Don't own InuYasha, and it's not like I'll actually own him when all I want is Sesshomaru.

Through the Well

By Miztikal-Dragon

Chapter Seventeen: Awaken

Days had passed and nothing seemed to be improving. Kagome lay quietly recovering slowly though she was awake for a few hours each day, she did not utter a word, nor would she even try to move from her spot. Everything else seemed to be going on as usual, Miroku would follow Sango around constantly. Sometimes managing to gather up enough courage to cop a feel of the demon slayer's ass.

Inuyasha would continue to watch Kagome from a far, not wanting her to notice that he was there. He hadn't really spoken too much besides the usual "Feh" or "It's none of your business!" The hanyou spent a lot of his time now thinking about what he would say to Kagome once she recovered. Kaede and Kirara would go about helping the needy villagers, giving herbs for the sick and what not.

About four days after the initial incident occurred it had been growing dark and everyone except for Inuyasha was sitting down eating and chatting about daily events. When Kagome finally stirred and actually opened her eyes.

"Kagome!" Sango gasped rushing to her friend's aide, "You're awake!"

The groggy girl sat up and rubbed her head as the demon slayer wrapped her arms around Kagome and squeezed her tightly. Kagome winced in pain before breaking out into a coughing fit. Sango quickly withdrew away from her friend.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She said quickly.

"No it's okay Sango, I'm fine." Kagome replied.

"Are you sure?" Sango asked worriedly.

Kagome nodded getting up to her feet, "Yeah I'm sure." She paused looking over at Kaede and Miroku who remained silent. "Hey Sango?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh could we uh go to a hot spring or something?" Kagome blushed a bit, "I feel like I have slept for days."

The demon slayer glanced at Miroku then turned to Kagome and nodded quickly getting to her feet. "Let me get some of our things and then we can go." She said.

Kagome followed Sango into the back room and silently grabbed herself a change of clothes. They didn't say anything to each other, as they grabbed some towels and what not. Sango called for Kirara and told Kaede and Miroku that they would be back shortly. Getting onto Kirara's back the two girls made their way to a near by hot spring.

As they undressed they were greeted by more silence. Neither of them wished to start off a conversation and yet by the time that they were both settled down into the calming hot water the tension disappeared and the both of them relaxed. Kagome closed her eyes and let the heat consume her. Sango just watched her friend, uncertain about everything going on.

"Sango?" Kagome called opening her eyes.

"Yes Kagome? What is it?" The demon slayer asked.

Kagome looked around a bit, going down deeper under the water, staring at her friend, "Where's Inuyasha?"

"I don't know," Sango replied thinking for a moment, "He's been gone since yesterday. In fact, he didn't even say where he was going, but he did seem like something was troubling him."

"Oh," Kagome said wrapping her arms across her chest and wincing a tad.

She could still feel him touching her like her father had. The kicking, punching, and the way his eyes seemed so cold. Kagome would have never thought that Inuyasha would dare lay a hand on her like that. Some how she was wrong, no matter how she tried to escape the abuse, it always cam back. It was like her father always said as he looked for her, "You can run, but you can't hide."

"Kagome?" Sango asked.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?" the demon slayer tried to find out why Kagome was acting so distant.

"Yeah, I guess." Kagome half-heartedly replied, "I'm just tired."

Sango sighed and grabbed her towel. She climbed out of the hot spring and wrapped the large cotton cloth around her naked body. 'She looks so sad,' the demon slayer told herself, 'Something's wrong with her, but why wont she tell me?'

Kagome watched Sango get out of the water and sighing she leaned on her stomach and gazed out into the trees. She needed to get away, but how? And then the thought of leaving all of her newly made friends behind came to mind.

"Why can't my life be a fairy tale?" She whispered to herself as a single tear streamed down her wounded cheek.

"We'd better get going before it gets too late." Sango said handing a dry towel to Kagome.

Something shiny caught Kagome's eyes as she took the towel from Sango, and climbed out of the hot spring. Dismissing what she saw, Kagome shook her head and dried herself off. All the while Sango looked at her friend, indeed something was wrong.

After Kagome was dressed in a long silk white dress, the one she had worn when she first passed through the well. It had long sleeves that barely passed her fingertips and flared out a bit passed her elbows. The top half of the dress had became tighter due to the fact of her chest swelling from the herbs Kaede had given her. It clung tightly against her curves and stopped almost before touching the ground, though it was white it seemed to appear silver.

She sat down on a rock and began to mindlessly brush her hair with the hairbrush she had brought with her. Kagome had absently gazed to where she had seen something shinning, some how what ever it was it seemed to be calling her. She placed down her brush and stood up as an eerie breeze blew passed her, she had heard somebody or something whispering her name.

oOo

Inuyasha sat silently on the lip of the well, he had been sitting there in that spot for two days, thinking about Kagome and just thinking in general. It had torn up his soul to see Kagome in so much pain. He had told Miroku that he always would protect her, but he didn't. The hanyou let her get hurt by somebody, she could have died and it would be all his fault.

Some of it was his fault, but something didn't seem to be settling with him. 'Why did Kagura all of a sudden show up? How had Sango killed Shippo and have no control over her body? Why did Kagome kill her father and not remember? How did she know about Kikyo? Who gave her those arrows?' He asked himself.

Although everything seemed to point to Naraku, how was he involved in all of this? Yes, he did kill Kikyo ten years ago by tricking her, playing cruel mind games until he sought it fit to finish her off. Nothing made any sense. Since Kagome had came through the well Naraku began to come around again, trouble being stirred, the unexplainable happening.

He growled deep into his throat, as he smelled the vile demon's scent faintly in the breeze. Getting up onto his feet he glared out into the forest of trees, sensing something foreboding, he jumped into the air and quickly made his way back to the village to tell everyone what he had felt, to warn them.

As he approached the hut he sniffed the air cautiously, nothing seemed out of place or missing until he entered the hut, to see only a perverted monk and an elderly priestess around a very large fire drinking tea while in what appeared to be a deep conversation. He sniffed the air once again, noting the faint scents of two females and a neko youkai.

"Where's Kagome?" he said bluntly.

Kaede and Miroku looked up at the hanyou, the old woman had an emotionless expression on her face while Miroku had one of confusion plastered on his.

"Where have ye been Inuyasha?" they asked in unison.

Inuyasha growled, "That's none of your concern." Then adding, "Tell me where Kagome is!"

"She went to the hot springs with Sango and Kirara not too long ago," Kaede said eyeing the half demon, "Don't fret they should be back soon enough."

"Feh," he snorted walking out of the hut, "What ever." Then he jumped up on the roof and lying down, watching the stars.

oOo

Sango inched towards Kagome who seemed to be staring off into space. Her friend's eyes were glassy and she looked as though she was asleep, but with her eyes open. The wind had begun to pick up and the demon slayer heard Kirara's uneasy growl.

Kagome saw a shadow and a small figure with reddish-orange hair heading deep into the forest. She narrowed her eyes and frowned, 'Shippo?' she asked herself, 'What is he doing out here so late and by himself?' Right before Sango's hand touched Kagome's shoulder, she began to walk away from the hot spring, following the small figure, following the wind as it softly called her name.

"Kagome where are you going!" Sango called out going after her friend.

She didn't answer the demon slayer, Kagome couldn't even hear Sango, she was concentrating on the figure and what ever was shinning deep with in the forest.

oOo