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I don't own the characters of Inuyasha.

Tears of a broken Miko

~X~

Kagome still stood outside with the dead general, Sesshomaru, Lord Taro, and Katsumi.

Taro knew that Kagome did not use his daughter for bait. But had she been another second late he would've had to step in. It would've looked bad since he just signed a peace treaty with the west.

Kagome was worried about Katsumi. How was she handling the information about her mother.

Taro looked at Kagome. She didn't kill him alone like he asked, but she did kill him.

He then had a genius idea, but it would make Kagome want to strangle him. In a way, it was also punishment.

After he was done berating his daughter he turned to Sesshomaru.

"Lord Sesshomaru, though I am happy for my daughters safety I hate you lost your general. Why don't you take my daughters guard as a token of my apology." Taro said.

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome in thought..

'I'm sorry, WHAT?! What happen to protecting his daughter for a year?! And he knows that they are the last people that I want to know who I am! That damned bastard! He better be happy he's a lord or I'd beat the hell out of him!' Kagome thought.

Though she was angry on her mind, her face was blank.

"Would you want her back after a time or is she a gift?" Sesshomaru asked.

'Keep calm Kagome breathe don't kill anyone.' She repeated in her head mulitiple times.

"Keep her for a moon. If you don't like her then give her back. But she never takes the mask off. She got injured in battle and prefers to keep in on." Taro lied slightly.

Sesshomaru didn't catch on. At least Lord Taro was trying to help her out. Well kinda.

It didn't calm her down at all.

"Very well, with my general being a snake in the grass it would be wise that my ward would have a guard. She does an excellent job protecting your daughter. Are you sure you wish to gift her? I can pay you for her." Sesshomaru suggested.

'That asshole wants to try to buy me?! What the fuck! I'm bout to lose my mind!' Kagome thought.

Each thing that came out of their mouths just pissed her off alittle more.

"No take her. Stay for the party and let her say goodbye to everyone then she can go with you." Taro said.

"I thank you for the gift." Sesshōmaru responded.

They talked about her like she was an object.

Taro told his servants to get rid of the general's body shortly after.

~X~

Lord taro said he would watch over his daughter while Kagome said goodbye to everyone.

She walked outside and saw Hana sitting outside on the same bench that Lady Katsumi was sitting at earlier..

She walked up and sat beside the old miko.

"Your leaving with the western lord?" She asked.

The old woman had always reminded her of Kaede.

'How was Kaede doing?' Kagome briefly wondered. She missed the old woman.

Kagome nodded.

Hana reached over and held Kagome's left hand.

Hana looked down at the line that looked like a black vine was wrapped around Kagome's fingers then to her hand and then her wrist.

It looked almost like a tattoo. The vine was around Kagome's hand and wrist like a candycane.

She ran the pad of her thumb across it.

"My dear, You and I both know there are things you can't run from. This curse is one of them. Why do you think I trained you with your powers when you came to us. And why do you think Lord Taro infused some of his ice power into you and trained you? It's because we care about you and your safety. You mean alot to everyone here." The old woman paused as she still held Kagome's hand as she looked at the young girls masked faced. Kagome was looking forward.

"I know that your friends will be hard to face. But when they understand the curse and why you came to us in the first place. They'll undersrand." Hana finshied.

Kagome sighed. Hana knew everything about Kagome.

"I used to think that my curse was placed on me because I finished Naraku with the final blow. But it was the bastard Hidou. He had that fucking spell put so that the one that finished Naraku would get it! But I would've taken it so my friends wouldn't have had to. But I had to leave them. Hidou is my problem and after I kill him things will be back to normal. I can go back to them. I can't let them get involved or they'll end up like me." Kagome said.

Kagome looked at her curse mark. Damn that Hidou! Every time she uses her miko powers the curse mark goes further up her arm. It's very painful for her but Kagome hides it well. She is able to slow down the process with her ice powers though. That's why Lord Taro gave them to her.

But when it gets to her heart, Well, Hidou didn't tell her that.

Hana slightly smiled.

"You think yourself as cold my dear and you try to be, but you don't always succeed. The moment you start to block people from your heart is the moment you start to lose the old you." Hana said.

Kagome stood. "The old me died when I came back to this land. When I kill Hidou then I can think about letting people in. I'll come back to see you." Kagome said as she stood and walked away.

Hana looked down as she shook her head.

'Would Hidou go to her again like he did a month after she got back?' Hana wondered.

She felt sorry for the young miko.

~X~

Kagome walked back into the ball room where she saw the Northern Lord walking towards her. He stopped when he got shoulder to shoulder with her.

"When you reveal yourself to the Western people, search me out. I have alot to discuss with you ." Lord Kain said as he walked away.

He knew exactly who she was.

Kagome blinked. 'What was that about? He usually has an actual conversation with me.' Kagome wondered.

~X~

After the ball Kagome said goodbye to Lord Taro and Lady Katsumi. Of course Taro berated her about the general in private before she left. He knew she would be back or at least come to visit.

Kagome was now flying with her old friends back to the west. Kagome rode on Sesshomaru's cloud with Inuyasha.

Some guards rode on Inutaisho's cloud.

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo rode on Kilala.

They all flew close together.

"Hey Sesshomaru, why the hell are we bringing this werid masked girl?!" Inuyasha asked.

She really wanted to sit him!

Kagome turned her head in silence and noticed that he still had his beads. Luckily she had not said sit this last year. Then they would have known she was still alive. She made sure not to.

Right after Naraku died, she use to wonder if the beads effected him while she was gone for three years in her world. During that time though she did not have to worry about her curse because it didn't effect her in her time. But she longed to come back to get rid of it.

"Half breed, what I do is none of your concern." Sesshomaru commented. Inuyasha responded with a 'whatever'

Kagome then looked to Inutaisho. It was so odd to see him alive and in person.

"Inuyasha try not to bother the girl, she is probably nervous about moving to a new home." Inutaisho said as he looked at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha ignored his father.

Kagome looked at Inutaishio.

Inutaisho's eyes then landed on Kagome's left wrist. Then his eyes narrowed on the mark.

His eyes met Kagome's blue ones as she quickly looked away.

'What did he know?!' Kagome wondered.