AN-Thank you to everyone for all the great reviews/feedback guys! Its much appreciated! to CatgirlKitsune, I'll try make longer chapters for you because god knows I won't be updating everyday - I don't even do my homework (then again a lot of people don't do that)...to kyekye, I'm glad to know that you are enjoying the story so much! And don't worry, I don't think they are going to end up very together...and to Ayjah, there are so many similarities between the lot of them- well I think it's kind of funny really. Slightly ironic for the purposes of this story...anyway,this chapter is going to have a lot flashbacks (just so you know), on with the story!

Chapter 5 - Once Upon A Time

It was awful, but she knew what she had to do. She couldn't live in the Feudal Era. What did she think was going to happen? That InuYasha was going to grow up in time for them to finally settle down? Have a family? As appealing as that fairytale sounded in her head - starting a family with the man she loved and living happily ever after - she knew it was a long shot. Then again she was only sixteen, and she had years before she would be actually ready to be popping out the kids - that would give her time to wear down the brick walls around InuYasha (more so than she already had)...wouldn't it? Then again it had already taken her a year to get them this far.

Guilt. Kagome was drowning in it. She'd broken her promise to be strong. She'd been crying for something that was entirely her fault in the first place. She'd brought this on herself - now she had to bear the consequences with her chin held high. Kagome shifted in the warm recesses of her blankets and started crying again. The chin thing? She couldn't do it.

InuYasha was so much work, she'd only end up straining the relationship between them by trying to carry all his emotional baggage. Then okay, say she did manage to get through that, and InuYasha was the better, happier person he had the potential to be. Say they had a future together. What was going to happen then? She could visit her mother couldn't she? And get all the little things like medicines - but what would would happen if she were to get pregnant? What would the doctors do if her babies had dog ears like InuYasha's? What if they wanted to 'research' them? So then, she wouldn't go to the doctors and try to go it without the use of modern medicine. But what if she couldn't take her children through the well? What would that do to her mother, losing her grandchildren like that? And if they could go through, what if they wanted to live in the future? Kagome would lose her children and they'd have a hard time concealing what they were from the modern world. She knew without a doubt InuYasha wouldn't be able to live there. He was too careless and had no real education which meant that it would be difficult for him there. He wouldn't be able to do the things he loved - fight demons and throw his weight around namely. Not even racing through the forests, because there was so little of it. Buildings and farmland, were he'd be too easily seen. It was a miracle that he hadn't already been noticed. Except for that time when he saved that little girl, but that was proof enough.

Her stomach growled and she realised she hadn't eaten breakfast yet. And it was probably after lunch by now. She couldn't go out there though, after her breakdown this morning she couldn't bear to face anyone. She'd just cried into Akane's shoulder for a while then went back to bed. Her stomach growled again and as if on cue Akane brought in a tray of food and placed it on the desk. "You'd better eat it quick, else one of the greedier people in this house will. You know if you want to talk I'm here okay?"
"Thank-you." Kagome whispered.

So it obviously had to be one world or the other. She supposed could disappear from the one she'd grown up in. How would her family take it? She loved them so much, and she always started feeling homesick for them after a too-long stint in the past. And her friends? How would her family explain her disappearance? They could fake her death but she wasn't sure how that would work and she didn't want to grieve people unnecessarily. If she simply dissapeared without a trace then would police be called to investigate? She didn't want to put her family inthat kind of posistion. No matter how she looked at it, things weren't going to work for her and InuYasha, she had to be strong and take her future into her own hands.

She stopped crying long enough to eat the noodles Akane had brought her. When the dish triggered her memories of InuYashaYasha's love of ramen, she was a little teary but she didn't feel like she was being ripped apart. This pleased her. However she still felt guilty; because of her InuYasha wouldn't be eating ramen anymore. For the first time she begun thinking not of how much she missed her friends, but if they missed her.

"Hey guys? I have something I need to say," Kagome began nervously. "Kagome? Is everything okay?" Sango was immediately worried for her friend. "Don't worry Kagome; just say whatever you need to. Go ahead and spit it out." Shippo encouraged her. "Well, you see I've been thinking a lot about, well, everything really, and I've realised that I can't stay. I'm going back to my time, and I'm not coming back." She finished in a rush. "I didn't mean for you to say that!" Shippo wailed. "You can't leave us Kagome!" She cradled Shippo close. "Kagome, this may be none of my business, but have you and InuYasha fought again?" Sango asked. "Where is the brute anyway?" Miroku wondered out loud, causing Sango to give him a sharp dig in the ribs. "Don't make things worse monk." Sango hissed. "No, we're fight free. It's hard to leave my world behind. If someone left this one, there's been a demon attack, a witch got them, bandits, fell down a cliff," Kagome sighed. "For me it's harder to just disappear, those sorts of explanations don't cut it. Besides, I have responsibilities there, obligations…and family." Sango nodded. She understood family. Miroku's features were grave. "If, Kagome, that is what you feel is best we have no choice but to support you. You will be sorely missed however." Sango nodded in agreement with Miroku's words. "How can you guys say that?" Shippo yelled. Kagome held onto him tightly as the group sat in silence. After a while Sango spoke. "Have you spoken with InuYasha yet?"

Kagome took her empty tray down to the kitchen. She couldn't remember the last time she'd finished a meal. "Oh! Kagome! Put your dishes on the sink, I was just about to wash up."
"Let me help."
"I'm fine dear, you go relax." Kagome nodded and drifted silently into the living room. Akane and Ranma seemed to be struggling through piles of homework and Nabiki was lazily flicking through the TV channels. Ranma gave her a nervous glance. "Hey Kagome!" Akane said smiling brightly at her. "Want me to go through all of this with you so you know what to expect for tomorrow?" Ranma stared at Akane incredulously. "School is probably the last thing-" Ranma stopped mid sentence, remembering Kagome was still in the room with them. "That's a good idea actually," said Kagome softly. "So, what do I need to know?" Ranma blinked in surprise.

"What?" InuYasha screamed. "You heard me." She looked away from him, doubting her decision now that it was time to go through with it. "Well yeah, but… no! You can't go!"
"I've thought this through, and it's just not going to work, you have to understand InuYasha, I can't stay and I can't come back again."
"I don't understand." He yelled. "I'm sorry but it has to be this way, every possibility, I've already thought it over. Every time it leads me to the same thing. I have to go."
"If you go," InuYasha said quietly, not looking at her, "What will happen to…" He suddenly glared at her ferociously. "You know, if you go, how the hell am I going to get any ramen anymore?" A small part of Kagome knew he was just covering for what he had almost let slip. "Ramen? I'm leaving for good and you care about the ramen?" It was a very, very small part. "Was there something else?" he yelled back defiantly. Kagome took a deep breath, "Whatever, I'm not going to be dragged into this. I'm going, I'm sorry InuYasha." To prove it she reached over, took the rosary off his neck and placed it in his hands.

For once Kagome was an active part of the dinner conversation. She realised that she was actually enjoying herself, she felt freer than she had in a long time. Once dinner had ended Nabiki sprung another question about the Shikon Jewel on her again. Even Kasumi stayed to see how she would react. Kagome shrugged. "I told you before; it's nothing, just a cheap trinket." She replied casually, making certain to emphasise the word cheap. "I still think it looks like an expensive trinket." Happosai cleared his throat. "Ladies, please. It is obvious what it is." He turned to Kagome with a knowing smirk, "It's the Shikon Jewel."

Kagome was heart broken. Today was her last day in the Feudal Era. She'd made all her good byes, given hugs and kisses all around. She had even threatened to summon up a spirit to watch that Miroku treated Sango right - or else. She didn't think she could actually do it, and she knew he didn't believe so either but the message had been clear and he'd vowed to cherish Sango all his life. Sango had blushed at that. But the one person she'd wanted to see the most wasn't there. She hadn't seen InuYasha since she'd told him she was leaving, two days prior. Shippo had run after her as she made her way to the well alone. "Shippo, I love you too but you're making this harder for me. If you come with me now, I won't be able to do this, and it's very important that I do."
"Good!" Shippo exclaimed, before turning away feeling embarrassed. "I didn't mean that."
"Yes you did." Shippo thought a moment. "Yes I did." He agreed. "But that's not what I meant to say." Kagome knelt so she was closer to his height. "I wanted you to promise that you'll stay strong." Kagome looked at him curiously and Shippo looked away, embarrassed again. It was an odd request, she reflected, to come from a child. But then, Shippo had shown, time and time again, that he had a maturity a lot of other children didn't. It came from being orphaned so cruelly she supposed. "I promise." Kagome's voice was soft. Shippo stared at something in the distance for a moment, before shifting uncomfortably on the spot. "You have to promise to be strong."
"I did." Said Kagome, surprised and confused. "No, you have to say it."
"Oh." Kagome fixed Shippo with a serious gaze and placed her hand over her heart. "I swear that I'll always stay strong." Shippo bit his lip, his gaze drifted again and he seemed to be deep in thought. "It'll do." He conceded. He kissed Kagome on the cheek briefly, turned tail and ran. Kagome stared after the fox kit, wondering what'd just happened. She made it back to the well as slowly as she could, to give InuYasha time to say goodbye. He never came. With one last look at her surroundings Kagome jumped through the well.