A/N: Thank you super awesome beta

Disclaimer: Inuyasha is…still not mine…

Chapter 3: It's filled with twists…

:FLASHBACK CONTINUATION:

Kagome stood frozen for a while; contributing her sudden stillness to fear and confusion. The Shikon No Tama was…speaking to her. Had she really hit the tree that hard? Her body had ached for a few minutes after Naraku propelled her into an outrageously large sequoia, but she had gotten up pretty quickly afterward. She looked around to her friends to help make sense of the situation, and was for a moment relieved to see them with equally confused looks on their faces, until she realized that it might have been the talking jewel that perplexed them. They could also just be confused as to why she looked so confused.

"Hey! Show yourself!"

The battered half-demon, who had once again turned a curious request into an angry demand, had jumped to his feet, sword drawn again just in case. Inuyasha warily inched his way towards her as the ground was slowly overcome with mist. Kagome had been denied the cheer of victory she desired, but the tired group was quick to give out a groan of displeasure. Just when they thought things were going good, there was a mist. And mists are never good.

"Calm yourselves, children. I do not come with ill intent."

Gathering in one spot, a figure slowly took form, soon revealing the person they least expected to see.

"Midoriko-san."

Kagome whispered. The ancient miko smiled warmly at her, walking ever so gracefully her way. Kagome was in complete awe of the legendary woman; the smoothness of her steps rivaled that of Sesshomaru himself, and…she was beautiful.

"You've done incredibly well, my dear,"

The legendary woman whispered to her with a smile.

"All of you have fought admirably, and for your commitment and bravery, I would like to thank you."

Kagome turned to smile at her friends as well.

"But,"

Midoriko continued. 'Oh no", Kagome thought.

"I regret telling you that this was only a checkpoint compared to the peace you are destined to bringing about, young miko, Kagome. Your work here is done, but you must continue on even stronger n-"

"I have to leave my friends?"

Kagome couldn't help but interrupt; this was just becoming too much way too fast. Midoriko only smiled at her again.

"You knew in the back of your mind that this day would come, my dear."

Kagome looked away, worrying her bottom lip. She had. She tried to ignore her friends as they called for her, knowing from having experienced the magic of the shikon many times that she wouldn't be able to say goodbye.

:END FLASHBACK:

Sure enough, Kagome had been surrounded almost immediately in a light that was progressively getting brighter and brighter. She slowly began to rock back and forth, ghosting her fingers over Shippo's back. She was grateful for the his presence everyday she spent in this time period, but she prayed everyday Midoriko would return him to the Feudal Era; to Inuyasha, and Sango, and Miroku, to a life that had at least some stability. He had been watching from a distance as Midoriko appeared and told Kagome she would be taken from their time, and had rushed to her when the light started to glow around her feet. It was too late for the spell to be undone, and the magic propelled not just her, but Shippo back through the well.

Kagome knew immediately that she was not back in her own time when she looked up from the bottom of the well and saw clouds where a roof should have been. She remembered swearing off ever trying to "predict" the next move of Fate. Shippo had raced off immediately, hoping to find the God Tree; their beacon of hope. They found the tree, with no scar…with no Inuyasha. It was then that they realized they were even farther in the past then the time they knew. It was then that Shippo collapsed into her arms.

Kagome worried. Worried and cried. Shippo had become her son, and even while he was unconscious, she could tell by the way he writhed and groaned that he was in agony. She wanted to stay awake with him around the clock, but she was eventually pulled into a reluctant sleep as well. Midoriko met her in her dream state, explaining that Shippo was going through a transformation that was originally meant for her. He was turning into an Inu youkai. The legendary miko didn't explain why the spell had been necessary in the first place, only that his pain should be over soon, along with his transformation.

Kagome had really begun to hate Fate.

A/N: Just a little (a lot) of background info, and I apologize for the terrible "mist" cliché. Anyway, review review review! Oh, and if you have any questions, or you want me to slow down (or speed up), message or review and tell me!