Ok, well we are going to see a softer side of Kagome here-she is going to open up to herself just enough so that we can see the real Kagome we all love and know she is still hidden down there somewhere...ENJOY!

Chapter 6

Inuyasha sat in a tree, looking out over a small lake as he thought deeply to himself. 'Kikyo? Why would she say that?' Kagome, on the other hand, was miles away-in Kouga's cave.

Kouga was sitting by Ayame in the back of the cave. They both watched as a frustrated Kagome cradled their son, Kota, in her arms. She rocked the pup gently as usual, but she had a scent about her that made them uneasy. Kouga finally spoke up after fighting within himself. "Kagome-" "Save it...I don't want to hear it right now..." Kagome got up, smiling at the baby-then handing it off gently to Ayame. Kouga got to his feet in an angry tone-calling Kagome back as she began to walk out on him. "KAGOME! Would you just sit down and talk about this already!" Kagome paused, she turned with a sigh and sat back down in a defeated manner.

"What can I say?" Kagome gave an emotionlss voice, making Kouga and Ayame strike each other with worried glances. "I use to think I couldn't survive without him-but now it's different...I'm different..." Kagome got up once more-dusting herself off and walking from the cave without further interruption. Kouga sighed-looking at a worried Ayame. "She will be ok...she has been pushed into a dark place for now...but she will come back..." Kouga comforted his mate caringly while inwardly praying that his own words were true.

Kagome raced through the forest at blinding speeds. She glanced back now and again to trace the firgure that was following her. She burst into a clearing where she abruptly stopped and pulled her sword, waiting to see the demon that would emerge. She steadied her breathing, and waited impatiently until finally the dark figure of a large demon came into view. She stared down the demon a moment, then relaxed her body from it's fighting stance, putting away her sword. The demon awaited her next move patiently.

Kagome let a brilliant light light surround her body, as the winds rushed around her calm stature.Her raven hair flowed in waves around her, as if in water.She confidently raised her hand out-extending her fingers limply to the demon which began to charge at her. Electric energy pulsed from her body-her fingers guiding the racing streaks across the ground and purifying the demon in moments. Her miko energy then died away and her hair settled back to her shoulders as the clearing became still again.

Kagome sighed, looking over the ashes that was once a demon, then falling to her hands and knees, clutching the crisp grass between her fingers. 'Nothing satifies me anymore...what's wrong with me...' She fell completely to the ground and rolled to her back in one clean motion, staring aimlessly into the sky with a clouded look. The same hand that destroyed the demon, now tightly gripped around the rosary wrapped on her wrist.

"What am I going to do...I can't forgive you-but ...I can't forget you either...I've tried so hard to forget you..." Inuyasha's face flashed painfully through Kagome's mind. "No...I don't want to forgive you....It's all your fault! Why did you come back at all!" Tears clouded Kagome's vision, but she blinked them away in moments. A voice whispered to Kagome in the back of her mind, telling her 'But you DO want to forgive him...all you've ever wanted was for him to hold you...to be there for you...to see his face one more time...'

'No! I-I ... He chose to die and be with Kikyo! He would rather be dead for her than live with me!' 'You're lying...you know he would have chosen you...if he had a choice then...' Kagome sat up, trying to think clearly, she smiled weakly at her realizations. "It wasn't his fault...no...it was my own...I don't want him back...because...I don't deserve this...look at who I have become..." Kagome stared at her hands, then rose silently, her thoughts all fading as she stared at the ash pile. She then returned her stoic face and began back toward the village.

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Aww...well-Inuyasha will definately need to tap his sensitive side to break Kagome out of this horrible shell! Sry about the late updates, & the short chappy, but I'm trying to work on getting a site up-it's going to be Inuyasha and anime based, so I might post the link up when its ready, so please bare with me...promise to update ASAP! R&R!