Chapter 3

Back at camp, after being cleansed and a little more relaxed, the girls settled into bed and fell asleep quickly. Miroku kept close to Sango but maintained his distance for her own privacy. Every member of the little pack was silently resting, except one anxious hanyou. Inuyasha glanced up at the silver moon again and again saw the soul collectors calling to him.

What on earth could be so damned important? Inuyasha cursed in his mind. Tiptoeing around camp as to not wake his friends, he followed the spirits to another clearing in the forest that rested next to a gentle waterfall. He felt her first before he saw her. Kikyo stepped away from behind a willow tree, a single sakura blossom tucked behind her ear. Her miko garbs pristine as could be and her hair whipped around her in a wind that was not present. Her ethereal beauty was misleading, for there was something very dark about this dead miko. But Inuyasha was blind to any of it.

She walked up to him, hips swaying in each proud stride. In her glory days, she was one of the more powerful Mikos. Strong willed and brave, she slew countless demons without a blink of an eye. The only demon she just did not have the heart to kill, was the hanyou before her because he was hanyou. He had a human part to him. And killing him would mean murder in her eyes. And though she was warned not to fall for him, as fate would have it, she fell right into his charming arms. And also fell into her death.

"Kikyo," Inuyasha whispered. He never wanted her gone. He wanted her with him always. The fates wouldn't have any of it, however. She was torn from him painfully only to return as a glimmer of who she once was. Still, his heart yearned for her. Still, he would do what ever she asked.

"Inuyasha. You have been ignoring my calls lately. I was beginning to think you had forgotten me," Kikyo told him putting on her most convincing sad face. He was a puppy in love, of course he fell for it.

"No, Kikyo! We need to find the shards before Naraku does. There's only a few left and I'm worried. We can't let it fall in his hands, you know that,
he quickly explained.

"Inuyasha," she said stroking his face softly, "why don't I join your pack? It would be so much easier having me search for them than that inexperienced 'miko' following you around. If it were me, the jewel would have been completed long ago."

Saddened, Inuyasha stepped back from her hand. "You know I can't. If Kagome found out now, she'd be lost to me forever. I love you Kikyo, but she is a good friend of mine and a pack mate. It would break her heart. Once we collect all the shards I can wish you back to life. You'll be with me as my mate and by then Kagome would have had the time to-"

"Mate?!" Kikyo's voice echoed as she cut him off. "Inuyasha I thought we discussed that you would use the jewel if anything to become human! I am a miko. Look at what being a hanyou has done to you in this life. Would you want the same for your children?" Kikyo softened her tone when she noticed Inuyasha's ears shrink back against his head and his eyes shift downwards. "Love, I never wanted this fate but you have to promise me you will wish to be human with me in this life once you find all the shards."

Inuyasha looked up at her and his resolve faded. He wanted to be a full demon. He wished to be strong enough to prove himself in the demon court and fight Sesshomaru for the right to the lands. He knew that if he was a full demon, he could take on his brother and actually win. But he wanted his Kikyo's happiness more. Anything for her.

"I know, Kikyo. When I find the shards, we will both be human for good," he answered her a little sadly. When she touched his cheek his heart beat quickened a little and he lost his thoughts at the look in her eyes. Falling into her embrace, Inuyasha forgot about responsibility. He forgot about the long journey tomorrow. All his clouded thoughts could piece together was the feel of the onna beneath him. And by the Gods did he love it.

Inuyasha did not return that night. Nor when the sun began to rose and his friends stirred in their sleep. Kagome was the first to wake up. She sat up sleepily and stretched out her drowsiness. Looking down at her little kit, she stroked his forehead until he moved in annoyance of being woken up. Finally he opened his big brown eyes and smiled at his okaasan. He jumped up and sat on her shoulder cuddling her. Giggling, Kagome stood and began to prepare breakfast. Her mother had cooked some hard boiled eggs the previous night and kept them in a little cooling bag to keep them fresh. She started up the fire again and poured water into a pot to boil for the ramen. It wasn't much but food was food and for this little pack, ramen was the better of what they used to eat.

Sango and Miroku woke simultaneously and as Sango was bending over to fold up her sleeping bag, Miroku just could not contain himself.

"HENTAI!" came Sango's screech and a resounding slap echoed around camp. Everyone turned to face Miroku who had a very content expression on his face, along with a big red hand print on his right cheek.

"I'm sorry, Sango dear, it is the curse of my hand I swear," Miroku sheepishly tried explaining.

"Honestly, Miroku, you have me thinking you like getting slapped!" Sango exclaimed in exasperation.

"Only if it is done by your hand, milady," came Miroku's honest remark. Sango growled and stormed off to change into her hunting garb and Kagome could only shake her head.

It was then that she noticed something amiss. She spun around several times searching camp before she turned to Miroku.

"Hey, Miroku…where's Inuyasha?" she asked hoping he knew.

"I don't know, Kagome. I didn't even notice he had left us, to be honest," he replied.

"Hmm." She drew out her senses to search for him. It was a trick Kaede had taught her the previous spring. She had just about mastered the technique enough to sense a person no matter how far they were. Kaede informed her that this technique was only achieved by one powerful miko a very long time ago. Midoriko, the same miko who created the jewel that Kagome's group aimed to re-piece, was in fact the most powerful miko that had ever walked Japan. Though her powers were given to her to smite demons, she only used them when hers or the life of another's was in jeopardy. She never went to demon villages in a raid to kill them off. However she was always around to help a human village that was being attacked by a bloodthirsty demon. Even demon armies. Which was what earned her the respect of both humans and demons alike. The fact that Kagome could gather enough power within herself to master a technique created by the Great Midoriko herself was an amazing suggestion. Kaede was much interested in how much power the little miko from the future had within her.

Concentrating on her target, she folded her hands together to allow her charka to flow easily throughout her form. Pink light only visible to demons and other mikos and monks began to warp around her in a spiral of waves. Quite to her contentment, she found him easily. What did not make her happy, was what she sensed in a much too close proximity to her hanyou.

Kagome's eyes snapped open and she growled low startling her little kit. Shippo looked up at his mother in shock that she could create such a growl so demon like that he could understand perfectly what its meaning was; for everything to steer clear of her path and the one that upset her was in big trouble.

Without a word to her friends, she balled up her fists and took off after Inuyasha. Pushing power into her legs to make her run faster than a human would, another trick learned from Kaede, she arrived near him within minutes. She hid behind a tree out of vision or sense to the ones she spied on, but close enough so she could hear and see everything. Inuyasha was without his haori and, to her hearts great grief, Kikyo was adjusting her kimono with a blush on her cheeks. A low growl vibrated from her throat and immediately Inuyasha was in position to attack.

"Come out, you coward! Why bother hiding when we know you're there?" Inuyasha barked. Kikyo made no move. She knew who was hiding behind the tree. The sinister smile splayed on her lips was enough of a tell tale.

Kagome, with the resolve of a stone wall, stepped out from her hiding spot and faced Inuyasha's confused and worried expression with sheer anger. Not a sound was heard in the forest. The waves of fiery miko purification power that radiated off her was enough to scare even demon Lords of Japan into taking cover in their homes.

"YOU SLEPT WITH HER?" came Kagome's spiteful question. Inuyasha's ears immediately pinned back against his head and he lowered his sword. Down casting his eyes, he realized he was still shirtless and the scene that she had walked in on must have done some damage to Kagome's heart.

"So what, reincarnation? It was no surprise that he would return to me, even someone as clueless as you are should have realized his fate. We were never meant to be separated, which is why I am here now. I have asked Inuyasha to join your group and he agreed. Looks like we can finally have the time to bond, Kagome," Kikyo stated boldly. Still, Kagome's eyes never left Inuyasha. If looks could kill, Inuyasha wouldn't need Kikyo to drag him into hell.

"How many times did you bark at me not to go off on my own and stray from our pack? How many times when I needed your comfort, you told me seeking comfort in others only makes you weaker? That I needed to find comfort from myself or I'd never get stronger. I adored you, looked up to you. You were my little world. SIX YEARS OF MY LIFE WAS DEDICATED TO YOU," Kagome bellowed out her anger. Adrenaline pumped through her and suddenly she felt over powered by her miko magic. She wanted to purify every last demon in the world to the lowest levels of hell. She stopped herself and regained her composure. "But here you are. Looking for dead love in a corpse that should have been buried 50 damned years ago." At that, Kagome's attention was snapped to the corpse in question.

"You have a piece of my soul, Kikyo. I will take it back from you. And then I will end this charade you have created. Don't think I am as naive as Inuyasha when it comes to you. I may have been blinded by love from him. But I do not love you. I do not like you. I do not respect your dirty handlings or the web you have spun. You will never have a friend in me. You are on your quest to complete the jewel for your own selfish needs. I am on the quest to complete it for the needs Midoriko has chosen for me. Only one of us will accomplish it."

With that, she spun on her heals and ran off back to her camp.

"KAGOME! Wait, please!" Inuyasha called for her. The whole time she spoke his heart grew darker and darker. He was beginning to think he made the wrong choice. Kikyo's hand snaked up his chest as she purred against his mane. He snapped himself away from her and threw on his haori before taking off after Kagome.

"Inuyasha! If you go after her, you will loose me too. Then you will once again, have no one and nothing in this world. Do you really think she would even consider allowing you back into her heart? Choose wisely," came Kikyo's quick demand. He paused and his shoulders slumped forward in submission. Kikyo walked up to him and she pulled Inuyasha flush against her, kissing him to remind him why he chose her. After a second, Inuyasha pulled back and sat on the ground dropping his head in his hands. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes. He did love Kagome. She was the closest thing he had ever had to a friend. She was always there for him no matter what. Kikyo was his true love, though. Kagome had to understand that. Maybe he should just give her time to cool down. In a few days, she'll come right back to him like she always does and he'll have her again once more. He looked up at Kikyo and smiled. Yes, everything would go his way.

Kikyo, on the other hand, had other plans. She smiled back and him. My hanyou is wrapped around my fingers. Everything is going splendidly, she thought to herself. Now, for the next one.

Racing back to camp, Kagome sped through the forest and stopped a few feet away from her friends. She looked at them as they smiled with each other. She couldn't tell them what had happened. They all looked so happy. What were they supposed to do now? Break up the pack? She knew she couldn't leave them in Kikyo's hands. The last thing she wanted was Kikyo spinning them into her trap, too. Although Sango and Miroku were much to smart for that. Shippo would never leave her side, not even over her dead body. Perhaps they should simply leave Edo and continue without Inuyasha.

Then another issue arose in her mind. Kikyo never played dirty until she died. Ever since, she's been nothing but troublesome and malicious. Kikyo's goal now was to collect all the shards no matter the cost. This immediately put Kagome on her toes. Kagome looked over to where the well stood in its glory. Her future, her family, their very lives were threatened. Kikyo could easily try to use them to barter shards from her. Kagome knew she could never allow this.

As a tear began to trickle down her cheek, her destiny spoke clear as day. Since Kikyo's death, the responsibility of guarding the jewel has been passed down to her. She now understood that since the first day she fell through the well, her fate was selected. She must remain in Feudal Japan. She must remain here and guard the jewel no matter the cost. Catching a breath she didn't know she was holding, Kagome allowed more tears to stain her face. She decided to see her family one last time. And then she was going to destroy the well. She had a spell she had been working on just in case something like this happened. But it took a lot of energy and she'd be left in a very weakened state; a perfect moment for someone like Kikyo or Naraku to attack. She needed help. Sango and Miroku were both powerful in their own right, but they were still human. She needed someone even more powerful, stronger. With Inuyasha gone, she had no idea who could assist her. It's not like miracles just fell out of the sky.

Sighing, Kagome walked pride fully to camp with not a smile nor twinkle in her usually happy eyes. Shippo, sensing his mother's distress first, immediately sprung onto her shoulder and gave her a big hug. She picked him up and embraced him into her chest, snuggling against the top of his head. Turning to face the rest, she began the change of course.

"Inuyasha has betrayed our goal. He chose to bed with Kikyo and aid her in her attempt to complete the jewel than complete it for unselfish reasons. If she gets the jewel, it will taint from her selfish needs. Sango, Miroku, this quest is my own to complete. I am the guardian of the jewel and it is my responsibility to find the shards. I am not asking you to come with me because without Inuyasha helping us, it will become very difficult to battle the demons we will come across. If you want to separate and continue on your own journeys-"

"Separate?! Have you gone mad?!" Sango said cutting her off. "I couldn't even if I wanted to, Kags. You're a sister I never had. Don't think you can get rid of me so easily by saying a fancy speech!" Sango bit out in annoyance as she flailed her arms in shock. How dare Kagome think such things!

"Lady Sango is right, Kagome. You have become a very good friend for the both of us. Yes, this road has just become more difficult, but fate does not throw at us challenges we cannot overcome. It is only about finding the way," Miroku said offering some wise words. Tears welled up in Kagome's eyes as she listened to her friends. She knew she had a family here, just as much as she had at home. She knew she'd never be alone. Hugging Shippo close to her body, she nodded and began to gather her things. The rest of them followed her example and soon, they were off.

From the hut next to their campsite, Kaede had been listening to the whole exchange. Moving back to her chair by her fire pit, she relaxed her weary bones. Old age was not what tired her this day. Her dead sister was becoming most troublesome.

"I fear, dearest Kagome, ye have not seen the worst thy sister is capable of. Stealing the souls of spirits trying to pass is the least of ye worries. Thou should sleep with one eye open from this day onward, child. Ye path will be most difficult." Kaede began to rock in her chair as she continued. "But I know ye will not be so alone in this journey. I truly believe fate will have a surprise or two in ye future. Do not doubt ye friends, child. Both in this time, and in ye own," Kaede advised into the empty space in front of her. Knowing Kagome could not hear her words, she sent a prayer that her wisdom will reach the child somehow.