Writing again. I can't seem to keep my eyes off of my newest Ranma 1/2 manga, though. It's so funny... It's also by Rumiko Takahashi (the creator of InuYasha, if you don't know). I already read it once, but I want to read it again... But I need to get writing or else I'll never finish this story! Surprising thing is, it doesn't have nearly as many chapters as my longest story, and yet it's almost longer than it, and I'm only about half way through!

A Change in Our Future

Chapter Sixteen: Kagome's Illness

Once we landed on the bottom of the Bone-Eater's Well, InuYasha lifted me by my waist and jumped out of the pit we were standing in. I let out a small scream, but somehow I was used to it. InuYasha did do that to me all the time. InuYasha also decided to carry my backpack, which wasn't particularily heavy.

I took about five steps when Shippo bowled me over by slamming into my stomach. Yeah, he was excited to see me, but sometimes that was a real pain. It got annoying after a while. But I loved Shippo, so I couldn't help but let him attack me with hugs.

"Get off of her!" InuYasha shouted at the little kitsune. InuYasha lifted Shippo up by his tail and InuYasha growled at him.

"WAHH! Kagome!" Shippo panicked, waving his limbs around in a futile attempt to get himself down.

"InuYasha," I warned, and InuYasha got the hint. He dropped Shippo, letting the fox demon fall to the hard ground.

Shippo jumped over to me on the ground where I was still sitting and bounced up onto my lap.

"Did you bring any ninja food?" Shippo asked, pulling on my arm.

"I'm sorry, Shippo; you can't have any right now. I need to tell everyone something important," I said sadly.

"What's so important that I can't have some food before I hear it?" Shippo whined.

I smiled sadly. "I'll tell you when we get to Kaede's hut."

- - -

InuYasha, Shippo, and I walked into Kaede's hut where everyone else was relaxing. At my arrival, Sango stood up and hugged me tightly, obviously still remembering the incident with Kane. I hugged her back and then we broke our embrace.

"Kagome, you look worried," Sango said, looking at my face and reading me like an open book.

Miroku decided to speak now. "What were you two doing there? It doesn't take six days to have--"

Sango cut him off with her fist.

"As I was saying, you don't look like yourself, Kagome. What's wrong? I thought going back to your era would help you..." Sango said, her eyes filled with worry.

"There's a problem... See, my era is much more advanced, since it's the future. We have these metal boxes that you sit inside that work like horse carriages, and we don't have demons... Well, when we went back recently, I found out that demons just started to appear," I explained.

"Maybe they're coming back into existence?" Miroku suggested, rubbing his cheek.

I shook my head. "No one can remember a time without demons. I think something happened, because my family and I are the only ones who don't remember a time with demons..."

"Oh..."

"The worst part is, with a special type of collar that humans have made, humans have enslaved the demons!" I added, trying to keep what little sanity I had left under control.

Not having finished, I told them all about Naraku, the world's future, and their future. Not to mention that they were all stunned to hear what would happen to them... Though, I left out the part that Sango and Miroku got married. I figured that would come with time.

"We need to stop Naraku," Sango said, clenching her fist. I nodded and opened my mouth to speak, but was stopped by a sudden sneeze.

I went into the worst sneezing fit I've ever had. Seriously. I don't think I've ever sneezed that bad before.

Once I was done sneezing, everyone was looking at me like I was some sort of ugly giant bug. I blinked a couple times and was a little startled when I found out InuYasha had walked over to me. He crouched down and felt my forehead.

"You've got a fever," InuYasha said, frowning. He sniffed the air. "You smell sickly, too."

I frowned. True, I didn't feel my best, but that was quite unfortunate... Wait... SICKLY? Who goes around calling people sickly? I glared at InuYasha.

"We won't be able to leave tomorrow," InuYasha said.

Miroku thought for a moment and said, "This will give us a chance to get ready before we leave to find Naraku. We can also find any rumors about him, so we get an idea about which way to go."

"We can also get supplies..." Sango said, probably thinking about the things that we needed.

"What should I do?" I asked, looking around at every one.

"Nothing! You are going to rest and get better!" InuYasha shouted at me. I looked at him sadly, which quickly changed to a glare.

"InuYasha! You don't have to be so mean about it!" I yelled at him, clenching my fists.

InuYasha sighed and glared at me. "If you don't rest, you won't get better!"

I gasped at his expression. No, not the look on his face that said 'Go-to-bed-or-else,' the look in his eyes. I blinked a couple times, trying to see if I was hallucinating, but I wasn't. That look... Was it really that look that he had given to Kikyo so many times? I smiled sweetly and stood up to go to my little cot in the corner.

"All right, InuYasha. You win," I said, and I went to my bed... But I'm sure I saw equally surprised looks on my friend's faces... Though, InuYasha's was the funniest.

- - -

I woke up with another horrible sneezing fit and I felt like I was cold enough to freeze anything I touched. My head hurt, I felt a bit nauseous, and my throat was sore. I could hardly move without feeling pain... Not to mention I was really cold. I opened my eyes, but then shut them quickly, wincing at the light.

Kaede, who apparently came back inside her hut after I went to sleep, walked over to me and knelt down beside me. She put her hand on my forehead and gasped. "Kagome! You're burning up!" ((AN: I'm not doing that stupid 'ye' stuff... It's dumb, and if Kikyo doesn't speak like that, then Kaede won't... And in the manga Kaede doesn't speak like that at all.))

All I could do to answer was groan. Kaede removed her hand from my forehead and I heard someone walk in. "Kagome doesn't look very well," I heard Miroku say.

"No... Can you get some fresh water? Make it as cold as possible," Kaede requested. I heard her stand up and she walked outside.

The familiar bounce of Shippo's feet came towards me and I finally opened my eyes. I pushed myself up a little bit, and Shippo put one of the pillows that I brought from my world behind me. I thanked him and knelt against the pillow, being able to sit up with it.

I cleared my throat and asked, "Where's InuYasha and Sango?"

"Sango went to gather some herbs for Kaede," Shippo said, his usual cheerful tone lost to one with worry. "InuYasha went to go find some stuff for his 'special remedy', whatever that is."

I groaned, thinking about the awful stuff that InuYasha made me eat once before. Though it tasted awful, it quickly made my health better. Though, I didn't know what it was made out of...

Actually, I don't think I want to know.

Sango came in with Kaede, and Sango smiled at me when she saw that I was up. Kaede took the herbs that Sango was carrying and started to mix them up for some sort of thing to make me better.

I didn't really like all the herb stuff either, but it helped.

"How are you feeling, Kagome?" Sango asked, walking over to me. Kirara rode on Sango's shoulder and then jumped down next to Shippo.

"Worse than horrible," I grumbled, rubbing my forehead.

Kaede walked over to me and said, "You need rest. Lay down and try to get to sleep."

I sighed and adjusted my pillow behind me, and laid down again. Soon Miroku walked in the hut again and I watched him as he set down a pail of cold water. Kaede got a cloth wet and put it on my forehead, to help cool me down. It did feel nice, though.

"I'M BACK!" shouted InuYasha from outside. When he came in he was carrying an outrageous amount of food and dead animals.

InuYasha grabbed the big pot that Kaede hardly ever used and went outside. He came back shortly afterwards, the pot filled with water, and he put it over the fire. He started preparing a bunch of food and putting it in the pot. I watched, an eyebrow raised as he cooked everything. It was actually sort of funny.

InuYasha started to cut up a fish and I had to look away. Yes, I did kill demons, and I helped dress wounds, but I didn't enjoy the sight of blood. Soon enough, though, I fell asleep to the sounds of InuYasha making some sort of medicine.

- - -

I woke up with InuYasha sitting next to me, shaking me awake.

"InuYasha, how can I get better if you keep waking me up?" I grumbled. I coughed a bit and InuYasha shoved a cup of that nasty smelling medicine stuff in my face.

"Eat," InuYasha said forcefully. He looked like he wasn't enjoying this, but I could tell that he didn't mind.

I smiled a little bit and took the cup and swallowed the lump in my throat. Well, here goes nothing. I took a big sip of the horrible tasting stuff and paused for a breath.

"Come on," InuYasha said, nodding. I took a deep breath and swallowed the rest of it in one big gulp.

"I can't believe she drank it," whispered Miroku in the corner.

Sango blinked a couple times and nodded. "That stuff looked horrible," Sango whispered back.

I smiled and said to InuYasha, "Thank you. I feel better already." And it was true. I did feel better... a little bit.

- - -

The next morning I felt well enough to travel (actually I felt like I did without a cold) and we all headed out to find Naraku. Sango and Miroku had little luck finding any clues about Naraku, but InuYasha was certain that he would be able to catch Naraku's scent.

I gripped InuYasha's shoulders as he jumped over a group of trees. Kirara flew nearby with Sango, Miroku, and Shippo on her back.

A gasp escaped my lips when I felt the presence of a sacred jewel shard. "InuYasha! I sense a jewel shard! It's over that way," I said, pointing my finger to the left of where we were traveling. InuYasha instantly changed direction and sped off towards the jewel shard. I focused my concentration on the jewel shard and realized that it was the piece of jewel that Naraku possessed. It felt powerful and tainted, and it also felt very large. I sensed another jewel shard, and I figured it was Kohaku's.

InuYasha sniffed the air and growled. I turned my head just in time to see a giant whirlwind fly towards us.

Koga.

Koga appeared next to us and started to run with us.

"What are you doing here, you wimpy wolf?" InuYasha yelled at Koga.

"I'm here to kill Naraku, mutt!" Koga answered. I smiled and turned towards the direction we were traveling.

If we couldn't defeat Naraku now, then I don't know if we'll ever defeat him.

Another chapter is done! I'm sorry it took so long for me to complete! I didn't really like it. Ugh. Oh well.

Next Chapter: The battle begins! The group head off to fight Naraku, but how will they fare against him? It'll take everything they've got.