A/N: I'm back. I'll spare you the details, and just get on with the story! I'm really sad right now, cause one of my friends died in a drug accident. So, this chapter is a little angst, serious. Sorry. I just need to get out some feelings.

The Black Bridge Blood on the Cherry Blossoms only makes the Aki Faster

"We couldn't say them
So now we just pray them
Words that we couldn't say

Funny ain't it
Games people play
Scratch it, paint it
One in the same

We couldn't find them
So we tried to hide them
Words that we couldn't say

It hurts don't it
Fools on parade
Taint it, own it
Chase it away

We couldn't make them
So we had to break them
Words that we couldn't say

Sometimes baby
We make mistakes
Dark and hazy
Prices we pay

I sit here on my shelf
Just talking to myself
Words that we couldn't say

Someday, maybe
We'll make it right
Until that day
Long endless nights

We couldn't say them
So now we just pray them
Words that we couldn't say"

So many memories. It hurts me even more as I remember them. I keep flowing in and out of consciousness. Sometimes I wish I could go then. For the last time. No one will let me go. No one will let me escape the pain.

I yell out for a sword, poison, a dagger, anything. Something to stop this immortal pain. I can't seem to forget any of it. I wish someone would let me die. Damn them. They call themselves my 'friends'. Damn them. Damn them…

~_~__~_~__~_~__~_~__~_~

"Who's there?" Kagome turned quickly to the sound at her wall. It was almost a scratching sound. It was coming from the outside screen.

"If anyone is there, come in. If not, stay out and starve." Turning her head back around, she was then hit with a weapon of some kind.

"Who is this one?" A short man with spiky hair asked.

"No good. Just a girl." A taller man said in the shadows.

"So why don't you just leave her alone?" A flash of silver filled the air. The smaller man found himself dead on top of the girl.

"So, you feel like taking out me, do you?" The taller said. The voice from the shadows came out and revealed a man dressed in black, sword stretched.

"Love to. Not here though. Women do not need to be complicated in fights." The 'villian' it seemed, closed the screen and Kagome heard a cry and a moan of death. Nothing more, but the sheath of the sword.

Pushing the body off her, she wiped off some of the blood and opened the shoji screen.

"Arigatou, to my protector…" She said to the wind, bowing low.

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"So, how have you been?" The old woman asked, low in the fields.

"Fine. Just fine. As fine as I can be, feeling like I've been herded off. Like I'm some piece of merchandise. I can be sold for anything. I'm just a treaty…it makes me feel used." Kagome sat next to the old woman, who was bringing in rice. Her cotton kimono kept up to prevent it from getting wet. She  would never dare to wear a silk for this. She only wore those when it truly mattered.

"It's what men think of women." Kaede sighed and sat down next to Kagome, on the log.

"My father is different about my mother though. He treats her with respect." Kagome looked to the sky.

"He is different. Your father is different from every other person in this world." Kaede looked at the young girl.

"I know that. But, he's just…you know…different from the normal." Kagome pleaded with the old woman. She didn't want another lesson.

"Normal? Tell me Kagome, what is normal?" Kaede looked her straight in the eye. Lessons always happened.

"Normal is…perfect. It's where everything is perfect." Kagome tried to avoid eye contact. She looked stupid again.

"Perfect? What in this world is perfect?"

"The sky."

"Where?"

"Over head."

"I see clouds everywhere. There is no perfect blue."

"I know. It is perfect."

"Perfect?"

"It…is different."

"So, it is not normal, therefore not being perfect."

"NANI??? Now you're just twisting my words!" Kagome stopped looking at the sky.

"Kagome, nothing in this world is perfect. Only nirvana is perfect…" With that, Kaede left Kagome, hauling the rice bale over the horse's shoulders.

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So many people. He had killed them. Again, he had been seen. If only the villages would not look for him. Then, he could not hurt them. Everything would be alright.

The cherry blossoms were blooming the village. He felt sorry for them. They were always seeing death. The war lords fought every day, every time, over everything that didn't truly matter.

They bore no fruit. Yet, so many thought of them as beautiful. They would never bear fruit. No seeds. Only blossoms. It was a sad thing.

And now, bodies must be buried at their feet. There would be more blood shed on their beautiful blossoms. It would never stop. It would never ever stop. Someone always has to be dominant. Someone has to feel power. Someone must feel weaker. Someone has to feel like a slave.

He had grown up with it. He didn't feel like fighting every war lord to say he thought it was wrong. He knew he could do nothing, except be a part of the cycle. Or try to fit somewhere.

Unfortunately, there was no place for him.

~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~~

"Kagome, you can't sulk in your room all day. Please, un-stick the screen!" Kayura tried hard to open the stuck together shoji. Her daughter hadn't come out all morning. Not even for lunch.

"Uff" Kayura finally opened the shoji screen. Though, her eyes saw an unpleasant sight.

"No, she isn't. Where? Why? Kagome!" Kayura collapsed to the floor, as her husband ran to the sound of the screams and collapsed with her at the sight.

~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~--~~

"So, why are we here?" Kagome asked the miko.

"Everyone is here for a different purpose. When you're purpose if filled, you are free to die." Kaede did not look at the girl on the steps.

"So, we must find our purpose?" Kagome looked questioningly at the woman.

"Hai. It may take you all your lifetime to figure it out. And, it may take someone to help you have it. It may be joined with another. But, you must find it for yourself. No one can help you." Kaede kept sweeping at the front of the shrine.

"What is yours Kaede?" Kagome asked.

"To teach mikos. What else?" Kaede looked at the girl. The innocent girl. Who hadn't felt the cruel fate of time just yet in her life. She had not felt any of it. Yet, she would eventually. And Kaede felt sorry for her that she did.

A/N: Anyway, that chapter was kinda boring. Mostly just philosophies. But, they apply later on in the story. So, just try to be patient.

Next chapter "Perfect Life, Normal Days, Cracked to the Point of Death"