Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fanfic. This is purely for fun.

Chapter 1

The dying light of the day and the soft stirrings from the creatures of the evening were the only signs of reprieve that the small group would have. It had been another one of those days for the wayward team of misfits. The heat had been unbearable this summer. Kagome took the time to take in her surroundings as she sat against one of the trees in the clearing they currently occupied. She sighed internally. It had been over a year since she had returned and she found that she wasn't as content as she thought she would have been with her arrival.

During her three year absence, after defeating Naraku, she had wanted nothing but to return. She was viciously torn away from those that she loved and she severely missed her kit. Inuyasha had long since lost the appeal as a lover and their relationship was of a brother and sister. She couldn't deny that she was happy with her choice, and she would never say that she regretted it, but still she felt as though something was missing.

"Oi, wench stop staring off into space like that and start making dinner." The gruff hanyou stated. She had been with him long enough to know that this was his way of showing concern. She huffed, " How many times are we going to go through this Inuyasha, stop calling me that." But in all honesty there was little bite to her protest. Years with the Half-demon had tempered her fight against him when he called her names and she knew that he didn't mean it.

She stood up from her spot as the rest were settling down into the camp. She stretched her arms over her head and proceeded to gather her bow and arrows and made her way towards the forest. She was grateful for Inuyasha's not so subtle way of getting her out of the clearing. She knew that the group could feel it when something was amiss and she didn't feel like addressing it at this time.

The group collectively sighed as Kagome moved further away from camp. "Inuyasha, do you know what's been bothering Lady Kagome?" The lecherous monk had always been quite perceptive. Inuyasha lowered his ears as he let the words sink in. There was something wrong within his pack and he didn't know how to fix it. He was the Alpha and it was his responsibility to take care of his pack, but still he didn't know how to fix what ails her. Uncharacteristically, he responded in a vague way, "She lacks purpose." Miroku stared at him. This was an odd day indeed.

" What do you mean? We have been going on much the same way as we have always been, traveling and aiding those in need. She doesn't seem any different then she was before, maybe a bit more reserved, but still the same." It was Sango's turn to chime in. Sometimes the slayer could be a bit dense. Inuyasha snorted. How does he explain something that was instinct driven. He knew that while kagome didn't outwardly show it, and that she was still the same at her core, she was missing something. So he said just that.

" So you're saying she is missing something, but what could it be?" The group sat there for awhile contemplating Kagome's dilema. They loved their friend very much and she was the heart of their little rag tag group. They wanted very much to help her, but they too were at a loss for what to do.

Meanwhile, with Kagome, she had settled into a spot and waited for her prey. She had started tracking the doe as soon as she felt its presence. She found her mind wandering back to the time when she was in the future. While she had been there she focused on her school work and on her training. She went to a shrine and found a group of Sohei that still practiced the old ways. These warrior monks somehow continued to hold onto their spiritual powers even though there was little to no magic left in her world. She soon learned why after that. Apparently the world had been split into three realms. The Nigenkai, Makai, and Reikai.

She held her breath as she waited for the doe to appear, her bow ready and poised. With reflexes that had been honed over the years she let loose the arrow. It hit the mark and the poor animal fell to the ground thrashing about in pain and panic. She walked up to the creature, much as any predator would. She couldn't explain it, but she couldn't deny the way she felt when she hunted. There was something so primal about it as she slid the blade from her hidden sheath into the creatures carotid artery. The life giving blood of the creature effectively painting her hands. She languished in the warmth and a feeling so sublime passed through her spirit. She raised her hand to her mouth and tasted the essence. She thanked the animal and promised that its sacrifice would not be in vain. She felt the essence of water near her and proceeded to haul her kill over so she could clean it and skin it.

Going back to her thoughts of her original timeline she had been quite surprised to find out about the separation of the realms. She was almost overwhelmed when after her first year of training was complete she was spirited away to the Makai. After hours of fighting and surviving in the harsh realm she again found herself ripped from the world of demons and back into the one of humans. This, her sensei had explained, was her rite of passage. So for the next two years she sharpened her skills and would venture into the makai to train. She found that whenever she had a spare chance she would run off to Makai. There was a comfort found there that she couldn't get when in the monotonous world of humans. It pained her when the realization hit that she was no longer content within her realm. Her heart withered when this occurred. It was a couple of days later that the portal opened and she was granted access to the past once more. She packed her belongings in a bag that was made for long excursions in the wilderness. She knew her mother knew. Her mom always felt that her destiny was to be in the past. They had long conversations about it. She remembered her last night with her family.

She had walked down the stairs after everything she could think of was stuffed into the bag. She packed several of her medical books as well as books on the history of the time and advanced mathematics. Even if going to the past wasn't going to be permanent she didn't want to forfeit the knowledge from her future. She remembered sitting down that evening and telling her family of her plans. They were upset of course, but also resigned. They knew that once Kagome put her mind to something, there was no changing it. They also knew that she wasn't happy here. How could they deny her this opportunity, when she had the chance to go back. They knew her time wasn't here with them. They hugged each other and spoke late into the night. They would cherish these moments. It was all that they would have or so they thought. Little did Kagome know that they would have an unexpected guest soon after.