Well here is chapter 3. first off though I would like to thank Darkk Imp, Taeniaea, and mouko-star for their reviews. And now without further ado, chapter 3.

Disclaimer: see chapter 1

Present day (sort of)

"And that's pretty much it" said Inu-Yasha. He stared out the window watching as a bird flitted around in the branches of a nearby tree. How he envied that bird right now. A bird's mind was too small to experience the kind of pain that was wrenching his heart in two. Kagome's body had absorbed a massive amount of demonic energy when the shard was purified and now, as far as anyone could tell, she lay dying or worse not three feet away and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

Kaede was lost in thought as well. She had heard of people absorbing massive amounts of energy but this was far worse then anything she had ever heard of before. "Is there anything you can do?" asked Inu-Yasha not taking his eyes off the bird.

Kaede shook her head. "There have been instances similar to this" she said, "but this…" she trailed off and shook her head. "The only thing that can be done is to make her comfortable". Kaede stood up to leave but looked back to Inu-Yasha before going. "Ye best stay with her" she said, "I'll send in the others when they arrive". Inu-Yasha just nodded mechanically.

Inu-Yasha finally turned to look at Kagome after he heard the bamboo curtain covering the door slide back into place. Please be okay. Those where his final thoughts before the strain became too much and Inu-Yasha fell into a troubled sleep.

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Inu-Yasha's dream

He was searching for someone but he didn't know quite whom. He growled angrily as he swatted branches out of his face.

"Damn branches" he grumbled, "its like these things are trying to grab me". He kept shoving the branches out of his way. They where getting thicker as he went but he kept going. Whoever he was looking for was in this direction.

When he finally broke through the tangle of branches he saw a tumbled down shrine. The one he was looking for was standing there at the centre of the ruin with her back to him.

"Kagome" he said beginning across the clearing toward her, "I found you". Then he caught a strange scent and stopped dead in his tracks. What is that? He thought. He sniffed the air but the wind was wrong. It was carrying the scent in the wrong direction. He took another step then noticed something he hadn't before. Red. Kagome was covered in big splotches of red. That is when he recognised the scent. It was human blood. Kagome was covered in blood.

"What…" he began but couldn't get any other words out because she had begun to turn. Blood, from head to toe covered in blood. But perhaps more terrifying was the expression on her face. A superior smirk befitting the most proud demon lord ever was plastered on her face. The eyes where worse though. They glowed a deep red colour. It was as if the very fires of hell burned in her eyes.

"Hello Inu-Yasha" she purred, "so glad you could join me".

Inu-Yasha's eyes widened and a look of pure horror crossed his face. "Kagome?" he stuttered. "What's going on? Why are we here? What happened? Tell me" his voice was getting louder. Be balled his hands into fists and screamed to the sky as if the gods themselves would answer if he was loud enough. "WHAT'S GOING ON!" he screamed.

Kagome laughed. It was a high piercing laugh full of malice. Nothing like the Kagome he knew. "So naive" she said, "you understand nothing Inu-Yasha".

"Then tell me," he cried desperately.

Kagome held out her hand to him, beckoning him forward. "Come then Inu-Yasha, if you can".

Inu-Yasha darted forward as fast as he possibly could but she began to float away. Flames sprung up all around them but Inu-Yasha didn't care. He had to reach Kagome. He had to save her. She faded off into the distance and that disturbing laugh echoed from all directions at once as the fire died down and left nothing but smouldering ash as far as the eye could see. He fell to his knees and screamed a cry of deepest anguish to an unforgiving grey sky. "KAGOMEEEEEEEEEEEE"

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Back in the real world

Inu-Yasha jerked out of a dead sleep in a cold sweat. His clothing clung to his body like he had just taken a swim in a glacial lake. He shook his head and resisted the urge to vomit. Just a nightmare he insisted to himself. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't convince himself. He looked once more down at Kagome. She looked nothing like in the dream. She was sweating and tossing as if trying to escape from something, or keep something she needed from escaping.

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Kagome's dream

She was chasing them. Running as fast as she could. Blood stained her hands and clothing and the rain was soaking everything. "Inu-Yasha" she yelled, "Miroku, Sango, Shippo. Why are you running from me? Please wait!"

They paused and turned. Inu-Yasha was the first to speak. "Why?" he said simply. "You are nothing but a monster".

Monster?She thought, horrified. How could he say that? She a monster? What could possibly make Inu-Yasha say such a thing? "I don't understand. What are you saying?" Kagome was terribly confused.

Miroku spoke next. "You betrayed us Kagome" he said, "no, not just us, the whole world. How could you?"

"How could I what?" she yelled becoming hysterical, "what have I done?"

Shippo hid behind Inu-Yasha's leg. "You became mean Kagome," he said. "How could you do it? All those people?"

Kagome shook her head. It couldn't be true. What where they saying? What had she done to warrant such hatred from her friends?

Finally Sango spoke. "I thought you where stronger then this Kagome" she said, "I suppose I thought wrong, how I could have made such a mistake I don't know but ill never forgive myself or you. Not ever".

No no no. It just couldn't be. What had she done to make them reject her? They began to drift away. "No" she screamed, "Don't leave me".

The rain turned to fire. Other faces floated by in the flames. Her friends at school, her family, people she had never known floated by as well. They all chanted the same things though. "Monster" some said "betrayer" others said, "murderer" was uttered as well. The images and fire swirled around her faster and faster and the whispers became a deafening roar.

Then everything was black and Kagome was staring into a huge pair of glowing red eyes. A face formed around the eyes and began to laugh a cold soulless laugh. It was her face.

Kagome screamed

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Back in the real world

Kagome twisted viciously on her sleep and screamed. "Poor Kagome" sobbed Shippo. The others had arrived that morning and they where all gathered in the small hut with Inu-Yasha and Kagome.

Kilala mewed sadly and nuzzled the unconscious girl. She settled down a bit at the touch but a look of extreme pain still creased her face.

The others sat in silence. Nobody knew what to do. Not that it mattered anyway. There was nothing any of them could do in a situation. Kagome groaned and turned over. "Inu-Yasha" she mumbled.

Instantly said hanyou was at her side. He brushed some hair out of her face. "I'm here Kagome" he whispered.

"Miroku" she muttered, "Sango, shippo. Why, why do you hate me?"

Everyone drew back in shock. How could Kagome think such a thing? It was inconceivable. And yet she had said it just the same.

"Not a monster" she muttered. Then more loudly, "Not a monster". Kagome was tossing and turning now uncontrollably. "I am not a monster!" she screamed then broke down and began sobbing.

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Kagome's dream

"What do you want from me?" she screamed.

"What does anyone want?" replied the voice.

"I don't understand"

"Come now Kagome" said the voice, "what do all beings want? Power. Power to control, to strike fear into the hearts of your enemies and those below you. Power to reshape the world".

"Your wrong" she shouted, "I want out. Let me out of here".

"Oh but its not that simple" said the voice. A figure formed in front of Kagome. It was her only the eyes where glowing red. Her doppelganger smiled a cold soulless smile. "I am you," she said. "You have to free yourself. Not only from this prison of the mind but from the fragile ideals that rule you".

Kagome backed away a few steps. "Your wrong" she said again, softly this time.

"Are you afraid of power?" asked the doppelganger, "afraid of the truth?"

"What truth?"

"Love, compassion, things like this are only an illusion. In the end it all boils down to power and who can use it. If you cling to such feeble things you will never be strong. You will merely be a slave to the world rather then making your own way in it".

"No" said Kagome stubbornly, "those things help give me strength".

"Silly girl. Are you going to spend you whole life relying on someone else to save you? Pathetic. The only true strength lies in you. In forsaking the lies you have been taught your whole life".

Kagome shook her head in an attempt to get the horrible words out of her head but she couldn't. For some reason they made a warped kind of sense to her. "Let me out" she demanded.

The Doppelganger smiled. "I am you remember. If you want out do it yourself. Use your own power".

Kagome focused and slowly a light appeared a few feet away. She focused harder and it grew into a shimmering door.

"Good, you are learning already". Kagome ran toward the door trying to escape the thing that looked so much like her. "You can't escape me silly girl. How can you escape from yourself?" the last thing Kagome heard before plunging through the door was the chilling laughter of… herself.

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Back in the real world

Kagome's eyes fluttered open and the first thing she saw was the faces of her friends looking down on her with relieved expressions. "Hi guy's" she muttered weakly. She hauled herself up and looked at everyone. Her eyes finally came to rest on Inu-Yasha. The hanyou was practically beaming despite his haggard appearance brought on by the stress of recent events.

Kagome's eyes misted up again and she flung himself into his arms. Inu-Yasha looked shocked for a second but then returned the embrace rocking her back and forth and stroking her head lightly as she sobbed into his shoulder. "Shhhhh" he whispered, "Its over now".

Kagome wished she could shear his optimism. But the words of her double still echoed in her mind. "I am you, how can you escape from yourself?"

Authors notes

Well that's it for chapter 3. chapter 4 is going to be a bit more light-hearted then this one I think. Anyway chapter 4 should be out… maybe later today depending on how I do. That would be a bloody miracle though. Tomorrow is more likely. Saturday afternoon at the latest. Well once again thank you to everyone who has reviewed. Ciao.