flashing neon sign, down the dark sidewalks of the area, and past the gruff looking guys that littered the streets at this hour.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could run from our problems and our past forever? Run from the pain and forget everything except the feeling of the wind rushing past you, tangling in your hair and clothes. No worries, no fears..

Except that you can't run forever and your problems and past will eventually catch up with you...

But... despite that.. She ran through the night as fast as she could...

She half-expected Agent Smith to be following her, yet she didn't see him. She let out a sigh of relief as she walked up the steps of the shrine, going in through the sliding doors.

"Gomen, Mamma... I..." Her eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat as she saw someone familiar standing in front of her, his arms crossed across his chest, and a trademark scowl on his features. If it wasn't for the modern clothes, she would've thought him to be Inu Yasha...

But.. It was Agent Smith...

'He's gonna blow cover and tell her I work in a strip club! Wait.. How did he know where I lived?!'

"What are you doing here?!" she hissed at him, stomping closer, yet refusing to look him in the eyes and instead choosing to look at the spot directly behind him.

Her mother chose that moment to walk over. "Oh, Kagome dear... Your friend here told me all about how you were assaulted on the way back from the library study session, so you don't have to worry about being late... That was awfully nice of him to help you out and keep an eye on you afterwards! So, I invited him to stay while his apartment's being renovated!"

A/N: There's a nice place to stop.. I hope you like it... it's all...longer than the rest! Review, review, review!! And I'll..umm...give you this..uhh... looks around her desk Oh! This used Chap Stick and a goldfish cracker! O.o;;

And as for Agent Smith being his reincarnation... No, I'm afraid this isn't one of those.. Too many of those as it is.

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