By the Moonlight

Circa 2013 - 2015

Summary: Hyuuga Kagome is a strange girl. Her heritage was proven true when her eyes turned white and she used the Byakugan, but she still has many secrets. During his stay, Sabaku no Gaara wishes to learn her secrets when he deems her 'satisfactory'. [Gaara/Kagome]

Genre: Action / Adventure / Romance / Drama / General

Rating: T

Not sure what happened in the last chapter - ffn told me I was blocked from accessing the file of any type to it, so I cannot fix the double title

Prologue

Truth Behind the Veil

The wind was whipping around, biting at her flesh as tears of pain flowed down her face. Her hand came up to wipe at them while another person, demon, stood close by, his sword lowering as he realized something very important. However, she barely noticed this as she gazed at the lifeless forms of her friends, all of them unmoving and beginning to turn a slight blue after so many hours. Her face turned upward, her white, pupil-less, eyes changing back to blue as she blinked, thinking, it has been hours… but it only feels like minutes… Her eyes flashed, Naraku, you bastard.

Within moments Naraku had slain her friends, taking them away from her forever, since she was sure the demon lord close by would not use Tenseiga on them; could not, more in likely. Sango fell when her own weapon was turned against her. Miroku when the poison in his bloodstream became too much for him. Shippo was mauled by a pack of demons' that she had not noticed. Kirara was ripped in half while in her larger form. Kikyo died when her soul stealers were unable to bring her body enough souls to keep her together when a large gash was placed into her clay pot body. Kouga had had his legs ripped from his body, and injured the lesser demons' had taken to him like flies to a dead animal before she could fire another arrow. Jaken had been decapitated. The two-headed dragon, Ah-Un, had been taken out by Sesshoumaru when Naraku's newest incarnate turned it against them. Inuyasha had been pierced by one of Naraku's tentacles, miasma filling his body until Tetsusaiga fell from his hand and he died.

She'd only managed to kill Naraku when he'd turned his back to her in order to fight Sesshoumaru, who'd continued to swing his Tokijin even though his only arm had been badly injured. She was sure that Sesshoumaru's injury was still dripping blood, but her eyes didn't take notice of this, only the final moments that took place. When she'd begun to cry, her eyes taking a white haze, everything becoming clearer, brighter, and more into focus than ever. She'd attached a pure Shikon Shard to the end of one of her arrows, and fired it into Naraku's back as Sesshoumaru let loose the Dragon Strike. The two attacks had come together in a splendor of color, icy blue fighting with bright pink within a ten-foot area. With his body already injured and unable to continue healing himself, Naraku had fallen, while the piece of the Shikon he'd obtained throughout her two year long journey had been purified.

Other things had happened as well. Inuyasha's body, having been within the blasts range, had changed until it was completely human. No longer did he have cute puppy dog-ears; no longer did he have claws and fangs; no longer could he do the amazing things she remembered him doing. What did it matter, though? He was dead, end of story. All because of Naraku, and his obsession with the Shikon no Tama's power; Naraku was the one to blame, but she had to put blame on the Shikon as well.

The legendary Shikon no Tama was once again whole… at a price. The price of blood, pain, and worship; the ultimate price: their lives. The Shikon was said to bring pain and death to those around the person who held it, and it seemed that that had been true. The sight before her eyes, the bloody battlefield, was proof of that.

Choking back a sob, Kagome reminded herself that she'd given up Inuyasha's heart to Kikyo, even telling the dead miko once that she no longer wanted Inuyasha as her own. She had loved both Kouga and Miroku like a brother, Sango as a sister, and Shippo like a son. She'd loved them all, even if it had not been as lovers, but as friends, and family members. Among that family she had two members left, since she'd managed to get Kouga and Inuyasha to stop fighting in order to travel together; both of them were dead, though. She'd also managed to convince Sesshoumaru that it would be best to go after Naraku together as one, to strengthen their numbers.

Out of her family in this ancient era, she had two members left. Sesshoumaru and Rin. Rin because she'd been left behind with Kaede, which she'd tried to do with Shippo, but the kit had insisted upon protecting her. Sesshoumaru was too strong a demon to be brought down by one such as Naraku. Therefore, she had two members left: her younger sister Rin, and her elder brother, Sesshoumaru. No, they weren't her real family, but she'd considered them such.

Wiping at her tears once more, Kagome looked up when she noticed that Sesshoumaru was now standing beside her. She glanced over at him, knowing that he wouldn't say anything, but wishing that he might. She'd never told him, but she truly wished he was her brother, and she almost called to him as thus, but managed to say simply, "Sesshoumaru."

His injured arm stretched out to her, and she could see that his demonic healing was already taking control and beginning to heal his wounds. Within a week at the most that large hole that showed his bone would be covered over, especially since it had already stopped bleeding. However, she wished she could do something for him, but she knew he was too proud to accept anything from her. Instead, she glanced down at his clawed fingers, wrapped, oh so, delicately around… Tetsusaiga? She reached up to touch her chest, silently asking the demon lord if he was trying to give it to her, especially now that the barrier had fallen. It was obvious since he was touching it.

"Take it, miko," Sesshoumaru said. "You have learned not only how to channel your miko powers, but you have been taught how to fight with most weapons. With your help we were able to defeat Naraku, and this Sesshoumaru believes that Inuyasha would wish for you to have his Tetsusaiga. Especially now that it has changed."

Kagome was confused, "Changed?"

Sesshoumaru gave a small nod. "Yes. This Sesshoumaru can feel it. Inuyasha body was close enough that Tetsusaiga was caught within our attack when it hit Naraku. Tetsusaiga has changed, but I know not how." He glanced down at it once, "Take it, miko." He watched as Kagome's hands came out to grasp the hilt, since his hand was gripping the sheath. As she began to pull, he gripped the sheath tighter, watching as the Tetsusaiga was pulled completely from the sheath, but not as a rusty old blade. No, it had transformed for the miko.

Kagome gasped, Tetsusaiga becoming lighter within her hand with each passing moment. She gazed up at the giant fang, wondering why it had transformed, before she remembered Sesshoumaru words. Their attack had changed Tetsusaiga. "Is this its change, Sesshoumaru? Humans will now be able to make it transform?"

"No," Sesshoumaru said. "Only you and I."

"How do you know, Sesshoumaru? How can you be so sure?"

He tilted his head to the side, "My father's blood runs through my veins, as well as my mother's. This Sesshoumaru may hate to admit that father fell from grace, but I am still his son. Tetsusaiga sings to me. It tells me Inuyasha's final wish, and that wish is to allow you, the one who pulled it from the place it had rested, to have it. A demon will be able to transform it, but they must have father's blood, and this Sesshoumaru is his only remaining child."

Kagome gripped Tetsusaiga's hilt tighter. "Sesshoumaru, you've wanted this sword for so long…" She shook her head, wondering what he was talking about. Surely he couldn't be thinking about giving her Tetsusaiga, the sword he'd wanted since his father's decision. Yes, she knew more about Sesshoumaru than others thought, especially since he'd spoken to her about certain things; mainly only because she treated Rin like her own sister.

Sesshoumaru turned his face toward the few remaining clouds as the sky began to darken. When he returned his eyes to the miko's, they were shining with a strange light. "I, Sesshoumaru, Ruler of the Western Lands, no longer wish to have my father's sword, Tetsusaiga. I give it to you, miko… Kagome, because you will use it well wherever you go in memory of those that you have lost." With a slight narrowing of his eyes, he handed her the sheath to Tetsusaiga, and then pulled Tenseiga from his side as well. "I also give you Tenseiga, in order to keep my father's swords together. I, Sesshoumaru, give you Tenseiga because your heart is pure and you will save those who deserve it.

"I give them to you so that you're memory of us will never fade when you return home, wherever that may be. I give them to you because I have grown fond of you, Kagome; you are like the sister I never had, even if you're human."

Tears streaked down Kagome's face as she thanked him over and over again inside her mind. She sheathed Tetsusaiga, placed it within her obi—she was wearing a kimono Sesshoumaru had gotten her, saying her uniform was indecent—before clutching Tenseiga to her chest. She lowered her eyes, before sniffling, "Ca-Can we bury them, Sesshoumaru? Before I leave…?" She thought for a moment, "U-Underneath the Goshinboku… so that I know they're close to me?"

After a few moments Sesshoumaru gave a single nod.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru," Kagome whispered, watching as the demon lord turned away from her. She didn't expect anything more from him as she slid Tenseiga next to Tetsusaiga, almost feeling the slight buzz that they gave when they were finally reunited after so long. However, she wasn't even sure if it had actually happened, or if she was just imagining things.

The sky grew darker until anyone and everything would be able to look up and see the stars twinkling in the sky, telling a single miko that her work would have to wait. She would not be able to see within the darkness of the night, nor would she be able to start work until early the next morning.

The sun was once again beginning to leave the sky, the hot atmosphere changing to one slightly cooler while they continued to work. She'd managed to only heal the hole in Sesshoumaru's arm, but that did nothing for the bone, which he'd popped back into place somehow. She was pretty sure he'd used his fangs, since she'd found faint scars that looked like fang markings where his bone should have been split. It had healed remarkably fast once it was pushed back into place. She was amazed that he'd allowed her to heal him at all, but it lightened her mood to know that he considered her worthy enough to help him.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, glancing back at the final body that Sesshoumaru had brought back. It had taken all day, since no one had wanted to help her, deeming him or her evil, even though a few weeks ago they'd been cheering for them to defeat Naraku. Kaede hadn't been too happy about that, but said that it was their decision, and there was nothing that Kagome could say to change their minds. So, without the help of Sesshoumaru, who was useless when it came to digging, she had began digging a certain amount of graves. After all, she had decided to bury some of them together because of their relationship to one another. Inuyasha and Kikyo, Sango and Miroku, Shippo and Kirara; Kouga had been buried alone, since his comrades had been ordered to leave during the battle. Jaken and Ah-Un had been taken care of by Sesshoumaru, so she didn't have to worry about them.

Shaking her head, she felt the need for water wash over her. Her head had felt light since she'd begun this morning, but she really needed water at that moment. So, she turned away from the final hole she'd dug, having crawled out of it already, before going to find her water bottle. When she found it, it was already half gone, but she ignored that and quickly gulped down what was left. She knew that Sesshoumaru would probably bring her back some more from the stream nearby, or she hoped so.

She'd never actually done this much work in one day. Probably because she had led the life of a teenager five hundred years in the future, when this type of work wasn't needed in Tokyo. No, they had those who did it for them. Not here, though. No, she had to do it all by herself if she wanted it done, and she was going to finish what she started, no matter what. That was why she went to Kouga's lifeless body, the warmth having long gone, and lifted his upper body up, trying not to look down at the spot where his legs had been sliced off, nor the chunks of flesh the lesser demons' had chomped off.

Trying not to gag from the smell, and the fact that flies were beginning to buzz around her from Kouga's sealed wounds, his blood no longer flowing. With a tug she began moving his heavy body toward the hole, knowing that she'd need to make sure she didn't fall into it herself. So, she slowly, but surely, moved the body so that it was beside the hole, before turning it over, twice, which rolled it right into the hole, face up. She then knelt down beside the hole, and shook her head at Kouga's closed eyes. The icy blue depths that she remembered so well would never open again.

Her body was hot within the sun, but she shook her head, deciding that she would finish what she'd started. So, she began replacing the soil she'd moved away back into the hole, the grave of the wolf prince. It took until the darkness was surrounding her, but after so much time she'd finally managed to replace the final patch of soil, and patted it down in order to smooth it out. With them being evil and all, she was sure that no one would come to dig them up. Except maybe some lesser demon, but a barrier would stop that from happening.

Feeling the need to wash her hands, Kagome moved back to where she'd placed the two swords Sesshoumaru had given her. She dropped the wooden shovel she was using, and reached out to grab hold of the swords. They seemed to hum underneath her touch as she placed them back into her obi and once again went to look for her water bottle, happy to find that Sesshoumaru had filled it once she'd left it to return to her work. She poured the water over her hands, making sure to scrub at them since she'd left her bag at Kaede's hut. Not that she'd need to any longer.

As she washed her hands the best she could, Kagome felt something tug at her soul. Her eyes turned so that she was looking toward the well, knowing that it was coming from there. Her lips turned into a frown, her feet almost jumping off the ground when she realized that Sesshoumaru was standing next to her. He seemed to know what she was feeling as she said, "I think its time."

He nodded, saying, "It is destiny."

Smiling, Kagome replied, "Yeah, if you want to believe in that kind of stuff."

He turned his golden eyes onto her, before glancing in the direction of the well once more. One side of his thin lips turned upward into a smirk, as he gave a soft growl like chuckle. "Miko, you live five hundred years in the future. You can find everything there that tells you what happens now, even if the information is not always exact. Life, for all of us, has already been planned out. There is nothing you can do to stop it, or change it."

"You pay far too much attention for your own good, Sesshoumaru," Kagome grunted, her hands sore. She'd mostly used her legs, which built up her leg muscles during her two-year journey, but her hands had not been used for anything other than helping others and pulling her bowstring. She grinned, "You should learn to turn off your super hearing whenever others don't want you to pay attention to their conversations."

"Not even one such as I can turn off their hearing," Sesshoumaru replied. With that he began walking forward, his stride easily matched by the miko, since he was going slow for her. He knew that sooner or later she would have to go home, but perhaps one day he would be able to find her, since he doubted her story about how no demon had survived five hundred years from that moment. Finding her was something he doubted as well, though, since he was positive she couldn't have been a simple ningen when she was born, even if she was a miko. Her warrior spirit had been shown during the final battle, and he was positive there was something more about her.

"That's too bad," Kagome laughed. She tried to lighten the mood, but the feelings of loss soon overcame even that. She merely followed behind Sesshoumaru until they came to the well's clearing, smiling softly at him.

"This is as far as I go, miko," Sesshoumaru whispered, unsure of what to say.

Kagome nodded, "I know…" She moved forward, her steps almost nervous as she thought about leaving the era she'd come to love behind. However, she knew that one day it would come to this, that she'd have to leave, and this was that moment. So, she sucked up the feelings that she felt wash over her body, before feeling tears stream down her cheeks once more. She'd lost so much. Now she would be losing even more.

It caused her heart to break.

Upon reaching the well, she quickly placed herself so that she was sitting on the rim, her feet dangling into the well. The pull became stronger, telling her that it was time to go. There was a light, shining from the bottom of the well, she'd never seen before. A bright, white light, and she was positive it was meant to close the magic that moved her from each era. She held the Shikon no Tama, and it would be safer in the future, after all. There were no demons to take it there.

Sesshoumaru watched from the distance, remaining calm as he watched her. However, he narrowed his eyes when she glanced back at him, almost like she was deciding whether she was going to stay or go. He knew what her final decision had to be, though, even if he had to push her into the well himself.

"I-I… will miss you, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said. "I hope that you will tell Rin that I will miss her as well. I hope that someday she grows up into a wonderful young woman who is treated fairly, and I hope she finds love. Will you tell her that, Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes," was his only reply.

Kagome nodded, "Thank you… brother…" She pushed herself forward, and fell into the well.

Sesshoumaru stood there, "Goodbye, Kagome." There was a flash of white, which blended into red, before it disappeared. His eyes looked toward the endless sky, his eyes drawn to the crescent moon, half hidden, yet shining down upon the well. It seemed like the moon knew the well was important at that moment, as it was bathed in moonlight.

With a final, silent, goodbye, Sesshoumaru turned from the well forever, hoping to never have to return to it. He would return for Rin, and then return to the House of the Moon. He would not forget his new sister, though. Never. He was sure that even in death his memory would never allow him to forget Kagome, the woman who'd shot him with an arrow without fear, and had one day become someone he cared for. Someone he truly trusted without doubt.

Kagome felt the normal floating sensation that she normally felt, however, her breath was taken from her when she continued to float, instead of landing like she normally would. Her head suddenly hurt, and she reached up to grip her hair, wondering what was happening. The soreness of her hands disappeared, but she felt like her skin was on fire, before she groaned in pain. She began wriggling, wondering what was happening to her, since nothing like this had ever happened while she traveled through the well.

"Calm yourself, Hyuuga Kagome," came a voice from the distant. "Nothing is harming you. You're merely gaining information in order to achieve the destiny you have been chosen to lead from this point on. You're being given back the life you should have had."

"H-Hyuuga?" Kagome gasped, flashes of a white-eyed boy coursing through her mind. She saw images of him staring down at her, smiling while another man, taller, frowned down upon her, almost like he was ashamed to know her. However, his face changed to a small smile when the boy said something, and patted his shoulder. The image soon faded away, and the burning returned to her skin.

"Yes," the voice replied. "You're Hyuuga Kagome, sister to Hyuuga Neji, currently a jounin in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. A village that trains elite shinobi… what you should have been, what you will be from now on.

"You will be given the knowledge that your brother holds so that you may become a shinobi. You will be given the ability to use the Byakugan, though your eyes are not the same as those within the family. That is because you are special, and you were chosen to lead a different life before returning to your original one."

Kagome opened her eyes to find a beautiful woman in ancient armor standing before her. "Who-who are you?" she asked, her voice almost breaking. She wanted to cry, to weep tears of sorrow and of anger from hearing those words, but she held them all back. She knew there would be a time when she could cry, and that would be when she wasn't in the presence of this being.

The woman smiled, "I am Midoriko. I chose you from your true life to lead the one you've been forced to have thus far." She tilted her head to the side, "We needed you in order to destroy Naraku. However, we took away the life you should have had. For that, all of the beings within Takamagahara wish to ask for your forgiveness, though we know that we have wronged you beyond forgiveness."

"W-why? Why would you take me away from m-my true life? Why me?"

Midoriko's eyes turned sad, "You would have been hurt in either life, Kagome." She closed her eyes, before shaking her head. "It would not have mattered which life you were given, for you're heart would have been broken within both."

Kagome gritted her teeth in anger, "How do you know?"

"The Gods see all, Kagome. The past and the future." Midoriko nodded once to herself, deciding that it would be best to tell her why. "Within the life you have lead thus far, you have gone through much. You've lost friends, allies, and those you had come to love like a family. You have experienced heartache, and betrayal… but you have gained much by it."

She stopped for a moment. "Within Konoha—Fire Country—you would have been pushed until you wished to kill all those around you. We needed your heart pure in order for you to achieve the goal destiny had set out for you. We decided that you would be strong enough to overcome the things you will now have to endure if, and only if, you were chosen to defeat Naraku. This allowed you not to have to see the death of your father, to watch your only brother begin to hate the Main Branch of the Hyuuga Family. You would not have to be placed within a team where you'd watch the boy you would have loved be cursed; you would not have to watch your brother's fellow comrade, someone you respected, have his entire life ripped away from him because of one single battle. Your life has been hard so far, yes, but with these events I have just mentioned would have lead you to become an S-Ranked Criminal within an organization known as Akatsuki. You would have become the partner to a killer, before returning to the Village Hidden in the Leaves to kill everyone and everything you had ever known. We could not allow that to happen, for we had had others plans for you from the moment you were born. It was because of this we took you from your home and hid the memories of your birth from those who had known you."

Once more she paused, "Hyuuga Kagome, those memories are beginning to resurface within the minds of those who know you, but you must be there in order to make them solid. You must return to the Village Hidden in the Leaves and the Hyuuga District. Then you must prove your heritage, before your true destiny will be untangled from the treads of time."

Kagome listened, her ears beginning to ring as the words sang throughout her head over and over again. It was never thoroughly processed, for her mind was set onto other things. Things she wished to know and ask. "What about my mother… and Souta?" Kagome asked.

"They're not your true family, Kagome," Midoriko replied. "Everyone from the future that you remember will simply forget. It will be as if you were never there. They will live happy lives, continue, and die like everyone else. You, Kagome, are meant to return to your brother. You are meant to change the heart of one who's also been hurt. However, those in the past shall forever remember you, for you will become a legend to those in the future, as you should have been."

Her hand reached out, the pink light beneath Kagome's clothing suddenly dimming, before the Shikon no Tama formed in Midoriko's hand. "Your duty to the Shikon no Tama is now over. You shall, however, be allowed to keep the swords of the Inu no Taisho, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's father. They will help you through your new life, though you will have to convince others that you are a Hyuuga. In order to do this, you must use the Byakugan, Kagome. Allow your hands to move as they should have all your life."

Kagome tried to speak, when suddenly cold fingers touched her forehead. Midoriko was standing before her, saying something about Takamagahara once more, but her mind went blank as she once more fell into the darkness of the well, a new light surrounding her body. Images flashed throughout her mind during this time, most of people, some of death, but almost always of blood. The final image was of a boy staring up toward what looked to be stands, his green eyes hard, and ringed in black, while his hair was a red in color. He looked emotionless, like he was hiding a demon deep inside.

"The sands of time will guide you, Kagome," Midoriko whispered. She clenched the Shikon no Tama within her hand, "You will save him in the end, as was the destiny we'd set for you."

The veil had been lifted, and Hyuuga Kagome was finally going home.

Chapter One:

Unbelievable

A groan was heard from deep within a well, somewhere far away from any village, but easily found if one searched hard enough. It came again moments later, the sound of something bumping against the sides soon following after it. Not soon after this sound was issued, there was a slight hissing, and finally a voice that muttered, "Ouch."

Lifting her arm, Kagome draped it over her eyes in order to stop the light from shining down directly at her. The sun was just overhead, which not only annoyed her, but made her almost wish she could reach up and pluck it from the sky, replacing it with the moon. She knew she could not do that, though, so Kagome merely allowed a small groan to escape from her lips. To her is almost sounded like it had not come from her own throat, but the tingling of her vocals told her that she had indeed made the sound. Strange as it seemed, she'd never heard herself say anything like that before.

Sitting up, the thoughts, w-where is the roof to the well house, moving through her mind? Only for a moment, though, because something inside of her clicked and she reached up to clench her head as things came to her mind. Movements, stances, people, places, things, memories that she knew were not her own, moved throughout her mind as she remembered something. Something important; more important than anything else she'd ever almost forgotten; more important than forgetting things that she shouldn't have; more important than anything.

She was not within the well house because she had never belonged with the family she'd thought was her own. They'd forget about her within moments, while she was forever tortured by the knowledge that the only family she'd ever known was ripped away from her. She'd been thrown into a world she felt she did not understand, from everything she'd ever known. Hell, they'd even taken her away from Sesshoumaru, Rin, and the duty she thought she was supposed to fulfill: Guardian of the Shikon no Tama—that was never her's, it was Kikyo's.

It was so unbelievable. She wasn't Higurashi Kagome anymore. She wasn't anything she ever thought she was. Maybe her behavior and mannerism, yes, but not her life—her life didn't seem like her own anymore. She wouldn't be able to have the life she'd always thought she wanted, not just because of Naraku or Kikyo, but because she'd been thrust into the life she should have originally had. She was now someone completely different. One who would walk a different path, one of the shinobi, though she only had the memories of past battles that belonged to this boy, her brother, named Hyuuga Neji. She didn't deserve them if she hadn't earned them.

"Hyuuga," she whispered to herself, trying to get the taste of it on her tongue. It wasn't bad. "Hyuuga Kagome," she whispered once again. She almost wondered what Sesshoumaru would think of her at that moment, when she remembered the swords at her side. Luckily, when she reached down and felt for them, she found that they were both at her side, but her outfit was different.

She was wearing a black top, and knee-length shorts with many pockets—brown in color. There was a small pouch on her hip, which she decided must hold something, though she'd wait to find out what was inside of it. Her black top had one arm chopped off, wrapping that looked like bandages wrapping up her arm and into her clothing. As she looked over the fabric, she noticed that there was something on her arm. Something that the memory of her brother explained almost instantly as Kagome stared at it, and touched the indent of the strange marking on the metal. Her memory told her that it was the headband of a shinobi, which was given to them when they began their journey as a genin, the lowest level, or the beginning of a long journey to become a jounin. She was not a genin, she was not apart of a village—technically she was, but she didn't think that counted—therefore she did not deserve it. Kagome deserved nothing at this point, except for the chance to be reunited with her true brother.

She wondered what he'd be like.

What would he like? Would he like her, or despise her because she'd disappeared only to reappear years later? Would he be like Inuyasha and gulp down Ramen like it was going out of style, or would he eat with poise and savor each drop? What would he enjoy to wear when going to train? Did he wear something different from what he wore around the village when he trained? What were his favorite colors, foods, hobbies, books, and other things like that?

Most of all, though, Kagome wondered if his memories of her would be uncovered already, or if it would take her appearance for him to remember her? When he remembered would he protect her from those who tried to believe she was not a Hyuuga, or would he stand by glaring at her? Would he believe his memories, or say that they were merely apart of his want to have had a sister?

It was so unbelievable that she almost thought she was merely imagining things, until she looked up at the sky again. For a moment she almost thought she'd wake up in her bed and Inuyasha would be sitting in her window, yelling that they needed to go before she sat him. She would not wake up from this, though. Everything she'd loved was gone, and she needed to except that and move on, especially since she knew a few years had past since the last memory she'd received from her brother's mind. She needed to find out what had happened within those few years, or she might never be able to truly trust her brother, nor anyone around her.

Perhaps that was for the best. She did not know, for she didn't quite understand what was going on around her. She almost wanted to believe that halfway through this strange episode she'd wake up and she'd once more be journeying with her friends. They'd laugh, they'd play, they'd fight, and they'd relax while Naraku would be still trying to find the shards. The final battle wouldn't have been fought already, and she'd be waiting for that moment, knowing that there were those beside her. Kagome sniffled a little at that thought, before shaking her head in denial; she needed to know that it wasn't a dream. She needed to find this place known as the Village Hidden in the Leaves and she needed to find her brother. Once she did that, she was sure that she'd be able to finally come to terms with what was happening around her.

She'd told herself that an hour ago, perhaps an hour and a half, yet she still sat within that well, thoughts rushing through her head this way and that. The memories of her brother told her exactly how to get to the village, but she wasn't quite sure if she was ready yet. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to face him, but as she began to fidget, knowing that she was simply delaying what was to come, she stood, glancing upward out of the well. Kagome knew that it wasn't much higher than the well she always climbed out of, but something told her that she wouldn't need to climb out, something from her brother's memories and experience.

…Something about channeling something in order to merely jump up by pushing herself upward when she hit the side. Something about how her feet would be able to stick to the sides, before she pushed off and placed her other foot onto another wall, causing that foot to stick. Without her knowing it, Kagome's hands began to move, her fingers instantly moving into the position she needed them in as she channeled something. In the back of her mind while she did this, she heard a near silent voice whisper, "…chakra. Channel the chakra into your feet."

She blinked her eyes open, looked down and felt like she could do it. Her feet felt almost like they were more powerful than before. Not powerful, per se, but strong enough to be able to do what she'd seen someone else doing as they used trees. Hopefully she'd be able to do it too!

She jumped, her foot hitting the side and… she slipped… Within a blink of an eye Kagome found herself back on the bottom of the well, her bottom hurting from the impact. Her lips parted in surprise, her eyes wide, while she wondered why Midoriko's advise had not been enough. She'd told her to use her brother's experience, so why wasn't it working… wait… she knew this… Groaning, she gritted her head between her hands. Of course! Stupid, stupid! I know how to do it because of his experience, but I've never had any practice, I'm a beginner, which causes me to have to gain my own experience from his. Until I have enough to live on my own I shall learn from him, but not be able to completely use everything he's ever learned. This is just great, Kagome screamed to herself.

She almost thought about simply climbing out after she failed a few more times, but told herself that she'd need to push herself forward in order to keep moving. She knew, from the memories and experiences of her brother, that there would be those who would not hesitate to kill her in an instant. She would need to know how to do these things, to have her own experience gained from his, in order to survive that. This pushed her forward, until she once more placed her foot down and then jumped upward excited that she'd done it…

Shhhhhppp…

Her foot slipped once again, but she quickly channeled a bit more chakra into her feet, and planted her other foot onto another wall. This managed to stop her downfall, while Tetsusaiga's hilt scraped against the side of the well. She reached down and grabbed the hilt of both her swords, shoved them downward so that they wouldn't scrap the sides, and continued to try. Within moments the swords balanced themselves back into their original positions, but her mind was concentrated on her current goal. She didn't know it, but within that moment a white color began surrounding the outer corners of her eyes, while the rest remained the vibrant blue she had.

She continued upward, her foot slipping a few inches as she tried to channel the same amount of chakra at a constant rate. A smile brightened on her face as she continued upward, the white haze she remembered during the battle with Naraku forming into her eyes completely. She knew that it was her true eye color, but she still closed her eyes and shook her head in order to make it go away. Once it did she managed to plant her foot on the edge of the well, before she heard the crunching of something. Kagome glanced down quickly, suddenly frightened when she found that the well's rim was being crushed underneath her foot.

"…o much chakra can cause you to travel upward but not very far. Not enough chakra will lead you nowhere; no matter how many times you try. However, you need to watch the amount of chakra you channel at one time. Should you accidentally channel more than needed… I think you see the point…"

Kagome jumped from the rim quickly, her left hand resting on Tenseiga's hilt as she glanced back at the rim once more. She understood almost instantly. She'd accidentally channeled more chakra in her excitement toward the end of the well and because she'd been so close to the top she'd managed to make it. She'd need to make sure that she learned how to maintain a certain amount, though she was sure there would be times when she'd need to constantly change the amount of chakra she used. On something that didn't stay in one place, she was sure.

She'd need to test herself more on that, but at the moment she smirked at the well before turning around. Memories from her brother entered her mind as she gazed around the area, and she instantly knew where she was. She was about thirty miles from the place she wanted to be. This is great. That means I'll have to walk all the way there. Especially since my feet feel heavier than normal… why is that? With this thought Kagome glanced down to find wrapping wrapped completely around both her legs from her open-toe sandals and up into her shorts. However, at the ends, just above her sandals there were sweatband looking pieces of fabric in white—almost like they were hiding something, and she was going to find out what.

Lifting her left foot up, Kagome slipped the fabric from her leg and found weights underneath them. She blinked at it, instantly understanding from the memories of her brother that if she wore them constantly she'd become a faster shinobi, but how much weight was that? She read the weight within each of the pouch looking pieces, which read three pounds. After that she added up each of the small pouches, her eyes widening as she continued. Twenty-seven pounds! On each leg! That's… that's fifty-four pounds on top of my own weight. Why am I…? No, that's a stupid question I already know that answer.

With a sigh she slipped the fabric back over the weights, and looked around. The Village Hidden in the Leaves wasn't going to be easy getting into, since she knew there were going to be guards from the ANBU who would recognize everyone who went out and in, and would ask for a passport. So, how would she slip past them when she arrived? She didn't know, but she knew there had to be a way. Perhaps she'd simply rush past them and straight into the Hyuuga District, though she was pretty sure anyone from the ANBU would probably be able to catch her sooner or later. Maybe she would just explain the situation?

Maybe everyone would believe she was crazy and chase her away!

Shaking her head of black hair, Kagome decided that it was best to continue forward. After all, she could decide all this stuff once she arrived there. And, if all else failed, she could demand to see the Hokage, and then explain the situation to them. She was pretty sure the head of the village would listen to her if no one else would. Maybe then she could prove she was a Hyuuga and be reunited with her brother. Maybe then everything would be all right and she'd live the life she was supposed to. Or maybe everything would fall apart and her life would once again be pushed into turmoil.

Smiling sadly at the thought she wished Sesshoumaru was there. Though they had not always been close he was like her lifeline at the very end. If it hadn't been for him she probably would have lost her mind. She was lucky that Sesshoumaru was strong and had survived through the final battle. Now, Sesshoumaru was in a different place, time, perhaps even a different world, and there was nothing she could do to change that. After all, he was a lord and needed to protect his lands—he couldn't come running to her rescue every time she wanted his support.

Kagome breathed deeply, before gripping the headband that was wrapped around her arm. Tears began streaking down her cheeks from her eyes, before she sniffled a little. She would always miss the bond she'd made with her elder brother, even if it was only a bond that made them thus. She'd always miss the fact that at one moment in time he considered her his sister, and had told her that he did. She'd miss it all just so that she could expect new things in life, while she smiled at the memory of the things she'd given up in order to gain it.

Her hand reached up and wiped a stray tear once they began to stop, before they began anew. She was almost amazed that she hadn't met anyone yet, especially after she'd used chakra in order to get out of the well. Perhaps it was because she was so far away from the village, or maybe it was simply because she was actually masking her presence without realizing it.

At the thought of possibly having to fight without knowing anything about this world, besides how to channel chakra into her feet, she decided that it was best to continue forward. Her feet picked up off the ground and she began to run through the forest, across dirt paths, and around carts whenever they came her way as she traveled. Strange that she could move so far so quickly, but she didn't question it, not even when both the swords at her side pulsed to life. Almost like they knew that something was different about her. Like her power had increased with the ability she'd learned, even if it was only a basic, small, thing.

When she felt that she had traveled far enough, especially since the sun was beginning to go down—she'd traveled a long distance, but not within a short amount of time now that she realized it. She knew that she was closer to the village now, close enough for someone to sense her, but she would made sure that no one did. Especially why she slept, if she slept. She wasn't sure if she could at this moment.

As she began getting ready to sleep, in a tree no less, she thought that this was probably one of the most unbelievable things that had ever happened to her. She'd been dragged down a well, battled demons, befriended those who were said to be unapproachable, and learned things about herself that she'd never knew. However, now she learned that she was the sister to a shinobi, but not only that she was destined to do something that the Gods wanted her to do. She was pretty sure the Shikon no Tama had been on their list of to do's, but this seemed to be more important to them. Especially if they wanted her to be pure of heart when it happened. Especially if they had been willing to take her away from the life she would have had and place her into a duty that could have been given to anyone with spiritual energy.

It was just so unbelievable how it all worked out in the end.

Chapter Two:

One True Home

She slept until the sun began to peek over the horizon in the east, her mind instantly telling her that it was time to leave. Time to travel the rest of the distance she needed to go and reunite herself with her true family. As she began to open her eyes she forgot the dream she had had, though she could still remember Midoriko speaking to her about something important. What, she didn't know, she just knew that it had been important and in time she would come to remember it.