Kagome ran out of the village toward the Forest of Inuyasha. But she had no intention of gathering herbs. She had no intention of staying in the forest at all, let alone going there.

She stopped a little ways from the tree Inuyasha liked to sleep in. He was beneath it, his back to her. He was embracing a woman. Her long black hair was draped over both of them and her evil eyes looked straight at Kagome. They sparkled evilly and she smiled triumphantly. She made a great scene of kissing and hugging him. Kagome couldn't take it. She turned and ran. Her tears sparkled in the moonlight.

It was too much. How much more could she take? First it was her childhood friends coming back after four years, then it was Sango trying to kill herself, and now Inuyasha with Kikyo again.

Kagome ran into the house, not heeding what Kurama was shouting at her. She ran into her room, the one she shared with Sango and locked the door. No one could get in. She flopped down on her bed and cried.

The Next Morning

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama, and Miroku took turns keeping watch over Sango, who still hadn't woken up. Kagome was still locked up in her room. The sun was rising and casting a pretty, calm, glow on everything. Hiei was on watch when Kagome came out that morning. She seemed okay, her eyes weren't red. She waved at him but said nothing. Her face no longer sparkled and her eyes were sad. Her mouth dropped and it looked as though she'd never smile again.

" I'm going out for a little while," she informed Hiei.

" Are you sure that's a good idea," he asked coldly, " After last night?"

" Yes…"

" Don't go looking for the baka," he ordered her, " Kurama and I will deal with the hanyou."

Her eyes widened. " You looked into my mind! You know what happened!"

" Yeah, but don't worry. No one else does."

" Good." She left with an icy stare at him.

Kagome passed a few people but most were only waking up. She followed the path that led to Inuyasha's Forest but cut off it to the right. About fifteen minutes later, she came to a grove of sakura trees. She sat under on of them on a big rock and stared at the light purple, pink, and blue sky.

" Are you okay?" asked a voice from above her.

She looked up. Kurama smiled at her.

" Yeah, I think so…" she sighed. Oh how she wanted to smile but she couldn't. She didn't think she could.

" Can you smile for me?" he asked. " You're so much prettier when you smile. That's what Yoko says."

She almost smiled. " I don't know if I can."

Kurama plucked a flower off the tree and sprinkled the petals over her. " Laugh!" he said, " The only cure for sadness is to smile and laugh!"

She smiled slightly. He jumped down and sat beside her. " Do you need to talk about it?" he asked softly.

" Maybe…" she said, " Will you listen to me?"

He nodded. " You know I will."

" Well, when I said that I was going to get herbs, I was lying. I was going to investigate the souls I saw floating around. I knew very well what I was going to find, but I went anyway. Inuyasha's back was to me. He was embracing her! Kikyo! His back-from-the-dead girlfriend! Kikyo saw me and she made a huge scene with him! I was so upset! That always happens to me, I always somehow see them together."

She was hugging Kurama now, and whispering. He smoothed out her hair.

" Oh Kagome," he said, " Can't you see? This Kikyo wants you to see this, to make you jealous."

" I know," Kagome whispered, " Can I tell you something? It's a secret."

He nodded.

She inhaled deeply and said, " I used to like Inuyasha. But I'd always find him in Kikyo's arms. It broke my heart. Last night was the last time. I have decided. I'm not going after him anymore. I'll have to wait."

" That's a smart idea," Kurama replied.

" Please, keep it a secret. I know I can trust you."

" I will."

She pulled away and smiled. " Thanks for listening to me rant Kurama! You're the best!"

He blushed and reach behind his hair. He pulled out a rose.

" Here," he said, holding it out to Kagome, " Take it. It's yours, to keep you happy."

She looked at him, blushing furiously. " Are you sure? Is it really for me?"

" Yeah. You deserve it with all this crap you've had to go through. I have to cheer you up a somehow don't I? What kind of best friend would I be if I didn't try and cheer you up?"

She smiled and accepted the flower. " It so pretty," she murmured, stroking it's delicate petals. They felt like velvet. " I love it."

" Maybe we should go back to Sango," Kurama suggested.

Kagome nodded. " Yeah. If she's awake, I have some things to discuss with her."

Kurama smiled. " Come on. Let's go."

Kagome took his extended hand and together they walked hand in hand back to the small house that Sango was resting in. Inuyasha was not there, but Sango was. She was awake, but Hiei had forbade her to get up.

" You're up," Kagome said icily when they entered. She dropped Kurama's hand and stiffly walked over to her bedside.

" Why did you save me?" she shouted, " I wanted to die! I could be at peace with them!"

" Kohaku and the other's wouldn't want you to kill yourself Sango!" Kagome yelled, " They would want you to live! Don't take the easy way out! Stop running away from your problems!"

" I'm not running away!" she shouted in her defence, " I just want to be with them! You don't understand Kagome! You don't know what's it's like! You can't understand how I feel, to not have them by my side! To miss them more then words can say!"

" I know how it feels!" Kagome cried, " You know I know! Everyone in this room, including yourself knows what I'm talking about! I'm just lucky they're alive! Even if they weren't, they wouldn't want me to kill myself to be with them!"

" But Kagome!" Sango pleaded, her face red with anger, her eyes narrowed, " Why don't you let me deal with me in any way I feel is right?"

" Because you wouldn't only displeased Kohaku and your family," she said coldly, " You'd disappoint me, Miroku, Shippo, Kaede, this entire village! We would plunge into grief. You're like a sister to me Sango! Do you not know how I'd feel without you? Can you not see why I sent Hiei to save you?"

Kagome turned on her heel and left the house. Sango said nothing.

" She has a point," Kurama told Sango, " You really should listen to her." With that, he too left.

Sango remained silent. She didn't listen to Kagome. She didn't believe half of what she had said.

" Committing suicide won't solve your problems," Hiei said a little while later.

" So I've heard," Sango mumbled. She was in no mood to talk with her rescuer.

He looked at her then laughed.

" Why are you laughing?" she demanded.

" Because of how foolish and stupid you are!"

" How am I foolish and stupid?"

He stopped laughing and smirked, saying " Because you try to kill yourself, you do not listen to your friend, you run away from your problems, you act before you think. How stupid of you!"

" None of it is true!" she snapped, but she knew it was true. Hiei knew that too, but he didn't need to say anything.