Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha characters, Rumiko Takahashi does. Lucky woman.

Kagome climbed the slimy stone wall and tried not to slip. Of course, beeing who she was, she did just that and fell straight into the slimy darkness. Twice.

"It wouldn't be so impossibly difficult, it he just came and helped me! But no, he has to be rude, inconsiderate jerk," she jabbered as she finally reached her destination. She rolled over the lip of the old magic well and with a quiet 'oof' she fell on the ground. "Oh, grass!" she said, as she tried to catch her breath. "Not cold, not dirty, not slippery… just fresh, green and clean…" Although she could rest at last, she wasn't comfortable at all. The old heavy backpack was still on her back, her hands and legs were dirty and her summer school uniform clung to her sweaty body. She almost started to cry. "Only ten minutes back in the Feudal Era and I already look like a shit!"

She gasped and cowered her mouth. Now I really think I spend too much time with Inuyasha!

She decided to shake her backpack off and take a short nap. At least until someone shows up and helps her. The thing is really heavy this time. She looked at her loyal companion and sighed. The old yellow backpack wasn't yellow anymore, it had couple of stitches here and there and it was twice bigger than at the beginning. It didn't look very nice, in fact, Inuyasha quite often stated that it was an eyesore and kept suggesting that they burn it. That was partially the reason she kept it, instead of buying a new one. The main reason was that it was there every time she needed it. Unlike Inuyasha! Where is he?!

"Kagome!"

Kagome stood up, big smile on her face. Just a few seconds later Inuyasha emerged from the forest together with Shippou, who was ballancing on his shoulder and trying not to fall down. „Kagome! You are here!" the kit cried happily and waved, immediately losing his balance. „Ouch!" he hissed while rubbing his 'wounded' backside.

"So you came to meet me?" the smiling girl said as she helped Shippou from the ground. Her smile vanished, when she saw a guilty expession on the kit's face. One look on Inuyasha's blush told her all she had to know. They came to meet the backpack! She humphed, but started to search through her bag none the less. From the corner of her eye she could see Inuyasha's ears twitching. Shippou, who mysteriously appeared on her shoulder, tried to see what she brought him. "There it is!" Kagome said triumphantly, put out a little plastic bag with a sign that read 'Pet Dainties – New & Better!' and handed it to Inuyasha, who happily took a sniff at it. In an instatnt he teared through the wrapping and shoved some of the revealed content in his mouth.

"Hey! Me too! Me too!" Shippou whined. Inuyasha just humphed and turned his back on him. "Go find your own."

Kagome shortly contemplated sitting him, but decided against it, when Shippou jumped from her shoulder and landed on Inuyasha's back, grabbing fistful of his long silver hair. "Give it to me, you glutton!" the little fox screeched as loudly as he could and pulled the silver strands. "Ouch! Let go, you little brat!" Inuyasha growled and was quite surprised, when Shippou obeyed him. His annoyance, however, returned full force, when he felt tugging and learned that the kit hung on the bag, in a futile attempt to steal it. "You!" Inuyasha exclaimed and tried to shake him off.

The forgotten girl stood nearby and watched their childish quarrel, her eye twitching. "Stop it!" she commanded. The boys ceased their struggling and looked at her. Both seemed to be terrified.

Kagome sighed. Here I am, 17 year old and already mothering two childern... She sighed again.

"Shippou-chan, come here," she said.

Shippou came to her, but not before sending one accusing look to Inuyasha. He anticipated some kind of punishment and was very surprised, when he got his own pack of the delicious snack. He looked at it and then his face lighted up. "Thanks Kagome! You are the best in the world!"

Kagome just smiled and petted his head. Inuyasha sulked. "Feh, stop stalling you two!" he said, took her backpack and stepped out in the direction of the village. Kagome felt her anger rise. Why that stupid, mean—

Just then Inuyasha added quietly: "Everybody is waiting for you..."

The anger quickly wanished and was replaced by surrow. Tomorrow is the D-Day. Inuyasha is going to make his wish. Maybe it wasn't the best idea, but Kagome had decided to give Inuyasha this second chance. She was almost sure that he wouldn't wish to be turned to full-blooded demon. Inuyasha was strong enough the way as he was. But it'd never been about the power. He used to think that if he was a full-blooded demon, humans and demons alike would stop despising him. He'd thought he would finally belong somewhere. Now he knew better. He'd found friends, who would fight beside him, laugh with him and love him. It didn't matter to them, if he was or wasn't a half-breed. But sometimes, just friends aren't enough. She knew it far too well, the pain of not being loved the way she needed. She loved Inuyasha and although he loved her back, it just wasn't the right type of love. He'd never looked at her the way, he did at Kikyou – his first and probably last love.

Kikyou had fought with them against Naraku and she still lived. That is, if you call walking around and feeding on the souls of other people living. Kagome was deeply sorry for her incarnation. Her whole life and even now she always helped other people to find thier peace, even when she couldn't find her own. She gave up on her bitterness long time ago and admitted that she still had feelings for Inuyasha. Everyone thought they would be together at last. Well, we were wrong. Kikyou said that Inuyasha deserved someone better, someone who wasn't a living dead. Then she left.

Kagome rubbed her tempels. Kikyou loves Inuyasha, but she left. She thinks she isn't good enough for him. Inuyasha loves Kikyou and wants to be with her. If Inuyasha wishes for her to come back to life, they can be together and live happily ever after.

This wasn't the reason for her surrow, though. It wouldnť be very pleasant to see the two together, but she knew she would manage somehow. After all, she was Kagome, the kind and forgiving priestess. No, the problem was something different.

After Inuyasha's wish, there was a fat chance that she would have to come back to her time without the possibility to return. She would be fored to live in the era, where honour didn't mean anything, where friendship was only a way how to use someone; live in a world without adventure, real love and freedom, where she was nothing but a girl suffering from all kind of diseases. What would her life be like? Finishing school, finding a job and a boyfriend – someone like Hojo, who would never really know her, then living from day to day, growing old and dying with the knowledge that her life had been wasted? She didn't think she would manage that.

Her musing was interrupted by a voice calling her name. "Kagome-chan!"

The surrow disappeared, when she saw her friends. Sango was waving at her and smiling, while Miroku paced after her, with his staff in his hand and a pleased expression on his red face.

Red face..?

When their favourite monk came closer, they could very clearly see the red handprint on his left cheek.

He will never learn, will he?

After a short welcome, the whole group took the trail for the village. Kagome decided to forget about tomorrow, at least for now. Maybe I worry too much, there is still a chance that I will be able to stay. The fate surely wouldn't be so cruel to me. Not after the things I had to experience.

Yep.

Five hundert years in the future, one person knew better.

A/N: I'm not Kikyou hater. I don't see why everyone hates her! Then again, I have never hated any anime character. Maybe I used to dislike Sasuke (from Naruto), but it's O.K. now. Never mind. Sesshoumaru-sama in the next chapter.