Chapter 23

It was almost a month since Kagome had left and there was no word from her. Lilith had gone on a rage looking for the missing hanyou once she had found that the hanyou child that had helped her was no longer in the room she had placed her in. While her son had ordered for some search teams to be made none could find her. Not even her intended could find her. No one knew where she had gone or what she was doing. But they all waited for her yet at Kaede's village. while they still continued to look for jewel shards, they spent most of the their time at the village now that Sango had stated that she was with a child.

As she made her way home, she stopped by the human village to look for Inuyasha, her son's brother. Once she had reached the clearing where she would not be seen by humans but could be smelled by Inuyasha she knew that she would be alright. Just as she thought that he wasn't going to show, she turned to face the hanyou when she heard him ask, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you were doing." Lilith answered.

"Feh, what do you care?" Inuyasha answered. He hadn't seen the woman since their last encounter and frankly speaking, he just didn't trust her.

"I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do that will help you right now." Lilith answered in a calm voice.

"Feh, yeah, you can tell me why the hell you didn't keep a better eyes on my intended." Inuyasha growled out in anger.

"If I would have known she was planning on leaving the moment she could, I would have stayed in that room with her." Lilith answered. "I have no idea that she was going to leave like that."

"Feh, so did my brother sent you?" Inuyasha asked as he changed the subject.

"No, I came on my own. I had heard from one of my servants, and a demon that owes me a favor that he noticed a girl that fit the descriptive of your intended. I simply am on my way home from looking in to it." Lilith explained.

"Feh, well we're all fine, I just want to know how my brother is doing…he hasn't sent for Rin and the girl is starting to feel hurt." Inuyasha growled.

"Jaken was supposed to come for her, I did not go and see him before leaving because I figured he would not trust me near that child just yet." Lilith answered.

"So you didn't see him?" Inuyasha asked not liking what he was hearing.

"No I did not, would you care to join me? I to wish to know what exactly is going on." Lilith offered.

"Feh, I can't go, one of my pack members is with a pup and its not safe for her to travel. I'll send Kikiyo with you; she can travel just as fast as any demon and could probably get back or to Kagome faster than any of us if she is found." Inuyasha growled.

"This Kikiyo, isn't she the dead miko?" Lilith asked.

Before Inuyasha could say a word, Kikiyo's cold words were heard say, "I may be dead but that still does not mean that I do not possess the same miko powers that I had while I was still alive."

"You're supposed to be with Sango." Inuyasha growled.

"She has fallen asleep and Miroku as well as Kohaku are watching over her." Kikiyo stated as if he hadn't growled at her.

"She won't have her true strength until she has all of her soul completed." Lilith stated as she locked eyes with Kikiyo.

"I know that, but I will be unable to truly rest in peace until I have seen the jewel disappear for good." Kikiyo answered.

"Feh, so are you going to go with her or not?" Inuyasha growled out.

"I won't have to." Kikiyo answered. "Your brother just arrived in the village awhile a go to get Rin. He also stated that he needed to speak with you about my reincarnation before he could take his leave."

"Would you mind if I entered your village?" Lilith asked Inuyasha and Kikiyo but mostly Inuyasha.

"Just don't scare the humans." Was all Inuyasha had to say on the matter before making his way to go and speak with his brother.

"If you don't mind me asking but are you aware of what my son had to tell his brother?" Lilith couldn't help but ask.

After eyeing the truly worried woman, Kikiyo began to make her way toward the village as she said, "It would seem that your son had been traveling with Kagome this whole time. Why she is not with him is something I cannot answer but I'm sure he has an answer for us."

Without another word, the two women made their way back to the village to speak with Sesshomaru. However what they weren't expecting to find was a human Kagome being held by Inuyasha as she let out all of her tears. Her aura was a bit different and the amount of jewel shards she had was far great then the jewels they currently had with them. After sensing that everyone was there, Kagome slightly pulled away from her intended to the point where she could see everyone around her while Inuyasha kept his hold on her. With a smile on her face, Kagome locked eyes with Kikiyo and said, "Thank you for looking after them while I was gone."

"You will have some explaining to do now that you are back." was Kikiyo's only reply.

"Feh, you have a lot of explaining to do wench." Inuyasha growled as he lightly bit her neck.

With a smile on her face, Kagome looked at them all and said, "I'll be more than happy to give an explanation but Inuyasha, I need to go and say good bye to my family. I only have a day more before I'm a hanyou again and when that happens, I won't be able to cross the well anymore."

"What are you talking about Kagome? You have most of the jewel to help you." Lilith was heard.

"It would seem that the spell she used to bring my father back briefly had an effect on her." Sesshomaru was heard.

"Kagome?" Sango's sleepy voice was heard.

"Hi, Sango, I'll be back, I just need to go and say good bye to my family. I can't risk not being able to get back here." Kagome stated with a smile on her face.

"Then go, but you better have some answers for us." Sango warned.

"I will, Inuyasha." Kagome whispered.

"It had been longer then she expected it to be and her daughter had yet to return. She had no idea if she was dead, alive, or even able to cross over if she had really turned herself into a hanyou. As she cleaned the house and tried not to grow upset, she heard her daughters yelling as well as Inuyasha's colorful words as he fell to the ground. Before she could even run out to greet her daughter, Kagome had ran in and hugged her mother as she said, "Hi mama…sorry it took me a while to come back."

"It's alright dear, although you have missed some major exams from what I hear." Her mother answered as she kept her arms around her daughter.

"Feh, Kagome." Inuyasha growled.

"I'm sorry mama but I came to say good bye. I did turn into a hanyou but I could only cross over this one last time while I was still in human form." Kagome explained. "I'll see you in five centuries."

"Kagome…what about school? What about your friends?" her mother asked. "You haven't said good bye to Sota or your grandfather."

"She doesn't have time for any of that." Inuyasha growled.

"I'm sorry mama but I don't want to stay here. I'll live to see you again. I promise so please don't be sad. You'll see me soon." Kagome stated as she kept her arms around her mother.

"Kagome Higurashi if you think I will allow this." Her mother said through tears, "then you better not have any children until it's almost time to see me. I want to be able to spoil my grandchildren after all."

"I promise mama." Kagome whispered as she couldn't help but giggle at the look at Inuyasha's face.

After pulling away from her daughter, Ms. Higurashi threw herself at the hanyou that had grown to be loved by her daughter before saying, "You better take care of yourself Inuyasha. I don't want to lose either one of you."

"Feh, I'll protect her don't you worry." Inuyasha growled.

"You better be here when she returns to this family." Ms. Higurashi whispered in a low voice as she thanked god that her daughter did not have the demon hearing that this boy did.

After making sure that her mother would be alright, and that she had gotten everything that would lead anyone to the truth behind her disappearance from home, Kagome hugged her mother one last time before jumping down the well with tears in her eyes. After standing in front of the well for what seemed like hours, Ms. Higurashi walked out of the well house and locked it from the house side knowing that she would no longer had to worry about her daughter trying to come back. She wasn't going to, at least not through the well. And just as she had reached the door to go back into the house, Ms. Higurashi stopped walking when she heard a woman's voice say, "So you're the mother of that miko hanyou girl that mated my son's half brother. If you have time, I would like to speak with you."

"Who are you and what do you want?" Ms. Higurashi hissed as she kept her ground.

"I am Lilith; I would like to speak to you and thank you for raising such a pure hearted child."

"What are you talking about? I don't know you and you certainly don't know my daughter. She is at school right now so if you could kindly leave." Ms. Higurashi stated.

"I'm sorry but I cannot do that, I have letter from your daughter. Now if you do not wish to accept it then I will take my leave." Lilith stated as she turned to leave.

"Wait…what do you mean a letter from my daughter? Is she alright? Is she safe?" Ms. Higurashi was heard.

With a grin on her face, Lilith turned to face the woman before her and said, "Oh, she is just fine, she and that mate of her are doing quite well I might add."

Once they were at the other side of the well, Kagome and the others all sat down in Kaede's hut. It was a small hut and looked as if it were about to break with the amount of people that were within it. While Shippo sat in Kagome's lap, who was in Inuyasha's lap, Sango sat with her husband, while her brother sat in a corner. Rin sat in Sesshomaru's lap with a happy smile on her face while Kikiyo and Lilith stood at the far end of the room where there was only space. Knowing that she would be told everything later, Kaede left her hut to the demons, and humans to speak so that they would not have to worry about her.

Having offered her hut as a replacement for the night, Sango smiled as Kirara led the way to the hut so that she could protect the elder miko that had looked after them and helped them all these past three years. Once they were all settled, Kagome took in a deep breath and said, "Well there are still some things that we have to worry about and I'm hoping that Totosai has left my weapons here."

"What are you talking about; he still has another few weeks to go." Inuyasha growled.

"I see, well then Inuyasha you are the only one that can be around to help me once I get rid of the jewel." Kagome stated in a worried voice.

"Kagome?" Miroku called.

"What is the meaning of all of this?" Kikiyo added.

"Well once the demonic power that cannot be purified lets lose, I'm going to take it into myself so that I can finally get a hold of my demonic attacks." Kagome answered with a grin on her face.

"But what makes you think that you will lose control when you have more miko energy than anything else?" Miroku asked.

With a sad smile on her face, Kagome took in a deep breath and said, "Because unlike Inuyasha, my heart was human before it became that of a hanyou. I know nothing of the hardships that lay before me and I would welcome them, but because I know nothing, I could easily be corrupted. The demon will want me to be strong, they will use Shippo and those I care about to convince me to change." Kagome explained. "If that happens I don't want any of you near me."

For the first time in a long time, Kikiyo locked eyes with Kagome and showed her true, inner emotions. She showered her sadness as she said, "this is because I still have your soul isn't?"

As soon as those words left her mouth all eyes were Kagome for an answer. They had no idea that that was the case and even if it was, would they really force Kikiyo to give up her second life just so that Kagome would not lose control of her now demon blood? Would Kagome even allow Kikiyo to do such a thing? No one knew but they sure as hell were about to find the answer. After taking in a calming breath, Kagome locked eyes with them all and said, "As true as that may be no one is laying one finger on her."

"How can you even say that? If she is the cause then we will get rid of it." Lilith growled.

"I said." Kagome growled as her miko energy came to life, "no one is going to touch her."