The further apart you go,

the more it hurts the person you love

The more I chase them,

the more my heart feels the cruel distance

Give me a smile and shiny days,

Give me a smile and nice days,

If only we could meet in an embrace...

First Love

Chapter Twenty-Two

It was very early when Ai decided to wake Kagome up. In fact, it was still dark beyond the window when Kagome opened her eyes and almost like a passing thought, she momentarily had second thoughts about going to see her family. But, after stretching and letting out a good yawn, she smiled to herself.

Finally, after months of waiting, she would see her family.

She would finally be able to see them face-to-face and suddenly Kagome felt slightly nervous. She wondered if they knew what had happened to Akihiro…what they thought about it. Would they…

She was not able to finish her thought as Ai came into view.

The first thing Kagome noticed was that Ai was already dressed and ready to walk out the door. Tight black pants covered one of her slightly tanned legs while the other covered only to mid thigh. And on her feet were sandals that were a little higher than normal. Her shirt was a dark blue and probably the tightest shirt that Kagome had ever seen. The sleeves were cut off and the neckline came straight to her neck although Ai's voluptuous breasts would catch any mans attention with or without a low neck.

"Is something wrong?" asked Ai as she looked down at the human girl curiously.

"Umm…its nothing!" answered Kagome quickly, embarrassed at being caught staring. In an attempt to break away from Ai's stare, she pushed the covers away from her and stood up. "I need to change!"

Ai stood in slight amusement as she watched Kagome grab her kimono and begin to change. She turned away from the younger girl to give her some privacy and waited until she was finished before turning back around.

"I've already packed another kimono for you to change into tomorrow. Is there anything else you will need?" asked Ai as she nodded to a small bag. A demon such as herself never needed anything but the clothes on her back (if she even needed that anyway) but she knew that humans were more fragile.

Kagome shook her head and picked up the bag that held her kimono. "I don't think I need anything else." If there was anything she did need, she would most likely find it at her house…hopefully.

Ai walked towards the door and opened it. "Alright then, we should probably leave in order to get there while your family is still awake."

It was relatively quiet as they walked down the steps. The only sounds audible to Kagome were the slight click of Ai's heels against the wood steps and the constant thumping in her chest, which only got louder until they finally came to a stop when they were outside.

The cool air sent a chill up Kagome's spine as she waited for Ai, who was shutting the door to join her. There was a slight chirping of birds that had risen early off in the distance and it somewhat calmed her.

"Its lovely hearing them in the morning, isn't it?" came Ai's voice as she stood beside Kagome who nodded in agreement.

"Well then," continued Ai, "we should probably get going if we want to get there before nightfall." The rabbit smirked down at Kagome before she watched the taller female walk to stand in front of her and knelt down, back facing her. "It might be slightly uncomfortable with your kimono, but it will be faster this way."

She was right, Kagome came to find after making two attempts to get onto Ai's back before stupidly falling off. She probably should have chosen different apparel for traveling but it hadn't even crossed her mind because of how excited she was. Maybe she could go and change?

"Just hike up your kimono. There are no men looking and it will be easier that way," came Ai's voice again and after agreeing, she hiked up her kimono and jumped onto Ai's back successfully. She felt Ai's arms lock around her legs and Kagome took the chance as Ai stood to wrap her arms around Ai's neck in an almost non-choking manner.

No sooner had she wrapped her arms around Ai's neck they were off. Kagome could have sworn she left her sandals at the door but when she glanced down she saw they were still on her feet.

The ground beneath them seemed to be a blur Kagome noticed with a gasp before tucking her head in the crook of Ai's neck to keep from getting sick. She had never moved at such high speeds and even if Kagome had the ability, she wouldn't even think about it.

She felt a slight rumble before she heard Ai speak.

"Don't tell me you're afraid?" laughed Ai, turning her head slightly so Kagome could hear her.

Kagome turned her head into the crook of Ai's neck. "I just don't understand how you can run so fast and not possibly hit anything."

At that moment, Ai jumped over a fallen tree and landed almost soundlessly on the ground before returning to speed. "There is no possible way that I will ever collide with something unless it is just as fast, if not faster than me and a tree is no where near that. Hasn't Youko-sama ever run with you?"

Just the sound of his name made Kagome's heart beat in her chest even faster than before and she could have sworn Ai could feel it against her back. She missed him so much since he had left and even though Ai was a good friend and she enjoyed being with her, it was nothing like being with Youko.

"No, he hasn't," she replied sadly.

Ai's eyebrows rose as she continued forward through the forest, never missing a beat or a step or the fall in Kagome's voice. "Maybe he didn't want to scare you?" She suggested, trying to lighten the mood. "It seems like he really likes you Kagome and that has never happened before…"

Kagome's interest perked up, as did her head. "Really? Do you really think so?"

Ai smiled. "Of course! If he didn't, he would have me protect you while he was gone now would he? And plus, when he is here he's always with you and hates being bothered by anyone or anything."

Kagome felt both surprised and giddy at the same time. It felt so nice to hear that from someone on the outside of her and Youko's relationship because it seemed she didn't notice everything about him.

"What about you Ai? Do you think…Taro's the one that you'll be with forever?"

The sudden jerk upwards as Ai leapt over a fallen tree had Kagome holding tight. "Taro and I have been together for a while now and I wouldn't change it for the world. I honestly do believe that he and I will be together for the rest of our lives."

It was so…adorable to hear Ai say something as sincere as that. To be able to say confidently that you'd spend the rest of your life with someone because you loved them and nothing else was rare. Kagome had been so used to arranged marriages or marriages only based on money. Most of which were loveless and the women always found themselves miserable, sometimes even leading to suicide. There had always been cases of suicide that happened in her village or even rumors that came from different villages were usually only discussed with the other women. That didn't prevent the children from eavesdropping and then spreading the horrifying stories to their friends.

So to hear Ai say such a thing was wonderful.

"Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"You were so quiet I thought you had fallen asleep," she laughed.

"I'm not sure its possible to fall asleep while you're running Ai, no offense. I'm afraid if I did fall asleep I'd fall off and be left behind."

Ai laughed again. "That would never happen. Youko would kill me! …Kagome?"

"Hmm?"

"I've been meaning to tell you this for a while but I keep getting side tracked…did you know that a relationship between a demon and a human is not uncommon?" Ai questioned.

"What?"

"Well," Ai continued. "A long time ago it was almost absurd for a demon to even think about it. You know? Since most demons think of humans to be worthless and dirty, no offense Kagome."

Kagome, who had been listening intently, "None taken."

"Anyway, a while back there were rumors spreading about a demon taking a human wife. The demon was a lord so most demons could not believe it until a friend of mine actually saw them together. Apparently the lord had gotten the human pregnant so he was glued to her side for practical reasons: it was probably his heir. But, the funny thing was, he showered her with affection and they truly appeared to love each other.

"But it became fact when word of the Lords sacrifice to save his wife as well as his newborn son that there had to have been more than lust and tradition between the couple. For a demon to sacrifice himself for a human…well that was just incredible."

Kagome held onto Ai in amazement and the demon continued to run thought the slowly thinning forest as night set upon them.

"So basically what I'm trying to say, is that it is possible for demons to fall in love with humans and that its not just lustful intentions," Ai concluded. She could feel Kagome relax a big and rest her chin on her shoulder and breathe deeply. Hopefully she had settled some of Kagome's worries that might have been in the back of the girls mind.

Kagome stayed quite until Ai finally slowed down to a walk before coming to a stop on a dirt road that looked rather familiar to Kagome when Ai set her down. "We're…close!" she said excitedly.

Ai smiled as she looked down. "I wasn't sure that it would be appropriate if we ran straight into your village and scared everyone so I decided to stop about a mile away from your village," she exclaimed. "Let's go before the creatures come out."

Kagome didn't miss the joke and laughed as she almost ran down the dirt road, Ai following with no effort.

As they walked through the village, one thing became apparent. No one was wandering the streets anymore. There were a few that were outside that Kagome could see from afar but they quickly hid in their homes or dragged their children inside, as they got closer. Word spread quickly of the demon visiting with the girl they all thought had died and Kagome could see their frightened faces.

Did they think she was a ghost?

Kagome couldn't imagine what her mother must have heard. She picked up the pace and hurried to her childhood home.

She only had to step in front of her home before the deer skinned door was pushed aside by her mother who came rushing out followed by Souta, already hearing the news, and locked eyes with her daughter that she hadn't seen in months.

Tears instantly sprang to both of their eyes as Kagome's mother threw her arms around her in an embrace. Her mothers' sobs rang loudly in the air.

"Kagome? Kagome is this really you?" Her mother pulled back from her to place her hands on either side of Kagome's face to search her eyes.

"Yes, mom. It's really me…" Kagome sniffled.

With a loud sob Kagome's mother embraced her again and not before long she felt another pair of arms wrap around her and turned to see her brother.

"Sis, it's really you…I thought…" he trailed off not wanting to finish his thought.

She patted his head in a familiar gesture. "I know Souta, its alright, I'm back now."

The scene of their reunion was just too bitter sweet, Ai thought. Turning her body away, Ai tried hard not to listen so the human family could have some privacy.

The smell of her mothers cooking brought Kagome's mind to fond memories of her family eating together at the table. She missed eating with her family so she would savor the meals she would have here. She knew that she couldn't eat with them for long because she would leave the next day. But there were some things that were more important than the food she was cooking.

"Mom?" asked Kagome.

"Yes dear?"

Kagome stared down at her folded hands in her lap. There were many things she wanted to discuss with her mother. She wanted to tell her about everything she had experienced but all that would have to wait after they had gone through the important things. She didn't want her mother to worry anymore. "What…exactly have you heard?"

Her mothers face turned serious as she sat down at the head of their table. "Well…I've heard of Akihiro-sama's death…and that the whole estate was destroyed. I thought…I thought you had been killed!" tears started to fill her eyes. "I never thought I was going to see you again Kagome…where have you been?"

Kagome's heart clenched. How could she have made her mother worry like this? "I'm so sorry mom…I should have come sooner but I..."

"I brought Kagome to stay with me and my family to keep her out of danger," interrupted Ai. "I found her and brought her to my home and she has been staying there ever since."

Kagome's mothers' eyes widened. "So Ai, you're Kagome's friend?" she asked as she stood again and cooked the rice and a decent amount of meat for them. Even though their introductions had gone well earlier, her mother was still a little fidgety every now and then. It wasn't surprising though because she new that just by Ai's looks that she wasn't human. Ai didn't mind, she was used to the reaction.

"Yes I am," replied Ai kindly. "My family and I enjoy her company very much."

Kagome's mother smiled as she turned and served both Ai and her daughter food. "Has Kagome been behaving herself?"

Ai smiled as she took in the scent of the food and closed her eyes. "Oh yes Miss. She is very kind and we enjoy her company. And thank you for this lovely meal."

The older woman's eyes brightened as she stared down at the demon sitting in her house. The nervousness she had felt earlier was starting to subside and it appeared that they were both becoming more comfortable around each other.

Although she did have her chills every now and then.

Turning down at her daughter she asked, "So now that you are back, will you be living at home again?" Her eyes looked hopeful.

"I'm afraid that Kagome will be returning to my home once again tomorrow. Because of some certain things that have happened, it is not safe for her to be alone," stated Ai.

Kagome's eyes locked onto Ai's face that had returned to eating her rice.

"What? What exactly do you mean Ai?" asked Kagome's mother horrified.

Ai put down her chopsticks and looked at Kagome's mother. "It's just a precaution because of what happened. My family and I don't want whoever destroyed Akihiro's estate to hurt Kagome. We want things to settle down before deciding what to do next." She turned to look at Kagome, continuing to speak to her mother. "There is also someone waiting for her return."

Kagome's eyes widened slightly before she glanced at her mother who started to stare at her. She thought her mother would ask her who was waiting for her to return but instead her mother's gaze returned to Ai.

"This is…this is all my fault... I should have never let you go to Akihiro…I should have said no to their offers and kept you home. None of this would have happened if I had said no to them…Kagome! I'm so sorry…what have I done?" She sank to the floor and placed her face in her hands and began to sob. "What have I done to you?"

Kagome rushed over to her mom and hugged her. "Mom, its not your fault. Neither of us knew what would happen. Mom, please don't believe that all this is your fault. Its not!"

"But Kagome…I'm your parent! I should have done something!"

"Mom, neither of us could have done anything. I'm fine now and I'll continue to be fine because I have Ai now to protect me. I need you to be strong Mom."

Her mother's face turned up to look at the rabbit demon. "Will you take care of my daughter? Do you promise to take care of my daughter?"

Ai smiled. "I will, you don't have to worry about her. I promise."

Ai's promise seemed to install a bit of courage into her mother and Kagome was able to calm her down before things seemed to become more peaceful around their house.

The three women (and sometimes even Souta), talked for hours. Kagome came to discover that her mother and brother were actually doing well and that her mother had taken up the job that she previously held at the rice fields. Even Souta would help there on different occasions but for the most part he made deliveries to homes. Life was decent and they were able to afford food and other small necessities even after she had left.

Ai had asked her mother if she had heard anything for Lord Hirohiko. There had been no news of the Lord but just rumors.

When the sun went down and the crickets began to chirp, Kagome's mother turned to her. "I'm so glad that you are alright and well." She stood, as did Kagome and they embraced.

"I'm happy you're doing well also mom. I should have come sooner, I'm sorry."

Her mother patted her back and pulled away. "It's alright dear, you're safety is the first priority. I don't want anything to happen or anyone to hurt you."

"Thanks mom."

"Here, I'll lay out the blankets and we'll go to bed, it's been a long day," said her mother as she moved to the corner of their house to begin spreading out the blankets for them to sleep on.

When her mother was finished, Kagome and Ai laid down to rest next to each other while her mother and brother slept a few feet away. Her family was able to fall asleep almost immediately while Kagome stared up at the ceiling. She was still upset over the fact that her mother had worried so much…she had even thought she was dead.

"Are you alright Kagome?" asked Ai.

Kagome turned to the rabbit demon and sighed. "Yea. I'm just a little upset for worrying them. But I'm really glad to spend time with my family again. It seems like it's been forever since I've seen them."

Ai nodded her head. "I see. Do you wish to leave later in the day tomorrow then?"

Kagome turned on her side and tucked her hands beneath her cheek. "I think I'd be okay if we left around lunchtime. That way we'll be able to eat breakfast and lunch together."

Ai nodded her head once again. "Alright. Try to get some sleep. It's been a long trip and a long day. We'll need all our energy tomorrow to get back before Youko finds out that we left."

The first day of watching had been very boring for the group. Absolutely nothing happened. The only activity was the guards watching their posts. And even then they would usually just switch from leaning on one leg to the other.

Now that they were on their second day, things seemed to be picking up.

Barely.

Other Lords had come to visit the estate with their daughters riding in carriages that were pulled by horses. They were probably there to arrange some sort of marriage or make some deals or trades? It really didn't matter.

What did matter was how boring it was. Looking down at his claws Youko could feel his anticipation to finding another rare item. Maybe he would even give it to Kagome.

"Kuronue."

The bad demon turned to his fox friend. "What is it?"

"We will raid the estate tomorrow. Tell the others."

Morning seemed to come quickly for Kagome as did breakfast and lunch. She had spent her time talking with her mother and brother and getting up to date with everything that had happened to them.

Hojo was currently staying in another village to help their village doctor. He had come to her house a few times while she was gone but stopped after a while. It seemed he had made the decision to leave because she too had also left.

Time flew by and soon Kagome found herself, along with Ai, standing outside of her childhood home in front of her mother and brother.

Her mother spoke to Ai first. "Please take care of my daughter."

The rabbit demon bowed. "I will. No harm will come to her."

Kagome's mother smiled before turning back to her. Reaching down she grabbed her daughter's hands and held them in her own, squeezing them. "Kagome, dear. Please take care of yourself…I don't know what I'd do if anything were to happen to you."

"Oh mom! Please don't worry, I'll be fine. Ai is here to protect me and I'll come back as soon as I can."

Her mother nodded and with one last hug they broke apart.

Souta was the next to come up and hug his older sister. "Come back soon sis. We both miss you."

Kagome smiled down at her younger brother and patted his head. "I will Souta. I'll come back as soon as I can."

They hugged each other for a little while longer before Ai softly interrupted them.

"Kagome, its time to go."

Begrudgingly Souta released his grip around his sister and went to stand by their mother.

Kagome stepped back next to Ai and waved to her family that she would once again be leaving.

"Be safe Kagome!" her mother said as she watched her daughter began to walk away.

Kagome continued to wave towards her family until she was no longer able to see them. Only then did she turn and look down at the ground, continuing to walk beside Ai.

"Don't worry Kagome, you'll see your family again." Reassured Ai and she looked down at the human beside her.

Kagome didn't look back in the direction of the village and it was completely out of sight. Sadness seemed to reach her eyes again and her nose started to turn red as tears welled up.

"Do you want to ride on my back Kagome? You can rest while we journey back," suggested Ai and she came to a stop beside her.

She watched the human slowly life her head and nod and she smiled. "Alright then, hop on!"

But before Ai even had the chance to bend down for Kagome, she was hit by something solid and heavy and it sent her flying. She landed roughly on the ground and could feel her skin being bitten and torn by something sharp.

Her eyes seemed to bleed red before her claws became elongated. With the swipe her of hand she felt it come in contact with whatever was hurting her. She heard a yelp and it stopped for a moment and she was able to get a good look at just what was trying to kill her.

It was a wolf.

"Ai!" Kagome screamed as she watched her friend being attacked. She was frozen to the spot, eyes widened and shaking in fear. What…why was this happening?

A huge gust of wind hit her and kicked up the dirt from the road, clouding Kagome's vision. She had to cover her eyes with her arm to keep the dirt out of them. "Ai! Ai where are you?!" she screamed.

The wind continued to pick up and all Kagome could hear was the muffled sounds of yelping, howling and screams until suddenly it all stopped.

And there was dead silence.

She felt herself leaning forward until her legs gave out and she sank to her knees; hand on the ground as she breathed coarsely.

"Ai…Ai…where are you?" the words were hard to say because of her labored breathing. Slowly though, she was able to lift her head. If she could just see her…

But as she moved her head up, she came to face a pair of strong tanned legs that were attached to an equally strong torso until she reached the face of someone she knew all too well.

"K-Kouga…"

He smirked down at her as he folded his arms across his chest. "I should thank your pathetic friend for brining you here. She's helped us without even knowing it."

His cocky words make Kagome frown. What was he talking about? Helping them?

"You bastard!"

Both Kagome's and Kouga's heads turned and saw Ai on the ground surrounded by five wolves. All of them dripping in blood.

Kagome watched in horror as her friend tried to get up but was viciously stopped by the wolves that surrounded her. She watched as they grabbed a hold of her arms and threw her further down the road, blood started to seep from her wounds and left a trail as she rolled to a stop.

"Ai!"

Tears sprang to Kagome's eyes. This was all too familiar. There was so much blood dripping from the wolves' mouths as they panted. There bodies were also covered.

But Ai's…hers was just covered in blood and dirt. She had to go to her…she had to do something.

Shaking, she pushed herself to her feet and swayed slightly before she was suddenly held in a forceful grasp.

"You can't go to her. You're coming…with me."

He could hear the slight footsteps of the men who tried to walk the halls as quietly as possible. They would never even know what they were up against. Nor would they ever know he had been there and taken the most precious thing in their estate.

Kuronue and the others were his watchers as they hid in the shadows of the large estate. Youko watched the humans walk by his comrades many times and didn't even notice a thing.

This would be too easy.

Quickly he slipped past the guards that roamed the halls, careful not to let the moonlight that streamed in through the winds to hit him and came to the guards that watched the room. Since they were only human he was able to use a special powder to knock them out as he placed his hands over their mouths to prevent them from screaming. Finally he was able to make it into the room that was the cause of his anticipation. There in the middle was what all of them had been waiting for.

A bracelet that was covered in diamonds and emeralds as well as gold that was probably worth ten times as much as this estate.

Kagome would love it.

As he stepped closer to the shining object he could feel that something was not right.

Someone was also in the room with him.

Slowly he brought his hand to his hair and pulled out a rose and smelled it while closing his eyes. A smile appeared on his face before his eyes snapped open and transformed the rose into a whip.

Turning, he brought the whip up and it broke an arrow that was headed straight for his head.

"Priestess. You're here."

The woman that stood in the shadows came out and into the moonlight. She was dressed in the traditional miko garb with her hair pulled back, bow in hand. He knew her face and knew he would never forget it for the rest of his long life. This was a woman who he had let free once before.

"It's very unpleasant to see you again…Kikyo."

He watched as the priestess reached behind her and grabbed another arrow and pulled back on her bow. "I shouldn't expect much from a worthless demon such as yourself. I had hoped we would meet again so as I may finish my job. But I will give you the chance to leave now or I will purify you."

Youko's smirk widened. "You can try priestess. But I never leave empty handed."

He jumped as she released another arrow at him and once again broke it in half with his whip. He was quick on his feet and did not bother to stay in one place at any time. He could dodge her arrows all day if he wanted to.

After releasing a few more arrows and dodging, it appeared as if she was started to get a hang on his movements and she was faster the next time around and the arrow barely grazed his arm before a shock ran through his body. It surprised him how much holy powers she had.

But it wasn't enough to stop him.

Before long, he tired of their games and used his whip to grab the bow out of her hands to rest in his. She fell back against the wall and glared at him as he spoke. "You are no match for me priestess. I tire of your pathetic games." And with that, he broke the bow in half and threw it back towards her.

"Demon! I will not let you leave with that bracelet!"

Youko smirked at her. "Really? How can you do such a thing when you cannot move?"

"What?" asked Kikyo before she felt her arms being tugged roughly against the wall and turned her head to look. It appeared as if a root of some sort had grown and was now wrapped around her wrist to hold her up and disappeared to the other side of the wall. Following the roots trail her eyes came to rest on her bow that appeared to be forming appendages that headed her way. She tried rapidly with her other hand to rip the root off but was quickly stopped by another that wrapped around her free wrist to slam it against the wall.

"The roots from your bow will release you tomorrow. I will go easy on you once again because you are a woman. But do not think that I have forgotten what happened last time either. This is the final time I will do such a thing again."

Turning, the demon grabbed the bracelet and turned back to the priestess. He watched her angry face as the roots from the broken bow that lay at her feet soon covered her body. It was amusing to think that with that same bow she had tried to kill him.

"Farewell Priestess."

Kikyo looked on angrily as his body seemed to disappear into thin air and she could do nothing.

Kagome didn't want to open her eyes again. Because she knew that if she opened her eyes the pain would start again. She desperately hoped that they all still thought she was knocked unconscious as she tried to steady her breathing. With every intake of air she took, the pain in her chest increased and she could feel the tears pricking at her eyes.

She wanted to move her hand to wipe them away but didn't dare. She knew there would be someone watching her because at the first sign of awareness she would be brought back to him and back to the pain.

She would also run the risk of opening one of the many wounds on her body if she did move.

She didn't want to look around at the pretty room she had been placed in anymore. Every time it appeared as if she were going to admire it she would face Kouga again or he would bring her to someone worse.

And she knew she didn't want to face him again.

Lord Hirohiko.

He was the cause of all her pain, of her lack of food and nourishment as well as rest.

He had made sure of that personally.

She heard her stomach growl and knew that her cover had been blown for she soon heard footsteps approach her.

A scream broke from her lips as a large hand grabbed a fist full of her hair and raised her up to look into the older face of the man that had been her father-in-law.

"What's the matter? Do you not find this room suitable? Do you wish to be placed into another room? Should I invite some demons here because you seem to have gotten so used to hiding with them. Hiding away, deep in the forest with them…very happily."

His face turned into a sneer. "You lived happily with them didn't you? While my son rots in the ground, you lived happily with them!" he yelled as he slammed her face into the floor.

Kagome's head began to spin as she felt it being raised once again. "You're nothing but a whore! A leech that latched itself onto my son and killed him!"

She felt his large hand across her face followed by the familiar sting. The tears that had been pricking at her eyes fell down her face.

The same hand that had slapped her wrapped around her neck and lifted her up, choking her. "This pain you feel is nothing compared to what you did to my son! Nothing compared to what you have done to our family!"

Kagome's fingers wrapped desperately around the lords hand and tried to pry it off as she gasped for air, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

She could see his face come in close to hers, his eyes burning with anger. "You've killed my son and you will pay greatly for your mistake."

Authors Note:

Oh dear, its almost been a year since I've updated my story. I'm so sorry to all the readers and fans! Forgive me!

I'm not sure that anyone really reads this story anymore but if you do, please leave a review and let me know what you think. Only a handful of chapters are left.

I hope you enjoyed!

-Dark Paine