Love

Myoga was back and noticed that Kagome was with them. Happily he jumped off the crow to land on Kagome. Shortly he was sucking her blood.

Kagome's hand came up and slapped at her neck. "Oh it's you Myoga."

Miroku stared at Kagome, surely if she remembered Myoga she had to remember Inuyasha. "Kagome, you remember Myoga?
She turned quizzical eyes to him. "Of course. Myoga has some helpful advice from time to time but he's useless in battle."

Sango smiled and nodded while Shippo said, "You've got that right."

"An old flea just can't get any respect." He grumbled but looked over at Miroku. "Why wouldn't Kagome remember me and where's Lord Inuyasha? Are you on your way to him?" Myoga looked excited that maybe things were getting back to normal.

Kagome put a hand to her head. "Inuyasha, Inuyasha. Who is this person and why do we want to find him?"

"Say what?" Myoga looked at everyone and saw them looking concerned at Kagome. He hopped from her hand to Miroku. "What's wrong with Kagome?" Miroku walked a few steps away and filled him. "So she has no memory of Inuyasha? And she can remember everything else?" The flea paced, arms crossed. "She's under a powerful spell and if she can't break it herself then the one who cast it must release her."

"I understand but since we believe it was Lady Kikyo who put Kagome under the spell, it's highly unlikely that she'll remove the spell at least not without some convincing." Miroku thought of Kikyo and knew her to be a beautiful woman but there didn't seem to be much of anything else. After being brought back from the dead she was as cold as a frozen lake, it was if all the warmth had been drained out of her. "We haven't decided whether or not to speak of Inuyasha because we think it brings her pain. Kagome thinks we're still on the hunt for Naraku but we're really looking for Inuyasha. Did you see any sign of him?"

"No, none. When I saw Kagome I thought he'd be with you. I don't like this. If Lady Kikyo has him, what do you think she's doing to him?"

"I don't like to think about it. She once said they were to go to Hell together but I can't believe she's given up on taking her revenge on Naraku. All we can do is continue to search and hope Inuyasha's well."

It was an uncomfortable day for everyone because they all wanted to talk about Inuyasha but were afraid to do so. Kagome could tell her friends were holding back and she was frustrated by it all. She wanted things to be like they always were but even she felt something was missing. Finally she'd had enough.

"Alright! Will everyone stop acting so weird? If I'm supposed to know this Inuyasha then why don't you tell me about him? Help me remember."

"He's no big deal just a mongrel half-demon." Koga said.

"Koga you know that's not true!" Sango spoke out.

"Will somebody tell me!" Kagome voice rose.

Shippo spoke up. "Kagome, look in your bag. You've got pictures of Inuyasha." When they traveled back to Kagome's time they often came back with pictures to show everyone.

"Huh? Pictures? What are pictures?" Koga was curious to see what they were talking about. The group stopped as Kagome sat down and opened her backpack. Koga watched as she pulled out a square thing with some metal rings.

Kagome's heart started to beat faster as she stared at the photo album. Inside were pictures of this Inuyasha. Was she ready for this? At the base of her neck there was a quick throb of pain.

Sango sat beside her, Shippo jumped into her lap with Myoga on his head while the boys squatted behind them. Slowly she opened the cover and there was a man, grinning at her holding up two fingers for victory. Kagome gasped when she saw how cute he was. Silver white hair, longer than her own, and his nails or claws were really quite long. He even had fangs but it was his eyes that held her. They were golden in color and so deep. She felt herself smile despite the pain as she looked at him.

"What the hell? How'd Inuyasha fit in that little thing and how do we get him out?" Koga backed up. "Maybe you should close that thing before it sucks us in too!"

Miroku smiled up at him. "It's perfectly safe Koga. They're like little paintings but much more detail and color. It's one of the many things they can do, where Kagome comes from. Really, it's okay."

Koga looked skeptical but eased forward when he saw nothing was happening to the others. Just as he looked down, Kagome turned the page. It was Kagome and Inuyasha holding hands. They were standing in a strange place wearing strange clothes but both were smiling. There were more; Inuyasha with other people, Inuyasha alone acting silly and a lot of Inuyasha and Kagome together, one of them kissing. "Damn." Koga whispered.

Sango loved to look at the shiny pieces of paper and had gotten lost in watching them. Finally she looked up to see how Kagome was taking seeing them. Tears rolled silently down her face and her shoulders were beginning to shake. "Kagome? What is it? What's wrong?"

Kagome felt her heart breaking as well as pain swelling in her head. "I love him don't I? We're in love and I don't remember him." Each picture only confirmed why everyone couldn't believe she'd forgotten him. Kagome ran her hand over his face and wished it was his skin, tried to imagine what his touch was like but nothing – nothing came to her. One hand came up to her head and she looked at her friends. "Why don't I remember? I want to!" This last was a sob and she fell back.

Koga caught her. "I found her like this. Crying and holding her head. She must … have been trying to remember him." He didn't like seeing her in pain like this and at the same time his own heart felt tight in his chest as he remembered hearing her say she loved Inuyasha.

Shippo quickly put the album away and got the aspirin bottle out. He watched as Sango helped her to take the pills. Guilt showed on his tiny face, it had been his idea to look at the pictures. Edging close to her, "I'm sorry Kagome. I didn't mean to cause you pain."

Kagome was resting weakly against Sango. "No Shippo…not your fault. I …wanted to…know. I'm glad. We need…to find…Inu-yasha." She gasped as saying his name brought on more pain.

"Kagome don't – don't think about him. It causes you too much pain." Miroku felt intense anger at Kikyo. To put such a spell Kagome was – was evil. He looked over at Sango and couldn't imagine not remembering her or if he somehow did that he'd feel such pain that he'd want to forget her. It was a diabolical spell.

"Miroku I think Kagome and I should stay here for a while until she feels better. Why don't you and Koga keep looking?"

"Yes, we should end this spell as quick as possible. Koga." He turned and noticed Koga's closed expression and felt for him. Now he knew of Kagome's and Inuyasha's love and it must have hurt him.

"Yeah, let's go."

"Me too." Myoga piped up. "I'll take another look from above." He jumped off without another word. What was being done to Kagome was horrible and he only hoped Inuyasha was not enduring the same things. He'd only just met up with Inuyasha again but never had he seen him so happy, he didn't deserve what was happening now.

Forgetting the man you love because someone made you - too cruel! What will Kagome do?