1000 by Wolfe

You Betrayed Us

Pain surged from her left arm as the hanyou's claws started to embed themselves in her delicate flesh. The boy she once considered her best friend and the keeper of her heart, was currently pulling and literally dragging her away from the well to some unknown location. All she knew for certain was that she did not want to go there.

Her already torn up form was bruised and she was fairly certain her right shoulder was dislocated. Possibly a broken rib or two, but definite bruising. Her lungs struggled for breath, and her heart hammered within her chest, working frantically to circulate the ever decreasing amount of blood.

The hanyou had met her at the well, as he had done the past 3 years, but something was incredibly wrong when she laid eyes on him. His face had been indifferent, his eyes hard and cold, and his aura was hostile. At first, she thought that his inner demon had come out, but his eyes, though now foreign to her, were still their golden amber.

A struggle ensued almost immediately. Before she could say anything, he verbally lashed out at her, accosting her about her lack of fighting skill and miko power. He called her useless, only to retract that statement and correct himself by saying, “No, I'm sorry. You're not even useless. You're a burden!”

His words had ripped through her. It wasn't until a few more choice words on his part, that a never ending well of anger flared up within her and she sat him. Not just once, but repeatedly. She just couldn't stop herself. Once the word had left her lips, it was as if just one “fix” couldn't satisfy her.

But, being the creature that she was, the anger was soon replaced with guilt and concern for her friend. Rushing to his side and repeatedly apologizing to the hanyou, she was not fast enough to dodge his attack when the spell wore off.

The first thing he did was lash out at her throat, rendering her unable to speak, let alone scream for help. Then he let lose a fraction of his furry on her. She tried to defend herself, but her ningen body was no match for the demon blood he possessed.

All of which lead to her current condition: battered, broken, bruised, and literally being dragged on the forest floor by her left arm toward some unknown destination by the one she had once called her friend.

Not even her shattered heart could feel the pain of betrayal at that moment. Her bodily injuries were painful beyond imagination.

Time was fleeting to her. It seemed like scant minutes before he threw her body into a cleaning, effectively dislocating her left shoulder in the process. He snarled, informing her “not to move from that spot.”

She couldn't even physically move, so his threat was pointless. Hadn't he ensured that himself? When she landed, she was sure that something else must have broken. It just didn't seem natural the way her body felt.

Inuyasha, for his part, found a spot in a tree at the far edge of the clearing, obviously wanting to put the distance between them. A cold breeze rolled over her and her mind sarcastically pointed out that the hanyou's position kept him upwind of her scent.

She briefly wondered why no tears had fallen. Surely this much pain would warrant tears? Yet they eluded her, as if they were waiting for the true event to take place.

It was here that she found time had slowed down. Although she was beyond tired and every movement caused blinding pain, she couldn't bring herself to sleep in the hanyou's presence. That act of trust was just incomprehensible.

At some point, she became aware of little wisps of sounds. Some one was walking toward them and to her hearing, it was as if the person were marching right next to her head.

Inuyasha jumped from his perch and greeted the new comer with open arms.

The stench of decay and death was overwhelming to Kagome's senses. Again, her mind tried to fathom how the half demon could stand that scent.

“She's over there.” Kagome heard him say with disgust.

Kikyo made her way to her reincarnation, kneeling down next to her head. Cold fingers drew back the wisps of hair covering the girl's face and Kagome was shocked to see the emotion within them.

“I told you to ask her to come here. Why did you bring her like this?” The dead miko's voice had an underlying sadness to it.

“Does it matter? Keh,” Inuyasha sneered toward the living miko. “She's here isn't she? Lets get this over with, already!”

Kikyo remained by Kagome's side, keeping her back toward the hanyou. “But you called her friend. I only wished to speak with her. The force was unnecessary and uncalled for.”

Inuyasha refused to back down. “Whatever. We both know that an incomplete soul means that Naraku can't be defeated. You've said so yourself. Let's just fetch the rest of your soul and go meet the others.”

Kagome's eyes widened at the implications of his words. Kikyo's own eyes narrowed with distaste at the half demon briefly. Her cold hand was placed reassuringly on Kagome's arm. The young miko stared up into those eyes, showing emotion beyond hatred or death, and Kagome felt a surge of relief rush through her.

Kikyo stood and faced off Inuyasha. Rage burned within her. Betrayal simmered while the need for vengeance soared. She couldn't believe everything she had put her soul through for the being before her. To think, that she once claimed to love this foul male. Worst was the fact that her soul, after being reborn, had sought him out and pined after him again.

Kagome could feel the dark aura around Kikyo that was clearly directed at the hanyou and was quite clearly in a state of shock. Last she had crossed paths with the other woman, said woman was trying claim her life as she had done many other times.

'Listen to me, Kagome. I need to borrow some of your power. I am unable to bind him with what powers I have now. Kikyo's voice was strong within Kagome's mind, but the idea of binding him reminded her of when she first found him bound to the god tree. I sense your hesitation and your conflicting emotions. I cannot bind him as I once did. I only wish for us to talk in piece.

Kagome had to admit that she wanted that exact thing. She had many questions of her own for the dead miko. With her mental consent, she felt her powers freely move to Kikyo.

Inuyasha didn't stand a chance against the swirl of reiki that surrounded him. He wasn't even aware of his body moving to lay on the ground, nor closing his eyes and sleeping.

Once he was bound in a dormant state, Kikyo hurriedly helped Kagome move onto her back, using the residual power to help heal what she could, starting with her throat. She mended the tendons and muscles so that the girl would be capable of speech, before moving on to the more obviously life threatening wounds.

It took some time, but soon Kagome was able to sit up, propped against a tree. Her lungs still felt as if a knife was sheathed within them and she couldn't move her arms. Both of her arms hung useless at her sides, unwilling to move them, knowing the pain it would cause her.

Kikyo eyed her arms and sighed.

“This will hurt. The only reason I know how to do this is because Kaede once fell from a tree and when she tried to grab a tree limb, she pulled the socket out. I will try to be quick.” Kikyo reached forward and repositioned Kagome's body to better accommodate fixing Kagome's right arm.

With a quick, sharp movement, Kikyo reset the socket. Flashing white pain blinded the young miko for a moment, while Kikyo once again repositioned the girl. When her head was begin to clear from the pain, Kagome nearly passed out as Kikyo fixed her other arm.

The dead miko waited fairly patiently for the young woman to recover. With all her spare power spent, she was unable to heal any of the other wounds, but at least now, if needed, the other girl could flee. As it was, the dead miko had the rest of the power she possessed to keep the inu hanyou passed out.

Kagome felt the throbbing pains in her shoulders reduce to a manageable level and opened her eyes only to be greeted with the sight of the dead miko. She took a moment to shift her shoulders, grimacing at the restricted movement thanks to the pain.

“The pain is better,” Kikyo said. “Keep them still until the swelling goes down a bit. Once your arm is able to lift nearly to the height of your shoulder, work them slowly and constantly.”

“Yes,” Kagome replied. “It is manageable as long as I don't move.”

Kikyo eyed the girl's quick breathing and frowned. “How much pain are your lungs in?”

Kagome's brows furrowed in thought. “Each breath is like a stab with a knife.”

Kikyo considered vaguely if there was anything she could do to ease the pain. She was slightly worried that a lung might be in jeopardy of being punctured if one of the girl's ribs splintered off.

“It is fine,” Kagome spoke up, cutting into the dead miko's thoughts. “It is getting better with every breath, thanks to my natural miko healing abilities.”

Kikyo nodded. “Do you know why I wanted to talk to you?”

“No.”

Kikyo gave her a smile, surprising Kagome with it's beauty. “I have spent a long time thinking and searching. Those last words we shared on the battle field bothered me. I couldn't stop thinking of them. Do you remember?”

Kagome's nose scrunched as she searched her memory for the event.

#

The Battle

Kikyo drew herself up in a prideful stance, her arrow trained on the young miko traveling within Inuyasha's group. She pulled her bow taught and kept her power in check. The girl would die this day, she determined.

Kagome's eyes were trained on the battle her friends were currently engaged in, until she felt the aura of the dead miko carrying a piece of her soul. Turning to face the other miko, Kagome was able to just manage dodging the arrow.

Training her eyes on the living, Kikyo sneered. “You will die!”

Kagome sighed and shook her head. “I will not fight you, Kikyo.”

Kikyo paused, unsure for a second, before responding, “Pathetic. You think that just by stating that, I would spare your life?”

“Do what you think is right, Kikyo, but I will not fight you.” Kagome stood her ground before the elder miko.

“Why? Does my pitiful excuse of a reincarnation think that she'll win favor with her inu lover? You'll never be what I was! You'll never be me!”

Kagome merely smiled. “I do not seek favor with Inuyasha. My heart has moved on from that suffering, Kikyo. You should as well.”

Kikyo drew another arrow and sent it off at the girl, but it landed a few feet before Kagome's feet.

“I know how you loved him, Kikyo. Our soul bares our trials and our pains. Every broken vow, every betrayal is imprinted upon our soul. I can feel it.” Kagome heard the roar of the enemy dying and turned to join her friends. Before leaving, she left the dead miko with her final words.

“I know you pain, our pain, Kikyo, because I am you.”

#

Present

Kagome nodded to Kikyo as the memory filtered through her mind's eye.

“Your last words, about you being me, I couldn't stop thinking about them. They haunted me and I was forced to think about them.” Kikyo paused. “Tell me, what did you mean by them?”

Kagome spared her a small smile. “Exactly what I said. I am you. Without Kikyo, Kagome does not exist. And without Kagome, Kikyo does not live once more. As your reincarnation, I am you. There is no way around this fact. I started to think about it and I realized that my soul is your soul. The only difference is that my soul is your soul with the added experiences from my life.”

Kikyo nodded at her conclusions. “It is very much the same thing that I realized. It took some time for me to realize that I was trying to destroy myself. I was dooming myself to being miserable by seeking to destroy you.” Her eyes took on a far off look for a moment. “It wasn't easy to accept that you weren't just some other person, but in fact my future self. One I had though, other questions plagued me.”

“I had many questions too, but I decided that logic was the best master.”

Kikyo regard the young woman before and realized that she had matured and grown up in the last few years. “What made you think on this matter? And what were your conclusions?”

“I couldn't help but think about your declaration to take Inuyasha to Hell. Then I thought about what you dying would mean. The piece of our soul would return and become whole once more, but then that would mean that you couldn't actually go to Hell. I thought on it and realized that if you managed to drag him down into the earth with you, you would live on as me, not going to Hell and Inuyasha would die.”

Kagome stopped to give her throat a small break before continuing.

“I then thought about our soul and about me being your reincarnation. I realized that there is no way I couldn't be weaker than you. Your soul was reborn as me. If anything, a soul becomes stronger with every life it lives. If this was the case, then what I am lacking is just training since I inherited my powers from you.

“I think it gave me a bit more confidence when I realized this. I also realized that every time Inuyasha called me weak or compared me to you, that he was actually insulting you. I also realized that whatever abilities that I show and what abilities you show are actually our combined abilities. Since we are the same soul, it stands to reason that one day when we are reunited, all those abilities will come together.”

Kikyo smiled. The girl had truly spent time thinking about this and her conclusions seem pretty clear. The one thing that shocked her was the bit about not going to Hell. That one she couldn't fully believe.

“If I am not to go to Hell, then what is this feeling I have? It feels like I am constantly being tugged to be dragged into to Hell.”

Kagome was quiet for a moment. “I had thought about how easily the ground opened up to you and I don't know if this will include the feeling you have, but I believe that since your body was made form the earth and is being withheld from the earth by the spell and our soul, that it would naturally seek to be returned to the place it came from.

“I had thought it weird that the ground was ready and willing to swallow you whole so quickly and yet seemed to protest when you stopped because I managed to convince Inuyasha to live. The more I thought about it, the more I concluded that is wasn't Hell that you were creating a portal to, but simply the earth ready to reclaim that which was taken from it.”

Kikyo felt shock surging through her. Not Hell? Just simply the earth? If that was so, then she was just creating a grave for Inuyasha. More and more thoughts raced through her mind.

“Um, Kikyo?” Kagome broke into the thoughts of the dead miko.

“Yes?” Kikyo returned her attention to the girl.

“Why did you want to talk to me? Was it just to ask me about why I said what I said?”

Kikyo glanced over at the still subdued form of the hanyou. There was much she wanted to say, but she figured that if her soul knew, then Kagome would know soon as well.

“There are a few things I would like to talk about, however, with the fleeting time, I will cut my words short.”

Kagome too looked to the hanyou, uneasy feelings dropping to the pit of her stomach.

“First, it is obvious that it is no longer safe to travel with him. I do not know what has happened to him, or if this is his true nature coming out, but to travel with him would mean death. In light of this, I have a solution as to being able to protect ourselves and to become strong enough to protect all those whom we love and seek to protect.

“My solution is to enact the rite of the 1000. I don't know if you have heard of this, but it is said that if a human were to slay a 1000 youkai, they would become a powerful force. Unfortunately, the few successful people have all gone into a rage and were nearly unstoppable and none of them actually ever reached the last kill. I have searched for the answer to this problem and have come across what I believe to be it.

“Seals. It would be necessary to place binding seals upon yourself to hold back the raging tidal wave of power from consuming you.”

“But why obtain the power only to seal it away? It wouldn't be useful if it could never be unsealed,” Kagome interrupted.

“Even with a seal, you would be far more stronger than before. Even with that, I believe that several seals would be needed. This way, you can release power in incriminates and not fear the rage. The thing about this is that you must seek out someone to help train you to be control with each power release.

“I have thought on it and from what I can tell, a seal at every hundred would be needed. Two seals at 900 instead of one, another seal at 950, and the last at 1000. Your last youkais should be the most powerful of all.

“Know now that there are conditions: One, you will need those seals. Two, you will need to do this alone. Three, you can't purify the youkai completely. The only way for this to work is for you to bathe in the blood of the youkai.”

Kagome cringed and Kikyo stopped talking.

“No mincing words, eh? I have to bathe in their blood? That's just beyond gross!”

Kikyo sighed. “Yes. It is rather disgusting, but it is the only way to acquire the 1000 strength.”

Scrunching up her nose, Kagome couldn't get her mind past the blood part. “Is there no other way? And are you sure this is something we should do?”

“The blood is unavoidable to obtain the strength,” Kikyo replied. She took her time with the second question, a little surprised when Kagome had said 'we'. “We are weak. I would hope that you have thought long and hard about the wish. There is no true unselfish wish. Even to wish the jewel's existence to disappear, there is still an amount of that wish that is selfish. The only way is to expend the energy it has. And the only way you are going to be able to handle it is if you change. The human body just can't handle that amount of power.”

Kagome nodded in thought, mulling over the information. She had indeed thought about it and had, as of yet, not been able to come up with a wish to satisfy the requirements. Sudden realization came to her.

“That's why you never let Inuyasha make his wish! And why you had it burned with your body!”

Kikyo's eyes widen. It wasn't like her to show so much emotion, but the longer she spent walking around with a half life, the more she began to remember what it was like to live. She was surprised that Kagome was able to figure that out, but as she considered it, it really wasn't too surprising after all.

Leaving this half life was was going to be hard, especially now that she had finally started to really feel alive.

“Yes, Kagome. I had told Inuyasha once, that if it was possible for me to find an unselfish way to wish for his humanity, I would, even though I knew it wasn't possible. I knew how much he hated those nights he lost his demon side. I never thought he would ever really want to make that wish.

“But burning the jewel with my body was to ensure that I tied my soul to it. It would come with me into the afterlife and should I ever be reborn, I would be able to find a way to destroy it.”

It's was Kagome's turn to stare at the other woman with wide, shocked eyes. “You fell in love with him and tried to show him he didn't need to be a youkai, and when he fell in love with you, you made a promise you knew you could never fulfill.”

Kikyo felt a twinge of guilt at that last part.

“I think you made the right choice, Kikyo.” Kikyo was startled by Kagome's sudden words. “In the beginning you had to worry about a threat to the Shikon No Tama. Then your feelings came into play. I don't think you could have done anything better. What happened at the end wasn't your fault.”

Kikyo nodded to the young woman. It was refreshing to hear such words.

“I also agree with the plan. I can see no way around it. This 1000 thing is supposed to also change my body slowly, right? So that by the time I reach the 1000 kill, my body should be able to handle the immense power. The question then is, what of the Shikon No Tama's power? How will that react to the yuki power that I pick up?”

“It is not something I have been able to determine through simple speculation. I'm afraid that the only way to find out is to actually do it,” Kikyo responded.

Kagome yawned and stretched out her back. Her lungs, although no longer searing with pain, still had a dull ache. Her shoulders felt fine enough, no resounding aches. “I should be able to move around more now,” she stated.

Kikyo stood up and reached out a hand to her. Taking it, Kagome pulled herself up, testing her stance and walking a few steps. Rolling her shoulders, she flashed Kikyo a bright smile. “All those times healing the injured and healing myself have really paid off! Not to mention all the meditative techniques Miroku taught me.”

“Yes, I was never able to heal so quickly myself. I wonder how fast the rate of healing will be when our soul is complete,” Kikyo wondered out loud.

Kagome went over to the sleeping Inuyasha. “I know you loved him, Kikyo, but I haven't been able to feel any love for him in the last year or so. Too many broken promises. Too many betrayals.”

Kikyo scoffed at her. “You think I love him anymore? Weren't you the one who said our soul? Surely you realize that the piece with me holds no such love for him either.”

Kagome sighed before asking, “How long will he stay like that?”

“Until I release him. But I want you to get a head start. I can give you until the sun has passed high noon tomorrow. I would make toward the North. I have gathered enough information for you. Seek out a child, a girl child, by the name of Ayaka. She'll have something for you.”

Kagome felt shivers running down her spine as an ominous feeling came over her. Looking at the dead miko, she couldn't help but think that she had just received the woman's last rites, or something. Reaching out a hand, Kagome graced Kikyo with a warm smile.

Kikyo reached out and accepted the offered hand. This was the first civil conversation between the two, and Kikyo knew it would be the only one. She only hoped that their soul would survive the coming trials.

Had she been strong enough when she was alive, Kikyo may have sought out the myth of the 1000. But all she had wanted was to live a peaceful existence. Then, the thought of so much power honestly frightened her. Now, she could only stand in awe as her reincarnation set out to take on the task.

I'm sorry, Kagome. Had I done this before, None of this would have happened.

#

Kagome was thankful that her bag and supplies were still at the well. Going through her pack, she realized that if she wanted to make this journey, she would need a few things. Swinging the large back pack on her shoulder, the girl hopped down into the well.

The blue flash of the well's power shimmer away and her hands reached out to grab hold of the well worn ladder. Making her way to the main house, Kagome called out to her family.

“Kagome, is something wrong dear?” her mother asked in worry, coming to greet her daughter in the kitchen. When she saw the state of her daughter's clothes, she went into full panic. “What' happened?!”

Kagome looked down and cringed. She totally forgot about the damage to her clothes and the blood stain. “It's alright Okaa-san. We just had a battle. I'm completely fine, I promise.” She smiled reassuringly at her mother.

Taking a few deep breaths, the miko's mother managed to nod her head and reply, “You should go clean up before the others come in.”

Kagome didn't bother to answer before rushing off to do just that.

While she was up there, Kagome also unpacked her yellow pack. The big thing just wasn't going to work anymore. Rummaging through her closet, she found her old middle school pack. It was a dark red with white trim and about half the size of the yellow one.

Choosing her clothing carefully, she realized that she may never be coming back here again. Not through the well, at least. Glancing around her room, tears gathered in her eyes. This was once home, but now it was just a convenience. Her bed had been rarely used in the last three years. The place seemed welcoming and felt familiar, but it was still lacking something.

Shaking her head of such thoughts, she turned her attention to the task at hand: packing for what may very well be the last time.

She looked sadly at her worn sleeping bag and instead chose to look into having a thick cloak made in the past for the cold nights. It was already nearing Autumn and the mountains were sure to be getting frigid soon. A few pairs of socks, both wool and plain, leg warmers, a few extra under garment sets, under shirts, a long sleeved shirt, a heavy furred coat which she set aside, form fitting snow boots her mother had bought for her winter travels, and a pair of fingered gloves.

She also pulled out a pair of fingerless gloves, an extra top, jeans, and shorts. Eying her closet, she figure that if she really needed anything else, she could get it made in the past.

Packing her bag, Kagome fished out a sewing kit and a few hook clasps and set to adding them to her coat and bag so that her could hook it to the outside.

Once she was finished, she set about cleaning herself up and choosing her main clothes to wear. She was tempted to bring her shampoo and conditioner, but knew that they would simply take up space and she could get the equivalent there. She didn't wear make up so she ignored that, but she did stop to look at her jewelry box.

There was the necklace that her grandfather had given to her for her last birthday. A family heirloom, he had said. She looked it over and then slipped it around her neck and under her shirt. She could feel the light weight on her chest and smiled.

Her mother's promise ring from her father was there too. It was a simple ring, solid sterling silver with a Celtic knot design etched around it. Thinking about it for a moment, she slipped her left glove off and slid the ring on her ring finger. The glove slipped back on, but she had to work the material over the ring toward the end. The half fingered gloves had a little stretch to them, but not too much.

She realized that she didn't really have anything to remember her brother with. Then she remembered the key chain that he gave her last Christmas. He had been so proud that he had found it himself. She smirked and dug it out of her desk and attached it to her pack.

Lastly, she went through some of the supplies from her yellow back, taking the flashlight, spare batteries, a solar multi-charger, a few lighters, her compass, a hunting knife, a second sewing kit, her customized first aid kit, a book on what plants were good to eat, and lastly, a book on what plants were poisonous. Thinking about it, she also took the utility knife from her desk, a small empty notebook, and a small pencil case with a variety of pens and pencils.

Stuffing her bag, she realized that she only had a little room for provisions. Unfortunately, the only real things she could take were the jerky and hard candy that she had gotten for Shippo. Leaving the candy, Kagome managed to shove all the jerky into her pack.

The great thing about her experiences, is that she had learned how to make Jerky in one day or over night, so she should be able to replenish it as needed.

Grabbing her stainless steel camping water jugs, she filled them with water and attached them to either side of the pack. Pausing and thinking everything over, she realized that a bowl of some sort would come in handy and decided that could be acquired from the kitchen.

Kagome shouldered her pack, grabbed her steel-toed sneakers, and made her way down stairs. She wished she could stay the night, enjoy the shower, sleep in her bed, go shopping for other supplies, but she couldn't afford the luxury.

In the kitchen, all three family members sat waiting for her. They all looked up when she entered and of the shocked expressions, she was surprised to see understanding and sadness in her mother's eyes.

“Well, I'll be off again soon,” Kagome broke into the silence.

Her mother stood up and embraced her, whispering, “I will always love you and you will always have a place in this house, even if Fate decides otherwise.”

Kagome fought hard to hold back the tears. Looking to her grandfather and brother, she realized that her mother must have known a day like this would some and had told them.

“I love you Okaa-san,” Kagome said.

Her mother held on tightly for a few more moments before letting her go and fetching something from another room.

Her brother came up next to hug her. This time tears did fall from her eyes. This family was hers and they loved her. They didn't know what was going on, didn't ask questions, but they stood here and silently offered their emotional support.

“I will see you again, Onee-chan.”

“Hai, I will see you again, little brother,” Kagome managed to say.

Last was her grandfather. He handed her a small pack of ofudas and proceeded to inform her of the proper use and chants. He even had the chants written down for her in the pack.

Hugging her grandfather, Kagome could only repeat, “I love you,” over and over again.

Her mother returned and handed her a little pull string bag. “I got these a few weeks ago and was going to wait until your matches and lighters started running low, but I think you'll find these useful.” She pulled out what looked like a decent block of soft metal, nearly as big as her hand. “This is a magnesium fire starting kit. There are four in here. You use the tool attached to shave off some of the metal, turn it over, and strike the back to make sparks. You need to ensure the shavings are damp when you light them.”

Kagome looked the item over and couldn't believe she never got something like this before. “It's perfect, Okaa-san! I don't have to worry about wet matches or running out of lighter fluid. Thank you.”

Her mother nodded and helped her attach it to her pack.

“Oh! Okaa-san, do you have a small metal bowl I could take?” Kagome inquired.

“Why yes,” she replied, pausing to fetch a metal bowl set. “Which one would you like?”

Kagome looked them over and picked one out she thought would be a good shape.

When all was done and everyone had hugged her a few more times, Kagome, now with shoes on, stared at her family one last time, committing them to memory. “I love you all,” she said before letting the well take her to the past.

It wouldn't be until the next morning that her mother would find the letter she wrote, left on her desk. It explained how much she loved them, the fact that she was choosing a path apart from her group of friends, and that she believed the path she was taking would ensure the safety of all those she was currently striving to protect. She also left a list of who got what gift if Inuyasha was to come looking and would take the gifts back with him.

On the other side of the well, the young miko threw her pack up out of the well, climbed the vines to the rim, and sat down there for awhile.

The day was sunny, breezy and seemingly peaceful. But Kagome's heart was in dark turmoil. She wasn't going to be able to say goodbye to her friends, or Shippo. If she tried, they would try to stop her, or follow her.

Picking up her discarded bow and quiver, which she had lost in the struggle, and grabbing her gear, she pulled out the little compass and set off due North.