InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Confessions of a Broken Heart ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 6 )

****Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you****

 

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Original Author's Notes: I just wanted to clarify two things: I know that normally the news would not broadcast your face without permission, and that it is extremely unlikely that Kagome would actually find her face on television without her knowledge, but for the sake of the story I'm taking a few liberties. Also, I know that Ted Wilkins is an American name, but unlike some hardcore anime fans, I don't take Japanese or anything similar, so I'm not as creative with names. Mrs. Dun isn't exactly a creative name either…so I'm sorry about that. Just bear with me, okay? I promise the story will be worth the effort in the end! Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

 

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart

 

Author: dolphingirl0113

 

Chapter: Five

 

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

 

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A strong sense of dejavu was unavoidable as Inuyasha found himself pacing beside the Bone Eater's Well once again, just like he had been before, the sky just as blue and the birds just as loud in their attempted song. The only difference was that this time he made no move to jump across time, because he had the feeling that Kagome truly wanted to be left alone. But why…? Had he done something wrong?

 

It would be two days that night since she had left, and all the hanyou could think about was her returning to him…to his arms, and behind the protective barrier he swore to erect whenever she was around. He'd be damned if he ever let her down again, which was why he was struggling currently with the fact that he hated not knowing if she was alright.

 

Finally, deciding it would do him no good to wear out his legs by pacing, Inuyasha sat down on his haunches, crossed his arms, leaned against the old structure of the well, and rested his chin on one of his fists thoughtfully. But even that only kept him calm for so long, and in the end he found himself rising to his feet in frustration and headed back towards the forest, mumbling under his breath, “If she's not back by late tonight, I'm going to get her.” After all, she had no right to stay away for so long and worry him half to death!

 

Thankfully, Kouga had returned to his caves earlier that day with the excuse that he needed to reassure his tribe that he had not abandoned them. It made sense, especially since, as a demon, he needed to constantly refresh his scent on his territory so that surrounding wolf tribes didn't get any funny ideas, and frankly Inuyasha was relieved that the pesky wolf, and his longtime rival, was gone for the time being. The hanyou would be much happier if the wolf man and his Kagome remained at a friendly distance at all times.

 

Wait.

 

Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks, his posture going rigid as he cocked his head to the side. “Did I just say my Kagome?” His voice rang out into the silence, confused and shocked, and it was a pity Kagome wasn't around at that moment to witness the absolutely ridiculous expression written all over his face, as though someone had stuck his own foot in his mouth.

 

A cool breeze brushed past his face, ruffling his hair, and Inuyasha's sensitive nose became instantly alerted to a familiarly tragic scent…one of earth and clay. Raising his nose higher in the air, he sniffed more thoroughly, just to be sure, before taking off in the direction of the smell, one word escaping his lips. “Kikyou…”

 

It had been so long, he thought, since he'd last seen her. And the few times he did were always tense and somewhat awkward, especially lately, when the conflict raging in his heart had become almost unbearable. Frankly, even though he had been worried about her, Inuyasha had still almost been grateful that Kikyou had been keeping her distance of late. It meant he had more time to spend with Kagome without seeing the typical hurt expression that came to her eyes whenever the dead miko was mentioned.

 

She was sitting within the safety of the strong roots of the Goshinboku, her body resting as though in a cradle of sorts, with her legs over one end and her back resting against the other, her eyes closed as her soul stealers surrounded her like protective guardians. Her hair was undone, blowing about gently at the mercy of the wind, and with the green light of the eel-like creatures she seemed almost like some otherworldly spirit. Of course, he reminded himself, she technically was of the other world…she even smelled of the earth.

 

After several minutes she finally seemed to sense his presence, opening her eyes and looking up to catch his gaze in her own. Her eyes were still as dark, beautiful, and penetrating as they had always been, and Inuyasha felt drawn into their depths, helplessly unable to look away.

 

She allowed a half smile to form on her face as she spoke, her voice deep and rich like velvet. “I knew you'd come.”

 

“Kikyou…” He murmured her name again, and this time she looked away.

 

“So…Kagome has been violated,” She stated frankly, her tone cold, albeit not cruel.

 

Inuyasha took a step back in surprise, his eyes wide. “How…how did you know?”

 

The miko smiled again slightly, reaching up and stroking one of the floating eels above her gently. “I have my ways,” she replied, still not looking at him.

 

He hardened his eyes, for some reason not liking the idea that she was spying on them all the time without their knowledge. “Why are you here? If you think you can…”

 

She put up a hand for silence, and he obeyed. “Relax, Inuyasha, I'm not here to collect on your promise. I'm merely here to tell you I think it would be wise for you to keep Kagome in her time for now.” Her tone remained serious.

 

“What? Why?” Inuyasha cocked his head suspiciously, resembling a baffled puppy, wondering what exactly was going through his former lover's mind. Then he stopped short…did he just call her his former lover?

 

Kikyou rose to her feet, her red and white robes surrounding her like a delicate cloud of smoke…gentle, mysterious, and untouchable. “Naraku knows of her weakness, and will use it against her,” She explained. “He wants the shards that she carries, as he is close now to obtaining all the others. He also needs her to locate the remaining missing shards, and as such he will not top hunting her until she is his. She is crucial now to his success.” Kikyou smiled sardonically. “As I am the key to his failure…even in that we are different.”

 

As she spoke Inuyasha found himself studying the miko, trying to determine if she was telling him this to protect Kagome, himself…or if she just had yet another hidden agenda, like she'd had so many times before. After all, ever since she'd come back, Kikyou had tried everything within her power to get rid of her reincarnation, and while Kagome didn't realize it, Inuyasha knew about everything Kikyou had done to her, including the many attempts she had made on her life. Like Kikyou, he had his ways of knowing…

 

The thought, strangely, brought a smile to his face as he thought about the sweet girl no doubt currently sound asleep on the other side of the well. It was so like Kagome to put aside her own suffering and pain for others…or, more to the point, for him. In order to preserve the image of the perfect woman who he had loved fifty years ago she refused to play the part of the tattletale, always managing to skim over the details when he found her in a ruffled state of mind thanks to Kikyou. She was even willing to stay with him when he openly admitted he had chosen another…another who had once gone so far as trying to kill her.

 

“Kikyou, how do I know that what you say is advice meant to help Kagome?” He finally asked, his voice slightly shaky. “After all, you've tried to get rid of her before.”

 

She eyed him steadily. “If your trust in me is that thin, Inuyasha…”

 

“You're damn right it is!” He felt a chord within him snap, all the anger, pain, and hurt over what had happened to Kagome, his Kagome, flooding to the surface with that one simple statement. “You have hurt her, purposefully put her down, insulted her, several times tried to force her down the well for good, and once…” He pointed an accusatory finger in her direction. “Once you even tried to kill her!”

 

“To my everlasting shame,” she acknowledged softly, looking away once more.

 

Inuyasha couldn't help the bitter laugh that bubbled up from his chest in response to that. “You feel no shame, Kikyou…you feel nothing! Even now, when Kagome has been…has been…horribly, brutally attacked, all you are thinking about are ways to get her out of your life for good!”

 

Why was he saying this? Why was he being so cruel? It wasn't all true, after all, he knew that. Kikyou did feel, although he had to admit that sometimes he wasn't sure exactly how much…still, she didn't deserve what he was saying at that moment. She didn't deserve to be his punching bag.

 

As though reading his thoughts, Kikyou whirled around, and Inuyasha instantly swallowed any other bitter words he was about to spit out when he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks, a deep rooted sorrow in her eyes, as though she carried the weight of the world on her back.

 

“Do you think…” She actually choked as she spoke, and tried again. “Do you think I wanted this to happen to her, Inuyasha?” She shook her head elegantly, staring at the ground, her hair billowing out around her in the wind. “No matter what I have done to her in the past, I would never, never wish this on Kagome. She does not deserve such a cruel fate…no woman does…”

 

She turned away momentarily, and Inuyasha stepped forward a few steps, unsure of what to say. He felt lower then dirt at that moment. “Kikyou, I'm sorry…”

 

“She saved my life once, you know,” the miko interrupted, as though he had never spoken in the first place, the sound coming from her lips both haunting and beautiful.

 

“What?”

 

Turning around and meeting his gaze once more, she smiled sadly, her cheeks still wet, and nodded. “Yes, though it was some time ago now. She and I were lured into a cave containing a monster, and were trapped. Only mikos could be trapped in such a way, because this monster fed off the power of a priestess.” The usually stoic miko smiled wider at the memory. “The girl couldn't stop asking questions…always so curious…but at the same time also very strong and brave.”

 

She sighed, paused for a moment, and then continued. “I was dying…my soul stealers were unable to break through the barriers to get to me, and I told her to take my arrows and escape with her life. But she refused to leave me…confounding girl that she is…instead carrying me with her as she traveled to the middle of the cave, where she, on her own, fired an arrow and destroyed the monster, freeing us both. Later, when I asked her why she saved me, she simply turned and said that it was because if I died, someone would be very sad.”

 

Kikyou looked directly at Inuyasha then, and the hanyou felt a jolt run through his body, knowing exactly who that someone was, and also feeling his heart swell with pride as he thought of Kagome's extremely generous act to one who, in all truth, did not deserve such kindness. He recalled a day, some time ago, when Kagome had disappeared after they had a fight, and he hadn't found her until it was dark. She had given him no explanation as to where she had gone, and at the time he had not asked for one. Now he wished he had. He wished he could have known…

 

“Kikyou, I'm sorry I got so mad at you,” he offered lamely. “It's just that…”

 

“We all need to use someone for our anger, Inuyasha,” She replied, putting her hand up once again for silence. “I certainly used Kagome many times when I should not have, like the day when I left her for dead after stealing her shards and giving them to Naraku. I wanted her to hurt like I did, to understand loss the way I do…I somehow believed that if we shared pain then my own suffering would vanish. But it didn't.” Kikyou sighed. “You can't end cruelty with more cruelty. The old saying an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is false…because then the whole world would be blind and toothless.”

 

“Kikyou…” Inuyasha didn't know what to say or do. For the first time since her resurrection, she actually sounded like the woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago. She sounded kind and warm…not cruel and calculating, like a woman out for revenge.

 

She looked at him again. “I didn't come here to clear my own conscience, Inuyasha,” Her voice had reverted back to its cold demeanor once more. “I came to tell you that Naraku plans to attack and take Kagome soon.”

 

“How do you know this?”

 

“As I said before, I have my ways.”

 

“Kikyou…you really want to help her?”

 

Kikyou smiled again, that tragic smile that wrenched at the heart. “You still only hear half of what others say,” She chuckled, obviously lost for a moment in memory. “But if you'll recall, I said earlier that no one deserves what happened to her. She need not suffer any more because of this than she already has. And besides, she saved my life…I am now in her debt, which is not a place I'd like to be.”

 

Inuyasha felt himself nodding in understanding, and the two stared at one another for several moments, remembering a time long past…a time they could never have back.

 

Suddenly a scream pierced the air, and Inuyasha stiffened, jerking around. He knew that voice, and what's more, he knew that scent…it was Kagome!

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

Clutching the note in her hand, which was still shaking like a leaf on a winter night, Kagome climbed out of the well, tears in her eyes. Would she never be able to escape him? She wanted to forget that night, to lock it away in the darkest recesses of her mind and never look at it again, and as such filing a police report had been the last thing on her mind. Yet he assumed she'd do it, and was now watching her every move. The thought caused her to tremble and cry in fear.

 

She felt incredibly sick, as though her body wanted to practically turn itself inside out, and before she could move another step she found herself retching all over the ground, emptying the contents of her stomach. She couldn't handle this sort of pressure for much longer. Perhaps she should never go back to her time again!

 

As she rose back to her full height, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Kagome felt a whisper of wind on her cheeks, and whirled around, looking to see if there was any sort of unnatural cause of the disturbance, to be met with nothing. Gods above, when had she become so jumpy?

 

“Inuyasha…?” Her voice was weak, and utterly unrecognizable to her ears. It disgusted her, and she shook her head, feeling like nothing more than a coward as she turned to sit down on the lip of the well to think for a few minutes and calm her racing heart.

 

But the moment she turned around a large demon that looked like a fox grabbed her and pulled her against its chest, squeezing so hard that her abdomen felt like it would shatter her ribs from the pressure. She wanted to scream, but felt all the air in her body forced out by his tight embrace.

 

“You will come with me,” he said in a horribly cruel voice.

 

“No…please let me go,” she begged, not wanting any more pain or struggle. A flash of light told her that the demon had a shard in his throat, and since it was black she could guess who had given it to him.

 

Naraku.

 

“My master is in great need of your company,” the demon continued as though he wasn't even aware of Kagome struggling against his arms, and it quickly became painfully obvious that she was much weaker then her latest captor, just like before…

 

Oh god, her heart wailed, would it always come back to that night?

 

“Tell Naraku to stay the hell away from me!” She elbowed the demon in the eye, and he let her go. She started to run, but was instantly tackled to the ground, her breath leaving her in a painful whoosh. The position was so like before, with her underneath a heavy creature and powerless to stop him, that she went rigid and did the only thing she could think of. She screamed. “Inuyasha!!!”

 

“Kagome!” Running as fast as he could, Inuyasha feared he wouldn't make it in time to save her. He had never heard such a desperate scream from the girl before.

 

When he emerged in the clearing by the well he found Kagome pinned beneath an ugly fox demon who was growling at her menacingly, holding a clawed hand up to her throat. “You little bitch,” he hissed, causing Kagome to cringe, “You'll pay for that!”

 

But before the demon could utter another word Inuyasha was running towards him, swinging the tetsusaiga, careful to avoid Kagome with the sharp blade. “Get your hands off of her, you bastard!”

 

The demon leapt to his feet with a look of surprise, backing away instantly on instinct. Kagome sat up, and Inuyasha ran to her side. “Kagome, are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

 

“N-no, I'm alright,” she managed to stammer, but when she looked up his heart sank. The doll eyes were back in full strength.

 

“Inuyasha!” A woman's voice called out, and the hanyou whirled around instinctively, clutching Kagome to him protectively.

 

Kikyou ran into the clearing, her loose hair flying about wildly, an arrow notched in her bow. The soul stealers hovered just behind her, and her intimidating stance and stare caused the demon to take yet another step back.

 

“You…you're that woman…the one Naraku talked about,” he spoke, his voice shaking.

 

Kikyou smirked. “My reputation precedes me these days,” she commented, raising her bow. “Oh well, it saves me the trouble of an introduction.”

 

The fox demon looked terrified now. “No, please…I was just following orders, I meant no harm! Naraku didn't want her killed, he just wants the girl to find the jewel shards! Please, I…”

 

But he spoke no more, for a purity arrow lodged itself within his heart, and the demon vaporized, his soul vanishing into the sky, pure at last. The shard that had been in his neck fell to the ground, still glowing black, and Kikyou walked over calmly, picking it up and fingering it lightly in her hand.

 

It was silent in the clearing once more, save for the birds that had begun to rustle about now that the commotion was over, and even the sun was attempting to break through the slight cloud cover in the sky. All in all it was a rather deceptively pleasant scene, unlike the tension now filling the air.

 

Kagome didn't know what to say or think. Inuyasha, who was still standing with his arm around her waist, had saved her, but so had…Kikyou. “Why?” She whispered before she could stop herself, and the older miko turned to look at her reincarnation steadily, remembering when she had asked the same question.

 

“Inuyasha, may I speak to Kagome alone?”

 

The hanyou tensed, not wanting to leave the shaking girl in his arms alone ever again. “Why?” He asked warily, and Kikyou shook her head sadly.

 

“I won't hurt her, and you can stay nearby to make sure of that. I just…I need to talk to her.”

 

Glancing at Kagome once, Inuyasha reluctantly let her go, watching as she shakily stood on her own feet. He hated the fact that the doll-like Kagome was back, and could only imagine what had happened to make her this way again. When she'd left, while she hadn't been anywhere near returning to her normal self, she'd at least had some color in her cheeks and the hint of her old sparkle in her eyes. Now that was all gone, and they were back to square one.

 

“I'll be close, so just call if you need me,” he assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder for an instant before walking away…slowly.

 

Once sure he was gone, Kikyou turned again to face Kagome, who was staring at the ground as though it were something fascinating, her ebony bangs covering her eyes. The soft sound of sobbing permeated the air, and Kikou sighed. This could be a lot harder then she'd originally thought.

 

“Kagome, don't cry,” she spoke, her voice cool, hiding the sympathy she felt within. “Whoever he is isn't worth your tears.”

 

Looking up, her eyes red and her face puffy, Kagome scowled. “What do you know?” She spat out bitterly, surprisingly even herself with her sincerity. “You think you know everything, but in fact you know nothing!”

 

Kikyou narrowed her gaze. “Believe me, I know plenty about suffering,” she snapped back, and Kagome instantly lowered her eyes, like she was in submission.

 

Not going to put up a fight, I see, Kikyou thought in disappointment, for once wishing to have the old girl back who wouldn't stop talking. Whoever her attacker was had really done a number on Kagome's spirit. That would have to end…now. “Look at me,” she commanded in a dangerously low voice.

 

Kagome slowly raised her eyes once more, but this time they were hesitant and fearful without the buoying support of her anger. Her face looks like mine, Kikyou realized with horror…it was completely devoid of all emotion. So unlike the Kagome Higurashi she had come to know.

 

Finally, choosing a course of action, she forced her gaze to harden once more. “Tell me, how long do you plan on feeling sorry for yourself?” She watched in satisfaction as Kagome blinked several times in surprise.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“You heard what I said. How long will it be before you start living again?” She smirked. “Or do you intend to dwell on one moment for the rest of your life?” Kikyou watched in satisfaction as a faint spark glimmered in Kagome's eyes, and smiled. Good, though thought, anger she could handle. Anger is what she wanted.

 

“Don't you dare judge me, you bitch!” Kagome sounded dangerous, even deadly, but the miko ignored that fact and allowed the girl to continue. “All you ever do is mope around and feel sorry for yourself and what happened, or else you would have freed Inuyasha from his promise to you a long time ago. And you have the gall to lecture me? Don't you dare to judge me!”

 

Kikyou stared intently at her reincarnation, and Kagome found herself eventually looking away, unable to stand the penetrating gaze any longer. It was like the elder woman could see into her very soul…and she didn't like it.

 

“What are you angry about, Kagome?” the miko finally asked with a sigh. “Is it the fact that you were raped, or the fact that you didn't fight back?” Kagome jerked at the question, and that was enough to tell Kikyou she had hit the very epicenter of the problem.

 

“I'm a coward,” the younger woman finally whispered, new tears coming to her eyes. “And that shouldn't surprise you, after all you've said so before. I talk too much, and don't think enough. Even Inuyasha has said I will never be like you.”

 

Kikyou grimaced at that. What exactly had that foolish hanyou made her out to be? A saint? She had been far from perfect in life…so why was everyone so determined to make her so in death? She refocused her thoughts on Kagome. “Since when has anyone's insults stopped you before? I know for a fact that you have defended both yourself and Inuyasha many times, and it was because of you that he made it out alive in several dangerous scenarios.”

 

“But…” Kagome blushed. “I can barely defend myself against simple attacks now. I just…I just freeze. Even now, with that fox demon, I was so caught up in the memory of what happened that I didn't even try to fight back, at least not really.” Her blush deepend. “That night, I didn't fight back, and now I never seem to fight back any more.” She lowered her eyes in shame, at the same time wondering why in the world she was telling Kikyou of all people her deepest thoughts. “I am unworthy.”

 

Kikyou couldn't believe that Kagome truly meant what she said, and wouldn't stand for such low esteem coming from a girl who had practically re-taught the older miko self-reliance since her resurrection. “If you're expecting me to tell you you're wrong, it won't happen,” she stated coldly, and Kagome looked up.

 

“What?”

 

“I will not stand here and tell you how good of a person you are, or how worthy you are to live and be loved, or how you are a strong person, because you know all of that already, and I refuse to puff up your self-confidence simply because you need to hear it.” Kikyou walked up and placed the blackened shard in Kagome's hand. It instantly turned a healthy pink, and the miko smirked in spite of herself. “You are Kagome…now prove that to the rest of the world.”

 

And with that she began to walk away, feeling much better.

 

“But…why? Why are you doing this?” She heard Kagome whisper, and turned around briefly, allowing her eyes to soften slightly.

 

“Because, if you don't make it through this, Kagome, someone will be very sad.” She smiled even more as she watched Kagome recognize her own words thrown back at her, deciding to leave it at that and continued to walk away in silence, leaving the younger woman staring at her hand, which still held the now pink shard, lost in her thoughts.

 

Inuyasha returned shortly after and stared at Kagome for a long time, trying to assess whether she was in better or worse shape then when he had left, and was shocked to see that, when she loked up, the doll face was gone. Kikyou, he thought with an inward smile, what did you do?

 

“Kagome, are you alright?” He seemed to be asking that a lot lately, but Kagome didn't seem to mind, and neither did he. It was the closest he could come at the moment to verbalizing how much he cared for her, and it made him feel good to do so.

 

With a smile on her face, Kagome nodded and lifted her head so that the sun was shining into her eyes, warming her body to its very core. “I will be,” She said softly, almost as though it were a promise to herself rather than an answer to his question.

 

Running her fingers over the crinkled piece of paper in her hand, the note from Ted Wilkins, Kagome suddenly knew what she had to do. It was the only way she could think of to get past all of this and move on with her life.

 

“Inuyasha, I need to go back to my own time again,” she heard herself saying with a renewed sense of confidence, and Inuyasha perked up, for the first time since her rape hearing a faint hint of the old Kagome trying to come back.

 

“Why?” You just got here…and I know you came back scared out of your wits, because you sure as hell didn't look alright when I first saw you.” He was frowning now as he thought about it, tempted to force her to stay behind.

 

But she met his gaze forcefully with her own. “I can't keep running away,” She insisted, her voice strong. “I need to face my problems and prove to myself that I can overcome them. That's the only way I can get back to being the person I used to be.”

 

Now Inuyasha wasn't sure if her new attitude was pleasing or unnerving. She wanted to leave again? And go back to her time, where there was a rapist…her rapist…running around?

 

It occurred to him then that this time she had actually told him what she wanted to do, rather than simply leaving again without a word, and he realized that perhaps she wanted him to go with her, but was leaving it silently up to him. If that was the case, then he supposed it was okay. “Alright, but I'm coming with you,” he said firmly, crossing his arms and expecting a protest.

 

Instead, he was nearly knocked over as Kagome launched herself into his arms and squeezed him tightly around his mid-section, leaning her cheek against his chest. He blushed and looked down, unsure of what to do but having to admit he liked her there with her hair just beneath his nose, making it possible for him to smell the vanilla shampoo she used.

 

“Thank you, Inuyasha,” she whispered, for an instant burying her face completely in his red jacket before pulling away once more. “And when we get back, the first thing I'll do is tell you everything that happened that night.”

 

At this he jerked, unsure of what to say. “Me? You want to tell me? But…why? Shouldn't you talk to someone like your mother or your grandfather? Someone who understands you and who you trust?”

 

Kagome smiled, and it was genuine, actually reaching her eyes, causing his heart to melt. She touched his cheek softly and he went completely still, relishing the feeling of her warm skin against his. “I trust you more than anyone else I have ever known,” she spoke gently. “I know you will keep me safe, because you always do. And I know you understand me better than anyone else.”

 

He blushed at the praise, his eyes locked with hers momentarily, neither wanting to look away, and he found himself nodding. “Okay, if that's what you want,” he finally said, stepping back and crossing his arms, trying, unsuccessfully, to look gruff again. In truth he only managed to look like a complete goof ball, and Kagome giggled.

 

“Thank you, Inuyasha, it is what I want,” she said before turning back to the well. “You go tell the others what's going on, and then come to my house. I'll meet you there, okay?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever wench,” he huffed, trying to sound like hew as the one in control, but failing miserably as he took off at a run for Kaede's village.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

Kagome climbed back out of the well in her time and walked into the house, smelling fresh brownies wafting out from the kitchen, and smiling slightly before heading up to her room. She opened her hand and saw that the note was still crinkled in her palm, and smoothing the paper between her fingers she read the contents once more.

 

They still managed to send shivers down her spine, making a part of her want to duck and hide under the covers for the rest of her life, but at the same time another part of her had suddenly come alive following her meeting with Kikyou. You are Kagome…now prove that to the rest of the world. The miko's words reverberated through her skull, and Kagome smiled as she felt a glimmer of her old confidence shimmer in the back of her soul.

 

It wasn't so much the prospect of proving Kikyou right as it was proving everyone else wrong that caused her to suddenly want to defeat this monster that had grown up before her very eyes. She wanted to show Naraku, and everyone else, for that matter, that she could be strong and recover, and she enjoyed picturing the shocked looks on their faces when she did finally completely return to normal.

 

I am Kagome…I am Kagome…

 

She kept saying that over and over, and each time she did she felt her chest puff out just a little more.

 

Taking out a small photo album from her dresser drawer, she placed the note in the middle of the pages and gently slid the album under her bed for safekeeping. Before, all she'd wanted was for Inuyasha to see it, go out, and get revenge for her. But now she just wanted to move on, and so knew that her protective hanyou should never see the note.

 

Eventually, she promised herself, she would file that police report, and hopefully the police would catch this Ted Wilkins…but first, she had to get her own life in order.

 

With that thought in mind, she headed downstairs, pulled out a thick phone book, and set it with a thud on the counter before opening it and skimming the G section with her finger until she found the name of their local gym. Picking up the phone, she dialed the number and schooled herself to remain calm as it rang on the other end.

 

“Good afternoon, Fitness-For-You, this is Darlene speaking, how may I help you?”

 

The woman on the phone seemed nice enough, and Kagome took a deep breath before finding the courage to speak. “Um, yes, my name is Kagome Higurashi, and I was wondering if I could set up an appointment with one of your personal trainers?”