Mixed Realities, rated teen.

[Ravendust]

Chapter 1: Going Home


Disclaimer: Do you actually think I'd be writing a fanfic if I owned Inuyasha? No. So there, I don't own it.

Out of sheer habit she tucked her midnight tresses behind her ear and tightened her already white-knuckled grip upon the delicate frame of her bow. Her chestnut brown eyes narrowed as she pulled the string taut and lined up her arrow with the monstrous form of Naraku. She released her hold, relishing the soft 'twang' it made as the arrow loosed. She stared in avid fascination at the pink energy that trailed off of it-


“Higurashi, Kagome.”

She opened her eyes groggily and with some some effort. Gradually Kagome lowered her clenched hands, “Hm?” Her dark and emotional eyes blinked in surprise and she moaned with displeasure, “I did it again, didn't I?”

“Yes.” An elderly man with a balding head looked at her over his abnormally large nose and he began to write furiously on a pad of blank paper that he held in his primped lap, “You have been suffering from these delused realities for-”

“Three years.” Kagome finished with a sigh, she stared at her hands that were clasped tightly in her lap.

“Yes.” He continued in a strong, grandfatherly voice that reminded Kagome so much of her gramps, “since your family was murdered by a man dressed in a white baboon pelt. I understand that you were put through a great trauma that night, but I need you to go back there- to that night. Tell me what happened.”

His voice grew distant to her and Kagome felt herself drifting back to that night, to when everything had happened, “that night I had been walking home with Hojo...”

Flashback

“Kagome.” Hojo gave her a simple smile, “You look as though you've gotten over your flu.” He handed her a small package.

“Thanks Hojo.” She smiled gratefully and pulled the wrapping off of the package, sighing when she saw only health drinks and a small package of herbs- she should have known, after all every time they saw each other he gave her something to improve her health, which of course she didn't really need- after all she hadn't been sick, but traveling back to the feudal era to fix the Shikon no tama, in which it was her fault that it had been broken in the first place, “errr, these are just what I wanted!”

Hojo frowned thoughtfully, “you don't like it?” He said, hurt evident in his tone of voice.

“No, no, that's not it at all!” Kagome said frantically trying to bring him back into a good mood, she hated seeing Hojo upset, he was so nice and cared about her, “I absolutely love it!”

He let out his breath in a sigh of relief, “these ought to help to boost your immune system so that you don't get so sick anymore.”

Kagome gave him a quick hug of thanks and ascended the stairs to her shrine, looking back at him and she waved energetically in farewell. “I'll see you in school tomorrow!” She called cheerily, “See you later, Hojo!”

“See you Kagome!” He got on the bike that he had been walking along side of her and rode off down the street towards his own home.

Kagome walked slowly up the stairs, lost in a thoughtful silence. I wonder if Inuyasha will come for me tomorrow night? She thought smirking, he is so impatient when I come home for a while. Why doesn't he understand that I have other responsibilities than piecing back together the shikon no tama? She bit her fingernail worriedly, then again it was my fault that it got shattered in the first place. If anything bad happens to it in the Sengoku Jidai then what would happen to my time as a direct result of that? I have already seen what can happen, like when Menomaru absorbed his father's power and stole so many souls. My era was plunged into what would have inevitably been an eternal winter had Inuyasha and I not been able to destroy him in the end.

She finally reached the top of the stairs and her gaze was rivetted suddenly to the bulky shadow of the god tree. “This is where I first met him...” She murmured, touching the rough bark, “it holds so many memories for us.”

Shortly her tired feet led her to the kitchen door and she gasped when she saw a yawning hole of darkness where the door should have been. She froze momentarily before stepping through the threshold, “Mom? Souta? Gramps?” She called, hysteria becoming apparent in her voice.

Kagome took a step back in surprise and her hand went immediately to her nose as the pungent stench of copper and dark miasma hit her in sickeningly dizzy waves.


“I-I can't continue!” She sobbed at last, grasping at her shaking shoulders her eyes wide with unmarred terror, “I just can't!”

“It's alright, you have made quite a bit of progress since you've been here.” The man soothed from across the great desk, hoping that he could calm her before she fell into a fit.

“No!” Kagome screamed, allowing her dark russettes to fall into her face as her chair, with her still in it, crashed to the ground.

She lay there, thrashing, screaming and crying. “Mitsubi!” The man called quickly, “Miss Higurashi is having a fit-”

Before he could finish a young woman walked calmly into the room. She had a trim waist and long, light brown hair that was done up in a bun at the nape of her neck. Her green eyes flashed as two bulky men rushed in after her, and together they stilled Kagome's thrashing body. Mitsubi thrust a needle into Kagome's arm, after quickly disinfecting the skin first. She waited with bated breath until the girl's struggles ceased and she lay in silence, breathing deeply in a medically induced slumber.

“It's a pity.” The girl said, sighing as her eyes flashed with mild concern, “It really is a pity, I thought for sure that she was making progress. It has been nearly a month since her last fit. What happened, Doctor Reshine?” She turned her steely gaze on the elderly man, question apparent in her intelligent eyes.

“Yes, well...” Here he mopped his damp forehead with a ragged cloth that he often used, he quickly tucked it back into a pocket out of sheer habit before turning his gaze to his young assistant, “She is still too frightened to completely tell us what happened. She has made a lot of progress- this time she actually made it past the threshold before breaking down like that.”

“Poor girl.” Mitsubi tsked, shaking her head sympathetically, “It must have been a nightmare for her. The shock of such grisly murders, I can't even begin to immagine what she must have gone through. I mean when the police found her a few days later she was seated in a corner, rocking her body back and forth and her fingers clasped over her mouth. It turned out that she hadn't moved from that spot since she had stumbled upon the man that had done the deed. The poor girl was absolutely terrified.”

“It was tragic indeed.” He became thoughtfully silent before looking at her with gleaming eyes, “I have been thinking that perhaps it is time that she return to the scene. I want to take her home for a while, it might just be the key to unlocking what happened that night and closing her case. I've gotten permission to take her there for a week.”

“So long?” Mitsubi gasped, wide-eyed.

“Aye, I will be taking a small team with me for necessary safety precautions. I wanted to know if you would come as well. Higurashi is very fond of you.”

“Indeed sir she is, and I am very fond of her as well.” Mitsubi nodded her head thoughtfully, “I will go, when do we leave?”

“Tomorrow.” He said simply, turning away from her.

“Tomorrow?!” She was incredulous.

“Aye, we planned to leave before noon.” He said, quirking an eyebrow in her direction, “I've been trying to think of a way to ask you to go for over a week now.” He said ruefully, apology in his eyes.

“I will be ready, sir.” Mitsubi turned and straightened the skirt of her uniform, she noted that the two men had already escorted Kagome back to her quarters.

The next morning

“So where are we going?” Kagome asked curiously, shifting uncomfortable in the seat that she had been in for a little over an hour, they had woken her up earlier than usual and had her pack a bag of clothes and other toiletries.

“You will see in a moment, Kagome.” Mitsubi said, patting the girl's hand comfortingly, she was tired of sitting too.

“Here we are!” Reshine said at last in an overly chipper voice, pulling the vehicle to the side of the road and shifting it into park.

Kagome's bright smile faltered for a moment, but as soon as it had quivered she strengthened it and put on a look of ignorant bliss as she was helped out of the vehicle and led up a set of very familar stairs. Slowly what little color she had in her face drained, and then she began to quiver with noticable fright.

“Kagome, dear!” She heard a woman call from the house that was as of yet hidden from her view, and immediately she picked up her pace and stood, heaving for breath in the doorway, looking at the petite woman in utter adoration.

“Mom!” She cried happily, running through the door and into the woman's awaiting arms, they stood in an embrace for several long moments, “how have you been? I know that it has been nearly a month, but we had to travel a little farther than we normally do.”

“Souta is starting middle school.” Her mom smiled proudly and her eyes glistened with tears of joy.

“Already?” Kagome gasped, “he's going into middle school?”

“Yes, we've been fine here Kagome, albeit we've missed you dearly. How are things with Inuyasha and the others?”

“Things are going smoothly- maybe a little too much so.” Kagome smiled and continued, “We've managed to find two more shards of the Shikon no tama.” She showed them to her mother who clapped joyously for her.

“Good for you honey! Now why don't you go upstairs and soak in a nice hot bath and prepare for supper? I made dumplings.” She smiled and gave Kagome another tight squeeze before releasing her, “Dad and Souta will be very excited that you are back. Prepare to tell them about your adventures.” She gave a rueful smile and smoothed her daughter's tangled hair in a very motherly manner before winking at her and shooed her towards the stairs.

“In that case I won't take too long, I can always soak later on.” She cast her eyes downward as she headed for the stairs.

“Did you and Inuyasha have another fight?” Her mother spoke softly and she made a small noise in her throat, she always knew when Kagome was upset, even when nobody else did.

“We did, but it's okay, really.” Kagome said, “he'll have plenty of time to think it over. Anyway, I'll be right down!”

“Down where?” Reshine asked softly, grabbing her shoulder, “Higurashi, Kagome, you are home.”

Kagome shook herself lightly and blinked several times to clear her vision. She found that she was standing in the accursed doorway with false cheeriness and excitement to be there, “nowhere.” She said hastily, “can- can I go up to my bedroom?” She gulped, the air had been purified since the last time she had been home.

“Of course, and of course Mitsubi will accompany you.” Reshine consented, nodding his head towards Mitsubi whom had just been about to speak, immediately her protest was swallowed and she snapped her jaw shut in compliance.

Kagome pulled herself up the stairs quickly, averting her gaze from various family portraits, her face pinched into a pained expression. She moved with bated breath into her room. It looked exactly as it had when she'd left it. her fingers wandered over various text books and stuffed animals, she stopped at her bed with a sudden realization and tears welled up in her eyes, there in the center of the bed was the red ball cap that she had always- she shook her head, thinking none of it was real, it was only my escape from reality. “Kagome?” Mitsubi touched the girl's shaking shoulders comfortingly, concerned for the other girl, “are you alright?”

Kagome willed her sobs to stop and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, all those false memories, why won't they just leave me in peace? All I want is peace. Her brown eyes narrowed as she grasped the red ballcap and flung it across the room with sudden vehemence, it knocked a few objects from her desk before landing softly on the floor beside it. She rubbed at her eyes visciously until they only watered because of her abuse to them.

Finally she turned to Mitsubi, smoothing her hair with her fingers and straightening her shirt. Within less than a minute she was sobbing again, unable to control it she flung herself back onto the mattress, balling her hands into tight fists and allowing her fingernails to dig into the palms of her hands, trying to stave her unstable condition.

“Fine,” The girl sobbed from the bed, her voice muffled by the pillows that she had shoved her face into to quiet herself, “I'm fine, really I am. I j-just need to be alone for a while.”

“Alright Kagome,” Mitsubi said, respecting the girl's wishes, albeit she was a little unsure as to whether or not she should really leave Kagome to herself in her condition, “I will be right outside if you happen to need me.” She finished at last, opening the door.

The instant that the door had closed Kagome stood and knelt beside her bed before disappearing beneath it. She reached into the farthest recesses of the shadows beneath it. Her fingers closed shakily around a small box, it was right where she had left it. Slowly she crawled back into the light and sat cross-legged on her floor, staring at it with fear. Is this really what I think it is? She though, drying her eyes on the front of her shirt.

She opened it carefully, fearing what she might find, and gasped when she saw the glittering objects inside of it. She held the box to her breast before pulling a small gold chain, with a jar attatched to it, from the box. She clasped it about her kneck slowly before turning to the window in determination.

Silently she krept across the room and slid the window open. She then leapt without a second thought, hitting the ground and rolling automatically to her feet. Kagome bit her tongue to avoid crying out as her ankle twisted painfully beneath her.

“Come on Kagome.” His clawed hand gripped at her wrist tightly and Kagome was pulled automatically behind the silver-haired man, “you've been here long enough, we need to hunt down the rest of the jewel shards.”

“Inuyasha!” She said sharply, “I've been here for three whole days versus nearly two weeks in the feudal era, I have things that I need to do here!”

“When you've found the rest of the shards you can come back here as much as you like to.” He shrugged and pulled her into the wellhouse, “Come on now, Kagome, the others are waiting for us on the other side.”

Kagome relented at last, “fine, but next time I'm going to spend more time in my era, and I will come back when I am good and ready.” She huffed, watching as he leapt into the well and followed suit without a second thought.

“Higurashi!” Reshine and Mitsubi gasped from the stairs, diving down and grabbing her arms simultaniously.

Kagome blinked wildly and gasped as, instead of stopping her fall, they all fell into the depths of the well, screaming into the black abyss that assended about them.

A/N: Well, what'd you guys think? I dunno where this idea came from (actually I was sitting in class and randomly had an empty notebook that I started to write in out of sheer boredom...) let me know what you guys think, meaning that I'd actually like to hear from people

And by the way: You're really not supposed to be able to discern between what's fantasy and what's not. on ff.net I had a lot of people remark on that point, and I figured that I'd clear it up a bit...

[Ting]

I like it! I was confused there for a sec about what was going on with the delused realities thing, but overall, I like it.

Update soon,

Ting

[Ravendust]

That's what everybody says... but that's honestly how it's supposed to be- you're supposed to be confused between reality and delusions... sorry it took so long to reply, but I didn't know anybody had said anything in my story... I figured that it would just be ignored or something.

[Elizabeth Hemingway]

ravendust,

You've got a firm handle on your writing ability, you know, if you haven't yet been told. You have a wealth of words in that mind, you only need to find a secure reign for them, and you can do that by writing, as you are doing! I thought the 'delusions' were very cleverly embedded in the story, masterful examples of good transitioning. Your style is beautiful and exciting, and really you're just a good writer! I'd love to see this taken up to the next draft, reworked a bit. Trust me, you have it in you. The diction runs away with the story at times, and I'm sure you could tighten the plot, though it is tight as it is. But remember, good writers can be great writers. Don't give up writing, you're wonderful! I'm anxious to find out what becomes of Kagome after this chapter. I was very pleased with your portrayal of characters, original and non, overall, and I found the drama here to be perfecT (no messy melodrama!).

Great stuff,
EHB

[Ravendust]

Chapter 2: Kagome's Predicament

A/N: Thank you, Elizabeth Hemingway, for the comment I'm glad that you liked it...

I thought that I had put up chapter two- but I guess that I didn't... sorry for the delay, but here it is...

Disclaimer: No, sadly, I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters in it. I do, however, own Reshine and Mitsubi, so there!

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, oh how she ached! The air was fresh about her, and somehow she knew that they were not where they had fallen. What's going on? She thought, frightened and looking at the unconscious doctor and nurse. My ankle- I twisted it when I... jumped out of my window. That was a stupid thing for me to do, I keep losing touch with reality- its honestly going to be the death of me.

She sat up slowly, carefully assuring herself that nothing was broken, but knowing that her ankle ached with a vengeance. Slowly Kagome crawled towards the forms of both doctor and nurse, shaking them occasionally and lightly slapping their faces until each began to moan, “come on, wake up!” She said before looking at the vines that led out of the well.

“Higurashi.” Reshine sat up quickly and grabbed her shoulder in a death grip, “just what were you thinking jumping into this well like that, you could have killed yourself!”

Kagome sighed and lowered her head, “I don't know, honestly I don't... I was-”

“Lost again.” Reshine sighed heavily and rubbed at his temples as he pulled himself into a standing position, “I thought that for surely your condition would have improved when we brought you home- perhaps it was too soon then?” He glanced over at Mitsubi thoughtfully, “we'll go back then and maybe in a few months or so it'll be okay to bring you home to stay for a while.”

“Um, doctor.” Mitsubi gasped, her eyes fixed straight up, wide with awe and with fright.

“What is it?” He glanced up at her, before following her gaze upward. Reshine squinted in the bright sunlight, trying to figure out just what she was seeing, “wait a second! Wasn't the well inside of a building?”

Kagome grasped the vines, her fingers wrapping around them easily as they had seemingly done before on many occasions. Slowly she pulled herself up and out of the well, wincing occasionally as she put too much pressure on her injured foot, the other two followed her in awe.

“This is impossible!” Mitsubi gasped, taking in the vast folliage, “Kagome, just where are we anyway?”

“This place is so very familiar.” Kagome began to cry, “but how can it be? This must just be another dream, it can't be real. It isn't real, IT ISN'T REAL!” She screamed histerically, curling herself into a fetal position, staring shakily at the old well.

“Kagome!” Mitsubi moved to the distraught girl's side and pulled her quivering form into her lap, running her fingers through Kagome's ebony hair comfortingly, “it's okay.” She said softly.

“This can't be happening,” Kagome moaned, “but it just feels so real!”

“Perhaps that fall knocked our senses assunder.” Reshine provided hopefully, mopping at a line of blood that had trickled down the side of his head.

Kagome sniffled, her sobs down to a simple occasional whimper, and glanced up at him, “But I never hit my head like you guys did.” She pointed out, worried for the moment.

“Yes, but you haven't exactly been fully living in reality, occasionally your mind slips to that strange other place. Perhaps Mitsubi and myself are living in your reality, having heard you describe all of those things to us.”

“Kagome, is there any way out of this?” Mitsubi asked the frail girl, “any way to get back to where we belong?”

Kagome nodded slowly, “yes, supposedly if we leap back into the well we should be brought back to my shrine.”

“Well, I suppose that it is worth a try.” Reshine shrugged and helped Mitsubi balance Kagome between them.

“On three?” Kagome suggested wearily.

“On three.” Mitsubi and Reshine agreed.

“One...” Kagome took a deep breath and let it out in a shuddering gasp as she closed her eyes hopefully.

“Two,” Mitsubi tightened her grasp on Kagome's arm, she shook in anticipation and fear- what if it didn't work like it was supposed to? What if they were stuck in that strange place?

“3!” Reshine exclaimed, and together they surged forward, feeling the ground disappear beneath their feet.

The three of them landed in a tangled heap at the bottom of the well, breathing heavily and not daring to look up. Finally Kagome opened her eyes, she moaned as she realized that they hadn't gone back through, they were still lost in the Feudal Era. “It didn't work.” She said ruefully, disentangling herself from them, “I don't want to be here!” she sobbed and brought her knees up to her shoulders, wrapping her quivering arms about them as well, “I can't be here, I just can't!”

“Sh, Kagome, come on. We can't very well stay in this well all day. In fact it's almost nightfall!” Reshine said, pulling her into a shaky stand, “back out of the well we go.”

“Well, it's a good thing I took a nature course in College after all.” Mitsubi giggled as she crawled back up the vines and out of the well. “Lets start walking and hope that we come upon at least somebody.”

“Alright.” Kagome said compliantly, allowing herself to be led down an old path that had begun to be overgrown by weeds, as though the path had become neglected over the past year.

“Haven't you always said that there ought to be a 'village' near here?” Mitsubi asked cautiously.

“Yes.” Kagome's voice was emotionless, she allowed her gaze to cloud over, “It is Kaede's village. I wonder if she'll remember me, or for that matter if she is still alive.” She allowed a single tear to course down her cheek before wiping it away impatiently.

“Are you going to be okay?” Mitsubi wrapped her arms protectively around the smaller girl's shoulders.

“I'll be fine.” Kagome allowed her hands to travel up to the jar that rested around her throat- she had forgotten that it was even there in the first place, her gaze rested on the few jewel shards- she contemplated on how she had them and thought simply that she must have broken a favorite necklace and used that as an anchor for having shards of the shikon no tama.

Mitsubi's fingers clasped about her own and she rested her head upon her shoulder, “So how far to this village?” She asked quietly.

“Not far.” Kagome indicated the break in trees some distance ahead of them, “the forest ends there.”

She stiffened suddenly and halted in her tracks, her gaze swiveling about her madly and her fingers clasping at the jar around her throat. “What is it, Kagome?” Mitsubi asked, a frightened look in her eyes as she saw the distant one in Kagome's own.

“Jewel shards.” Kagome's face screwed up in confusion.

“You mean as in the shikon no tama?” Reshine cocked his head to the side curiously.

“Yes,” Kagome took several hesitant steps forward, “there's something wrong with them though... I can't figure-” Her eyes widened considerably, “run, hurry, to the village!”

She hobbled as fast as she could, finding that Reshine and Mitsubi far outmatched her for speed at the moment. She wished that she could awaken from this nightmare, that the pain in her ankle would subside. And then the unthinkable happened. She tripped, landing face first in the dirt and moaning as her head hit a large rock. After a moment Kagome pulled herself wearily into a sitting position. “Please.” She whispered, “please let this just be another nightmare, let me just shake my head and... and be back in Dr. Reshine's office, or even my bedroom!”

Her shoulders shook as she grasped at her mouth to keep from sobbing audibly, “They've left me, both of them... they're gone and left me alone.” She bewailed.

Footsteps approached at a confident and leisurely pace, and with each step her heart rate increased, who is there? She thought frantically, not daring to look up lest it be something that she really didn't want to see. Her vision blurred and tears fell into her white-garbed lap. Please, please just let me be insane... There is nobody there, i-it's probably Reshine or even Mitsubi, realized that I fell. Her fingers tightened their grip on her leggings as she willed her tears away. Her head ached horribly, and her ankle was throbbing. All Kagome wanted to do was rest.

Quite suddenly she was lifted bodily by the throat, her tearfilled eyes lifted slightly and looked at the armored chest of a rather large man. She could practically feel him smirking, and something cold was pressing into the tender flesh of her throat. Kagome felt a few rivlets of blood run down over her chest and she realized that whatever was pressing into her throat had cut her. She finally brought her eyes fully up to the man's face, instantly wishing that she hadn't. The bloodlust in his eyes sent shivers racing down her spine as she struggled to breathe. Her hands remained motionless at her side, and suddenly she sensed something. After a moment she moved her gaze to his throat and gasped, there was a jewel shard! “Such a pretty girl,” He purred lustily, “I will enjoy spilling your blood.”

“What would happen,” Kagome said hoarsely, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips, “if I were to take that jewel shard from your throat I wonder?”

He looked taken aback, surprised even that she could see the shard, “Suikotsu,” A youthful voice behind Kagome ground out, “release the girl. Naraku has use for her.”

The one called Suikotsu growled and dropped Kagome angrily, but not before dragging his fingers across her tender flesh, resulting in four deep scratches that krept over her collar bone and ended at the nape of her neck. She gasped and her hands went immediately to the wound in attempts to stave the bleeding. Kagome's eyes flashed, just for a moment, with unchecked fury before she turned to gaze at the youth that had 'saved' her from Suikotsu. Her eyebrows furrowed in recognition, why... it's Sango's brother! She thought before shaking her head. “Nooo,” She moaned disbelievingly, closing her eyes with a gulp, “it isn't real... none of it is!” The last part she shouted, wishing so badly for it to be true, “none of this, i-it's all in my head.”

Suikotsu gave the youth a 'she must be insane' look before shaking his head and turning to walk away, “fine, Naraku can have her. I could care less... maybe I'll go kill those other two people she was with.”

“No!” Kagome leapt to her feet and balled her hands into fists, ignoring the sting in her throat, “You leave them alone, B*st*rd!”

He looked over his shoulder, and she could see that he longed to kill her. “No, you are to go after Inuyasha. He is nearby and will perhaps catch the girl's scent. He is not to interfere.”

“That half-breed?” Suikotsu scoffed.

“That's all anyone talks about, d**n it!” Inuyasha was furious, and it showed in his jerking motions as he paced near the camp fire, “I want to become a full demon Kagome, got that?”

“I don't get why you can't be happy as you are Inuyasha.” She said, hurt apparent in her voice, “I mean, I like you as a half demon.”

“And?” He crossed his arms in frustration, looking at her, he faltered, seeing her for a moment as Kikyou before quickly shaking his head to clear it of the thought.

“You were thinking of her again, weren't you?” Kagome sighed heavily and glared at him.

“Of who?” He asked innocently.

“Kikyo.” She said, her eyebrows twitching as he deliberately played the ignorant fool. “I'm not her Inuyasha.”

“Nobody said you were!” He said bitterly, “feh, and besides, you're too ugly to be Kikyo anyway.”

Kagome growled haughtily and prepared to give him the sitting of his life. Suddenly she shook herself from her daze and blinked rapidly, realizing that she was being stared at by both Kohaku and Suikotsu. She knew that she probably looked insane, what with having conversations with herself and all.

“d**n...” She hissed to herself, crossing her arms and wincing as her hand slammed into the bleeding wound.

“Suikotsu.” Kohaku said, glancing over the man's shoulder and into the distance, “Inuyasha is coming. No doubt he has her scent now, since you were B*st*rd enough to make her bleed.”

Kagome shivered and took a weary step backwards. Looking at the two before turning fully and beginning to run at the break in the trees. She longed to make it to the relief of Kaede's village- she was so close! Her breath came in ragged gasps as she felt her energy beginning to dwindle. No! Not yet, please! She silently pleaded with herself, just let me make it away from them. Let me get to Mitsubi and Reshine. Perspiration formed on her forehead as she strained to make her goal.

All hope left her as Kagome felt something sharp pierce her lower calf, and immediately she tumbled into a breathless heap- staring up at Kohaku whose lifeless eyes narrowed in her direction. He pulled back on the long chain that was connected to his sickle, “Don't do that again.” He said as he grasped the weapon firmly in his hand.

Kagome closed her eyes tightly, go away... this isn't real. I'm immagining it all, I think that probably in some sense or other I am wishing that it were true, but it isn't... it's not... and I need to really wake up. I have to escape! “Just leave me alone!” She moaned, “why are you doing this to me? All I want is to go home.”

Kohaku frowned at her, “So, miko,” A voice pierced into her very soul, it sounded from the trees around her but she couldn't quite place it, “where, I wonder, is it that you disappeared to for the past three years?” Naraku appeared and Kagome grew faint at the sight of his baboon pelt, she saw a flash of white and crimson arcing all around her before fully arrousing herself once more and beginning to quiver in horror, “Jewel shards have been so hard to come by lately- what with that Kikyo b*tch finally being dead and the fact that you are now the only one that can sense them.” He smirked at the mortified expression on her face.

“You!” She seethed in fury, wanting nothing more than to strangle the life out of him right then, though she knew that she could not, “what are you doing here Naraku?” She spat vehemently.

His smirk curled into a sneer, “it would be so easy to kill you right now.” He sneered, “the only reason that I haven't done so is because I have plans for you.”

“Oh yeah? And just what makes you think that I would comply to your plans?” She ground out through clenched teeth.

“Go,” He said darkly, “go to your precious hanyou- but know this: you are no longer above darkness. It will consume you in time, and then, miko, then you will be mine forever to manipulate however I so choose.” He crossed his arms and turned around, indicating that Kohaku should follow him, and without a word the boy did just that.

Kagome sagged in both relief and worry, what was Naraku talking about? Slowly she stood, stumbling foreward slightly as pain shot up her wounded leg. “This just isn't my day.” She moaned, just remember, this is all a dream... I probably ended up hitting my head and am now unconscious at the bottom of that well... or I may even be dead. Is this my punishment for not stopping what happened to my family? Am I to be doomed for the rest of my life/ afterlife to keep living in these false realities with this false hope?