Chapter 2

Before Kagome had really noticed it, the forest grew so thick that the pathway had ended. Still following the dead priestess Kikyo, Kagome played the plan over and over again in her head.

"Why do you still follow me?" Kikyo had stopped and turned to face Kagome.

"Um... er... well, you see..." Kagome didn't really know how to say it. Kikyo began to walk away again. "No, Kikyo, please... wait..." Kikyo just stopped and listened.

"I... i'm not as strong as you are... and a lot of the time, i'm just a burden to Inuyasha." Kikyo's eyes widened at this.

"Go on." the dead priestess pushed. Kagome nodded.

"Well... I mean, they needed me because I could see the shards, and I could use the spiritual arrow..." Kagome said, her voice shaking. "... but I always get in the way. I'm weak, and that's why Inuyasha has to protect me all the time. I can see it in his eyes, Kikyo. He misses you so much. He... he doesn't need me when he has you. I guess I just came to ask-"

"-if I would take your place by Inuyasha's side." Kikyo interrupted. She kept her voice steady without emotion even though she had longed for this day since she was resurrected. Kagome nodded, and took something out of her uniform.

"Here... here's our share of the jewel shards that we've collected. Naraku though stole most of them... so we only have one." Kagome bowed her head in shame.

"It is better that you have one than Naraku to have them all. So long as he is without this shard, he cannot complete the jewel." Kikyo grabbed the bottle from Kagome's hands without so much as a thank you, and began to head towards Inuyasha's camp. "Very well. I shall go to them. I understand you will be going home to your own era then?" Kikyo questioned.

"Yes. I know I don't really belong here, I just..." Kagome's voice lingered off.

"You love Inuyasha, yet you know his love belongs to me." Kikyo said with a hint of pride. "You understand that he can never return your feelings." Kikyo smirked in the darkness; Kagome unable to see.

"Yes..." Kagome replied, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Kikyo sighed. When had she become so bitter and resentful? She could easily understand Kagome's feelings; she was in the same position. She continued walking.

"I shall send your goodbyes to your comrades. What would you have me tell them?" Kikyo asked.

"Actually, when I left they were all still awake except Inuyasha- we decided to give him a break and let him sleep. I will go with you and say goodbye to them myself... and there is something I need to get." Kagome replied.

"Very well then." Kikyo stated coldly. The two priestesses walked off into the distant darkness towards camp.

"Sango... Miroku..." Kagome began.

"Mmm? What is it?" Sango asked.

"I'm going home. Please don't bother telling Inuyasha... Kikyo will tell him for me." Sango's eyes widened-as did Miroku's- when they saw Kikyo behind her.

"Oh... okay... so when will you be back? Two... three days?" Miroku asked. "Just in case our puppy gets antsy." Kagome shut her eyes and let a tear slip out. She ran forward and embraced both of her beloved friends.

"I'm leaving for good... I just wanted to say goodbye..." Kagome managed to say.

"WHAT!" yelled Miroku and Sango in unison.

"You... you know that I love Inuyasha... and that he can never feel the same for me... so I went to find him and tell him- you know, get it off my chest. When I got there... he was with Kikyo... and said he did not need me when she was there. So in my stead, you will have Kikyo. Please give Shippou and Kirara my love." Kagome slowly got up and grabbed her backpack.

"Wait! NO! No, you can't leave! Inuyasha's just being stupid! You know he cares about you! Please, Kagome don't go!" Sango cried in a harsh whisper so as not to wake the sleeping hanyou and kitsune.

"I agree Kagome. Without you this journey will not continue smootly." Miroku said. Kagome simply shook her head.

"You have someone wiser and stronger now- Kikyo. You'll all be fine." Kagome reached into her backpack and hauled out some food items. "Here- soda for Miroku, chips for Sango, pocky for Shippou, catnip for Kirara, and some ramen for Inu-" Kagome couldn't say his name. Instead, more tears ran down her face.

"Kagome..." Sango said. "Please... please don't forget us... and please come back someday. Take all the time you need... just please come back." Sango pleaded. Kagome shook her head.

"I can't come back. Kikyo has the shards." Sango looked at her blankly.

"What about Inuyasha? He can still go to your time though." Sango replied. Kagome quickly got up.

"Thanks for reminding me. Without this-" she reached gently around the sleeping boy's neck and unclasped the prayer beads that bound him to her world. "- he can't come to see me. That way I won't be a burden anymore." Kagome looked down at the beads and cried. Slowly she got up and handed Kikyo the necklace. "Give him this from me- tell him to remember that I love him." With that, Kagome ran through the forest to the well, and jumped inside.

As the blue and purple lights swirled around Kagome, bringing her 500 years into the future to her own time, her mind raced with thoughts and memories. Tears fell; tears that were meant to stay behind in the feudal era. Kagome landed on the other side of the well, and smiled a bit when she heard her mother yelling at Jii-Chan. She dusted herself off and climbed out of the well. Once outside, she stood in front of the old Goshinkbu(sp?) tree. Her sadness overwhelmed her, and she fell to the ground in a fit of tears. When her eyes were dry enough, she stood up and looked at the tree- the tree that had once held Inuyasha for 50 years. She scolded herself for being so upset, and tried to tell herself that it was alright.

"No more feudal era. No more fighting demons. No more Kikyo. No more missing school." Kagome sighed as tears began yet again to fall down her face.

No more Inuyasha.