Kagome trailed listlessly after Sesshoumaru. What was she going to do? Kagome took a quick peek at Sesshoumaru to gauge his mood. Seeing the youkai's expressionless face, she sighed. I'm so tired! I can't walk around for so long in the middle of the night. I'm only human, I need my sleep. He may not get tired but I do! What's with these selfish dog demons? Kagome was physically and emotionally tired from the long night, trying to deal with seeing Inuyasha and Kikyo together and trying to stay alive with Sesshoumaru. She wondered how she was going to get back to her own time. It would be hard to get back to the well with Sesshoumaru with her. And it might not be a good idea to let him know how she traveled between worlds. Kagome didn't want to think about the havoc Sesshoumaru could wreck upon her world if he managed to get there. She wondered if Inuyasha knew that she had not gone back to her own time.
Kagome sighed. Inuyasha. Would he even care that I'm missing? After all, he has chosen Kikyo. If he cared for me at all it would only be because I'm his Shikon detector as he keeps telling me. And I don't think he even cares about that anymore since he has Kikyo now to find the shards for him. Kagome remember how they were when she last saw them in the forest, Inuyasha was holding Kikyo. It hurt to think of them, together, so close to each other in the forest. There was no room for her between those two. Kagome grimaced. Running away from Inuyasha was not such a bad idea but running into Sesshoumaru was a very bad idea. Kagome stared at the ground and continued walking, lost in thoughts of the two brothers, both causing trouble for her in different ways.
Another hour passed and the moon was bright in the sky. The air seemed to get chillier the further they walked and Kagome shivered as she walked. She was so tired that she plodded along only have conscious. Kagome started as she walked into something warm and soft. So dazed was she that without a second thought she rubbed her face against the softness. So warm Kagome almost sighed in contentment at the sudden warmth and softness. The girl snapped to attention at a sudden thought. Omigod, this better not be what I think it is.
Sesshoumaru looked on as the human rubbed her face against his white tail. For a moment the youkai wondered why he allowed this human to touch him. For some reason, this human girl did not seem the same as the rest of the humans he had met previously. Sesshoumaru wondered at the feelings the girls seemed to be emitting. She was tired but at the same time she seemed to be radiating contentment. Apparently, this feeling had to do with her rubbing her face against his tail. A distant memory seemed to tickle his mind as the girl brushed her hand on his tail. Sesshoumaru pondered what it could be but noticed the girl had stiffened. Amused, he watched as the girl slowly looked up and peeked at him.
Kagome peeked up at Sesshoumaru's emotionless face and jumped as he raised an eyebrow at her. Letting go of his tail and backing away, Kagome fell on the ground. What was I thinking? I can't believe I rubbed my face against Sesshoumaru's tail and didn't get my head clawed off. Turning back to the youkai Kagome swallowed nervously as she realized he was studying her. Her heart beat heavily in her breast, as time seemed to stand still as Sesshoumaru stared into her eyes. Helplessly, Kagome stared into his eyes and wondered is she was going to get her head clawed off after all.
Kagome's heartbeat slowed its frantic beating as Sesshoumaru finally looked away after what seemed like an eternity. She watched as he settled himself in an upright position against a large tree and closed his eyes. Kagome kept staring at Sesshoumaru but when he did not move after five minutes she relaxed. She let out a sigh of relief as she realized that she wasn't going to die just yet. Kagome looked around the area at which they had stopped. There was no point trying to escape because she wasn't that naïve to think that the youkai wasn't aware of where she was at all times. Kagome started to head to the tree furthest away from Sesshoumaru when she felt as though many hungry eyes were centered on her. And so, Kagome found herself laying down to sleep not ten feet away from Sesshoumaru. She yawned tiredly and fell quickly into a deep sleep.
~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, sitting in a tree as was his wont, Inuyasha stared into the night sky. Kagome She left without saying a word. Since I've promised myself to Kikyo, to protecting Kikyo, Kagome and I can't go on as we were before. Inuyasha gazed down at the small group fast asleep below. He watched as Shippo slept peacefully in Sango's arms looking as young and innocent as he should be. Inuyasha made a face. That little kitsune brat had been bugging him all day about Kagome. Kagome He wondered what she was doing right now, what she was thinking after seeing him with Kikyo and if she will come back. I didn't think of her at all when I was with Kikyo. Feh, she comes back at the worst times. Staring at the twinkling stars Inuyasha muttered an expletive. I wonder if she'll come back.
Night passed quickly with Inuyasha still lost in his thoughts. Soon, the others were awake and after a quick breakfast, everyone prepared to pack up camp. Shippo stared at Inuyasha and then looked at Sango and Miroku meaningfully. Sango just glanced at Shippo and Miroku then turned her gaze to Inuyasha. Miroku hummed as he packed but also turned to stare at Inuyasha pointedly after Sango's glance. Then, they all seemed to come a stop and gather around a clueless Inuyasha.
"Inuyasha! Where is Kagome? Why haven't you gone to bring her back from her time yet?!?" Shippo bounced impatiently as he waited for Inuyasha to explain. The hanyou just stared off into the distance with a blank look on his face.
Miroku glanced at Inuyasha thoughtfully.
"Kagome-sama never stays away from us for longer than she says. So what did you do to anger her this time, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha just stared blankly at him. "What?"
"Why do you have such a strange face on? You look like your face is frozen. Did something happen with Kagome-sama?"
"Aa," Inuyasha intoned. "She saw me and Kikyo together."
Sango gasped and wondered how Kagome was faring. Shippo growled at Inuyasha and panicked at the thought of Kagome not being with them anymore. If Miroku felt any shock, he didn't show it. He looked at Inuyasha for a long, solemn moment before shocking Inuyasha out of his blank look.
"You will have to go to her world to get the Shikon shards back then. If it is how I think it is, you must have chosen Kikyo. Otherwise, I don't think Kagome would be upset enough to not even see us. Since you have chosen Kikyo, it would not be fair of us to force her to find the shards with us."
Sango stared at the ground at the words and held a still Shippo. Just as she was getting to know Kagome better she was leaving. Poor Shippo, he's going to miss Kagome-chan the most. She was like a mother to him. Sango hugged the small kitsune comfortingly. She knew that Miroku was right and she hoped the young kitsune cub would realize the same.
Inuyasha stared at Miroku for a long time, wondering why he was shocked. At the back of his mind, he knew he would not be able to see Kagome again. But the full impact of that had not hit him till now. Somehow, hearing the words from another brought to his mind how much he would miss her. In the beginning, when he woke from his long sleep, there was only her, his only companion. She didn't seem to care at all that I was a hanyou, not a human and not a demon. She was nice to be when she didn't have to be. After so long...
~*~*~*~
And so, Inuyasha found himself heading towards the Bone Eater's Well. Running through Inuyasha's Forest quickly, he paused as he saw the well's clearing. Slowly, he approached the well and crouched next to the mouth of the well. Instinctively, Inuyasha sniffed the air trying to catch Kagome's scent. The scent was a day old but a lingering sweetness teased his nose. Shaking his head, Inuyasha leaped into future Tokyo through the Bone Eater's Well.