Disclaimer: No, I don't own IY, or the quote. In case anyone's curious this chapter's quote is from Matchbox 20's song called "Black and White People." I think...

A/N: This chapter's quote may more accurately describe the chapter after this one called "Possibilities Infinite." Though I may yet change the title becuase I don't much like it...becuase it's next chapter that Kagome gets it through Koshi's thick skull that she doesn't like him like he likes her. Phew! how many "likes" did I use in that one sentence? (blinks!) Okay...SPECIAL THANKS to cool-chick-rae who not only was, I think, the first to review last chapter, but she also rushed into a climatic description of an ending that just left me going, "Well...why didn't I think of that?" For some reason I hadn't thought doing an ending like she suggested was possible, but when I read through it I realized that it IS, in fact, the ONLY way to do this story's ending! So I owe her the ending, which is (or at least can be) the most stunning part of a story, IF done correctly. So far I feel confident about it. I think that I am on, as I type this, the last chapter, not counting a possible epilogue. So my prediction, if this is Chapter 18 then "Somebody" should reach 21 or 22 chapters...and then it's over...(sniffles)...Anyway, thank you Cool Chick! This one's for you! and NO! You're never annoying!

I think everyone will like this chapter, it's quite humorous. I have a running gag that's lasted two (and likely more, straight until the end) chapters...I think that after this chapter you'll already know the gag, so I won't tell you now...just read...(grins)

No Longer Dreaming

"…It's getting so damn creepy

Just nursing this

Ghost of a chance

The fiction, the romance

And the Technicolor dreams

Of black and white people."

Kagome woke slowly, in gentle degrees. First she felt the furs around her body, then the scents of the room assaulted her nose, pungent and powerful, but otherwise unrecognizable to her mind in her sleepy state. Eventually the sounds—small rustlings, her own deep breathing alongside another's and distant voices elsewhere—reached her as well. Lastly she took a deep breath, a solid inhalation, and opened her eyes, blinking unsteadily.

She saw a ceiling directly above her, thatched, primitive…Obviously I'm not home with Gramps, Mom and Souta… at her shoulder she suddenly felt a slight burning sensation, a tingle…one hand rose to the spot, probing. Her fingers met a hard, solid thing there, and when she jarred the object it rattled.

Digging through the collar on the clothes she was wearing—they were strange too, where was her school uniform?—she grabbed hold of the thing and pulled it up and out, held it dangling from its delicate chain in front of her face. It was a tiny jar-like glass trinket, sealed shut, and inside three purple gems glittered. It'd been this thing that had felt so strangely warm against her skin…for a moment her mind remained blank, wondering why she had them and how? Were they a gift? Was it an heirloom? No, she'd remember that…

Then it hit her and she almost laughed at her absurdity. What's wrong with me! I didn't even realize that these are the Shikon Jewel shards! Sometimes the others should just shoot me I'm so dense…

She slid the shards back under her shirt—or whatever the clothes were that she was wearing.

Confusedly she rolled onto her side and immediately saw a cute, but scruffy-looking boy about her age, crashed out on the furs at the edge of her futon…furs? Where'd my sheets go, my sleeping bag? My backpack…?

She searched the room for a familiar face or form, the redheaded kitsune child, the tiny yellow and black neko-youkai, the purple-robed monk, the lean, heavily muscled demon slayer, and the red-robed silver-haired half demon…her heart sped up as she realized that she was alone…

Where are my friends? Where'd Sango go…wasn't she here earlier? I thought she was—and Inuyasha? I never thought he'd abandon me…

She looked once more to the sleeping boy. He appeared exhausted. There were rings of fatigue around his eyes. On his exposed neck she saw four red lines mottling the skin there…almost like the grip of fingers, so tight that it'd left bruising, almost as if he'd been strangled…shrugging her first impression away, she hesitantly brought one hand out, questing, to touch his shoulder and shook a little.

"Um…hello…?"

The boy sprung awake, straight to his feet, eyes wide and searching, a strange, intense look that she couldn't analyze burning in the gleam of his eyes. Kagome cringed with his sudden waking, instinctually afraid. The boy looked at long last to her and his gaze immediately softened. Now his eyes glimmered with a whole new range of emotion, concern, worry, care…even something that made her shiver and look quickly away. It was the look Inuyasha gave her when he was afraid that something had happened to her, or when she'd kissed him once to save him from Kaguya's magic that'd stolen his human side from him…

"Sakana!" he cried, and grabbed her by the shoulders, frenzied, really happy to see her awake. "You're up! I worried about you! The Red Demon came and nearly got you last night!" his face and eyes were grave at the thought, "But you're well! I can't believe it!" he tried to pull her into a gleeful hug but Kagome raised a hand between them swiftly, stopping him short.

"What is it, Sakana, what's wrong?" he looked so innocent and completely, genuinely, confused. She hated having to disappoint him but looking at him brought nothing into her mind at all, nothing…

"I don't think we've met…" why in the seven hells was he calling me Fish? "Hi, my name's Kagome…" she thrust out her hand and offered him a small, timid smile.

The scraggly boy looked as if she'd stricken him, not introduced herself. "Oh no, Sakana," he shook his head as if in denial, "…you don't remember me…?"

"If I did," Kagome swallowed nervously, "Would I understand why you're calling me 'fish'?" she chuckled once and then stopped when she noted that this quite emotional guy looked almost as if he might cry…panic laced the edges of her mind and she searched the room another time, still hoping to see someone she did recognize. I gotta get outta here!

"You were found in the river…" he whispered, not looking directly at her, even as she met his gaze again, curiously, "So they called you fish and never expected you to survive…" he turned, taking a deep breath as he forced himself to look her in the eye, "But you did survive and I fell in love with you…" Kagome felt abruptly as if she wanted to get out of the futon, get out of the room, NOW, with the same desperation someone with the stomach flu feels when they're about to vomit…but she couldn't so instead she meekly continued to smile, like a zombie, pretending to understand and listen when in reality all she wanted to do was bolt. Who is this kid!

"So Sakana, um, I mean, Kagome…" he reached for her hand and too late she tried to flinch and pull away…he only got one of her hands and not both as he wished, but one was enough… "Would you marry me? Could you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" he stuttered desperately onward, pleading his case pathetically, "I know I am not worthy of such a fine woman's love and title as yours, I am dirt on your shoes, my lady, but…" his words seemed to fail him and Kagome was relieved, glad that he'd stopped—she'd just been feeling rather queasy with it all—except that that meant she had to answer…

"Um…" she laughed nervously, "I don't even know your name…"

He looked stricken all over again, but recovered fast enough, pressing onward. Gosh, he's ten times as bad as Hojo!

"My name is Koshi." He bowed to her briefly, "I came here with the samurais at the same time that you were recovering the first time and met you." He swallowed, barely wrangling in his emotions, "Oh Sakana! I thought I'd lost you!" he enveloped her in his arms, squeezing her to him in desperation.

She could feel his body shivering, shaking against hers, and Kagome quaked as well then, but not because she reciprocated anything—simply because he was close to frightening her. How was she supposed to get him to stop this? Was anything that he was saying true? Where were her friends…?

Suddenly Koshi pushed back from her, his eyes shimmering with emotion as he gripped her cheeks, andpulled her into a kiss. Kagome's eyes sprang wide with shock. She couldn't believe what was happening here! She could feel the moisture of this boy's lips against her own, the warmth…and who knew what kind of diseases he had! She had hardly even met him and he was…he was…worse than Miroku!

Her face blushed bright red and suddenly Kagome pushed the boy away and slapped him right across the face.

Koshi stared at her, confusion in his eyes. "What-why—Sakana?" he looked so pitiful that Kagome almost hit him again, wishing that he would react with outrage—as likely, Inuyasha would if something like this were to happenbetween them. That brought on yet another blush. Inuyasha and me? Oh Gods, I really must be sick to think that…

"Look Kisho—" she started to the boy's widened, stunned eyes, one hand was stillon his cheek holding the afflicted place she'd slapped, "Kishi, or…" she frowned, realizing that none of those names were right. "Whatever your name is…" she pointed one finger at him, despite how rude she knew it was, "Don't kiss me! I don't even know who you are!"

The boy nodded, slowly, reluctantly, still sad as a scolded puppy. "I thought you would remember for sure, Sakana…"

"And my name is not Fish," Kagome intoned, crossing her arms and scowling, "It's—"

"Kagome, I know." He sighed, "Your grandfather's servants told me that."

"What? My grandfather's servants?" she asked, stunned.

Koshi nodded at her, blinking his confusion, but pushing it aside, knowing that if she didn't remember him she could likely forget anything else that she should be remembering, "The servants—the lady demon slayer, the monk that likes to touch her rudely, and the two little youkais."

She blinked at him, stupidly, until finally it reached her, through a fog: He's describing my friends…

"Oh! Yes," she nodded slightly, and regretted it when a little pain shot through her head. Tentatively she reached to the spot that hurt and pressed, "Ow!"

"Oh, Sakana, be careful!" he reached for her hands, pulling them away from her forehead clasped in his. Kagome took one look at that and ripped them away, stubbornly ignoring Koshi's pained expression. "You shouldn't touch your forehead, it's terribly bruised…" he whispered quietly, looking sadly at his lonely hands in his lap.

Kagome hadn't noticed, or refused to at any rate, his mourning of their loss of touch, and instead had begun inspecting herself. Lifting one arm she tried to discreetly smell her underarms and grimaced. "Uh…Kishi?"

The boy frowned and corrected her, "Koshi."

"Yea, Koshi," she blushed and tried to spit her words out as bluntly and without emotion as she could, "I really need a place to bathe…it'd make me feel a lot better…" she looked up, letting her voice fade, her thoughts not entirely finished, when she heard two voices that sent thrills of relief through her. A smile broke over her face, even though it sent small rivulets of pain up into her skull when the muscles were worked.

"You HENTAI!" came a woman's voice, Sango's without a doubt, the last word was snarled in outrage, "HOW could you leave Kagome alone in there while you wandered around the village finding little girls and married women to flirt with! When will you learn that none of them, not a single one, wants to bear your child? Half of them can hardly bear looking at your face alone!"

"But my Sango—" it was Miroku's voice, but he didn't have a chance to argue his own point before Sango shushed him, her voice hissing in rage.

"Some friend you are to Kagome! I stayed with her all night and where were you!"

"Not where I wanted to be, I can assure you of that." Came Miroku's response, heavily suggestive. Apparently he must've done something physically offensive as well, because a moment later Sango squeaked in shock and there was a resounding slap.

"HENTAI!" Sango screamed again, this time much closer to Kagome's room, and a second later the schoolgirl's eyes lit up at the sight of the demon slayer clomping into the room, a scowl on her face, until she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at Kagome.

"Kagome…?" she breathed the girl's name hesitantly, as if speaking any louder might startle the schoolgirl out of conscious thought.

"Sango!" Kagome exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear, "It's so good to see you!" she couldn't help but direct her eyes nervously to Koshi, who had his back to her now, also smiling at Sango when she'd entered, although his was noticeably more melancholy. Silently Kagome tried to alert Sango to her discomfort with the boy, and Sango's lips tightened as she gave one curt nod.

"Koshi-sama," Sango started, with more respect now than she would probably ever give him again, "Could you leave us please?"

Koshi looked alarmed, almost afraid. With one quick glance he checked Kagome's expression, which was smiling—but not at him—and full of relief. Reluctantly, and very slowly, Koshi rose to his feet and slipped out of the room, like a ghost. Kagome couldn't help but pity him once she'd left, but she had no interest in him at all—and his impromptu kiss had left her too uncomfortable to really ever learn to like him at all, even as much of a friend. The thought of hugging him made her squirm on her futon.

"Kagome!" Sango rushed to her and threw her arms around the skinny schoolgirl, smiling into her matted, messy, dirty hair only to pull back again and frown, carefully looking over Kagome's face for scratches, bruises, and anything else that might seem out of the ordinary. It was in this scrutiny that, as she slid the other girl's bangs away from her forehead, that she noted that the bruises of the evening before were significantly reduced.

She blinked in surprise at Kagome and shook her head slowly.

"What?" Kagome frowned, "Do I have a giant kiss shaped bruise?" she muttered, thinking about Koshi embarrassedly.

"What!"

"Oh, nothing." Kagome frowned and waved her hand, trying to dismiss her words, but Sango read the look and the gesture, and immediately guessed.

"That stupid boy kissed you!"

"No! No…uh…" she sighed, still frowning, "Yes…"

Sango shook her head, "Well then," her thoughts flew wildly, where's Inuyasha? If he catches wind of Kagome's scent now that stupid Koshi is dead! Instead of voice this aloud she looked Kagome up and down, taking in the stained, torn, and wrinkled green kimono that she'd been pulled from the river in, and the messy, tangled, dirty hair, and announced, "How about a nice, relaxing bath in the hot springs this village is lucky enough to have?"

Kagome looked like she'd been offered a free round-trip flight to Hawaii. "I'd love it!" she paused, looking down at her clothes. "But…what about…"

"Don't worry about it at all, Kagome, I'll get it for you, just wait here a moment and take it easy…" she patted Kagome's shoulder reassuringly and then rose quickly to dash from the room, but before she could quite vanish Kagome called her name, stopping the demon slayer at the door.

"Yes?"

"Where's Inuyasha?"

Sango's eyes widened and she looked around as if Kagome had just revealed some terrible secret. When she turned her dark, milk-chocolaty eyes back to Kagome she put her finger to her lips, "Don't ask about him just yet, okay? Especially not by name…"

Kagome frowned, "Why? Where is he?" Her face suddenly looked drawn and her eyes screamed silently in fear, "I remember a giant pig demon attacking us—did it—did he…is he…?"

Sango snorted, apparently unimpressed with Kagome's concerns. "Be serious! You know as well as I do, Kagome, that the only real threat to In—to him is you…" she started to turn and leave again but Kagome hissed her name a second time, and an exasperated Sango turned back.

"What is it?"

Kagome paused, uncertainly. She had been going to ask, what do you mean by that? Because Sango's words had struck her as odd…but she decided, strangely, against it and asked instead, "Can you send Miroku in to keep me company…?" she scowled, deeply, "I don't want that Kisho—"

"Koshi." Sango corrected, smirking.

"—Yea, him, to come back in here again…"

The demon slayer nodded, softly, but the look in her eyes, of clear amusement mixed with something else that was unfathomable and impossible to read, said she had more to say. "I don't know Kagome, Miroku's probably just as bad as Koshi…" she grimaced, "And I might have trouble finding him, because he's probably left to flirt with the women in the village again…" she sighed and looked Kagome in the eye, smiled lightly, "But I'll do it for you."

"Thank you!"

"Hai," Sango whispered at last, and turned, for the third time to leave, but this time stopped herself, pausing as a new thought struck her. She looked back at her friend with worry eating away at the corners of her mouth and eyes, "Don't talk about Inuyasha to anyone but us, okay? And only when we're alone…okay?"

Although the expression on her face and in her eyes screamed uncertainty and confusion, she nodded obediently and drew an X over her heart, "Cross my heart…" The demon slayer frowned at the strange expression briefly, but finally stepped out of the room.

As Kagome settled back down into the furs, grimacing at the sticky feeling her strange clothing had against her bare skin, she heard Sango's voice again, rising from just outside, "Miroku! How could you! She can't be over 10 years old yet! Leave her alone and come watch over Kagome…"

It was already around noon when they started to leave the village. Passing through the gates—which were still guarded by silent samurai sentinels—Sango tried to hide her face from them when she noticed that one had a black eye and a nose that seemed to jut to one side and was still stained and clogged with clotted blood.

"Oh no," she muttered to Kagome as they passed, trying to bury her face into the schoolgirl's messy hair…but it was too late.

"Hey—you!" the voice was thick and slurred just as it had been the night before—but this time it wasn't because of alcohol, it was because his nose was broken, rather excruciatingly.

"Just keep walking Kagome!" Sango muttered, but despite her words she wasn't walking, she was jogging, the simple, white kimono that she had snagged for Kagome, folded and clutched beneath her arm. She used one strong hand to clutch Kagome's lean arm and drag her hurriedly down the path toward the river, dust scattering beneath their sandaled feet.

"Who is he?" Kagome slowed, fighting Sango's grip, trying to get a good look—there was no fear on her face, she held no memories of the man's armored, tank-like body, of his tiny, beady eyes, his thick, ugly nose or his cruel, arrogant tongue. "He looks like a samurai, Sango." She remarked innocently.

"Yea—a real ugly one!" Sango growled, grabbing her a little harder this time and pulling with just enough force that Kagome realized that the demon slayer was a tad fearful.

"What's wrong?" she smirked suddenly, unable to keep her retort inside, "Old boyfriend?"

"No," Sango looked as if she might vomit, "Old drunken idiot that attacked me last night."

Kagome laughed, "Seems a little obvious just who won that fight…" she looked behind them and noted that the large, ugly samurai hadnt left his post after all, but was still glaring at them knowingly. Even—she realized with a small jolt—at her.

She looked to Sango with a nervous smile now, "Uh…Sango?"

"Yes?" they'd reached the river. Women walked here and there, kneeling to work the rice plants or sitting at the edge of the water to wash clothes or to get swift drinks. A samurai dashed by them rudely, stopping his horse in front of them. He glared down at them as if they were ants.

"Ladies—where are you going?" his words were fairly even and respectful but his face and his eyes—although a far improvement on the beaten samurai's features—were angry and unfriendly. He clearly didn't think too much of either of them.

"This woman has been ill for sometime, sir," Sango began gesturing to Kagome, "But as she's beginning to recover I thought that a bath would be the first and best step to—"

The samurai frowned and interrupted them; "You can't go to the hot springs unattended. I shall come with you."

Sango blinked and the semblance that she'd had of respect suddenly died. "You most certainly will not!"

The samurai seemed startled by her response, but only for a moment before his brows met over his nose, his lips sneered, exposing yellowed teeth despite the man's youth. If my father were still alive this samurai would be younger than him! Kagome realized, looking at the warrior atop his horse with renewed awe. Were all samurais so young? She'd thought them to be old warriors, full of honor and wisdom. What she'd seen thus far as arrogance and anger.

"You have no choice, ladies," he stressed the word, apparently trying to remind them that they were vulnerable, "There's a demon on the loose, and you know it!"

Sango squared her shoulders and raised her chin. "Do you see the weapon strapped to my back?" she demanded.

The samurai blinked, and then huffed, "Yes—"

Sango interrupted him, "It's called a hiraikotsu. I am not a native to this village. I am a demon slayer. If the demon decides to pick a fight with me, I'll make him sorry."

The samurai had apparently grown tired of fighting with her. "It's your skin, ladies," he growled and kicked his horse roughly in the sides, taking his anger out on the poor beast. It whinnied and rushed forward, kicking up dirt in Sango and Kagome's faces.

"Well…" Sango sighed, "At least we get to do this in privacy…that's what I wanted." The demon slayer started to descend onto the riverbank, looking for the shallowest part at which to cross it.

Kagome looked around nervously, at the fields, at the women washing and working, at the samurais riding about the field…why didn't I notice it before? She wondered, all the villagers are frightened… it was clear in their huddled, hurried movements, the way they looked at the samurais with shining gleams in their eyes, and the way they whispered to each other—never laughing. This was work of necessity done in fear. They had no choice but to enter the fields to grow their rice, to do their daily tasks to ensure survival, but they did them in terror.

The schoolgirl bit her lip in sudden fear of her own and looked to Sango, just in time to gasp as the demon slayer led her into the water—it was freezing! And so fast…

Wait…

"Sango…Kishi told me—"

"Koshi," Sango interjected.

"Yea, that guy, the boy, he told me that they found me in the river…"

Sango glanced at her, a new pain awakening in her eyes that made Kagome look away, focusing on the swirling eddies of water about her calves instead before she burst out her second question, "And if there's a demon then maybe…"

In spite of the pain of seconds before Sango burst out laughing quickly, "Ha! Demons…these people need to learn demon from half-demon from human…they're surprisingly uninformed…" she paused, grabbing hold of Kagome to steady her when the schoolgirl tottered in the pull of the current uncertainly. "Are you ok?"

"Yea…" they managed a few more steps in silence, fighting the current, before Kagome sheepishly asked, "Sango, uh, I'm actually a little confused on the whole telling a demon from a half-demon myself. I can only sense it when they aren't completely human…and what's the story with these people and their demon? Are you sure that it's not something to be afraid of…?"

Sango threw her a careful glance, their pace slowed as they neared the other bank, the current dissipated. "You really don't remember anything that happened here, do you?"

Kagome shook her head, "No—I don't. Something did happen? Is that why that samurai with the black eye looked at me like I helped you beat him up…did I?"

The demon slayer laughed lightly, "I wish you could've, but no. I don't know why he would have a grudge against you—probably just doesn't like you because you were with me." she pursed her lips as the two young women's feet met with the dry dust and dirt of the other bank, "From what I've heard—and it isn't much to go on—these people found you half dead in their river, nursed you back to health and got to know you for about a week before you were captured by the "demon" they're all so scared of."

Kagome looked at her friend's brown gaze in sudden alarm, her eyes wide with horror at the news. She'd been abducted by a demon? What terrible things had it done to her that she had forgotten? In a sudden frenzy Kagome moved away from Sango and started looking over what little she could see of her body. Were there bite marks? Stab wounds? Anything the least bit out of the ordinary at all to validate the demon slayer's story? Why couldn't she remember such a traumatic event? What was wrong with her!

The warm chocolate gaze was fixed on her as she squirmed, searching herself, mind and body, frantically, and Sango started chuckling. It's so good to have her back…she fought her own emotions for a few seconds—don't think about the people you've lost, just enjoy what you do have…Kagome is alive, and she damn well is going to stay that way!

"Calm down Kagome, he didn't hurt you. I know that for a fact." She smirked suddenly as the girl's head shot up, a mixture of confusion and lingering fear still in her eyes.

"How could you know that!" she demanded.

"Because the "demon" these people are so afraid of is Inuyasha."

Kagome blinked, too baffled to make sense of it all. Yet as the girls rounded the bend in the path, descending into the thicker forest and the boulders scattered here and there, Kagome slowed, looking around carefully. Something fluttered in her mind, like a butterfly trying to escape the grip of imprisoning hands. It took her a moment of gawking and thinking in silence to recognize the feeling as it swept through her: I know this place…I've been here before.

When she looked back at Sango a short ways ahead the demon slayer nodded solemnly. "This is where I was told it happened. You were, of course, the only one taken…you don't remember it, do you?"

She closed her eyes, wrinkled her nose, trying to beg the memories to enter her mind. Sensations reached her: dizziness, a strong grip over her body, a terror like a black hole opening and swelling inside her…she saw a flash of greenery as the trees seemed to flow by her, felt the fresh wind rustling through her hair and inhuman speeds…it reminded her of traveling on Inuyasha's back when he was in a hurry or she was weak and unable to keep up when he needed her. But these were all half-formed things, not true memories. She couldn't say whether she imagined them on the spot or whether they had a true connection with the place they were walking towards.

Slowly, regretfully, she shook her head, and, nervously, asked, "You're sure they're afraid of Inuyasha?" How could an entire village be terrified of a sexy, red-robed half-demon with white dog-ears? Inuyasha should be afraid of them! Likely all the girls would want to feel his ears…I know that's what I'd want to do… she blushed at the thought, which Sango clearly saw, and smirked right back at her knowingly.

"Yes, it was Inuyasha…" Sango walked back to stand directly in front of Kagome, taking hold of her hand, intertwining her fingers with the girl's. Carefully, meaningfully, she looked into Kagome's eyes. "Kagome, do you remember falling when the pig demon attacked us?"

The girl blinked, searching her mind. Once again a mixture of things reached her. There was a yawning fear, a sense of great height, weightlessness…suddenly the terror opened up inside her and she closed her eyes, tearing her hands from Sango's, screaming in fear. "No! No!" her knees shook and Sango wrapped her arms around the frightened girl, rubbing her back roughly, drawing Kagome back into the present, calling her name unceasingly.

"Kagome! Kagome! It's all right now…are you there? Can you hear me? Do you understand?" when she felt the girl calm she started to pull back—but stopped when she felt the wetness spreading on her shoulder. Kagome was crying…she set the girl at arm's length and swiped the tears away gently, trying to judge the girl's mental stability—was she ready to hear it all?

"Kagome…" she started, waiting for the girl to meet her gaze. The tears were brimming in her eyes, making them shine in the afternoon sunlight. Sango pursed her lips worried, contemplating her words before finally asking, "Do you want to know everything, or would you like me to just let you leave it forgotten for now?"

For a long time Kagome paused, thinking. Her gaze left Sango's. A few tears fell absently as she searched her mind and, without even realizing it, she started to shake. She'd fallen, that much she knew—the terror of that moment lived on within her. It wasn't so much the experience she remembered, just the raw feelings, and those terrified her. She felt like if she let them—if she focused on them—they'd swallow her whole…and one thing shocked her most of all. I couldn't have survived that fall. I know I couldn't have. It should've killed me…why am I still here? When she thought of it there was something inside her mind—a place that was dark and cold and like a predator, stalking, waiting to eat her. And she'd realized, when Sango had asked whether she remembered the fall from the cliff; that she had died. Died, even if it was only for a split-second…and then what? Almost as if in answer to her questing thought, Kagome felt the shards underneath her strange, dirty green kimono burn again, making her blink the tears from her eyes, clearing her vision.

The shards… as soon as she thought it, she buried the revelation and looked Sango in the eye. "Tell me all of it, Sango," she bit her lip and forced herself to look brave, "The sooner I know the sooner I can deal with it."

The demon slayer nodded quickly and wrapped one strong arm around the weaker girl's shoulders. "Come on, I'll tell you while we're steaming in the hot springs, getting clean, okay?"

She nodded, "Yes…"

Though neither girl ever saw it, as they walked toward the steaming hot springs a high branch in a tree shivered and a shadow leapt away, deeper into the forest. The silhouette that had been watching them was just like a human's form with one simple exception—two witching dog-ears atop its head…

Until tonight Kagome, until tonight…

Endnote: More to come! More of my running gag (can you guess what it is by now?) and more Miroku/Sango fun too. Next chapter Kagome finally gets it through to Koshi that she doesn't want him...onto the thank yous now!

Many great and powerful THANK YOUs to everyone that has reviewed (now and EVER!): Taeniaea (Thank you!), SerenaClearwater (I loved being able to take a shot at Sango/Kagome chatting, and I get some more in next chapter too (grins) glad to hear you enjoyed it too!), Missyblue (No need honey! It's here! Got the next chapter already ready too! Just wrote it today!), toxiclollipop (I'm very glad to hear that! Yay!), Yami Chikara (as you have commanded my Lady! (snickers)OH! And THANK YOU! For reviewing my "two-shot" first ficlet too!), souless one (Oh no! I'm really sorry to hear that! MY Miroku broke his collar bone too, I know he was out of it for a long time, kinda groggy and less fun, but see, he didn't have a crashhe tried to give his 200 pound girlfriend of the time a ride on his shoulders, fell over, and broke it. See, you have some dignity, and a right to be cranky, he didn't becuase his was so ridiculously stupid. I hope that TRUE story made youlaugh (winks) I wrote Koshi in this chapter thinking of you (snickers)), freekazekagura (Thank you!), and last but not "leastly" is cool-chick-rae (If you didn't see my rave about you earlier I'm telling you now! (sniggles) and I'll tell you this one twice, you aren't annoying! No one here is! Ha, would you guys believe that unless you hadn't reminded me about him, I would've forgotten Namaru! Oh! That bastard would've gotten away without even Sango's beating cuz I woulda forgot! Grr! See how important you guys are!)

There, I think that that's everyone...(ponders) I thought there were more of you...(blinks) my email always soars to a count I can hardly deal with, but that's a consequence of my own making, posting three fics at a time...so I'm not whining at all! But just when I think this story is my most popular "With Arms Our Arms Wide Open" comes back to bite me! (blinks again) A last shameless Me plug (sheepish look, bats eyes) I started a new story called, "I Miss You" named after Blink-182's song I Miss You. Yes, the tradition continues. Interested? Check out my profile...I also had an idea (in the shower no less! Just yesterday!) of an AU that won't leave me alone, and since I've never done one before, I'm interested in running it by you guys first...? Okay, preview time: (This is a snippet of the running gag, which is done incessantly next chapter...):

Kagome blew out a long loud breath from her lips. "You know that little annoying Kisho—"

"Koshi." Sango interrupted with a sudden smirk that made Kagome's hands clench into fists.

"Yea, Kishi, Koshi, Kisho, Kissy-wissy whatever!" she growled, sounding surprisingly similar to someone they both knew who liked to make such noises whether he was frustrated or not, "Whatever his stupid name is he's not coming!"

Okay, that's it for me, until next time! Remember to review!