Return to the Past

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha

The sun was high over head; harsh rays beat down on her brow. Sweat cascaded down her face and her hands were sore, cut and calloused. Her feet were much to same. She would continue. Despite the hardness, the pain, the rawness of her bleeding ripped open heart. She had to continue, if not for her own sake, then for his.

The mountain was huge. The stone rock face glared at her, promising a journey of no mercy and hardship. Kagome grimaced, her eyes on fire.

"You think you can make me turn back!" she screamed at the rock after falling for what felt like the thousands time. She picked herself up, Kagome dusted off the dirt and let out and unintelligible scream of frustration. It echoed across the mountain.

"I've put up with bloody worse than you stupid piece of good for nothing stone!" She kicked the rock in front of her, only to silently curse in pain. It hurt a lot, but she kept her mouth shut.

Hours later she was at the top. The sun's final rays glistened for a moment on the horizon. Then Kagome was plunge into the darkness of night. She stumbled clumsily down the trail as she ignored everything. The birds stared and chirped in the trees, a fox pranced around on the ground. The bleating of mountain goats was far off and distant. Kagome's mind was now set on two things.

Get the relics. Kill the murderer who ruined her life.

There was a small hut on the mountain top. It had no door, nor windows. Kagome stood in front of the ominous black building, with a lit torch in hand. She had sworn to never again come back here, but that was before, her old life died with him.

After the battle that robbed her of happiness, the remaining members of the group, Kagome, Songo and Miroku, trekked up here and buried everything that reminded them of the painful memories of their time with InuYasha. Kagome set a rafter on fire with her torch. Now she needed what was buried here, in the hut.

"I'm sorry guys, but you'll understand later. I have to find him." Her voice was monotone, she felt like she was in a trance. She stood back a little from the flaming hut. "Give me your treasures. NOW!" and the last bit of wood in the hut burst into flames.

The fire reflected in her eyes. The heat was scorching, standing as close as she was, but she remained unscathed. She stood there, alone, and cried as the hut slowly but surely burnt out.

When it was finally in ash, Kagome dried her tears and smiled wickedly. Finally the keys to finding the murderer! In the center of the pile of ash, there was a large bulge in the shape of a long chest. She grimaced as she set a hot of the still-hot coals. I can do this. I don't have any time to waste! She walked forward, her feet burning through her cheap shoes.

Finally she reached the chest. She brushed off the lingering bits of ash with her hand, only to reveal the Cloth of the Fire Rat, wrapped securely around the chest. Slowly and carefully she removed the cloth from the heavy chest and set it aside. Then, with the key around her neck she unlocked the chest lid and opened it. In the moonlight she could see some of the relics of the past two years.

A small green and red top, the broken pieces of a pink bike, the bones of a cat neko, an old rusty sword and a black beaded necklace. All of them belonged to someone who had fallen.

Shippo's top. Kagome recalled how he was poisoned by Naraku's poisonous insects and died a horrible, painful death. Kirara's bones. The lovable cat neko and been shot down by villagers, angry about the destruction of their village. Songo had taken the death of her pet and friend hard. Kagome's bike. It just fell apart one day. She smiled at the sigh of relief from InuYasha, who hated the clunky thing. Finally the Tetsusaiga and InuYasha Beads of Subjugation.

Kagome stifled tears as she recalled all the memories from each item in turn. She let her fingers slowly slide along each, until she ran out of tears.

"Where did you all go? When did the time pass by so quickly?" she whispered. After they had buried the relics, the trio parted ways. Songo and Miroku didn't know were they were going, so neither did Kagome.

She gathered up the relics of use to her. The top, the sword and the beads. She apologized to Kirara's bones for disturbing and closed the chest. She fastened the Tetsusaiga to her waist and tucked in Top in her pocket. She laughed as she put the beads around her own neck, imagining what InuYasha would say if he could see if he saw he now. For one brief moment, she wanted more than anything in the world to be able to 'Sit' her favourite hanyou. Kagome equipped her own bow and arrows that she had brought with her, and packed the cloth of the fire rat into her pack.

Finally she was ready. She stood tall among the ashes, ready to go. Moon was high overhead. Stars twinkled. Finally her mission could begin.

It was morning. The air had a crisp nip to it and a gentle breeze ruffled his long sliver hair. She smelt smoke, so he turned slightly to the direction it came from. He gasped. In his path was a girl. She was tall, black hair, hazel eyes, plain. 'Human' he thought. However, this girl he knew. This girl was Kagome. His brothers … he really didn't know what to call her, having never been on close terms with his brother.

"Sesshomaru!"

Her voice brought him back to reality. She had an arrow notched din her bow and it was aimed directly at him.

A/N: If I get any reviews I'll post more of this story. I hope you like it.