Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha gosh darnit. So don't remind me. -.-''
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II. How Unexpected

After much fumbling climbing up the well - since InuYasha had stolen her backpack for obvious reasons involving ramen – Kagome finally reached the top of it, pulling herself up to the sunlit feudal era. Swinging her legs over and pulling the edge of her skirt down a bit, she gave a smile and a sigh of relief.

"Kagome-chan!"

"Shippou-chan?"

Sure enough, a small fox demon had already leapt into her arms, giving her a small embrace. Kagome put her arms around him as well, standing up only to see two other familiar faces standing beside each other, joy on their faces.

"Sango-chan, Miroku-sama…!" Kagome exclaimed, a broad smile on her face as she ran up to the twosome, ignoring InuYasha who had already been digging through the bag, seemingly scavenging for ramen without saying another word to her.

"Kagome, how are you…?" Sango responded to her, her voice filled with excitement. "I havn't seen you in so long!" she continued, wrapping her arms around her old friend, pulling her into a tight embrace. Luckily, Shippou was smart enough to hop down by then, knowing it wouldn't have been comfortable to be in the hug of two females who hadn't seen each other in a while.

"I'm fine, and yourself?" Kagome answered giving her a hug back.

"Well, very well…a lot has been going on…"

"Such as?"

Sango broke apart from Kagome, looking back at Miroku for a brief moment. She then opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a rude ignorant voice.

"OI! Kagome! Did you bring anything good?" InuYasha yelled at her, shutting the backpack shut.

"I haven't been buying anything for you, seeing as you haven't talked to me in so long! So sorry if there's nothing you like!" Kagome fought back, fists at her side. "Don't you have any manners? Sango was about to tell me-"

"About her and Miroku? That's old."

Kagome whipped around to look at Sango, then to Miroku, her eyes wide. "You…you…what…" she stuttered, raising an eyebrow as she looked back to Sango. She gave her a friendly smile and moved her hand to her stomach. Kagome's jaw dropped and she let out a small shriek of delight. InuYasha rolled his eyes impatiently.

"How long?"

"Several months."

"No way!"

Sango gave a small laugh at Kagome's amusement. "It is a bit of a shock isn't?"

"I'm just wondering how…" Kagome started, looking at Miroku.

"I don't feel like explaining the process, Kagome-chan." Miroku started with a sarcastic smile at her.

"No, I don't mean like-"

"I know what you mean. No need to explain." Sango shot him a glare, then turned back to Kagome.

"Eh, there's little ears here if you haven't noticed." Kagome said, a blush across her face as she looked at Shippou, who seemed basically clueless to everything that happened between now and when this whole conversation had started. "We can talk later, Sango-chan," Kagome said in a bit of whisper with a wink. "because apparently, I've been gone too long."

By this time, InuYasha had basically given up on finding anything good in Kagome's backpack, shooting her a glare that Miroku noticed. "Quit acting like you didn't miss her." Miroku shot at him.

"He's the one who insisted on getting you back. He just never did anything." Shippou said, looking at Kagome, who picked him up.

"Keh."

"He just loves you too much to say he missed you." Shippou once again implied. Both Kagome and InuYasha avoided each other's eyes at this comment. A shade of red fell across Kagome's face. And then another thought hit her hard and fast.

'Maybe he didn't come back because of Kikyou…maybe he's with her and Shippou's just saying that to make me feel better…he's so young anyways…he wouldn't know any better…'

Kagome's face fell, and so did all the joyfulness she had carried through the well. She brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear and put on a soft smile.

'What if he really doesn't want me here…?'

Maybe everything he said back at the shrine about wanting to see her was a showShe looked to InuYasha, who gave a bored stare, obviously pissed off that she hadn't brought any food he enjoyed. Kagome blinked and looked at him, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She shook her head and blinked her eyes hard.

"Anou…guys? I think I'm going to take a walk. That's all right isn't it?" Kagome said softly. InuYasha's ears perked up at this.

"Of course, Kagome-chan. Just don't take long, we have so much catching up to do." Sango said cheerfully, obviously not seeing anything was wrong with Kagome.

"Oh, right, I won't."

InuYasha looked at her from the corner of his eye, thoroughly curious why all of a sudden her attitude changed drastically. His heart gave a lunge, and he prayed it wasn't something he had said or done…but a gut feeling told him it was. Then again, maybe she just needed time alone.

Kagome looked from Sango to InuYasha, tilting her head to the side in contemplation. Now that she had thought of that theory, it just seemed like everything fell into place – why he hadn't come back for her was because of Kikyou. She sighed and gave a short wave to the threesome who seemed to care she was leaving.

Turning on her back, Kagome headed into the outskirts of the forest, thoughts heavily weighed on her mind. She sighed and shook her head, feeling tears come back into her eyes. She shook her head and began to think about everything…how everything seemed to make sense now.

'I just still can't believe it…I wish he had have told me rather than keep it…I mean, he hasn't said anything, but I could almost bet they are back together…he thinks about her so much and hasn't come back for me. Just why I didn't realize it sooner I don't really know.'

Kagome's feet brushed some leaves that had fallen with a soft rustling noise. She looked down at the ground, before all of a sudden, something wisped by her face, leaving an icy cold feeling on her cheek. Abruptly looking up, Kagome looked behind her to see is anyone was there. Convincing herself it was just wind, she walked on, looking ahead and deciding to be more alert.

Then it happened again, on both sides, but repetitively, and faster. Kagome looked closely to see what it was…and it turned out to be long, and a pale sick green color…with a hint of red coming by as well. Kagome's eyes widened as she made out what wisped by her face, and one thought came to mind.

"Kikyou…" she whispered breathlessly.

"Yes. Kikyou." Came a cold voice from behind her. Kagome felt her stomach drop and she gave a quick gasp for breath as she turned around quickly to face who she didn't want to see. Who she had just grown mad at for keeping InuYasha away from her.

"Kik-"

"Kagome." She said simply, her black hair down, drapped over her shoulders as she stood in her priestess garb, her eyes seeming to have shards of ice in them. Her gaze was more cold, more tired than ever. More hungering for her to be gone almost…

"Kikyou, why…? What ha-" Kagome started, fear in her eyes as she looked into Kikyou's.

"What do you mean why? Foolish girl." She said softly, taking such care to make her feel diminished. She narrowed her eyes, still keeping contact with Kagome. Then quickly, sharply, Kagome felt something gently close around her wrists. The grip grew tighter, more uncomfortable…

"Kikyou, what are you-"

"Surely, you must have not forgotten my wish to be with InuYasha."

"Of course I haven't it's one of the things we have-"

"In common. Yes, I know." Kikyou moved her head forward about and inch. At the same time, Kagome felt her arms being brought up. Kikyou then smiled grimly, and Kagome felt a tingly feeling before being thrust against the nearest tree behind her.

"What are you doing, Kikyou!" Kagome exclaimed as Kikyou began to step toward her.

"Taking back what was mine in the first place." She responded, now placing her hands on Kagome's wrists, were almost her entire body was completely under Kikyou's control. Once again, Kagome gave her a fearful stare.

"Kikyou, you can't mean…"

"Yes, I'm taking back the half of my soul you possess."

Kagome froze a moment, completely unsure. Kikyou couldn't steal her soul if she was alive, could she? She'd have to be…

"Kikyou, are you going to kill me?" Kagome asked softly.

"No."

"Then how are you-"

"I've grown a bit stronger in the time that you've been gone. You doubt me, do you not?" Kagome felt a hand around her neck, although there wasn't one, just the feeling. Her entire body was beginning to feel cold…like ice. Her eyes began to cloud over, her vision blurred. Then the feeling dropped as the grip did.

Kagome let out a desperate gasp for breath, helpless and terrified of the situation at hand.

"Weak."

"So then…how…"

"I have found other ways to return what is mine to me besides killing you. I don't believe in harming InuYasha's heart that much."

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't, as Kikyou had placed her lips on hers. Kagome's body felt colder than ever, as though she was freezing to death, starting at her feet. The warmth was leaving her body, her soul was leaving her body. Kagome felt her eyes grow heavy and hard to hold open. The cold began to spread to her chest, warmth only remaining in her neck.

'No…no…'

Finally, warmth was almost gone from her body, and feeling the last of it leave her lips, Kikyou broke apart from her. Kagome gave a hopeless last breath, and closed her eyes in pain in before having her legs give way and keeling over to the right, hitting the ground – which was the last thing she felt.

Kikyou smirked down at her. "No, your not dead. Just a lifeless shell. And I shall not return this half of your soul to you. The cold you felt…I have been that way too long. It's time I felt warmth spread through my bones…my flesh." She spoke to the lifeless body.

And then, turning on her heel and not giving another thought to what she had done…Kikyou fled.

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Whooohoo! Much longer, and hopefully better written! Or was it? Tell me! R&R!