Disclaimer – Begone evil!!!!!

Suzu – Yep...Chapter nine!!!! We're all so proud!!!! Also, the separation bars that I put up are not showing up on the screen online, nor the paragraph spaces and tabs to be specific. So everything is clumped together, will it be this time? I will "unmask" the person who guessed the correct answer down in the reviewer's section! Thank you guys sooooo much for all your reviews! I'm trying to reach 100 reviews by the end of September at the most....I know, it's still far away, but oh well. We're still proud.

Kodaku – Yep...

Suzu –I played the Inuyasha playstation game at a friend's house. It was great!!!!! Also, don't get mad if you're confused by everything in this chapter. The solution to Inuyasha and Kagome's current problem is a little confusing. Try and go along with things. Kodaku is back today 'cause I was bored...

Kodaku – Yep...

Suzu – (Looks over curiously) Are you okay?????

Kodaku – Yep...

Suzu – 0.o

Reviewers...

Izayoi – Are you calling Inuyasha a baka ...or me???? (sniff) Just wondering...I don't think it's the latter anyway...But thanks for reading my fic and reviewing! I'm really glad that you keep coming back, not that I kind of leave a choice, in a way.

Ynot ff – I can't really blame you about how you feel. But try and hang on, okay? After all, I'm still making it a happy ending story. Don't cry....crying is bad for the mood. (Actually, crying cheers me up...)

Purplefr0g – Once again you cheer me up dramatically. And you were the right! The first one right on about what the glow was! (The only one who was right so far) Congrats! (pat pat)

AzureHart – I hope you're not dead yet. I just updated!

Chapter 9

Mrs. Higurashi was getting worried. It was 10:15 and Kagome still wasn't home.

"Gramps, where's Kagome?"

"None of your business, Souta. You should be getting some sleep now."

Souta bounced up and down on the couch. Giving his mom and grandfather a sullen look, he turned back to watching giant robots kill each other on the TV screen. He had no intention of missing the demise of the giant T-Rex Robot.

"Souta, stop watching that lizard thing bubble up like that right now. Go to bed young man!" Mrs. Higurashi gave her son a stern look.

"Damn the bedtime rules!" Souta cried defiantly. He was pretty sure that was what Inuyasha would say. He was really trying his best to act like his real life hero.

"Souta! Where did you get such a word! Go to bed NOW."

Defeated, the seven year old climbed down the sofa and clicked on the off button of the remote. They would show the episode again on Tuesday anyway.

Mrs. Higurashi turned back to her father.

"Dad, I really think that something's wrong. Kagome should be home by now."

The old retired priest folded up the magazine he was looking at. "It could be that Hojo and her friends took her to do something else."

"But Kagome would tell me...this isn't like Hojo or any of her friends to just drag her off like this."

"Calm down. We'll wait another half an hour to see if anything comes up."

The aged shrine keeper clicked on the TV remote. Immediately, the screen showed a deformed, bubbling, lizard-like robot roar as he was finally defeated.

Mrs. Higurashi and Grandpa: 0.o

0 0

Kagome saw swirling faces in front of her. She thought she could make out, in the mist of the darkness, a priestess dressed in armor.

Slowly, the shape defined itself more and more. It loomed before her, but in a peaceful and comforting kind of way.

"Are you in pain because of your wish?"

Kagome nodded, hesitating just a bit. "I want to forget and lead a normal life."

The priestess smiled sadly.

"We'll see."

0 0

Kaede examined the glow in her palm closely. 'How can it be? Kagome is already parted from the land due to the completed form of what I hold in my hand. Or was the jewel really complete?'

The old crone stepped down from among the roots of the Goshinboku tree.

'So, the Shikon No Tama wasn't really completed, huh. That means that Kagome and Inuyasha still have a chance.'

0 0

Inuyasha thought he saw Kagome walking towards him. Then, suddenly, the smiling face turned into Kikyo's. He had no clue where he was. He last remembered trying to cut himself with Tetsusaiga.

"Inuyasha, don't die yet. If you do, you'll end up just like me."

"Kikyo?" the shocked hanyou breathed.

"Yes. It's me. I can't blame you if you don't want to see me, but I had to tell you something."

Inuyasha relaxed a little. "Go ahead Kikyo. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm probably dead already."

"No you aren't. You can still make it." Kikyo looked on the verge of tears.

"Live, Inuyasha. Live for her."

The powerful priestess smiled a sad smile.

"Maybe then, I can be happy too."

0 0

It was already 11:34. Mrs. Higurashi couldn't sit around anymore. She picked up the phone receiver and dialed 911.

"Hello? Officer? My daughter, Kagome Higurashi-- She's missing. It's way past 11 and she still isn't home." Mrs. Higurashi did her best to keep calm as she phoned the police.

"What does she look like?"

"Raven, waist length hair. Brown eyes. A creamy complexion." Mrs. Higurashi rushed through her daughter's dominant features.

"Ma'am, one fourth of Japan looks like that."

Mrs. Higurashi snapped.

"WHO -beep -CARES???!!!!!! JUST –beep-GO LOOK FOR HER!!!!! I AM NOT –beep-LOSING MY ONE AND ONLY PRECIOUS GIRL!!!!!!! THERE –beep-IS NO ONE, GOT THAT, NO ONE LIKE HER IN THE –beep-UNIVERSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Mrs. Higurashi clacked the phone shut and heaved a sigh.

"Dad, do you think she'll be alright?"

Grandpa raised his head and stared squarely at his daughter.

"If anyone can take care of herself and live through the hard times, it's Kagome."

0 0

"Hey Miroku!" Sango called to the houshi, who was currently outside. Inuyasha had just started to stir in his sleep.

"What is it, Sango?" Footsteps rushed into the house.

"It's Inuyasha! He's starting to stir!"

Shippo leaned over the hanyou and examined bandaged wound. "I guess it wasn't that bad after all."

Sango smiled at the kitsune, at least, now, something was going right.

Miroku came over and sat down next to Shippo as Inuyasha started mumbling.

"Kagome...are you....hurt? ....I...only wanted...for you to...be....happy..." the hanyou mumbled on, unaware of the people around him who were listening rapturously.

"Miroku, Sango, you think we should stop listening?" The fascinated Shippo asked out of a pang of guilt.

"Don't be silly, Shippo. This is for his own good." Sango said quickly.

"Really? How?"

"She means for our good." The houshi explained.

"Okay."

The three friends doubled over in unison as Inuyasha began his next line in an unexpected public speech.

"Kagome....you must....hate me....but I...still...love..."

The hanyou trailed off there and started snoring peacefully.

"WHAT? LOVE WHAT???????" Sango jumped up comically, unable to contain the dramatic tension in the air.

"Sango dear. Be a little more cautious," Miroku chided her. He was interrupted by a hand clapped on his mouth.

Shippo's eyes got wide and he mouthed the hanyou's name.

"So, you lecherous monk. What were you talking about?" Inuyasha said lazily with a half-smirk. Most of his skin color had returned, but he still looked a little sad. However, that was a small thing to notice compared to the hand that was currently flexing its claws.

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo: 0.0 sweatdrop

0 0

"Honey! Kagome dear, are you okay. Talk to me! (A/N 'talk to me' oh 'tis a famous line)"

Mrs. Higurashi stood over her daughter. Grandpa was right beside her. Souta, who'd refused to be left behind, was on the other side of the bed.

Grandpa looked at the clock on the wall that read 2:41 am. It was already two hours since Kagome had been found lying unconscious on the street near the movie theater.

"Dad! Do you think she'll be alright?" Mrs. Higurashi panicked.

"Mom. Don't worry. Kagome fights monsters and stuff and still comes out okay. This is just a little...a little..." Souta stared at his sister, who was beginning to wake up.

Kagome shifted a little on the hospital bed. Her eyes fluttered a bit, and then opened. She blinked at her surroundings.

"Mom? Gramps? Souta?" she managed.

"Nee-chan! You're okay!" The boy flung himself at his sister, hugging her without shame.

"Don't worry, huh?" Grandpa laughed.

Mrs. Higurashi wiped the tears spilling down her cheeks daintily with a handkerchief.

"Kagome," she questioned, "What's wrong? How come you were on that sidewalk, unconscious?"

"I guess I was just really tired. Remember the demon? It was a big one." Kagome smiled another on of her best fake smiles, if it were still possible.

"Oh, Kagome. I was so worried..." Mrs. Higurashi sniffed into her kerchief.

"Don't be Mom. I'll get lots of rest in this era before I go back. We'll spend lots of time together." 'That's half true' Kagome added silently.

Kagome felt pretty good at the moment, but something was nagging her. She felt, however, that something was missing, or, rather, leaking out of her head. Automatically, her head went to what she'd been thinking of for the whole time that she'd left the Sengoku Jidai.

She remembered Sango. There was Shippo. And Inuyasha. But something felt wrong. That was all of her travel companions, was it not? She dismissed the strange feeling. She wanted everything to just leave her.

0 0

Inuyasha sat down on the cottage floor. Shippo clung to his hair like a knot, trying to squirm closer.

"Glad you're back among the living, Inuyasha." Miroku smiled, but there was a trace of sadness in that smile. No one could smile completely now, not without Kagome missing from their lives.

"Well, monk. I didn't think I would see you again." Inuyasha joked bitterly.

"Well, we should all try to live normally now, without reminding ourselves of—" Sango's voice cracked. She couldn't continue.

All four hung their heads knowingly.

Suddenly, their time of silence was broken by a voice at the door.

"Inuyasha," Kaede said, staring steadily into the hanyou's eyes.

"Prepare yourself. You're going to Kagome's time."

0 0

Kagome stretched. "It feels so good to be back now with no headache!" she declared to herself. She would not admit to herself that something felt strange.

"Kagome! Come check out my new playstation game!" Souta shouted from her room's doorway.

Kagome smiled a smile that felt almost real.

Suzu – Tune in next time to find out what happens. Trust me. You don't want to miss it. Please make me happy by reviewing on what you think of the fic so far. Also, this was the longest chapter so far (was it)....which is kind of sad...

Kodaku – Hmmmm...School's starting.... T.T

Suzu – I know....T.T

Kodaku – Okay, Suzu. Wave goodbye!

Suzu – (smiles again) Thanks again to ALL my reviewers! Please do review again! (Waves goodbye with Kodaku)