Author's Note:

Jun 30 06

It's been a long while, but I have more free time now so I am going to try to have the next chapter out by next week. I've learned that writing a bit at a time seems to have helped the words flow.

Thanks to all those who reviewed; it is much appreciated. Also, this chapter is dedicated to Sango88 who reviewed and then later sent me a really beautiful e-mail. Thank you so much for your kind words.

Now, here is chapter one. Please review if you read! Comments and constructive criticism are most welcome, plus the latter can help me improve.

"The bond between Kikyo and Inuyasha will never be cut.

I understand that.

But you know, Inuyasha,

I think that it wasn't by chance that you and I met either.

…I want Inuyasha to live.

As long as there are happy times,

I want us to smile often.

I don't know if I'll be able to do anything, but…

I'll always be by your side." -- Kagome from volume 18, chapter 176

Promise: Chapter One

"Kagome…"

She could hear whispers from her memories. Or was it just dreams? Images flashed before her -- a battle, cries of triumph and defeat.

"He's not moving! We've done it!"

Victory, but false.

"How did this happen Kagome-chan? We were so sure and now Miroku is…"

Tears. Sacrifice.

"You're safe." A smile, despite the pain he must have felt. "…Kagome...I…"

Dead.

Kagome snapped her eyes open, breathing in fresh gulps of cool air. It had only been a dream. All that was done now. She had to focus. Sitting up slowly, she looked around her. She was on the edge of a small patch of trees and she could see the outline of buildings if she looked to her left -- a village.

Had it worked? Had the Shikon Jewel really taken her back? She stood up slowly, surprised that her body wasn't hurting anymore. She flexed her arm where a nasty gash had previously prevented such action. Her injuries were gone. In fact, even her clothes looked brand new. Well, that had been more than she had expected from the Jewel.

"Kikyo-sama! What are you doing here?"

Kagome whirled at the sound of the man's voice. A group of five men burst through the tree line. It looked like they had just come up from that village. They were armed and a few looked almost scared. Kagome frowned, hoping there was nothing too serious going on. But at least she knew Kikyo was in the vicinity. That meant she was in the right place.

Kagome was just about to correct the villager when someone beat her to it. "That is not Kikyo-sama."

Kagome turned to look at the owner of the voice. He was a rather tall man, whose face was marred by a long scar.

"You should not be here, girl," he said gruffly.

Hmm. It looked like Scar-Face was the leader of this little gang. Kagome spoke softly and politely, hoping to diffuse what could potentially be a dangerous circumstance. "I'm sorry, but I just arrived here. I need to speak to the priestess, Kikyo."

Scar-Face scowled. "Kikyo-sama has enough to deal with now -- as do we. Go and stay out of the way and let us deal with that Inuyasha-"

"What!" Kagome turned sharply to look in the direction the warriors had been running towards. She could see smoke. Oh no…

Kagome ran, the warriors too surprised by her outburst and strange likeness to their priestess to stop her.

No, no, no! I'm too late! Had Naraku already attacked? Were Kikyo and Inuyasha at each other's throats even now as she was racing towards them? Kagome ground her teeth together and nearly growled in a very Inuyasha-like manner. The stupid Shikon Jewel should have brought her back earlier! She wouldn't be able to go through with her plan at this rate.

Breaking from the trees, she took in the sight of what had only been described to her by others. There were pieces of debris scattered on the ground and at least two buildings were aflame. People were scrambling to put out the blaze, while others bearing weapons surrounded a building, what she guessed to be the main shrine. She glanced at said shrine just in time to see a red blur burst through the roof. Inuyasha.

Ignoring the pounding in her chest at the sight of him, she scanned the area. That only left…

Ah, there you are, Kikyo. The priestess was only a few feet from where Kagome stood, but she didn't look in good condition. She had a slight limp and Kagome could make out blood trailing just behind her. Nevertheless, the priestess did not acknowledge her injures; Instead, she stood tall as she gazed at Inuayasha and raised her bow. Kikyo set the arrow, pulled back, and took aim.

Kagome needed to move NOW. She propelled herself forward just as she heard Kikyo shout out, "Inuyasha!"

Kagome rammed into Kikyo's side, knocking both of them to the ground. Yet it still hadn't been enough to stop the arrow from whizzing out from the bow. Breath held in worry, Kagome looked towards Inuyasha to see the arrow graze him on the side and lodge itself into the Goshinboku tree just behind the half-demon. She had managed to foil Kikyo's aim! Still, the arrow must have been very powerful because a simple graze had the effect of slamming Inuyasha face first into the ground.

Whatever else she may have observed was cut off as she felt a vise-like grip on her arm. Kagome winced as she turned to look at Kikyo, anger and pain clear in the priestess' eyes. "Fool! What have you done!"

"I…well…I'm…" Kagome stuttered, not knowing how to explain.

Kikyo narrowed her eyes. "No matter. I have to finish this."

Kikyo rose on wobbling legs only to fall down once again with labored breath. Kagome could see the blood on the ground. On Kikyo. She knew it was bad. And yet… something didn't seem right. From what she could tell, Kikyo's wounds were serious, but not untreatable. She had seen worse on Sango. So then why was Kikyo in such bad shape? Movement in her condition had obviously aggravated the wounds. Kagome glanced at the bow that had clattered to the ground. Her eyes widened in recognition.

The seal. Kagome had always known sealing Inuyasha must have required much power. She had never realized how much though. Kikyo had wanted to seal Inuyasha in exchange for her life. If Inuyasha was gone, Kikyo had not wanted to continue on without him despite what she thought had been his betrayal.

"You're going to die," Kagome whispered, the soft words sounding louder in their meaning. "Aren't you?"

Kikyo turned and truly looked at her for the first time. "Who are you?

"I'm here to help," Kagome answered hurriedly, rushing to get the words out in her nervousness. "Listen, Inuyasha didn't attack you. You were both tricked by another demon."

It was the first time Kagome had ever seen Kikyo look confused. "How would you-"

Kikyo lurched forward with a small cry before she could finish her question. Kagome caught her before she hit the ground and could feel wetness on her hands. Blood. Lowering her to the ground gently, Kagome felt her pulse. It was weak -- too weak. Kikyo had only minutes left before she would be dead.

Kagome clenched her fists together. There had to be something she could do! Yes…there had to be something. After all she and Kikyo shared the same soul. That connection had to have some significance that she could use to her advantage. Not entirely sure of what she was doing, Kagome placed her hands around Kikyo's head. She closed her eyes. She concentrated, trying to feel for…for something…anything. We're connected. If I can just give some of my strength to her, I'm sure she can use it to make up for what she lost in that last attack meant to seal Inuyasha.

All of a sudden, she knew she had reached it. There was warmth in her fingers, in her mind. She held onto that link and pushed it open as she felt some sort of power flowing into her hands. In a moment she felt a rush of emotions, a barrage of images that she knew weren't hers. There was a flash of blinding pain before she couldn't last any longer and broke the connection with a yelp.

Wiping her brow, she looked at Kikyo. Her eyes were open and staring back in a sort of recognition.

"Kikyo!" A young voice shouted out just to her left and Kagome turned to see a girl with a patch over her eye running towards them. Kaede? She noticed Scar-Face and his band of soldiers were just behind the child as well.

Kaede approached her elder sister while eyeing Kagome suspiciously. Kikyo turned to her sister and spoke in a commanding tone despite her current state. "Kaede, this woman is to guard the Shikon Jewel in my absence."

"W-What?" Kaede questioned in a small voice. "What do you mean? You're leaving?"

"No, I'm not leaving now," Kikyo answered, but she looked at her rescuer in what would be her second look of confusion Kagome would come to witness in just a few minutes. "Although I am not sure why I am… not…dead."

Kikyo's eyes were drooping now. "Y-You can trust her."

"No! Wake up!"

Kaede's uninjured eye had tears streaming out of it as she cradled her elder sister's head. Kagome felt like a slab of stone had settled in her stomach. She had failed. Not even an hour after using the Shikon Jewel's power and she had ruined her chance to make it right -- to make everyone happy like they would have been had it not been for Naraku's schemes.

"Hush, Kaede-chan," rumbled the deep voice of Scar-Face close to Kagome's ear. "She is not dead."

Both girls leaned closely over Kikyo, taking in her ashen features and the slow, almost imperceptible, rising of her chest. She was alive.

Kagome's moment of relief quickly dissipated as she realized that most of the people surrounding them were now staring at her in a mixture of awe and fear. She could hear their muttered whispers; some were not even bothering to keep their voices low.

"She looks so much like Kikyo-sama."

"I saw her. She did something to the priestess!"

"Her clothes are so strange. And why does she resemble Kikyo-sama?"

"Did she harm the priestess?"

"No! I swear she helped Kikyo-sama. Well, that's what it looked like to me anyway…"

Kagome gathered that these muttered conversations and queries would have risen to quite a roar if it were not for Scar-Face.

"Quiet!" He yelled with a scowl. "All of you."

Kagome would have been grateful for his interference had his attention not then shifted to her. "So," He practically bellowed, "who are and what did you do to Kikyo-sama?"

Kagome looked at him levelly. Who was this man? The people obviously respected him because they had all grown quiet at his command. She didn't remember anyone in the village like him. He did not look very old now, but a lot would have happened in fifty years. She wracked her brain trying to remember if Kaede or one of the villagers had mentioned a man such as this. Nothing.

"Kei-sama," Kaede spoke, her voice steady despite the tears still apparent on her face, "I think she saved my sister."

"What do you mean? Can you tell?"

"No, but Kikyo told me we could trust her. And…" Kaede hesitated for a moment. "She said to hand over the Shikon Jewel to her.

An explosion of conversations erupted at this in shock and surprise. Kagome spoke up then, not wanting the situation to get even more out of hand.

"My name is Kagome," She began, raising her voice over the cacophony of noise. "I've come from the future to help. I look like Kikyo so much and I was able to help her because I'm her…from the future. We share the same soul."

"You are her..re..reincarnation?" Kaede asked. "You are the same?"

"NO!" Kagome responded, more forcefully than she meant to. "I mean…no, we have the same soul, but we're two different people. I am me…Kagome."

Kaede nodded in understanding. "Yes, my sister must have known who you were. That is why she said to trust you."

Kaede turned then to Scar-Face, or Kei as she had called him, looking perhaps for confirmation or advice. She twisted her hands in front of her -- a sign of anxiety or distress. It was this motion that made Kagome fully realize that despite having the abilities of a priestess, Kaede was still just a child. She was not the old woman whose wrinkles traced back through fifty long years of knowledge and experience.

Kei gently patted the child's head. "I think we can believe her. Besides, it would be following Kikyo-sama's orders."

He bowed slightly in greeting to Kagome, but his eyes were hard, that of a man who did not trust others as easily as with a few words.

"I'd like to-" Kagome began, before a loud scream cut her off.

All those surrounding Kikyo whirled towards the owner of the scream. A villager was scrambling towards them, panic etched on his features.

"It's Inuysaha! He's waking up!"

TBC...