Prologue

-Overlapping

So…she didn't lose her mind.

It should be a relief; confirming she didn't suddenly go insane should make her feel better. But as the noise of her ragged breathing assaulted her ears, too loud for her to quiet the infernal cacophony inside her mind, the last thing Kagome felt was relaxed. Phantom pain throbbed and pulsed as if to ensure her gaze wouldn't move from her right hand. The dull, rhythmic echo of the faucet dripping only added to the growing sense of madness steadily consuming her from within. And yet, the girl couldn't deny that a part of her felt a little bit more grounded in the world she lived in, the now that was the reality that surrounded her.

Because while the rapidly fading pain helped ease the noise inside her mind, it was the traces of crimson stain on her skin and dripping on her mother's white tablecloth that became the undeniable piece of evidence that somehow her sanity remained intact.

Was she supposed to be happy knowing there was a legitimate reason behind the ever-persistent migraines that threatened to split her head open for the last three weeks? Sad at the finality of her being here for what it meant for the journey that occupied the best part of the three years of her life? Upset that at the end of it all, she was still punished, ripped apart from those she loved?

Did it make any difference?

Azure eyes fell on the puddle that formed under her palm, and she fought the urge to groan, cursing herself for her lack of forethought to find some ground to stand on. Clearly, the girl hadn't been thinking at all. Maybe she actually snapped. Because her blood was seeping into the tablecloth at an alarming rate. At the very least, she should've gotten the white fabric out of the way, or better yet, she could've taken ten steps to her right and done this in the sink. Not the most hygienic of places, but it would've made cleaning after herself easier. Then again, the mere fact she decided to grab a kitchen knife and stab her left hand was enough for anyone to realize that even if she was still sane, she hadn't exactly been in the best state of mind. Not at that time. Things are what they are, however, and be it because Kagome was going into shock or because of the large amount of experience born of moments that hadn't and would never happen now, told her that trying to get the tablecloth back to pristine condition would be a futile effort. So now, she had a bloody mess in her hands and no way to explain how, despite all the crimson staining everything, there wasn't a single scratch on her body, not anymore.

This was all because of her migraines, she decided.

Intermittent surges of pain left her confined in bed, attempting in vain to try and shove away the three years of memories that were unceremoniously pushed into her brain. Conflicting information fought for dominance, and trying to put her thoughts in order only ever made it worse. Tired and frustrated after spending the three weeks after her birthday trying to figure out if she'd gone insane, the girl finally chose to find the truth. Which meant that waiting just long enough to make sure her family wasn't about to come back, Kagome raced to the kitchen, took the first sharp knife she could find, and slammed it through her hand. Pain shot through her system, and it hurt like hell, but worst of all was the fact that the piercing sensation was familiar in a way she shouldn't know because throughout her 15 years of life, Higurashi Kagome had never been badly injured. Instead of panicking, her mind fell back into a routine she'd never done before. The pain wasn't that bad. Not when she compared the sensation of sharp teeth tearing through her flesh. Or the burn of acid eating through the skin of her feet. Following memories of events that hadn't happened, Kagome ignored the hurt to reach for the well of sacred energy inside her. Soft pink light enveloped her hand, leaving nothing to betray her momentary lapse in reason, aside from the bright crimson staining her mother's white tablecloth.

With shivering fingers tracking the unmarried skin of her hand, Kagome closed her eyes, trying to feel for the lingering ghost she sensed when she used her reiki to heal the cut.

The Shikon jewel pulsed in response, hidden within her very soul.

Unnoticed, the echo of the knife crashing against the floor served as a background melody to accompany the dull thud of her knees hitting the ground. Silent tears slid on her bare skin as the realization of what had happened finally sunk in.

All of it was real.

Falling down the well, dragged by an ancient youkai. All the fights, struggles, and pain that came after, along with the joy and awe she experienced were true. For three years, Kagome journeyed to the past, finding friends she trusted with her very life and who trusted her with theirs in return. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo... They'd fought side by side, watching each other's back and overcoming almost impossible obstacles in their search for the Shikon shards. And after almost dying more times than she cared to count, the jewel was finally whole again. They needed the help of all the allies they made along the way, but Naraku was defeated. They'd rushed to do as much damage control as they could before agreeing that the Shikon was far too dangerous to let alone, and no wish would ever be selfless enough for it to not have disastrous consequences. So really, there was only ever one path for her to walk. The jewel would go back inside her, so they'd researched one ritual after another until they found the right one. It would let her seal the Shikon, so she prepared herself for her travels to finally come to an end, locking her in the Sengoku era, and yet, here she was…15 years old again. Alone in a world where all that happened the morning of her birthday was a nasty fall to the dusty bottom of the well and a visit to the hospital. And then, three years' worth of memories rushed in, with moments that now would never happen, overlapping and causing a debilitating string of migraines every time she tried to make sense of the mess inside her head.

This was how things ended.

Free but forever chained to the Shikon.

Gods…what was she supposed to do now?

A/N: Ok, here we go, I was workshopping this before life threw a wrench at my schedule but I finally managed to dedicate some time to it. This one came out of one of the Random Reveries chapters and will pick back up right after that.

As always thank you guys so much for reading and any and all review/comment/criticism is greatly appreciated.