****Author's note: I've decided to split this story into two possible endings. The first ending is going to be short because it is an Inu/Kag pairing and will end the story. The second is going to be a Sess/Kag pairing and as we all know, Sesshoumaru is stubborn and cold and it's going to take a little extra time to make that work. So, I'll post the short ending (Inu/Kag) as a separate story labeled "Reviving a flame: One-shot ending". I'll continue the longer ending (Sess/Kag) under this story file.****

Kagome broke out in a cold sweat. She wasn't sure how to proceed from here. On one hand, she knew Sesshoumaru would not leave Rin in a dangerous place. She knew that only a massively powerful demon would present a danger to them between Jaken's staff and Ah-Un's ability to fire concentrated blasts of demonic power. It still unsettled her though, as the certainty had left with Sesshoumaru. She slowly rose and wandered off to the nearest water source, constantly checking over her shoulder for any signs of danger.

She completed her usual morning routine. After washing up, she quickly returned to the camp and woke Rin to help her gather breakfast. Rin didn't seem the least bit phased by Sesshoumaru's absence. She was a brave girl, that was for certain. No doubt she was used to the periods of isolation as she carried on merrily. Kagome wished she could detangle her bundled nerves and be as care free as Rin.

"Do you get scared when Sesshoumaru leaves like this?" Kagome finally asked her sometime later in the day.

Rin shook her head as she continued picking flowers in the large field the two of them had found.

"No. Lord Sesshoumaru never leaves for that long. Master Jaken can protect me with his staff and Ah-Un can shoot light from his mouths." She looked over her shoulder and smiled brightly at Kagome.

"How long is he usually gone?" Kagome tried to ask casually even though she was anxious to know.

Rin put her finger on her bottom lip and gazed upwards in thought. She looked back at Kagome and shrugged. "A couple of days?"

She resumed picking flowers until she spotted a butterfly and went chasing and giggling after it, like suddenly Kagome didn't even exist.

Kagome frowned and groaned.

I'll need to figure this out.

The rest of the day, Kagome spent entertaining Rin, cooking, and convincing Rin to bathe. Kagome bathed every day because she needed to. Rin only bathed if you made her because she was too distracted and bathing wasn't "fun".

Rin's teeth chattered as she quickly splashed the water from the stream on her and randomly rubbed it around, clearly trying to quickly appease Kagome so she could go back to playing. She quickly jumped out and reached for her kimono.

"Ah ah!" Kagome crossed her arms and gave her a pointed look.

"What?" Rin whined.

"You were in there for three seconds! You didn't even wash your hair, or behind your ears!" She scolded.

"But it's so cold!" Rin pouted.

"I know, but you need to get cleaned up before Sesshoumaru gets back, I'm sure he wouldn't want you running around covered in mud." Kagome tried a different tactic. It was clear Rin adored Sesshoumaru and he seemed to adore her in his own aloof sort of way.

Rin's eyes lit up. "You're right!" She quickly jumped back into the cold water and did a more thorough cleansing this time, although still very rushed to get out of the chilly water.

Kagome's thoughts drifted to Souta, and the war her mother waged during bath time when he was younger. She sighed deeply as she yearned to go back home.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" Rin asked as she tugged Kagome's hand. Kagome shook her head and tried to casually wipe away a tear forming at the corner of her eye.

"Oh, nothing! I am getting a little tired, I had trouble sleeping last night." She offered a smile. She took Rin's hand and they started walking back to camp to cook the fish Rin had skillfully caught for them.

"Did you have nightmares?" The girl inquired, looking up at Kagome.

Kagome nodded. "Something like that."

"What did you dream?"

"I don't remember."

She lied. She wished she didn't remember but the images of Inuyasha's face were seared into her memory. His face on the day she died was the most pain she'd ever seen him in. It made her heart happy and sad at the same time. She ached to see him again, and be given that second chance but she also knew that she would end up breaking his heart again at some point down the line. No one should have to go through that kind of grief twice. It was cruel and if she could avoid that, she would. She needed to get back to the well and get back home and never return. It was going to hurt like hell but it was the best thing for Inuyasha.

"Oh." Rin seemed a little disappointed. "That's ok. Maybe you'll have a better dream tonight."

Kagome chuckled. "I hope so."

As the night carried on, Kagome devised her next steps. She naturally found it hard to focus when Rin demanded her full attention while she was awake. After dinner, the girl started to get sleepy, as per usual and Kagome told her a story as per usual. Once she fell asleep, Kagome stood carefully and gathered her bow and quiver. She tiptoed away, making sure not to disturb Rin. Jaken couldn't have cared less so she didn't bother with him. Of course Ah-Un was watching her and she approached him, taking one of his snouts in her hands and stroking it gently.

"Thanks for everything, Ah-Un. Please watch over Rin." She bid him goodbye as she gazed up at the starry sky and searched for a particular constellation. She knew they were relatively close to a village and if she could just make it there, she might be able to get transport back to the well, or at least a reasonable distance from it.

The night air was chilly and she desperately missed being inside of a house. The wind blew over her exposed legs and she shivered. Maybe she should have waited. She found the road and looked up, making sure she was headed in the right direction and began walking. She calculated that she should be able to reach the village in a couple of hours as long as she didn't run into trouble.

Trouble. The thought shook her to her core. She really wasn't that smart for walking out here alone in the dark but this might be her only chance. She tried to shrug off the nagging feeling that someone was watching her.

You're just being paranoid. Get it together, girl! She tried really hard to make herself believe it and she almost did until a rustle of leaves startled her out of her skin. She stifled a yelp as she yanked an arrow from her quiver. The bow had already been in her hand as a result of precaution mated with old habits. She swiftly pulled the string back and got into proper stance. She stared down the length of the arrow and squinted to see in the faint light where the sound was coming from.

She sensed a demonic aura and a drop of sweat ran down the side of her face as she instantly regretted even attempting her escape but she was going down fighting. Finally, a figure emerged from the treeline.

****Ok this is where the story is going to split. If you want to read the short ending, look for the separate published story that will be a single chapter. If you want to read the long ending, continue to the next chapter. Hope you're enjoying the story!****