Chapter One: Quarrel and Vengeance

Three weeks since the attack of the zombie youkai, things seemed to be finally getting back to normal. Inuyasha and Kagome were fighting again; Miroku was recovering from unconsciousness thanks to his 'possessed hand' and a fuming Sango was sitting far away from him. Shippou colored on some parchment he got from Kaede and Kirara simply sat on the grass watching the entire scene with mild interest, occasionally picking her claws. As for the combating friends, they were going full blast by the edge of the forest, each facing the other, Inuyasha's height giving him the advantage of glaring down at the shorter Kagome, who of course was unaffected whatsoever, lashing back with a glare only a severely pissed-off woman can generate.

"What is the big deal with this school thing anyway," the hanyou asked for the thousandth time. It was the argument they always had whenever she had asked to go through the well. However, the illusion caused by the youkai had proved to make this spat a little more heated and much more fierce. "After all, you already have enough to do here, why do you want to go and add more crap to your list of things to do?"

"Because," Kagome replied, stretching each syllable in an effort to calm down. "I have entrance exams coming up and I have to study! If I fail those tests I'll never be able to get into a good school!" Why couldn't he see the importance of these tests? Honestly, the tests were just the excuse. The real reason she wanted to go back to her time was for a little relaxation time. Lately she had been having nightmares of a certain clay bitch that were really starting to cut into her sleeping time. Not to mention she was cranky as hell. That damn period had snuck up on her again; the cramps didn't even come until the day before. Standing here arguing with the stubborn bastard while feeling her body tearing itself apart from the inside out was definitely not something she wanted to be doing.

"Well, you're not going! You have no use for those exam things and we still have to find jewel shards!" Although his voice held no trace, Inuyasha was becoming desperate. No matter how much he tried to quench it, there was always that fear that if she were to go through the well to her time, she might not come back. Before he had worried about completing the jewel, but now all he could think about was Kagome, whether she would come back or stay forever in her time, forsaking him because of who and what he was. Now she looked very determined, not to mention her change of scent telling him her monthly blood cycle was in full swing, making any and all decisions made during that time hasty and often permanent. Combine that with the dreams he had been having of lonely eternities and you had one very terrified hanyou. Miroku and Sango watched the fight, the monk's past transgression forgotten. Both could see the tension straining between the two, reaching the breaking point. On any other day it would have been routine, but Miroku was filled with a sense of foreboding.

"Something's going to happen," he mumbled aloud to the taijiya. "Can you feel it?"

"Yes, it's like the woods have quieted in the wake of their words, the calm before the storm. What does it mean," she asked no one, unaware that she had wrapped her arms around herself protectively, as if to shield her body and mind from what was to come. The feeling intensified as the quarrel continued to rise in pitch. Their words became shouts and cries punctured by occasional 'osuwaris'.

"Damn it Inuyasha, I have to go back to my time now and there is no way you are going to stop me," she said, her anger no longer masked. Why did he always have to make this so difficult? She had no use for the shards, so there was no reason to think that she would try to keep them. Honestly, he did not have to worry so much. She always came back! After sitting him again she made her way to the well. Inuyasha cursed loudly, demanding that she stay. Once the spell dissipated he was on his feet and leaping into the air, landing right in Kagome's path. The fight started up again, until finally the last shred of patience and sanity left in her snapped and evaporated into the black oblivion of her anger.

"Gods Inuyasha, I cannot imagine what kind of woman your mother had to be to put up with you!" All sound ceased as the hanyou looked at the girl in front of him, hurt seeping swiftly into his gaze. Despite her anger, she could still see his face and it was at that moment she realized what she had said. Guilt scalded her body as the look in his eyes told her how deep a nerve she had torn. Her throat squeezed painfully as she struggled to apologize. His response cut through her skin like a hot knife.

"She was best I could have, more than I deserved. She stayed with me, loved me, despite of what I was. Where's your father anyhow? Don't tell me you drove him off?" He did not hear a word of what he had saying. His mind was back in the past, of all the times he had spent with his mother. He remembered her smiles, her soft words, and her tears, so many tears in her eyes. So absorbed in his memories, he did not see the guilt on Kagome's face turn back to shocked anger and hurt.

"My father died from a disease, you insensitive JERK! OSUWARI," she screamed, the force of the subduing spell increased by her emotions caused the hanyou to create a three-foot deep crater in the ground before falling into unconsciousness. Tears falling from her eyes, she jumped into the well. The taijiya and monk watched in shocked silence, their thoughts were the same. 'This time it has gone too far.'

Kagome sat at the bottom of the well for a long time, crying softly. 'That jerk, talking about Dad like that. What gives him the right to judge? Damn him, I hope he and that bitch Kikyou rot in all seven hells!' With anger finally stopping her tears, she climbed the well and went to her room. No one was home; her family having gone to her aunt's to celebrate her littlest cousin's birthday. Relieved at being spared Mother's questions, at least for the time being, the teen took out her books and began to study all the books and assignments her brother Souta had compiled for her, bless his little soul. Soon the image of the hanyou and his fuzzy white ears vanished from her mind as Calculus soaked in.

Back in the Sengoku Jidai Inuyasha was still lying in his crater. The spell had long since worn off, but he did not have the strength to move. The argument kept replaying in his mind, always ending at Kagome's last words. 'So her father is dead too. I guess I just assumed he had left like mine did. I feel a little bad now that I think about it… Keh, she deserved it! How dare she insult my mother like that, like she knows what I went through! I hope she stays over there this time.' Scoffing loudly he stood up and brushed the dirt from his haori, all the while glaring at the well.

"You hear that Kagome? I hope you stay there! Keep your stupid exams and all your strange ways!" Even as he said it there was that little voice that rebelled at his anger, stating simply that she had the jewel shards and, more importantly that he loved her. But not even that voice could get him to change his mind, not this time. The hanyou shot another glare at the well before disappearing into the forest. Meanwhile, Sango and Miroku were in deep conversation discussing the recent events.

"I still say its all Inuyasha's fault," the taijiya said, rising to defend her friend. "He had been completely out of line with the comment about Kagome's father." Although Miroku was inclined to side with Kagome in this matter, he knew it wasn't entirely the hanyou's fault.

"Maybe so, but the comment about Inuyasha's mother was not the smartest thing Kagome ever did Lady Sango. She of all people, having known Inuyasha longer than any of us, should have known how sensitive that subject is and should have steered clear from it."

"Are you placing the blame on her then Houshi-sama?" Her voice was icy and caused the monk to cringe faintly, but he continued.

"Not at all. Both are at fault this time, but because both are so stubborn, there is a good chance that neither of them will ever apologize. This will not do. Since we cannot cross into her time, you and I must find a way to convince Inuyasha to go over and ask forgiveness."

"Easier said than done, Houshi-sama," she said, her voice heavy with sarcasm, but she had already begun thinking of a way to get it done. Miroku did not answer, also lost in thought. Under the fire of the hut they planned and plotted. Operation: Love's Reunion was underway.

The next day Kagome awoke to the shrill ringing of her alarm clock. She groggily stood up and made her way blindly to the shower. Letting the water rinse her body, she could feel the memory of the argument creeping on her with the steady dripping of the water down her body. She was ashamed of how she acted, but there was nothing that could be done now. He had said a lot of things as well. As far as she was concerned he would have to apologize, not her. With that thought and the reminder that entrance exams began today, the young teen hastily left for school. It seemed that cramming until three in the morning was probably not the best course of action in order to prepare for a test, but she pulled through until the end. Her friends had been surprised to see her, but they quickly got over their shock and launched a barrage of questions, namely about that 'two-timing, rough, crude, and overly possessive boyfriend.' Smiling brightly, the miko answered each question with lightning speed.

"Yeah, he is a jerk, no we're not going out, I never want to see him again, I hope he dies…" the answers continued, each more harsh than the one before, until her fondest wish for Inuyasha was for him to be dipped into a cauldron of boiling acid while being forced to eat every one of his ingrown toenails upside down, all in the same malicious monotone. The inquiries died away until there was a deathly silence among the friends. They could not believe how violent their sweet little Kagome had become. They all silently blamed him. Of course Houjou decided to choose that moment to appear.

"Konnitchiwa Higurashi-san," he said with a bright smile. At any other time said girl would have found a way to ignore the boy, but her smoldering anger at Inuyasha made engaging the handsome and extremely dense boy in conversation very appealing.

"Hello Houjou-kun, how are you?" The boy smiled wider. 'I have finally got to her! Score!'

"I'm doing okay. I hope that the rabid jungle fever you were suffering from is gone now?" Kagome stifled a laugh. Her grandfather took too much pleasure in choosing diseases.

"It's gone now. So how were the exams? Did you find any of the questions easy?" Her friends looked on incredulously as their strange friend pulled a freakish change of mood and became the typical giggling schoolgirl.

"Oh, they're just exams, I'm sure I did fine. By the way, there's a school dance on the last day of exams. Would you like to go," he asked quickly, steeling his spirit for rejection. After all, it wouldn't be the first time she refused and their last date was cut short for reasons he did not know to this day. Kagome thought about the proposal. Houjou was cute, and he always lavished her with attention, unlike some people. Maybe it would be nice to go out with him, see how it works out. There was another voice there somewhere telling her that she should say no, but it wasn't loud enough to stop what she had started.

"Yeah, of course I will. Pick me up at seven?" 'I'll show you Inuyasha. You'll see that I don't need you after all.' Her friends were speechless but Houjou nodded, smiling broadly before kissing Kagome on the cheek. Blushing furiously at his boldness, he muttered a farewell before walking away. Kagome smirked in triumph before starting the walk back to the shrine, leaving her friends behind as they struggled to sort out all the things that had happened at once. The smile would not leave her face, even though it was starting to hurt a bit. That little nagging voice bothered her. It kept telling her to say no, it was wrong, don't do it. It intensified to a roar in her ears as she stood in front of the steps to the shrine. Growling at the annoyance she ran up the stairs. Food, she needed food and TV to calm the voice! Reaching the top quickly she swung open the door. For a split second she imagined Inuyasha standing there with his arms crossed and that familiar scowl on his face, ready to drag her back to the Sengoku Jidai. Instead she found her mother hunched over the stove, her apron secured around her waist as she cooked. Hearing the door, Ms. Higurashi smiled at her daughter, removing her apron before rushing over and enveloping Kagome in a hug.

"Hello dear! I did not know you had returned," she said. "I thought you were going to stay longer."

"Well, there were some exams I had to take that were really important, so I came back earlier." There, it sounded decent enough, just add a wide smile to smooth it over. Maybe she'll fall for it. 'Or maybe Hell will freeze over,' she thought bitterly as her mother looked intently at her, destroying the fragile defenses she had put up instantaneously. With a sob Kagome threw herself on her mother again, letting the tears flow as she struggled to explain the real reason why she had come back. The elder Higurashi listened without speaking, knowing that all she was to do was wait it out. From what she could decipher, their had been another argument. This one seemed far more heated than the others. The end result was the same though; she subdued the poor boy and returned here. Once Kagome was calm she said that she would be in her room. Her mother watched her go, knowing full well she had only heard the shortened G-rated version of the events, but she was sure that whatever it was it would blow over. Inuyasha would come, Kagome would forgive him for his mistakes and all would be right with the world again. A smile formed on her face as she headed back to the troublesome stove. 'Those two belong together, even if they don't know it.'

"Come on Inuyasha, you can't stay cooped up in that tree forever," the tiny voice of Shippou cried to the hanyou perched on one of the higher branches of the forest. Upon hearing the kitsune's words he shifted and gave a sigh of annoyance.

"Just leave me alone," he responded. The young kit gave a growl of impatience as Miroku appeared at the base of the tree. He and the taijiya had finally been able to concoct a suitable plan to bring the two feuding lovers back together. It involved rope and a large amount of sleeping powder. As the monk searched for the young teen he began to realize the absurdity of their strategy. He decided to try another tactic.

"Hello Inuyasha-san, how are you?" Step one: greet the temperamental hanyou with a neutral greeting and wait for results.

"Leave me the hell alone monk." Step two, back away from the tree and try again later. Don't forget the ranting kitsune. Alone once again, Inuyasha decided to dwell on thoughts again as the sun was setting. Three days had passed since the argument and it seemed Kagome was either still mad or waiting for him to come to her time and apologize. 'Good luck waiting for that one,' he thought with a smirk before crossing his arms. But just as he resolved to wait, there was that part of him that refused to be parted from her any longer. Curse the soul for its unremitting need! As his body was wracked by the struggle between pride and love, Miroku relayed the results of the plan to his co-conspirator. Upon hearing what had occurred with Miroku, Sango had had enough and promptly decided to take matters into her own hands. Stomping over to the tree she swung her great boomerang, slicing the tree and causing it to fall. Startled for a moment, Inuyasha deftly landed on his feet as the tree crashed to the floor, poised for attack. Upon seeing whom it was that had felled the tree he relaxed. "Look Sango, I really don't feel like-"

"I don't give a damn what you have to say right now Inuyasha," she said, cutting through the hanyou's words mercilessly. "This little proud and stubborn act has gone on long enough. Get off your ass and go apologize to Kagome-chan!"

"Why the hell should I? She's the one who has to apologize to me!"

"You were the one who wouldn't let her go back to her time! Have you forgotten that she has family over there that will miss her? Gods, you can be so dense sometimes Inuyasha!"

"She has a family over there? Well whoop-dee-fucking-do! She hasn't finished collecting shards so all the crap in her time is just slowing things down! Besides, everything she needs she has here."

"Really? How do you figure that one dog-boy," Sango asked sarcastically, although inwardly she smiled. Her plan was working. If she could get the hanyou to admit he had feelings for Kagome, it might compel him to go to her.

"Well, she has food, friends, all the exercise she could ever want, and all the herbs she'll never find in her time," Inuyasha said, for he was at a loss for anything else. He wanted to say that there was someone who loved her here too, but his pride would not let him show weakness to the taijiya.

"That's all? She has all that at her time too, maybe even better than she could ever have here! And what about love? I love her like a sister but she needs more than that. Does she have that here?" From here on out it was all up to Inuyasha. His response would determine the success or failure of her plan. As for the hanyou, the struggle inside him reached a ferocity that would make the Gods tremble. Pride and his army of a thousand Stubborns clashed with Soul. A mighty battle raged on the field of the Heart until with a great cry the Victorious Psyche claimed the floor. He missed her so much. He needed her at his side no matter what. He would forgive everything she did if it meant she came back to him. And he loved her, loved her such that the reality of their relationship was constantly stabbing his heart, branding it with sorrow every time she smiled at him, because he knew that all he could ever have with her was a friendship. Now she was gone, so far and yet so close. He had to go to her, had to tell her what she meant to him. Sango watched the teen's face come alive with emotions, each fiery passion ripping through his cheeks before coming to rest in his golden eyes. There was anger, pride, pain, loneliness, and even betrayal could be identified. But what caught her attention was the vast amount of Love she saw in those pools. It staggered her the way his soul seemed to call for Kagome, beg for the joining that contained the perfection of Nirvana, of every heaven that exists. But this wild fervor was tempered, all of this flawlessness held in check for so long by fear, the fear of rejection and a lifetime alone. As the sensations cooled and left the hanyou to heal, he looked so lost that the taijiya knew then why Kagome loved him so totally. She also knew then that she had pushed too hard, ruptured something in him that was unaccustomed to anguish despite all he had lived. Inuyasha no longer needed the tough love routine, just support and confidence. Softening her voice considerably, she said, "It's okay to feel this way Inuyasha. You love her. And she loves you I know it. Go to her, she's waiting." A shudder ran through the scarlet figure before with a nod he leapt into the starry night air. 'I'm coming Kagome, and I have some things to tell you.'

Earlier that day in the modern age, Kagome fiddled with her pencil in her room. Exams were over and with it came the school dance. Who knew that the event everyone else was rejoicing was the exact thing the schoolgirl had been wishing with all her heart would not come? But why did she feel this way? After all, it wasn't like Inuyasha had come for her. He usually waited a day to let her cool off after they fought and then he would come for her. Except for that time when she came to him, but that's beside the point! He was supposed to come and he still hadn't! 'It's already been three days and he still has not come for me… well fine! If he doesn't want me then I don't want him! Humph, I have a date with Houjou tonight and I plan to enjoy myself. Who needs that stubborn jerk anyway!' Newly revived with her anger, she began dressing in the best dress and make-up she had. Summoning her mother, the two went to work preparing for the dance. Pulling out the black dress she kept hidden (and for good reason! It screamed easy access, skin-tight silk from plunging neckline to just above the knees, with the right leg slit open dangerously high. This little number defied gravity as it hung off the shoulders, exposing a hell of a lot of skin which to the schoolgirl's luck was tanned from all her time spent walking through the Sengoku Jidai) along with the black stilettos that required perfect balance to walk in. As she slipped into the second skin, her mother worked on her face and hair.

Mrs. Higurashi had her reservations about her daughter going to a dance with one boy while loving another, but she decided to keep her mouth shut. 'Kagome won't do anything that will affect the love she feels for Inuyasha, of that I am sure.' She would not know how wrong she was until it was too late. The ensemble was finished just as there came a knock on the door. Kagome smiled. 'At least he's punctual,' she thought as she kissed her mother good-bye and pulled an awestruck Houjou to his car. The dance itself was held in a ballroom two miles from her school. It was a large rectangular building with four windows on each side and a beautiful glass ceiling that was domed upward and etched with figures of couples dancing together. Her friends greeted her at the entrance with their own dates. The group entered, Kagome's arm wrapped around that of her blushing, stuttering date. Inside the ballroom were many round tables capable of holding eight people assembled around the dance floor that was paved with a beautiful beige tile. Above each table were gorgeous glass chandeliers. Over each window were draped dark red sheets of silk that gave the whole setting a romantic feel. At the far end a small stage was constructed with a microphone stand in the middle and a DJ to the right. With his shades he surveyed all the students who came in, bopping his head softly to the music that was playing as everyone came in. Once the doors closed and everyone was seated, the director strolled onto the mike and began a long-winded speech about the importance of the exams and how they should all congratulate themselves. It was interesting for about twenty seconds before the booing began and the flustered old man was metaphorically and almost literally thrown off stage. Taking that as his cue, the DJ began his spins.

"Alright, let's dance!" Kagome screamed with a giddiness she did not feel. Grabbing hold of Houjou, she dragged him onto the floor and began to boogie. He surprised her immensely as he grabbed hold of her hips and danced to the beat quite nicely. "Well, well, well, it seems someone knows how to dance," she said aloud. 'This dance might not be too bad after all.'

An hour later, in the Sengoku Jidai, the moon watched as a red and silver blur reached the Bone-Eater's Well and jumped in. Arriving in the future, Inuyasha sniffed for the woman he loved but concluded she was not at the shrine. Confused and slightly peeved, he jumped up to her room only to find it empty. 'Gods, right when I'm ready to confess my feelings, that damn wench is off somewhere else! Gotta find her before I lose my nerve.' Catching her scent instantly, the hanyou began the careful trek through the rooftops of Tokyo to the source.

Kagome was getting tired, but at least she was enjoying herself. So far the DJ had managed to mix an hour and a half of high-quality songs that kept the floor filled with dancing couples. The swift beats of electric guitars and the constant bump of drums along with the bright evanescent strobe lights made dancing a force of will to contain the senses within the confines of your own body. Kagome had lost this battle completely, letting the musical flow push her and pull her like the tides of the sea. It had been a long time since she had danced so freely. Her hips swung and her hair was whipped from side to side in her frenzy, to which Houjou watched with fascination as he too moved to the music. Suddenly, the tempo changed, becoming slower and melodic. A young woman's voice blasted through the speakers, declaring her unrequited love to the world. The dancing couples changed step according to the love song, bringing their bodies close together. Without a moment's hesitation Kagome rested her cheek on her date's shoulder as the two softly swayed. Her eyes glanced at the red and she was suddenly reminded with Inuyasha. It was such a romantic moment and she found herself visualizing all the features of the hanyou, from his powerful gold eyes to his perfect body (which she had only seen once, and it was an accident by the way!). The love she felt for him swelled in her just then, encompassing her body in a euphoric golden fog and Houjou was no longer Houjou, but a tall figure with long silver hair and white dog ears resting on his crown. His eyes were amber flames that spoke true love to the soul that yearned for it. Closing her eyes, Kagome made the biggest mistake she could have done: she kissed Houjou.

Inuyasha landed on the roof of the ballroom. 'Her scent ends here, but where could she be?' Looking through the glass ceiling, he scanned the crowd of people until he spotted her. He first noticed the dress that produced more than one dirty thought in his mind. Wait a minute, who was that she had arms around? Jealousy gripped him in its constricting grip, sinking her fangs into his heart as his hand went for Tetsusaiga's handle. Just as he was about to draw the blade and split the pitiful human in half, he saw Kagome lean in, saw her lips connect with his, watched as their grips tightened around each other as the kiss became something deeper, something primal that even the hanyou's youkai self could understand. He was numb, feeling a shiver of something make his heart spasm before it stopped beating. He was trembling, could feel his hands and knees shake at the sight as his mind fought to maintain control. 'B-but why? I-I-I l-love her. I was ready to…' It was becoming harder and harder to focus, he felt so lightheaded. His vision was blurring and clearing, blurring and clearing. The two beneath him slowly parted. Still reeling from what he had seen, he made the mistake of looking down at her face. It was filled with happiness and completion, so much so that Inuyasha could feel his lungs contract and his chest seize. The pain he was feeling he knew, recognized it in one horrible word, but the intensity with which it attacked him, rendered him completely vulnerable and on his knees, was like nothing he had ever known. A tidal wave of calm engulfed him then, clearing his thoughts of all the rampaging sensations. Feeling his legs wobble from side to side as he stood, the hanyou left the roof of the ballroom. Clouds had gathered in the night sky, obscuring the stars and moon and releasing a soft rain that washed away the salt liquid on the glass of the ceiling.

Kagome tried her best to keep her knees from giving out. She had finally got what she wanted, a kiss from Inuyasha. It had so much affection in it that she knew then that he loved her, felt it in her bones. That is, until she opened her eyes and beheld a dazed Houjou breathing heavily. His lips were brighter now and she realized with horror that it was because of her lipstick!

"Oh Houjou, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to kiss you, I mean, not that it wasn't nice, oh that's not what I'm trying to say, I mean," she continued to stammer until with a sigh she gave up and said, "I think it's time for me to go home. Can you give me a ride?" Houjou looked lost for a second. Shaking his head slightly he muttered his response.

"The car is parked too far out. We'll get soaked." Confused, Kagome looked up and realized that it was raining. 'That's strange; the weatherman said it wouldn't rain tonight. Great, looks like I'm stuck here for now.' Suggesting that they sit out the rest of the night and wait for the rain to stop, the two went to sit at the table with her friends. It was set up so that the boys all sat on one side of the table and the girls on the other. No sooner was she seated then they attacked with their questions.

"What was that about?"

"How was it?"

"Does he kiss good?"

"You gonna speak or just sit there dazed?" Kagome did not respond, preferring to count all the pieces of the chandelier above her head. Finally the girls gave up and returned to their own conversations, leaving the young miko to turn her attention from the glass lights to the sudden rain.

'So she really is happier here,' Inuyasha thought as he landed on the roof of the Higurashi shrine. He did not know where he got the strength to run but after he had left the building where Kagome was he found himself speeding full speed through the sidewalks and streets, barely missing cars and pedestrians in his blind charge. 'I always thought that she enjoyed being with Sango, Miroku, and Shippou. As for me, I knew better, but lately… maybe she does belong here. Yeah, she could have happiness here, away from all the youkai attacks, away from the hard work and constant walking, away from me. Still, the Shikon no Tama keeps her from achieving that.' He opened the window and stepped in, his clothes dripping water onto the carpet. Not bothering to sniff if anyone was home or even to turn on the light, he made his way to Kagome's backpack. 'She'll be happy here, she'll be happy here,' his mind chanted as his trembling hand rummaged through the pack until he found what he had been looking for. The vial twinkled a bright pink due to the light of the shards. The weight of what his decision implied threatened to crush him, but with a deep breath that ended in a shuddering sigh he placed the vial in the folds of his hakama. Slowly, ever so slowly he walked to the window. As his hand reached for the latch, the door behind him opened with a creak, the light of the hall casting a broad ray of illumination on the floor of the room, ending right at the edge of his feet.

Mrs. Higurashi, having decided to do a wash after Kagome had left, was taking the folded clothing into her daughter's room when she was met with a ghastly sight. There at the window was the outline of what she knew undoubtedly to be Inuyasha. After all, who else would be in Kagome's room, and with dog-ears no less! Turning on the light switch, she beheld his still wet form.

"Oh, hello Inuyasha, came for Kagome? Well, she's not here," she said cheerily, inwardly debating whether she should tell him where her daughter was. Even she knew of his notorious temper, so the answer: emphatically no. When there was no response to her inquiry however, the young mother became concerned. "Inuyasha," she began, walking into the room but stopped dead in her tracks when she finally saw his face. It had been covered with his hair before but he had looked up at the mention of his name, as if noticing the woman for the first time. What she saw in his eyes made tears spring into hers. She had always prided herself in her ability to see into a person's soul by looking into their eyes. It made her an excellent judge of character and allowed her the strength to let her precious daughter journey through the past, but now she cursed her sensitivity. What she saw in those orbs that always held a resolute determination and gentleness now contained a black bleeding chasm that signified the shattering of a heart that had already been ravaged once before. His shoulders were slumped, his lips sloping downward, a clear sign of repressed tears. All his unconscious grace had forsaken him. Standing there by the window, he looked the very spirit of defeat. Without a word the hanyou opened the window and disappeared into the rain, leaving a teary Mrs. Higurashi in his wake. 'Oh Kagome, what have you done?'

There it was, the well that had started it all, sheltered from the falling rain by the stuffy little hut. Inuyasha stood at the edge looking into the dark abyss he knew was not there. He had been standing there for some time before, hesitating. It was not fair, but it had to be done. Kagome deserves a chance at happiness, but he knew she would probably be angry, for a lot of reasons. But if he left now, he would not return, could not return. Making another decision, he used his claw to etch out his final message to the woman he loved. Then he jumped into the well. The magic gripped him as it transported him through time and released him in the Sengoku Jidai. The stars and moon greeted his return, no one else. There, in the shadow of the well bottom, he cried, letting the salt tears soak his fur and feeling the sobs shake his body like a newly orphaned child, but it did not matter. Nothing mattered anymore.

The rain was driving her crazy. Kagome couldn't explain it, but each time she looked at it she felt a deep-rooted sorrow creep into her. Everyone around her were laughing and dancing. All the noise was making her head spin. The red silk sheets, as mesmerizing as the rain, became a streak of blurred color. Having had enough, she stood up abruptly, feeling her body wobble a bit.

"Let's go Houjou, I want to leave," she said in a heavy voice. Her friends, clearly misinterpreting what she had said, gasped and giggled wildly. Said boy just looked bewildered and confused. Sighing deeply, the miko grabbed him by the arm and led him to his car, no longer caring if the rain was still falling. The sadness she had been feeling intensified as it beat against her skin. 'What does it mean? Why is my heart throbbing?' To Houjou she said, "Take me home please. I'm tired." Nodding his understanding, the boy started the car and drove her to the shrine. Nothing was said and when the steps to the temple were visible, Kagome got out of the car without saying good-bye. The steps felt slippery all of a sudden and more than once she slipped on the stilettos. Wrenching them off, she ran up the steps and reached the front door. She slid it open, walked in, and gave a general greeting to whoever might be home in one motion. Walking up the stairs and entering the room, she immediately felt that something was not right. Kagome looked around, soon noticing a puddle of water by the window, which lay open. Walking over and closing it, she continued to look for what was wrong. Her dresser was fine, the closet was fine, her desk and bed was fine, and her backpack was… wait. 'Where are the shards? Oh no, they're gone!' Panic-stricken, the young teen searched for the vial, each moment that passed leaving her feeling more desperate. 'Who could have taken them? Could it have been a demon? Inuyasha's going to be so mad… wait a minute. He was the only one who knew I had the jewel shards! But he wouldn't take them would he?' Cold Hard Logic screamed that yes, the dog-eared bastard must have taken them, but her heart told her that the situation was more than it seemed. Looking again at the puddle by the window, she knelt and inspected it for anything suspicious. Before she could really look though, she was startled by a voice behind her.

"Back so soon," the voice of Mrs. Higurashi seemed to fill the room. Kagome turned to her mother in time to have her cheek forcefully introduced to the older woman's palm. Shocked to the core, the young schoolgirl cupped her stinging cheek. "Tell me what happened at the dance right now."

"Nothing happened Mama," Kagome answered waveringly, her mind still on the kiss with Houjou/Inuyasha. Mama stood with her weight on her left leg, unimpressed.

"That's not going to cut it young lady. I want to know everything you did, now." Though her tone was deathly calm, the last word was punctured with such iciness that the young miko physically shivered before her body warmed from the embarrassment.

"Well, um, I kinda kissed Houjou while we were dancing," she finally said after a long hesitation. She had to admit she was more than a little afraid. Her mother had never slapped her before, so she was treading unknown territory. Her fear and confusion deepened when Mrs. Higurashi sighed heavily.

"Around what time did this 'kiss' occur?"

"At about ten I think," was the response, although she could not be sure. What was going on? She was about to ask when her mother's words stopped her in her tracks.

"Inuyasha was here around ten-thirty. He was soaking wet, which probably means he went to look for you. Did you see anything peculiar at the dance?"

"No," she said, but the gravity of what had been said had triggered a quick chronicling of the events at the dance. Had he seen her kiss Houjou? At that moment she prayed to every Kami she knew that he had not. Nevertheless, the look in her mother's eyes at that moment told her something really bad had happened.

"How could you do that to him," she demanded then, the calm tone gone, replaced with a vicious, melancholic hiss. "How can you kiss another boy when you love him? He was in here, there by the window with the lights off. I tried to start a conversation with him, but I couldn't reach him. He was gone. Oh, honey, those eyes screamed pain and loss. But the worse of all the powerful emotions, I could see defeat, the total surrender of his spirit to despair. He has given up Kagome, succumbed. His spirit, no doubt revived by his friendship, no longer existed. I hope I never have to see such an emotion ever again." The last sentence was spoken mostly to herself, for Kagome had run from her room, down the stairs, and out into the rain. Her feet propelled her to the well house. 'Please tell me she's wrong. Please be waiting for me. Don't be gone. Don't leave me!' Ripping open the door, she felt her heart break to behold the little shack devoid of any life. For the first time she felt tears come into her eyes. Her legs threatened to collapse beneath her as she made her way slowly to the well itself. Just as her legs gave out she reached the edge, grabbing onto it for support. The darkness obscured the bottom of the well making it seem almost bottomless, a black hole that seemed to call Kagome, enticing her to jump into oblivion. The tears continued to flow, but no sound escaped her lips. Her whole body was buzzing, almost as if millions of angry insects were walking across her skin, their sharp feet slashing beneath them. She wanted to jump, but a hideous fear overtook her, freezing her in place. Her knees tucked beneath her, she continued to stare into the depths of the Bone Eater's Well, absently running her hand along the edge. It was then she felt something strange written in the wood. Squinting her eyes in an effort to read what looked like ancient Kanji, she realized that the carving was fresh, as if recently done. Taking her time, Kagome read the lone symbol aloud.

Gomennasai

That was the last tragic piece, the element that made her final anguish complete. She knew immediately what had occurred. He had come to her time, no doubt to apologize, but she was not home. So he decided to look for her and followed her scent to the dance where he sees her kiss Houjou. What happened then she did not know, but somehow he came back to her room and took the shards. So in essence the one Kanji symbol was an apology for taking them. No, not just that, the apology encompassed everything he had done, all the times he had ever spoken harshly to her, mistreated her, and above all, it was an apology for the last thing he had said. It was Inuyasha's good-bye. At this sudden realization the dam of her emotion burst and her tears gushed forth, wracking her form with their force. She simply lay there crying, sobbing; pleading until no more tears would come. Still she stayed by the well, her soul breaking until she finally fainted from the pain. The rain continued to fall, the soft pitter-patter of tears on the roof a poignant melody for all of the world to hear. Later that night Mrs. Higurashi found her daughter unconscious on the edge of the well, her face red and eyes puffy from weeping. Picking her up silently, the woman took the miko to her room.