Forest Meeting

Kagome walked in the direction of the village. She was carrying her recently stuffed backpack. breathing heavily under its weight. She hadn't expected to carry it herself, she had hoped to have a helper with this task. But Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. She sighed again and dropped her backpack to the side of the path. She didn't feel like going to Kaede's hut and seeing everyone sitting there and looking at her with pity and sadness.

That is - everyone except Inuyasha.

When she looked up she saw a snake-like youkai fly above her head, heading for a nearby meadow. She bit her bottom lip. She could think and say that she didn't care, that it was their thing, but she still felt bad.

She realized she followed the soul collector when she heard voices from behind a thick veil of bushes, shielding the meadow from all sides. Kagome was about to leave, it wouldn't be good if Inuyasha found her, but Kikyou's soft voice caught her attention.

"Why don't you join me, Inuyasha? I remember the time when you always sat beside me," the undead miko said. Kagome couldn't help but smile when she heard a gruff 'keh!' coming from the direction of a tree on the other end of the meadow. "I guess you don't trust me anymore..."

"Don't have any reason to. Can we cut the pleasantries? My wench's returning today."

Kagome clenched her fists at the name, but then relaxed. She moved a little closer to a thick tree, just to make sure she stayed hidden. So he was planning on coming for her, she was 'his' wench.

"Why do you insist on wandering with my reincarnation? I am perfectly capable of finding the jewel shards and I am sure she'd love to live her life in the time she belongs in."

"She's safer to be around."

"Even with the collar she put around your neck?"

"The collar you made. And yep, even with it. Cuz, ya know, she won't pin me to a tree with a sacred arrow. And she promised to stay here as long as I want to. And I want her to stay, so drop it. We're heading out of the village tomorrow, there's a rumor about a youkai to the East. Miroku says it's probably not Naraku, but it can have a shard. What do you plan to do?"

Kagome heard Kikyou sigh. "I heard the same rumor, but if your group is going there I will head North. Come with me. I am sure your group can handle a youkai, even with a shard."

"Feh! Kagome's going to need my protection, even if it doesn't have a shard," Inuyasha chuckled, causing Kagome to frown. She wasn't that helpless! But even if he made her annoyed it also made her happy he didn't decide to leave her and their friends for Kikyou. "Just... If you find something you can't handle alone, don't try to be brave and take it on alone. We won't take long in the East. We can help you."

"So you care for me? Why, I thought my reincarnation holds your affection," Kagome tensed, Kikyou's voice sounded a little bitter, a little melancholic.

"Listen, Kikyou, you and I... We were in love. We could be together fifty years ago. But we both changed. We don't... Fit anymore. It doesn't mean I don't care for you, cuz we're still friends. Can't anyone here understand that? Now, better go, if they see your soul collectors they'll glare at me for hours."

Kikyou laughed softly and Kagome realized one of her helpers flying in a wide arc around her, heading for its mistress to lift her from the ground with other, which came from the shadows of the trees.

"I am afraid you're too late, Inuyasha, my reincarnation is already here," the undead miko said. "When your friends glare at you for seeing me think about this - I've never glared at you for traveling with them."

"Yeah? You glared plenty much when I told ya I'm not going to become a hum- Wait, what?!" Inuyasha jumped down his branch to grab Kikyou and shake her for answers, but she was already beyond his reach. She just pointed to a thick tree behind his back. When he turned around he saw Kagome standing beside the tree. His ears lowered, preparing for her reaction to his meeting with Kikyou. The future-born miko slowly approached him and grabbed his hand.

"Come, I have a bag full of ramen and it's too heavy for me to carry all the way to the village," she smiled and looked up to meet his yellow eyes glittering with anxiety and surprise.

"...Feh," he muttered, letting her head the way.

A/N: I suck at writing Kikyou, I know. But hey,I managed to post something, so yay for me!