When the Light Goes Out

Kiwi: Hello people. First, I want to say I'm sorry, but it's not my fault! I had problems uploading this thing, so sorry… here's the chapter now.

I would like to thank peoplekityo, who seems to review all of my fics, and palii for reviewing. So, THANK YOU!

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Hello Notebook,

I think I will have to think of a name for you. Oh, school was horrid today. This guy, Koga I think, made a move on me, so I slapped his sorry ass. He gets all mad at me, as if he didn't deserve it! For that, I've been labeled outcast (and a few other things), which is fine because if fitting in means being stupid, then I refuse. And if Koga comes near me again I will kick him in the Place the Sun Don't Shine. Grr!

You are so wonderful, even if you are a notebook. You're my only friend, and I think I will take you to school more often so that I don't feel so alone. But, as wonderful as you are, I wish I had someone to talk to…

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Inuyasha tossed and turned at a dream he was having late in the morning. Finally he rolled over on his back and opened his eyes, only to stare straight into Kagome's face.

"Good morning!'

"Yah!"

Thunk!

Kagome, hovering over Inuyasha's bed, had startled Inuyasha so much that he had jumped and rolled right off his bed. Needless to say, Kagome was having a fit of giggles.

"Hey! That was not funny you little bitch!"

"Not a morning person, are we?"

"Gee, you think?" Inuyasha glared at the girl, still hovering nice and happy over his bed. "Did you watch me sleep or something? That's creepy."

"Don't flatter yourself, it just makes you more conceited. I thought I would wake you up. You're friends are coming." Inuyasha got up, untangling himself from the man-eating covers and turned to look at her.

"What about you?"

"Oh. If you like, I'll just stay in the attic. I won't scare anyone anymore, promise!" she grinned at him at moved as if she would just float to the attic from where she was. Inuyasha had a roguish look on his face.

"Would you like to meet them?"

"Sure. But would they like me? I mean I am a ghost."

"Yeah, I think they would." He replied, an evil plot forming in his mind.

"Inuyasha? What is that look for?"

"Wanna help me… welcome them?" Kagome looked at him oddly for a moment, then grinned widely.

"Tell me what you have in mind."

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"Inuyasha? You home?" Sango called, entering the house, Miroku following behind.

"Probably still sleeping,"

"Miroku!"

Slap!

"Worth it every time…" Miroku grinned stupidly with a new handprint on his cheek.

"You are so hopeless! In front, now!"

"But Sango! I don't want the ghost to-"

"Oh shut up you wuss!" with that, Sango shoved him forward into the house, following behind him. "Hey Inuyasha! Get up!"

Slam!

"S-Sango, was that you, slamming the door?" Miroku asked, peering behind him.

"No, it wasn't. Oh, quit being a baby, it was probably Inuyasha." Then a pillow hit Sango in the head, who had been about to open the door to look for the half-demon. "Miroku!"

"It wasn't me! I swear!" he cried as she whirled on him. Then another pillow hit him in the face. "Sango, please tell that was you."

"No, I'm afraid not…" suddenly they were in a hail storm of pillows pulverizing them of their own volition. Sango ran to open the door to escape, but couldn't open it. "It's won't open!" Panicking now, they ran into the kitchen to open the side door, only to find the bowls, pots and pans swirling around, occasionally clattering at their feet. The faucets began running, the pipes screeching and groaning. Miroku grabbed Sango and dragged her out of the room. They ran back to the living room, Miroku cowering, Sango preparing for a fight, backed up into a wall, both looking with sheer terror at the sight of flying objects around them.

Flash!

Everything stopped. Sango and Miroku saw spots before their eyes, and heard Inuyasha roaring with laughter at the top of the stairs.

"Oh man, you two were priceless!" The silver-haired half-demon continued laughing, holding his sides while coming down the stairs. In his left hand was a camera.

"Inuyasha, I'm gonna kill you!" Sango screamed, lunging for him and the camera. Inuyasha just barely moved out of the way and darted around around the room, always keeping the camera out of reach.

"No you won't! At least, not before I develop these and send them to the yearbook committee!" Eventually, Sango gave up in a defeated huff and fell onto the couch.

"Inuyasha," Miroku asked, "how did you do that? It was… amazingly convincing."

"You might want to join Sango on the couch." The two looked at him, but Miroku obliged. "Now, I have someone to introduce to you. Kagome!" The sound of ringing laughter filled their ears, and next to Inuyasha Kagome appeared, giggling like a fool.

"Ahh! The ghost!" Miroku cried, jumping to his feet.

"Shut up, moron," Inuyasha said, whacking him over the head. "Sango, Miroku, this is Kagome. Kagome, Sango and Miroku." Kagome waved cheerily. "She helped me with that little prank of mine."

"Oh, it was so fun!" Sango and Miroku just stared at her, awe-struck. Then, Sango began laughing so hard, she doubled over. Soon Miroku was chuckling too, then Inuyasha and Kagome joined them.

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"Do you want to sit down?" Sango asked Kagome, standing in the middle of the room, after their laughing fit had subsided.

"Oh no, that's all right,' Kagome answered as she sat down in mid-air. The others just looked at her. She shrugged. "I'm a ghost, comes with the whole being dead thing."

"So, um…" Miroku started, "I don't mean to offend, but what's it like, being-" he gestured to her floating state.

"Being dead?" Kagome smiled. Miroku nodded. "Don't worry about offending me. I'm all right with being dead. And it's like I told Inuyasha, it's an empty feeling. You get used to it. Well, that's what it's like as a ghost anyway." Sango sighed and leaned back into the couch the three of them were sitting on.

"This is…. weird. I've never talked to a ghost before." Kagome nodded.

"I know how you feel. I haven't talked to anyone in-" she counted silently in her head, "seven years."

"Wow! You've been, uh, deceased for that long?" Miroku asked. Kagome nodded.

"Wasn't it lonely?" Sango questioned. Kagome shrugged again.

"Yeah, I guess. I got used to the quiet, then you guys came."

"Sorry for disturbing you," Sango apologized. Kagome shook her head.

"It's all right. Really. I had a lot of fun today. It used to be so boring… and I didn't always like being all by myself."

"Um, if you don't mind my asking, why didn't you go to heaven? Or does it exist?" Miroku asked.

"I don't know if it exists," Kagome told them, "and because of the circumstances of my death, I couldn't really go on."

"I'm sorry. It must have been strange watching over everyone you left behind." Sango mumbled, truly apologetic. But Kagome shook her head again.

"I didn't leave anyone behind. Mama and Souta had already died, and I didn't have any friends. Maybe that's why I took so well to death, there wasn't anyone I didn't miss already." She looked down, sad. Inuyasha saw the glint of a tear or two, and felt his heart go out for her. Sango then stood up.

"Well, don't worry about that. You have friends now." Kagome looked up.

"R-really?" Miroku nodded and Inuyasha smirked. Kagome's face broke out into a huge smile and she sailed up into the air for a moment. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Something about her being so happy made Inuyasha smile just a bit.

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The gang had retired into the kitchen to eat. Laughing so hard in the morning was a workout, and Inuyasha hadn't had any breakfast yet. As they sat down, Sango turned toward Kagome.

"What about you?" Kagome smiled.

"I don't really need to eat,"

"But, you don't mind-"

"Of course not," Kagome said, shaking her head, "don't stop eating for me. I don't even remember what food tastes like. Just pretend…I'm on a diet." Sango smiled. Miroku decided to change the topic a bit.

"So, Inuyasha, what delicacy are you going to prepare for us?"

"Uh…ramen?" Miroku and Sango sighed.

"So typical, Inuyasha. How is it you're not fat?" Miroku asked.

"I have a faster metabolism than you humans. Now, you want any or not?" Miroku shook his head in defeat as Inuyasha walked over to fill a pot with water. Oh, Kagome thought, that's why he has those cute dog ears…

The meal was going along fine, Sango, Miroku, and Kagome mostly stared at how fast Inuyasha consumed his ramen.

"That can't be healthy…" Kagome commented. Sango and Miroku nodded. Inuyasha glared at them.

"And what would you know about healthy? You're dead," he mumbled through the ramen.

"Inuyasha!" Sango yelled at him. Kagome just glared at him harder before disappearing.

"See what you've done! How can you be so… grr!" Sango ranted.

"Oh, don't worry about me Sango," they heard Kagome say from somewhere. Suddenly, the remaining ramen in Inuyasha's bowl raised itself up into the air. The could see Kagome's face in the soup, like some weird sci-fi movie. "He is right. However…" the body of ramen drifted over Inuyasha's head, then fell over him, "he's still a jerk." Miroku laughed outright, while Sango at least tried to muffle her laughter. Inuyasha growled slightly and threw his spoon at them, but it stopped in mid-air and turned around to collide with Inuyasha's thick head. Kagome re-appeared next to Sango and Miroku. "Really, Inuyasha, you shouldn't try to out-do a ghost." She stuck her tongue out at him while he fumed.

"Oh, poor Inuyasha," Miroku mocked in his baby voice, starting another round of laughter.

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Inuyasha had headed to the bathroom to wash the ramen out of his hair, leaving Miroku, Sango and Kagome bored.

"What do you guys want to do?" Miroku asked. Sango shrugged.

"It's much funner making fun of Inuyasha," Kagome nodded.

"Was he always so cross?" Miroku and Sango looked at each other uneasily. "Oh. Sorry. I understand. Um… why not go outside?" Sango looked at her.

"Can you feel the sun?" Kagome shook her head.

"No, but I can remember." The three of them went through the back door in the kitchen into the wide backyard.

"I've been meaning to ask," Miroku addressed Kagome, "what is that tree?" He pointed to a large tree off to the side of the yard, much larger than the ones of the forest that started behind it.

"That's the God Tree. It's supposed to be centuries old. This place used to be a shrine, and this tree was sacred. It watched over the forest and over the house." Kagome looked up at the tree from her position on the ground.

"Wow," Sango mumbled. Miroku nodded.

"Well, what shall we do now?" Kagome asked, turning around to face them. They shrugged. "Oh come on? No ideas at all?" Kagome put a ghostly finger to her chin. "Well, this is childish, but what about hide-and seek?"

"You would suggest that, you can disappear!" Miroku accused. Kagome laughed.

"Well, we can't play tag. I'll stay visible, I promise. And I won't even hide inside a tree or anything!" Miroku still looked skeptical.

"Oh, come on Miroku. It's better than sitting here," Sango argued.

"Whatever. But I'm not it."

"Not it." Kagome looked at them.

"Oh, all right. It was my idea anyway. I'll be it." She turned to lean against the God Tree and began to count out loud, while Miroku and Sango broke apart and ran into the forest. When Kagome turned around, everything was silent and peaceful. Smiling softly, she glided through the first trees of the forest. Nothing moved. Then she heard a slight rustle. Grinning widely she silently floated to the sound. There, crouched behind a bush was Miroku, trying ever so hard to be quiet. And failing. 'Oh, how original.' Kagome drifted to the opposite side of the tree he was partly using for cover, then abruptly stuck her head through the tree, and now facing Miroku shouted, "Found you!"

"Ahh!"

Rustle. Crash. Laughing.

"Kagome! Don't do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Kagome looked at him oddly. Then they both started laughing hysterically.

"Y-you…" laughing, "should have…" more laughing, "seen your face!" more laughing, "And you scream like a girl."

"Hey! I do not!" Kagome just laughed at him again while Miroku crossed his arms furiously. "Ha ha! You look like Inuyasha!" Miroku looked down at himself.

"Oh my, I do!" Cue another round of laughter. Soon their breath was caught and they set off to find Sango.

"You know her Miroku, where would she hide?"

"I have no idea. Probably somewhere ingenious." Searching for a bit, they listened for anything that may give Sango away. Nothing.

"How is she so good at this?" Kagome asked.

"She comes from a long line of demon-slayers actually." Kagome made an o shape with her mouth. Suddenly Miroku turned to what seemed to be a random tree and pointed. "Try there."

"How do you know that's where she is?"

"I don't," Miroku smiled. Kagome sighed and went over to the tree in question, peering through it to the other side. No Sango. She turned to Miroku and shook her head. "Huh," he muttered as he joined Kagome at the tree. "I could have sworn she would be here…" he looked around the tree, frowning. The he looked up, grinning perversely.

"Miroku, what are you looking at?" Kagome asked. 3…2…1…

"Miroku, you are such a pervert!" Sango cried in furry as she jumped from the branches she had been hiding in, where Miroku had found the perfect view. Miroku yelped and fled out of the way.

"S-Sango, no need to be angry-"

"I'm going to murder you!" she screamed. Well, wouldn't you be pissed if someone had been checking out your ass? Miroku near screamed and ran back toward the house, Sango chasing him all the way. Kagome followed as fast as she could while laughing at their antics. When she finally caught up to the pair, Sango was chasing Miroku in circles around the backyard of her old house, Miroku screaming and begging for mercy, Sango ranting about how she was going to neuter him. Kagome's laughter doubled at the sight of the two of them, running around until they collapsed on the ground. Looking up at Kagome, still laughing, Sango asked,

"What's so funny?" Kagome giggled.

"You two," she replied, humor subsiding. Then she smiled, and despite Sango's irritation and Miroku's fear for his life, they smiled too. Inuyasha, watching the scene from the study window, shook his head at them. 'They are hopeless. Still, Kagome looks so happy,' he smirked a little to himself.

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The end of the day came too soon, Sango and Miroku sabotaging Inuyasha with the hose for payback. He then joined them for their hide and seek, childish as it was, then they sat outside in the fading light. Sango soon stood up.

"I have to get home. But I'll come back tomorrow. I'm glad I met you, Kagome!" Kagome smiled at her.

"I should be leaving too. It was a pleasure, Kagome." Kagome waved at them as they left, beaming. She then began spinning around in joy on the ground.

"What's your problem?" Inuyasha asked from his place on the ground, looking up at her.

"I have friends," she stopped spinning and smiled, looking up at the darkening sky. "I guess that may seem stupid, but I don't mind. For the first time I can remember, I have people to talk to,"

"Can't you remember the friends you had when you were alive?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbow. Kagome shook her head.

"I didn't have any. People didn't like me," she shrugged. "It's not like that matters now, I am dead and all."

"So, didn't anyone come to your funeral?"

"I didn't have one."

"What?" he asked, sitting up fully.

"No one ever found my body, and no one knew I was even dead until the teachers called my house to ask my parents where I was, but they were already dead too" Kagome looked down now, "and even if there had been a funeral, no one would have gone," she smiled sadly, and Inuyasha could tell she was trying to hold back tears. No wonder she had been crying when he had first saw her.

"Kagome…" he said, standing up, unsure of how he could possibly comfort her, "I'm sorry." Kagome laughed quietly, but it wasn't a happy laugh.

"You didn't kill my parents, did you? You didn't kill me, so why are you apologizing?" She sighed. "It's the past. I should get over it," The stars were coming out now, the moon rising behind the forest. Kagome smiled softly and began walking toward the God Tree. "It's getting late, you should go to bed,"

"Don't tell me what I should do, I can stay up as late asI want," Kagome just smiled over her shoulder then disappeared. "Kagome?" Inuyasha called out, just before she reappeared bent double in pain. She was closer to the forest now, as if she had been trying to leave him there. "Kagome, what's wrong? What's-" he stopped short. Kagome's middle was bleeding, he could really smell the blood. And she was whimpering in pain. But, was it even possible for ghosts to feel pain? Then he smelled it, like a dark cloud in the air. He could almost taste what he knew to be death in the air.

"Inuyasha… please leave," Kagome mumbled. Inuyasha turned to face her.

"What? Are you fucking dense?"

"Go!" she cried. "I don't want you to see this. Just go away."

"No! You stupid bitch, why would I leave you now!" Kagome was confused for a moment, was he being nice or was he just being insulting? She tried once more to disappear, to fade away, but she was too weak. She could only sit there as she re-lived her death. Her arms were wrapped around her middle as she hunched on the ground, covered in her blood from that night. She lifted her head up, only to feel her throat slice cleanly open, she could feel herself drowning in her own blood. Inuyasha watched in horror, unable to move, unable to do anything. How can the dead die again? How could he help her? She looked at him before he could reach her, figuring that was a start, and slumped over before finally fading away.

"Kagome? Kagome!"

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Kiwi: ooh.. the plot thickens! I know some will have questions, which will be answered eventually if this continues. Please ignore all the little typos, it was late when I finished this. Hoped you enjoyed it. Until next time!

Ja ne!