Honto Ni, Gomenasai! I'm so sorry minna. Life has been hectic and all so I haven't been spending as much time with this. Please feel free to punish me... hehehe.. be kind. Big apologies to everyone. With college coming around the corner, SAT's, parents nagging me to study and choose, and senior year 06... you get the idea. Gomenasai again. I hope this chapter sort of meets your expectations... if anyone will bother reading this. Anyway... Ja Ne. Thank you for the previous reviews.

Chapter Six: A New Journey Starts, But the Old Never Ends

"I know," Kagome responded immediately, but did she really comprehend to whom she spoke? Reality soon caught up with her, and she realized the position that she had put herself in. Whatever awkward moment that had passed between them quickly vanished when the girl jerked herself away from the infamous taiyoukai of the West and stared apologetically.

Before Kagome had a chance to speak, Sesshoumaru stood up and glared at the confused girl. With his keen youkai vision, he vividly saw the expression on the girl's face and decided that the past few moments were better left to be forgotten. The youkai walked away without a word and slammed the door behind him waking the miko from her stunned phase.

The dazed girl continued to look at the spot where the taiyoukai had occupied just seconds ago. She extended her hand cautiously in front of her and outlined the form of the figure that had occupied the now empty space before her. In her mind, she questioned her sanity and state of reality. With a short gasp, Kagome suddenly retracted her hand as if she had touch fire and cradled it with her other hand. Was her subconscious trying to tell her what she denied in her waking state? 'Impossible. There is just no way.' Kagome reasoned in her head. 'I was just acting like a scared child. I was just running to the first person that I saw. It was all done out of impulse Right?' Though what she thought did hold truth, she couldn't help but remember the feeling of security when she embraced the inu youkai. It was a feeling that she shared with no other except for one particular inu hanyou. With eyes wide open that shimmered in the dim light of the dark sky, she uttered her only explanation for the recent event. "I'm losing my mind."

With Inuyasha

Inuyasha woke to the sound of squawking crows. Though it was faint, he could also make out the soft drops of water that lazily fell from the straw roof of the hut onto the small puddles on the ground. He stretched in place while revealing his bleached white fangs. With a casual glace at the annoying crows, he walked silently out of the hut and took in the scent of fresh rain left behind by last night's thunderstorm. A mischievous smirk form on his lips and, with a single leap, he swung his claws at the scattering crows.

"Oi Inuyasha, you're such a kid." Shippou yawned.

"Urusei, or you're next!" Inuyasha cracked his fingers scaring the young kitsune.

"I'm going to tell Ka…" Inuyasha cringed. Shippou stopped talking and ran back into the hut.

"Ano kuso…" He shook off the feeling and left the hut without another word.

Inuyasha leaped from tree branch to tree branch making him look like a fleeting flash of red. Occasionally, he stopped and sniffed the air while slightly hastening his speed, sometimes on all fours. He finally emerged from the thickets when he found a crystal clear stream that illustrated a simple yet profound tale.

On one end of the stream, the water violently ran over layers of oddly shaped moss-covered rocks and squeezed through their cracks as it searched for limitless freedom. At first glance, this portion alone would have made one think that this stream was unattractive and ordinary like any other. But as it continued its path downstream through foliage and overgrowth, it reached tamed opening in the forest and formed a tranquil current that sang in an enrapturing hum. Like an enchantress, the stream then used its magnificent silvery mirror to capture rays of peaking sunlight and cast a spell to not only illuminate its own beauty but also to enchant the surrounding vegetation that secluded the venue. Although many dangers lurked deep within the forest, this place was one of many that offered its beauty as a haven for wandering creatures.

As the hanyou walked leisurely toward the flowing water, he looked at his reflection that was accompanied by a few lively fish. 'I like you just the way that you are, a hanyou.' He remembered unexpectedly causing him to look up for a moment. He heard the crunch of leaf and twitched an ear quickly toward the origin of the sound. Inuyasha sniffed the air once, but he made no indication that he had noticed anything. Instead, he continued to stare at the shimmering image on the flowing water below him.

"Were you following me, Inuyasha?" The accusing voice made the hanyou feel slightly guilty.

"I… just wanted to get some fresh air." The figure clad in red spoke arrogantly and placed his hands in the sleeves of his haori.

"And nothing more…?" Kikyou whispered in a smoother tone as she stepped out of the darkness of the trees behind Inuyasha. She walked lightly and encircled her arms around Inuyasha's waist. She breathed deeply in content.

"Kikyou," He whispered with affection and sadness. The hanyou turned around and lovingly embraced the shell of the woman that he had love fifty years ago.

"You were worried?" She said in a mocking voice.

"We should go back. The others will be worried." He looked down into her dull grey eyes.

"Did you ever love my reincarnation?" Inuyasha winced and stared in shock.

"Nani…?" He spoke without thought. The miko pulled away from his embrace with an intensified glare.

"Can you give me your heart and your love unconditionally? Can you promise me that you will be with me for all eternity? It seems that you had feelings for her." Kikyou turned around and started to walk away. Inuyasha quickly grabbed her hand and stopped her movement.

"Naze? Why are you asking all of these things? Did I not promise you that I will go to hell with you? I love you, Kikyou. Kagome is … gone." Inuyasha paused. "Kagome is gone. I chose to die with you." With another pull, he had her in his arms again. Kikyou half grinned in her victory. 'Kagome is gone.'

To Kagome

"Kagome nee-san!" Rin happily shouted while tapping the sleeping girl. "Sesshoumaru-sama wants to see nee-san." Kagome opened her eyes and then closed them again.

"Tired. No sleep. Good night." The older girl pulled her blankets over her head making the younger one giggle.

"Rin was always told that Rin had to wake up when the sun came up. Nee-san has to wake up too." This time, Kagome sat up and looked at the smiling girl next to her. Kagome the looked forward, closed her eyes, and fell back to her futon.

"Five more minutes," Kagome said through the sheets making the young girl laugh again.

"Kagome nee-san is funny," Rin said in an elated voice.

"Really…" Kagome popped out of her blankets with her unkempt hair and pretended to growl with her hands up to mimic claws. Rin screamed in delight. The older girl then lunged at the unprepared child and started tickling her. Rin squealed and laughed while rolling on the floor. When Kagome thought that she had won, Rin came up with her own surprise attack and tickled Kagome harder. When Kagome recovered, Rin stood up and started to run for the door with a huge smile on her face. Kagome wasn't about to give up, so she got up too and beat Rin to the door. With no other choice, Rin ran the other way, but Kagome caught the little girl and hugged her. Both girls started laughing. But the entrance of a very irritated taiyoukai interrupted the game.

"Rin," Rin loosened herself from the bed sheets that she was tangled in and ran to a puffy leg with a bigger smile than she had before. "Tell Jaken to prepare for my departure." Rin looked a bit disappointed, but nodded in response and left the room calling Jaken's name.

'Maybe if I don't move, he'll just go away,' Kagome childishly thought with the covers over her head.

"I see that you are finally acting your age." Sesshomaru spoke in an indifferent tone.

'I guess not. Hey wait…he just.' "What is that suppose to mean!" Kagome pushed herself up from underneath the blankets. 'Kuso, there goes my chance of going unnoticed.'

"Do you always look like this when you wake?" The black haired girl looked at the youkai with annoyance.

"Kisama…" The miko said angrily. "What do you want?"

"Pack your things, we are leaving." Sesshoumaru looked at her with a bored expression.

"Alright. Is there anything else?" Sesshoumaru left without another word.

Half an hour later, Sesshomaru stood near the gate that he used when they had first arrived to his castle. A few guards took their posts while some servants waited patiently next to Sesshomaru. Kagome finally arrived outside with a messenger bag at her side. She carried a quiver full of arrows and a long bow that Sesshomaru had provided for her. She also wore a miko's garb much to her displeasure because Sesshoumaru had protested against her usual school uniform. Rin seemed to be half dragging the older girl out as she pulled Kagome's arm forward. When they came close to Sesshomaru, Rin let go of the miko's hand and hugged the taiyoukai. No whines or pleads came from the little girl when the pair departed. She just smiled brightly and waved with all of her might. 'She probably has more sense and maturity than Inuyasha.' Kagome thought to herself.

With Inu Taichi

Sango woke when she heard Shippou enter the hut. He looked slightly irritated and disappointed at the same time. 'Inuyasha,' she thought instantly.

"Ohayou Shippou-chan," the taijiya said as cheerful as she could.

"Ohayou," Shippou tried to sound cheerful, but Sango noticed that it was forced. Sango wondered what the baka of a hanyou did this time, but decided not to press the matter.

"mew," Kirara jumped in her lap and purred contently.

"Houshi-sama, wake up," Sango called to Miroku, but he didn't move. "Houshi-sama?"

"Oi, Miroku." Shippou tried to help wake the slumbering houshi.

"Houshi-sama," Sango called again as she moved closer to him. "Daijobu?"

"I don't know. He looks fine to me," Shippou sniffed the air and then sighed when he noticed a mischievous hand move in for the kill.

"Houshi…" Miroku caught Sango off guard. A smile crept onto his lips. Sango balled her hand into a fist and glared at the monk. With a swift movement that surprise the houshi, Sango dragged Miroku out of the hut and slapped him so hard that he fell hard on his back. "HENTAI HOUSHI!"

"Ehehehe… Ohayou Sango," Miroku sang with a huge grin. Sango stomped back into the hut and started gathering their things muttering things about hentai's and death sentences.

"Bakamono. You never stop do you." Shippou looked at him from the corner of his eye. Miroku just laughed and scratched his head.

"Where's Inuyasha and Kikyou-sama?" Miroku asked in a more serious tone.

"I don't know. He just ran off I guess," Shippou stared at the ground. "It's all his fault." Shippou said his thoughts aloud. Tears filled his eyes and started flowing down his cheek one by one.

"Shippou?" Miroku questioned.

"Never mind. I just miss…. her," The kitsune whipped his tears with his sleeves quickly so that no one else would see.

"We all do," Miroku said in an understanding voice. Though he knew that the hanyou wanted to keep Kagome safe, Miroku thought Inuyasha should have at least given them a warning. Kagome's strength had grown significantly since their travels together and to have both miko's on their side would have given them a greater advantage. More importantly, Kagome should have had the choice to decide whether she wanted to stay or not. There was a possibility that the well would not have closed since Kagome had passed through it in the beginning with a complete shikkon no tama. There were so many things to consider, but sending Kagome home without her realizing that she could not return did make things simpler. Miroku sighed. He could not come to a conclusion with Inuyasha's actions.

"Houshi-sama," Sango's voice brought him out of his thoughts. She handed Kohaku a bowl of instant ramen. "Breakfast is ready."

"Alright," Miroku gazed lovingly at Sango. He admired her strong will and loved her with all his heart.

The inu taichi waited an hour before they saw Kikyou walking up the dirt road. Several minutes later, Inuyasha came behind her. They greeted each other and no one asked where they had been. Several more minutes passed before they began their journey north in search of Naraku's whereabouts.

With Kagome

Growl Sesshoumaru continued to walk as if he didn't hear anything. Growl The taiyoukai stopped without warning and Kagome bumped into him.

"Gomenasai," Kagome apologized as he held her stomach.

"We will rest here for the night. Stay here," Sesshoumaru disappeared with a blink of an eye.

"Growl Man, I'm hungry. I should have brought more than candy and cereal bars," Kagome sat down and pulled a chocolate bar from her bag. She gathered wood and some medium sized rocks while she ate. Finally, she made a decent fire and sat down. Kagome gaze at it for a while before she started looking for something in her bag. When she found it, she pulled out a crushed bag of marshmallows and looked for a stick to cook them on.

"Here," Kagome nearly had a heart attack and fell ungraciously on her bottom. When she finally caught her breath, she looked up at the taiyoukai accusingly. Her eyes softened when she saw the fish that he held. When she took them with a smile, they were already cleaned and on sticks ready to cook.

"Arigatou," She said softly. Sesshoumaru merely turned around and rested against a tree.

'Okay, talkative isn't he? Well at least I won't be starving.' Kagome hummed a soft tune while she cooked the fish. She offered some to Sesshomaru, but he just ignored her. After she finished eating, she noticed the unopened bag of marshmallows. She looked in Sesshomaru's direction, and he seemed to be occupied with his thoughts. Kagome sighed and placed some marshmallows on a stick and started to cook them. When she was done, she walked over to Sesshoumaru with two sticks of marshmallows in her hand. Smoke still escaped from the still cooking marshmallows.

"Try this, it is really good," She extended a stick.

"No," Sesshomaru looked at it wearily.

"It won't kill you. Here, look," Kagome forgot to blow off the marshmallow and she stuck it in her mouth quickly. She quickly realized her mistake and stuck out her tongue after she swallowed the marshmallow. "Itai…"

"You were saying," Sesshoumaru spoke indifferently though Kagome swore he was slightly amused.

"It was hot and you know it. Am I dead?" Kagome sat in front of him. "It's your turn."

"No," Sesshoumaru glared at her with annoyed eyes.

"You'll like it. It's sweet." Kagome felt like an advertiser.

"I do not eat "your" kind of food."

"I won't leave you alone until you try one." Sesshoumaru slightly narrowed his eyes.

"Do you wish to die prematurely?"

"Then I will return from the grave to haunt you for all eternity since youkai don't die." Kagome stated in a humorous tune.

"Nuisance." Sesshoumaru took the stick.

"In your case, it's my job," Kagome beamed when he took a bite. "How does it taste?"

"Tolerable," He answered curtly, but he did faintly enjoy the sweet taste. He didn't take a second bite and handed the stick back to Kagome.

"Oh well," Kagome went back to a tree near the fire. Sesshoumaru watched the girl for a while and then closed his eyes. He rested, but did not sleep.

Kagome pulled out a small pillow and blanket from her bag and thought about flying on Sesshomaru's youki cloud. It reminded her of riding on Inuyasha's back. 'Inuyasha,' she thought with longing. 'I wonder if anyone has noticed that I didn't go home. Kagome fed the fire some more wood and then closed her eyes.

Sesshoumaru waited until Kagome fell asleep before he reopened his eyes. He stood up soundlessly and disappeared into the woods. Kagome woke instantly just seconds after the youkai had left.

"Shikon no Kakera," Kagome muttered. "It's faint, but the real thing."

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome turned to where he had been before she had slept. "Did you…?" He was no where in site.

Kagome packed her things quickly and put out the fire. She would have to retrieve the shard on her own. After gathering her things, she stood still and searched for the kakera. When she located it, she felt another presence moving toward it at an incredible speed. Then the thought struck her, Sesshoumaru probably sensed the kakera as well. Kagome tightly held her pack and ran toward Sesshoumaru and the shard.

With Inu-Taichi

An hour passed after the sun set. Inuyasha perched himself on a tree branch. He closed his eyes to feign sleep. Inuyasha did not want to be bothered, not even from Kikyou tonight.

"Inuyasha, are you sleeping?" Kikyou spoke softly.

Silence

"Does something bother you Inuyasha?" Kikyou slightly raised her voice. No response came and Kikyou floated to Inuyasha's perch. She extended her hand and tenderly touched his face. For a brief moment, the hatred left her eyes and she regained a piece of her old identity. But she quickly caught herself and looked on with indifference and sadness.

Suddenly, Inuyasha opened his eyes. He looked anxious and unnerved yet Kikyou did not show any signs of being surprised. She merely narrowed her eyes and turned around while staring into the dense woods.

"Kuso, why the hell is he here!" Inuyasha spat with annoyance.

"Someone accompanies him." Kikyou focused her senses on this "companion" of Sesshoumaru's.

"Keh, it's probably that little brat that follows him around. She ain't…." Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat. "Masaka…."

"Inuyasha?" Kikyou looked at Inuyasha through the corner of her eye. Inuyasha, what are you thinking about?

'It can't be…. There is no way. Ka..Kagome. You are here? How? I sealed the well… how?' Questions ran through Inuyasha's mind, but he had no time to keep thinking. Inuyasha speed through the trees so quickly that Kikyou felt a strong breeze before she realized that Inuyasha had left. Within a few seconds, the miko felt a tug from her soul and she knew what drew Inuyasha's attention. Kikyou summoned her shinidamachuu and flew through the dark sky with an angry expression across her face.

Inuyasha leaped faster and faster. He had never been so motivated to move as quickly as he was now. So many doubts and hopes filled his heart. 'Kagome,' He thought with longing at one moment. Then he would question himself how she got through. 'Has she really become that powerful? I wouldn't be surprise. Yes I would. She is just another weak onna who always calls on me for help. But I would risk my life for her in an instant. She has always helped me to become stronger. Without her I would have never been able to fully wield Tetsuaiga. '

"Nani…" Inuyasha barely dodged a malicious glowing whip that appeared as quickly as it disappeared through the trees. "SESSHOMARU TEME! Show yourself you bastard!"

"Kono Sesshomaru will do as he pleases." Sesshomaru faded out from the trees.

"What do you want THIS time! I don't have time for you." Tetsuaiga transformed with a metal scraping on metal sound. "Let's just get this over with."

"I know whom you are searching for." The hanyou bared his fangs and charged with all of his strength until Sesshomaru's words sank in. He stopped in mid-stride instantly with his sword still in the air over his head.

'Careless…' Sesshoumaru disapprovingly thought. 'Yet expected.' he countered with a slight smirk. Sesshomaru took this opportunity to 'teach' his 'dear brother' another quick lesson when fighting an opponent. Within a second, the taiyoukai circled the younger hanyou and struck him from behind with his youki whip.

So what did you guys think? Bad, Worse, Or Horrible? Please review. I will LOVE you for it. Bai Bai.