Hey everyone! Glad to be back and continuing this story! Special thanks to my friends: DarkDragon, IP, Kitty, Dragon Master, Sandy, Jen, Rose Drop, Lisa and Azndumbazz, who helped support me for so long! Thanks to all of the reviewers, who convinced me to continue when I realized how much you liked it! It took a while for me to complete this chapter, due to computer problems. Sorry, and hope you like chapter 2! Please read and review!

Kagome's tragic decision

By obsessed Kagome lover

It was a sunny morning in the feudal era as a young girl lay motionlessly in a small, grassy meadow, her thoughts racing frantically through her mind, her heartbeat slow and calm, her surroundings remaining mysterious to her--frightening her. Birds twittered happily as they lay perched comfortably in their nests, enjoying the warm sunlight that enveloped the landscape. She was not yet awake, but instead in a state of sleep, one that seemed to never end and inflicted horror and pain on her innocent soul. Without any knowledge of anything that happened before she lost consciousness, she felt worried for both herself and of the safety of her friends. Who knows what could happen if she wasn't there to prevent disaster from occurring? A small gust of wind awoken her from her deep slumber and she sat up abruptly, staring around in confusion, several drops of sweat scattered randomly amongst her flushed face, her breath coming out in uncontrollable pants. Kagome found herself sitting in a peaceful field near the rushing waters of a river, and she struggled to remember what happened as she rubbed her throbbing head just as a jolt of pain shot through her head, adding much difficulty to her task. 'How'd I get here?' she thought in confusion as she looked on in wonder at her surroundings, shielding her eyes with the sleeve of her school uniform as a ray of sunlight shone brightly down on her face through the leaves of nearby trees. Her eyes widened in amazement as realization hit her, making her unaware of the mysterious figure slowly approaching her.

"I see you've awoken." Kagome tensed and looked cautiously over her shoulder, giving a sigh of relief when she saw that it wasn't a demon. With much effort, she managed to sit up, though the pain she felt during this action never left. Her body was in a great deal of pain, making it difficult for her to take in much air. She felt terrible, more so than any other time. She was brutally betrayed, leaving her mind and body vulnerable to practically anything. It wasn't like every other time, either. Yet again, Kagome found Inuyasha alone with Kikyo, the undead priestess, talking as they usually did. It was different this time, though. Kagome knew that both Inuyasha and Kikyo still had feelings for each other, but it still left her heartbroken as she witnessed them kissing under the sacred tree. It left her depressed…so much that she ran away, trying to get as far away from the two as possible, which, unfortunately, led her into a fight with a demon. It was Inuyasha who caused her suffering but, for reasons still unknown to her, she had feelings for him that she never thought she had. It was just too much for the young miko to handle and she wasn't about to let someone else make her feel worse than she already was.

"W-Where am I?" she stuttered, staring suspiciously at the boy that now stood before her. He was a boy around the age of 15, just like Kagome. He wore a blue headband over his spiky, blond hair, a thin red jacket that hung loosely around his body, and a pair of baggy khaki pants that partly hid his black shoes. All of this perturbed Kagome as she continued to sit there, soft winds blowing across her face, her hair fluttering gently with the wind. She knew well that the inhabitants of the feudal era did not wear the things that he was wearing. The things he was wearing were probably found in her time: present Japan. He didn't seem suspicious, but you never really knew until you got to know that person a little more. Kagome didn't know whether to trust him or not…she just didn't know…

"Don't worry. You're not in danger here," he said calmly, his gaze fixed on her. Kagome grew extremely impatient, though it didn't show on her pale face. She wanted answers and he wouldn't even tell her where she was! She had enough to face as of now, and this boy was making it worse! For all she knew, he could be an arrogant jerk like Inuyasha! That'd be such a nightmare. Dealing with Inuyasha was enough of a challenge, and with another person to have to fight with would have been like hell.

"Okay, listen here, pal," she said with a dangerous tone as she leaned toward him, her index finger pointed at him as he slowly backed away from her. "You better tell me where I am or--" Kagome tried to stand as she yelled at him, but with the injuries that had been inflicted on her, her legs were unable to sustain her weight. Before she was able to reach the ground though, the boy lunged forward and caught her swiftly in his arms. She stared into his jacket for a while before looking up into his clear, blue eyes as they softened slightly. The sunlight reached more of the region and it surrounded the boy with a heavenly glow, amazing Kagome slightly before she was helped to her feet. "Oh, sorry" he said politely as he backed away a couple of steps to let her have more room to move around. "My name is Ryu." Kagome looked at him curiously, her earlier thoughts of him dissipating quickly. Her curiosity soon got the better of her as she introduced herself to him.

"My name is Kagome. Nice to meet you, Ryu," she said sweetly, a smile slowly creeping onto her cheery face. They stood as they were for a few moments, their thoughts wandering freely with every passing moment. Kagome decided to trust him, not only because he had helped her, but mainly because he was nice to her even after she had yelled at him. She felt guilty for treating him as she did, and wanted to make it up to him. As for Ryu, he felt awkward… awkward that he had actually talked to someone. Ryu's life wasn't what you would call "great"; it was far from that. Ryu was an outcast…due to wander through his life without any help or companions. He didn't have any friends, and his parents didn't bother to care. He came from a wealthy family and his parents were too busy to do anything about it. They'd rather count their money than have a measly conversation with him. He always got what he want…but there was one thing he couldn't have, no matter how much he begged his parents… and that was a true friend.

Kagome broke the silence and began a small conversation with him, wanting to learn more about his life and, more importantly, his origin. "Sorry about earlier…" she said softly, wanting to apologize. Ryu gave her a warm smile and, for an unknown reason, it seemed to make her heart beat faster in her chest. "Aw, that's okay," he said as he adjusted the strap of a large backpack that now hung loosely on his back. His actions agitated Kagome, and she remained silent until she began yelling at him again, her intentions for doing so being mysterious. "How can you be so forgiving?" she began in frustration. "I yelled at you! Aren't you mad?" Ryu didn't know how to respond this time. He had no problem before but, of course, he didn't have much contact with others. "I don't know…" he responded shyly as he fidgeted with his fingers. "I-There's just something about you…that keeps me distracted…and for some reason…it's like…I could never feel mad at you…"

Kagome was shocked. Not only did she yell at him again and not be mad, but Ryu had also said something considerate. As much as she hated to admit, she felt happy to be with him…something she hadn't felt since…she had met Inuyasha. She recognized it instantly, and she remembered her first encounter with Inuyasha…how she felt when he was nice to her…all of their moments together…but he betrayed her…and she didn't want to feel that ever again. "R-Really?" she said calmly, though he could clearly tell she was nervous. She watched him as he thought of his choices, but nonetheless, answered as though he knew exactly what to say. He was sure of it now; he had feelings for Kagome ever since he saw her battling that demon. He had watched from a safe place, and lunged out when he witnessed her being thrown into the rough waters of a nearby river. Yes, he was the one that saved her from her supposed death, and now, he would always protect her. He didn't know of his love for her, that was, until he watched her sleep peacefully last night after he had set up a fire to keep her warm. There was something different about Kagome…something amazing…

"Well, yeah," was all Ryu could say to her. He was hoping that she wouldn't reject him, like everyone else did in his life. Why she kept him distracted, he did not know. She was bewildered. Ryu was different than Inuyasha in many ways. For one thing, he wasn't an arrogant person like Inuyasha, and he had much better manners. Kagome admired his truthful act; Inuyasha wouldn't have willingly admitted anything of the sort to her. 'What do I do?' she thought, confused, her face changing a light shade of red. Ryu could sense her nervousness, and he tried to change the subject before he let her know too much. "Anyway, come on. Let's get going," he stated coolly as he walked past her. Kagome looked at him with curiosity. "To where?" she asked as she watched him walk near the surrounding trees. Ryu looked back at her, his sapphire-blue eyes glistening, and answered softly, "Away from here…"

Hey, 'sup everyone? Hope you liked it as much as I loved writing it! It's slightly longer than the last chapter and I was hoping this would have been longer but, as you can see, it isn't. The style of writing isn't as descriptive either but I hope you liked reading it anyway! I promise I'll make the next chapter much longer! Want to know just who Ryu is? Want to know where Ryu's going to take Kagome or what'll happen when they get there? Read the next chapter!-

-obsessed Kagome lover