Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi

Kagome: Again with that lady? I thought we had agreed I own him.

Sorry babe, she owns you too.

Kagome: W-what? I am no one's property

She draws you weekly…all of you.

Inuyasha: See, I told you bitch….this lady is crazy.

Now see here….I am not crazy.

Miroku: Perhaps you could unlock the door and let us out.

Umm……no.

Sango: (advancing with Hiraikotsu) Are you positive you will not release us?

You are staying. I let Shippo out didn't I?

Inuyasha: And you expect us to be grateful?

Chapter 4

The first book consisted of our journey. As you can tell, I left out many important facts, including the extent of friendship that our little family developed over our journey. Having such common goals yet different backgrounds and personalities definitely made our journey interesting. Having an orphaned prankster of a Kitsune cub, a distrustful and temperamental inu-hanyou, a shy and strong female demon slayer, a lecherous but caring cursed monk, traveling together is something that probably would have never happened had it not been for the last member of our family.

Kagome.

The truth about Kagome I left out of the previous book for a reason, her safety. I would hate for what happened here being discovered before it ever happens to her. Our Kagome came from almost 500 years in the future. She fell through the well on her shrine on her fifteenth birthday and stumbled across the hanyou Inuyasha, beginning our journey, 500 years in the past for her.

She was mother to our orphan. She became a needed friend to our shy demon slayer and houshi. Most importantly, she became the lifeline for our rude, inconsiderate, loyal and temperamental hanyou. Kagome held us together, gave us all a family, something only she still had at the time. We began to slowly trust each other, care for each other and protected each other with our lives. Strange things happen when placed in life threatening situations with people you care about so strongly. Love is given a chance to blossom in the strangest of companions.

I get ahead of myself, to us all it was painfully obvious that Kagome had fallen in love with the protectiveness of the hanyou. Each of us believed with the bottom of our hearts that he returned her affections, and told him so on several occasions. He denied everything, his actions spoke stronger than his words in most situations. The one exception, Kikyo. When the undead miko would return to the area, Inuyasha would drop everything to protect her, occasionally leaving Kagome vulnerable. He had made a promise to the undead miko that he would follow her to hell. Kagome wanted him to live, his loyalty and guilt fell to Kikyo.

Heartbroken at being second in the hanyou's heart, Kagome continued to fight alongside him if only to make the rest of the time on earth for him happy. Her only weakness was her jealousy for Kikyo. Surprising to her, Kagome had more power than Kikyo. There was no hate in Kagome, even at Kikyo. Kikyo only wanted to be with Inuyasha the way Kagome did. Never has such a pure heart ever lived. There was one thing Kagome had done that Kikyo had not, loved Inuyasha for himself. Kikyo had wanted him to change for her, to become human and set her free from her commitment of protecting the jewel. Kagome wanted to be with the hanyou for who he was, a half demon.

The closer we came to the end of our journey, the less Inuyasha said on the subject. By that time it was obvious his affection for the miko from the future surpassed his guilt toward the undead miko. Stubborn and loyal he was, leaving us unaware on what his decision would be when the time came to make it. When the end came, what happened we could never have predicted. It set in course a serious of events that would change our lives forever.

Naraku had finally been killed, wounding the undead miko. Inuyasha approached her at the end, expecting to be dragged to hell, against his will. He did something that came very unexpected as she died. He informed her that he would not be going with her; he wanted to live. The miko understood; he had fallen in love with Kagome. She had known from the beginning that she did not stand a chance against the young miko from the future. Kagome had done something that Kikyo would never have been able to do, no matter how hard she had tried. She had healed his heart and soul completely.

None of us expected what happened next, Kagome had been taking the last two shards from Kouga's legs. As she placed the final piece together to complete the jewel, suddenly she was gone. She disappeared right before our eyes, our hanyou grabbed for her screaming his love for the girl. Poor Kagome had loved him from the very beginning and after all the time and heartache she had suffered from him, she never had a chance to hear it. She was already gone.

So was the jewel.

"KAGOME!!!" Inuyasha screamed as he lunged across the room attempting to grasp any part of the young miko. ""I love you! Please don't leave me."

"He finally figured it out and she isn't even here to hear him tell her." Sango muttered beneath her breath. It had come out before the concept of what had actually happened hit her.

"What the hell happened to Kagome, dog turd?" Kouga demanded to Inuyasha. For once in his life, he obtained the power to ignore the wolf prince's comments. His only thoughts were about getting to Kagome.

"What happened to Kagome?" Shippo cried from his place on Miroku's shoulder. Panic evident in the kitsune's voice at the disappearance of his adoptive mother.

"I can only hope she returned to her own time." Miroku said calmly as he watched the inu-hanyou race out of the castle. He walked over to Kikyo's clay remains, "We should return these to Lady Kaede to be buried yet again."

Sango nodded her agreement, "Poor Inuyasha, love has been so hurtful to him." She turned to look at the haunted look in her brother's eyes briefly before turning back to her friend. "She is not returning, is she houshi-sama?"

Not wanted to crush her hopes yet, Miroku lied. "One never knows, Sango." He gathered the remains of Inuyasha's ill-fated first love. "We should go find him. I hate to think what he will do if he cannot make it through the well anymore."

They gathered Kirara, Kohaku and Shippo and began to follow their friend home. Each of them walked in silence; as if they made any noise, it would disrupt the solemn trek home. Suddenly Sango stopped dead in her tracks, glaring at the houshi. "HENTAI!" She screamed before slamming Hiraikotsu on the monk's hard head and storming off.

"Did that monk just grab my sister's butt?" Kohaku stared at his retreating sister in amazement. Curious about the events he had just witnessed.

"Uh-huh." Shippo sighed in exasperation. "He does that to all the girls, especially Sango. He is a pervert."

Shippo scampered after Sango while Kohaku and Kirara helped Miroku off the ground. "She must like you, Houshi-sama."

"Please, call me Miroku." He said to the young demon slayer. "What makes you think that?"

The fire cat jumped out of the boy's arms before transforming. "You are still alive." He informed the monk before jumping on Kirara's back and taking off.

Miroku laughed at the kid's assumption, it most likely was the truth. He picked up Kagome's bag from where it had fallen when Sango hit him as well as his staff. He followed his companions, a smile crossing his face.

It was not long before they were all traveling in a large group amicably again. Kohaku could not help watching the relationship between his sister and the supposed monk. They currently acted as if nothing had happened; it confused him. "Do they trust each other that much?" He whispered to Kirara, relaxing in his arms.

Kirara mewed her affirmative.

"Hmm….strange. A strange group of companions' sister had for this past year." An orphaned kitsune, a demon slayer, a half demon, a miko from the future and a lecherous monk. How did they all come together and care for each other? The hanyou had even fallen in love with the miko from the future.

Suddenly Kohaku stopped dead in his tracks. He had not just seen what he thought he did. His own eyes would not deceive him like that. He watched as his sister stole a look at the monk, catching his eye. Caught, she blushed slightly. Kohaku realized why his sister had not killed the monk on this journey. Apparently, the hanyou had not been the only one to fall in love during the journey. His sister had fallen in love with the lecherous monk!

"Hey sister, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Kohaku." The entire group slowed to let the boy catch back up. He had fallen slightly behind.

"Can you tell me about your friends? How did you all get together?"

"I think he wants to know why you have not killed Miroku yet." Shippo said, jumping from Miroku's shoulder to Sango.

Sango could not help laughing, which attracted the attention of said monk. "I have wondered the same thing." She said before turning to Miroku and grabbing his wondering hand. "Touch me and I will remove it I swear."

She than turned back to Kohaku before continuing. "We have been through about everything together. More than anyone could ever know. A strange group of friends aren't we houshi-sama?"

Miroku continued the conversation from where she left off. "It is not surprising we banded together. We all ended up with the same goal in the end. Completing the jewel and defeating Naraku. Collecting the shards began with Kagome and Inuyasha after Kagome fell through the well and shattered the jewel."

"Kagome shattered the jewel?"

As the group walked back to Kaede's village, they filled the newest member of their family of their history together.

Miroku: That was a much better effort my dear.

Thank you….I agree completely. I just want to throw out small chapters right now. Little moments in time. I still might revamp each of my chapters later though.

Inuyasha: What do you mean good effort monk? I was not in it for more than a second!

Kagome: I was not even in it.

Inuyasha: Who cares about you?

Kagome: What do you mean who cares about me? I am the main character here.

Inuyasha: The show is called INUYASHA, Kagome. Is that YOUR name? I didn't think so.

Kagome: OSUWARI!! You jerk.

Ouch! How painful. You alright down there? You both get lots of time next chapter, promise.