Even Angels Fall

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Chapter 2

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Inuyasha stared is shock and confusement.

Kagome just stared at him as well... was that a bit fear in her eyes? How could Inuyasha tell? There's was barely any trace of emotion in those blue orbs.

That didn't sound right. Her eyes were supposed to be brown, not blue!

"Kagome..." he spoke in the most softest voice he could muster. It was difficult enough to speak, but to call out her name without seeing the girl he used to see and know as 'Kagome'.

At the call of her name, Kagome slowly lowered her head, the tip of the cap shading and covering her eyes.

Inuyasha took a step forward and looked down as well, but stopped when he noticed something else different with her. She wore black shoes, no longer brown loafers. What the heck was going on? Something must have happened because she always wore the same clothing every time.

He looked up again only to see her walking forward towards him, her bookbag on her back and her eyes still covered. He right away noticed her bag was black as well, no longer the yellow it once had. She stopped right in front of him and dropped her backpack on the ground and kept looking down, facing away from Inuyasha.

Her scent... was different. Something changed it, but what? One thing was for sure, it no longer had the purity and innocence it once had. It was cold and dark. It wasn't like her. Her scent always held happines and purity. Now, it was as if it was all taken away. His eyes widened at the thought.

"Kagome... what happened?"

He asked it and he wanted an answer. Minutes felt like hours as the times passed by, no reply coming from the girl in dark standing before him. He opened his mouth to call out again but stopped when she looked up at him. Her eyes were full of sorrow, pain, loneliness, and tears on the verge of falling. His heart crushed inside. The girl he had always thought would always be in the skies even when fallen, had dropped to the ground and stayed on the ground. He felt helpless. So much pain in her eyes, yet he couldn't do anything to help. Her eyes were open, not closed like he saw when he noticed them. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. He wanted, no, needed to find out what had happened. What had hurt this girl so much as to keep her away for 5 months and then return as if her whole entire world and soul had died?

The tears finally and slowly rolled down her cheeks, her face not changing at all as if the tears never exsisted.

"Inu... yasha..."

Just as he took in the sound of her voice calling his name, she suddenly hugged him tightly, eyes closed. She felt as if she were to let go, she'd be taken away and never see him again. More tears fell as Inuyasha soaked things in his head to the events that were taking place.

Her voice was hoarse as if she hadn't spoken in so long. It held the pain she had wanted to get rid of, and saying his name made some of it vanish. He looked down at her, he hadn't seen her in so long. Yet, this wasn't how he wanted to be reunited with her. He closed his eyes and hugged her back tightly, but not as much as to hurt her in any way.

"I'm... sorry..." was all that she said afterwards, making Inuyasha hug her tighter. He only wanted to help her and take away the pain. He was her protector, yet he couldn't save her from whatever caused her so much pain.

At that moment, she fell limp. Inuyasha slowly slid down to a sitting position with Kagome on his lap. He looked down at her with worry in his eyes and all over his face. He relaxed a bit when he saw she had fallen asleep. He could tell from the start that she probably hadn't gotten much sleep. He reached out for her bag and slipped his arm in one of the straps. He stood up, carrying Kagome bridal style and the bag on his back, and made his way back to the village. Hopefully, he would get some time alone with her so he could find out what the heck happened.

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The group sat in the hut, all glancing towards the now sleeping Kagome at the side. Her cap was taken off, revealing the red hair, closely to the red of Inuyasha's clothing than Shippo's hair. Her hair was the same except for the fact that it was a bit shorter, but not as much. There were traces that it had been cut, but it grew back and closley to the length she once had. Inuyasha explained what had happened when Kagome returned. Everyone was at shock when they heard, but in even more shock when they saw her. It was prrof that she had come back and that what Inuyasha had said was true... something happened to her, something strong enough to change her. Shippo and Kirara were able to notice the change in her scent, and Miroku, Sango, and Kaede were able to notice the change in her aura.

They all took it strongy, even more so Inuyasha. Kagome had always been the member in the group who helpedothers more and was where the happiness in the group came from. Heck, she practically made the group itself. She allowed and invited them to join her and Inuyasha. He was happy for that. He had friends, all thanks to Kagome. But now, it wasn't her. He watched her as she slept, every now and then seeing a pained and sad expression on her features. It was obvious she was dreaming, and not the happy dreaming at all.

"What do you suppose happened in her time, Miroku?" Sango asked, not wanting to bother Inuyasha. It was obvious that he was the one most effected by it.

"Kagome is a strong human. She never really let things get to her. It seems hard to believe that she would end up like this."

"I bet she found Inuyasha with Kikyo again and that's the reason she left for so long!" piped up Shippo, obviously upset at the whole ordeal. Everyone was surprised when Inuyasha didn't even wince, glare, or make any effort to punish the kitsune.

"I wasn't with Kikyo at all. Even if I was, it wouldn't be this bad. And it could never happen in her time." Inuyasha replied, his voice barely it's normal tone. It was with worry, and it was obvious that being with Kikyo wasn't the case. They knew very well that if Inuyasha had indeed been with Kikyo, the result would have been both Inuyasha and Kagome moping around the exact time Kagome left. Not to mention Inuyasha would have gone back to get her.

"Well whatever it was, ye must take care of her. Who knows how this may effect the way she is here." Kaede stated, also worried about Kagome. "Ye now must wait until she awakens. Until then, we must not disturb her in any such way. Come now, let us all go." Standing up and nodding, they all made their way outside the hut. Kaede looked back noticing Inuyasha had moved to sit next to Kagome and did not intend to leave the hut.

"Are ye not coming, Inuyasha?" she asked, knowing very well what the answer was. When he didn't respond, she sighed, opened the flap door and looked outside. "Inuyasha, it be best if ye are the only one in here when she wakes up. It seems for now that you are the only one who she probably wishes to see. Once she is ready to come out, I'm trusting you to allow her to see the ones she want to afterwards."

Inuyasha stayed quiet for a while, looking down on Kagome's changing expressions. "I will."

"And Inuyasha." She looked back once more, her tone and expression more serious. "I may warn ye, being a priestess, this can effect Kagome in many ways. I do not know what will happen, but we cannot allow her to be hurt any longer. I advise ye stay by her side anywhere and everywhere she goes and to protecter even more than ye once did." And with that, she left the hut, leaving ony a sleeping Kagome and a worried Inuyasha.

"I plan to," he said to himelf. He wouldn't allow anything to harm her at all. When she would be bathing, he would be guarding the surrounding area until she was finished. When she would be sleeping, he would sit right next to her and guard her throughout the night. He wouldn't allow anything to hurt her in her current situation. If she was, he felt like he would kill whoever caused that pain.

But for now...

He looked more closely at her changing expressions.

I'll have to wait, then try to speak with her.

Suddenly, for about a second, he blinked and he saw the normal Kagome sleeping with a small smile on her content face. Once he blinked again, he saw the broken Kagome in front of him. He rubbed his eyes and looked at her again.

Were his eyes playing tricks on him?

What the hell was that?