Diclaimer: Damn! I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA AND CO!

Love and Sacrifice

hope you enjoy!

CHAPTER 3: PAIN AND TRAINING

The following morning, as the sun rose from its resting place in the sky, its rays lit throught the window in Kaede's hut, waking the young miko from her slumber.

"Wha----What?" Kagome's muffled voice became even more muffled as she covered her mouth to yawn.

'Did I really sleep that much?' she thought. 'Wow, I guess all that training yesterday really did wore me out.' Kagome sat up and stretched. 'Oh, that feels soooo goood!'

The young priestess stood up groggily and looked for her hairbrush. After locating it, she started combing her soft but tangly hair.

"Ow!" At the same moment, Kaede walked in with a basket full of herbs, Shippo trailing behind her. Kaede had heard Kagome as she marched in and wondered what was bothering the girl.

"Ohayo, child. Are ye alright?"

"Hai, Kaede, just trying to comb my hair," Kagome said, smiling at the old woman gently.

Kagome winced when her brush tried to comb through another strand of tangled hair.

However, when Kagome noticed her son looking at her, she immediately set her brush down and hugged him. "Ohayo, koi, where have you been?"

Shippo returned his mother's affectionate hug and told her," I've been helping Kaede gather herbs. She says that I have a good eyesight and can easily tell which is which."

"Honto (really)?" Kagome asked with a twinkle in her beautiful orbs.

"Hai, okaa-san," Shippo nodded proudly, puffing out his little chest.

Kagome laughed lightly and bent down to kiss the top of Shippo's head.

"Kaede, when will we start training again?"

"In just a minute child. Let me put these things down first," Kaede replied patiently.

After organizing EVERYTHING in her hut, the wise sage led Kagome and Shippo to a clearing not too far from the village.

Shippo found a dry patch of grass and sat down as Kaede told Kagome what to do.

"Now, child. Repeat the same thing ye've done yesterday. This time, try ye're best."

Kagome simply nodded and closed her eyes. She concentrated hard.

Withing a few seconds, a bright blue light emerged on the top of her palm. It grew and grew until it reached its biggest size.

"Very good Kagome.Now, open ye're eyes and aim that power ball at that tree," Kaede said and watched the young miko open her glowing eyes and release the energy towards the tree Kaede was pointing at.

Kagome felt pure power surge through her body and out onto her palm as she kept concentrating. At Kaede's instruction, Kagome threw the ball at the tree. It flew with an amazing speed and with a blink of an eye, the tree including 5 of those around it, burnt.

Shippo was awestruck when he saw his mother's purifying energy burn the 6 trees to the ground with no sweat. 'Wow! Okaa-san's miko powers are growing day by day!'

Kaede was nodding her head approvingly when Kagome opened her eyes. Her once glowing eyes had receded back to its normal chocolated brown hue. "How was that,Kaede?" Kagome asked.

"Good child. Very good!" Kaede replied smiling at Kagome.

Shippo jumped up and ran to his momma. "Okaa-san! Wow, that was amazing! You're really growing more powerful by the second!"

"Arigatou, Shippo," Kagome said and gave her son another one of those mother-to-child- hugs.

Kaede watched with a smile upon her lips at the two. She was glad that Kagome is getting over the heartache of Inuyasha and Kikyo. The poor girl had had to take the responsibility of guarding the now completed jewel and besides that, she also had to deal with seeing Inuyasha with Kikyo all the time. 'Poor girl,' she thought.

After spending almost the entire day training and practicing her miko powers, Kagome knew she needed a bath and BADLY! Her muscles were screaming holy hell, and she was sweaty and sticky all over. Yuck!

Kagome got her bath supplies out and headed for the a hot spring she knew existed somewhere. Kagome walked and walked until she finally came to a stop at the hot spring.

She feasted her eyes on the steaming waters and inhaled. The air around her smelled freshly of vapors and tree scents. Kagome found the scent to be soothing, so without hesitation, she rid herself of her clothes and (literally) jumped in the water.

'Hmmm...nice,' she thought as she laid her head back on a flat, smooth stone. Kagome's eyes closed as she let herself relax for the first time that day.

'Ugh! It was so damn hard to train like that! I can't believe it! I thought I was about to die when Kaede finally called it quits!' Kagome thought mentally.

Kagome stayed, relaxed and calm, at the hot springs for about an hour. When she was finally done, she put on her clothes. Since she can't go back to the future anymore, Kaede made her some miko outfits.

The traditional miko outfit was red pants, and a white shirt, but Kaede designed it differently.

Instead she sewed on light blue material to go along with the outfit. Violets decorated the front and back, though Kagome told Kaede it really wasn't necessary, the stubborn sage put it on anyways.

While dressing, Kagome ruminated on about everything that occured that day. She really hasn't spotted Inuyasha around. Kagome assumed that he was probably spending the whole day with his "koi."

'Ugh! How can he call that clay pot 'koi?' Kagome thought and mentally puked.

After she dressed, Kagome was about to leave the hot springs when she heard a rustle behind some bushes.

Instantly, Kagome grabbed her bow and arrows and notched one. She pointed it at the bush, ready for the unexpexted attacker when something collided with her on her back.

She didn't even have enough time to turn around when she was flung mercilessly into a nearby tree. The force of the hit was strong, but not strong enough to knock Kagome out.

Kagome groaned when she got up but opened her eyes anyways.

There standing before her was the most ugliest, and strongest looking ogre youkai ever.

'Oh crap! Great just great. I just took a bath now I'm getting attacked!'

The ogre slowly advanced on her, his razor sharp claws poised and ready to attack. His saliva was spilling onto the grounds yet he did not notice it. His glowing red eyes were fixed on Kagome. Blood lust was evident in those terrifying eyes. Blood lust for her.

Kagome didn't have time to think when the ogre youkai suddenly threw some sharp objects towards her. Poor Kagome didn't have time to move when it hit her.

Pain, agonizing pain shot through her body. It felt as if a thousand knives were stabbing and peeling at her flesh. She looked down and saw the sharp materials. They were the ogre's claws and they had some funny looking greenish stuff on them.

'Oh, Kami! I hope I don't get poisoned!' she thought desperately.

The ogre was about to send another wave of his claw attacks when Kagome quickly notched one of her purifying arrows and fired. The arrow missed, but it did singe the kaijuu's (monster's) left forearm.

The ogre screamed and the pain in his arm only fueled his anger, and blood lust. 'Uh oh! Now I'm in for it,' thought Kagome as the ogre charged towards her.

'Kami help me onegai!' Kagome shouted in her mind.

But no one helped. Kagome knew this might be the end. She wouldn't get to see her friends anymore. 'Shippo, my son...Inuyasha..' At this Kagome instantly remembered all the times she spent with Inuyasha back in their jewel shard hunting days.

All the times she's sat him, all those times she's worried for him, and all those times she's cared for and loved him. But some of those memories weren't that pleasant, Kagome remembered.

Everytime Inuyasha always left Kagome to go to Kikyo and everytime Inuyasha compared Kagome to Kikyo.

"You're so weak! Kikyo could have done better! Kikyo's more beautiful and she smells better too!"

All of those heartbreaking moments she remembered. But she'd always retaliate:

"I AM NOT WEAK! I'M SO SICK OF HEARING YOU TELL ME THAT KIKYO IS WAY BETTER! WELL GUESS WHAT! I'M MY OWN PERSON AND NOT SOME DEAD PRIESTESS'S IMAGE, SO STOP COMPARING ME TO HER!"

The ogre was nearing her now. Strange it seemed as if everything was going slow motion. Kagome opened her eyes and remembered the time when Inuyasha reclaimed his love for Kikyo, right in the middle of the remains of the battle with Naraku. And when she found out they will be mates...

Kagome's eyes blinked once and started to glow bright blue. Anger, sadness, betrayal, and all sorts of other emotions ran through her. But the one that stood out the most was pain. Pain from seeing Inuyasha with Kikyo. Pain from hearing him call Kikyo 'koi' or 'koibito'.

Pain from it all.

All of a sudden, torrid amounts of miko power surged through her body, like earlier that day. Kagome's body tingled all over and she felt as if she would burst.

Not too far from her, the ogre youkai halted. His face showed shock and a tinge of fear.

Kagome formed a bright blue ball in both of her palms and immediately threw it.

The ogre was quick enough to dodge it and send her another wave of his claw attacks. None of them even came close to hitting her before they disintegrated in midair.

Now the ogre's mouth gaped open. The wench had somehow managed to destroy it! Impossible!

Kagome smiled her most evil looking smile and threw another one of her miko purifying balls with such speed, the ogre didn't even have time to dodge it, before he was hit directly in his chest.

Screams of anguish filled the air and ceased a few moments from Kagome's deadly purifying attack. Not a second later, the hot spring was once again quiet.

Kagome's eyes returned to their normal color before she closed them in exhaustion. Suddenly, she winced and stared down.

Kagome gasped. Her blood was slowly, but steadyingly, staining her outfit. She gasped again but this time in pure agony. Blood pooled around her body but if it were ogre blood she could not tell.

Kagome felt dizzy from the blood loss and pain.

The only thing she heard, before everything went black, was the sound of urgent voices calling her name.

"Kagome! Kagome!"

Then Higurashi Kagome collapsed onto the ground and welcomed the warm darkness that enveloped her with open arms.

So sorry if there's a cliffy! But I had to leave it there cause my mother was constantly nagging me to do my stupid essay for Civics. But anyways, please review. And also I'd like to thank all these people who read and reviewed my story:

BlackDiamon Thank you! Lol! Yep lots and lots of cookies! and maybe donuts! I didn't know that, cool fact! Thanks for telling me. Domo arigatou for reading & reviewing my story: )

InuKagPar4Life Thank you! Sorry if I haven't updated soon enough! I'll try my best though! See ya and arigatou for reading & reviewing: )

Gothic Ass Chick Cool name! Very unique! Thank you for reading and reviewing! I really appreciated that: )

Greendaylover I DEFINITELY agree with you. That bitch should rot in hell! She never will deserve Inuyasha. He's such a baka not to notice Kagome. What an aho (dumb ass ; ) Thank you for reading and reviewing: )

BryBry628 THANK YOU! I'll try my hardest to make the chapters longer, but it may be a little difficult for me since I have to balance school, dance practice, singing lessons, karate lessons, etc. : 0 But I'll definitely make it longer! Thank you: )

Inuyashalover14 Oh, I'll make Inuyasha suffer in the worst way for picking that clay pot bitch over Kagome-chan. Don't worry it'll happen ; ) Anyways, domo arigatou for reading & reviewing: )

bluediamond-hime Baka, baka, baka Inuyasha! He's really hurting her isn't he? Though I agree with you on Sesshomaru taking her away. But this is an Inu/Kag fic. Gomen nasai...Thanks for reading and reviewin: )

xiDOREyoux I'll try and make it more happier, I promise! But I absolutely promise that Inuyasha will pay. That baka hanyou! I still can't believe that I put Kikyo with Inuyasha, Oh i hate myself author bangs her head on the desk Anyways thank you for reading & reviewing: )

Franglaise Ok, I'll try my best to make it longer! Definitely will! And I TOTALLY agree with you about your opinion of Kikyo. What a freaking whore right? I'll make him pay! Thank you for your awesome reviews: )

Neons-Requiem I love how your pen name sounds. It sounds so artistic! Eventually, everything in my story will unfold itself, or so I hope, hehehe author bites her fingernails um... thank you for reading & reviewing: )

THANK YOU EVERYBODY! YOUR REVIEWS ROCK AND I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED READING THEM! THEY REALLY GAVE ME THE BOOST I NEEDED TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER. HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT!

Another 1,000,000 cookies goes TO ALL OF YOU!

THANKS AGAIN!

Silverstar871

Please read and review! Arigatou!