Kagome was lying down in the grass, staring up at the sky, wondering why her life was so complicated. She was not your average teenager, unless you call being a powerful priestess average. Kagome contemplated the meaning of her life several times, was she just the protector of the Shikon no Tama or was she meant for more? Her mind traveled to the people she had met along the way, her friends, her enemies, her family, and Sengoku Jidai. Why was she chosen to protect the blasted jewel? She was torn between two realities.

Japan in the year two thousand two and Japan in the year one thousand six hundred and two. Her identity as a Japanese high school student about to graduate and as a legendary priestess was beginning to fray the fabric of her sanity. So threadbare was she that she had even considered hara-kiri or to just wander off from the group and allow herself to be destroyed. This would prove to be a simple task since everyone in Sengoku Japan was blood thirsty, all she needed to do was stand in one spot long enough and the swarms would come. She was desperately trying to find her place in life; Inu-Yasha did not help the situation. He toyed with her emotions constantly, it seemed as if he held no regard to what she felt or thought as if making her feel inept was a game to him.

Kagome was tired physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She did not know how to handle everything anymore. She had high school to finish, college to think about, the remaining jewel shards, her family, and the Feudal Era. She was forced to deal with everything in stride and expected to do so with a chipper smile. Well, she was tired of it. Tired of his verbal abuse, tired of being the idiot, tired of being compared: she was unique, not a copy of someone else. She did not want to made a fool no longer, for once in her life she was going to stand up for herself. She could not let this go on much longer. She loved Inu-Yasha, he was her closet friend but he was being an insufferable jerk for the past six months. Even Sesshoumaru noticed that he was more irritable than before. Sesshoumaru had decided to join them sometime ago, about a year give or take some time.

All she could remember was that at first his visits began to become more and more frequent until one day he just did not leave. She did not mind having him around, at least it was someone to talk to when everyone else was asleep and she was up late studying for exams. He was rather intellectual at least she thought so. They would discuss politics, historical events, her time, and anything else that may come up such as earlier events in the day or plans for the next. Some of their discussions would get out of hand and wake everyone in the vicinity, Sango had woken up many a times to find Kagome steaming mad, stomping away from the group and a very smug looking Sesshoumaru. To which she would smile to herself and drift back into sleep.

At first Sango was reluctant to even allow Sesshoumaru within twenty feet of her, but after the first few weeks of him attaching himself to them she had grown fond of him. There was more to him than what met the eye; she made it a point to observe him and his interactions with the rest of the group. She would find out what made him tick even if it drove her crazy. He reminded her of someone, but she could not figure out for the life of her who. Because of Kagome, Sango had taken on a new perspective on demons and humans alike. She did not view all demons as evil any longer and she began to doubt the integrity of humanity.

Miroku could not help but feel awkward around Sesshoumaru, since he did grope him when they had first inadvertently met. It was an honest to god mistake, he had thought that Sesshoumaru was a woman but Sesshoumaru did not think so. In fact he was appalled by the fact that Miroku had mistaken him for a woman, he was not feminine in any way so how was it that a lecherous monk thought otherwise? Was his hair too long perhaps or was the monk's vision impaired? It must be the latter of the two, since all youkai royalty had long hair. Miroku felt neither hostility nor camaraderie towards Sesshoumaru; he did not mind the Taiyoukai's presence. It made no difference to him whether he stayed or went; all that he cared about was defeating Naraku and maybe getting laid along the way. Sesshoumaru though did prove to be a more than worthy adversary against their now shared enemies. Sesshoumaru was an enigma, his motives for his actions were not clear to him. Miroku assumed that he had first allied himself with Naraku to find his weaknesses, which might very well have been the case.

Kagome wanted to be free. Free of her self made constraints. She was going to prove that she was not the weak and useless bitch. She was going to prove him and everyone else for that matter wrong. She had had enough of the childish bullshit he put her through. Her pride was to be damaged no more. Kagome got up from her spot and hopped into the well. After arriving on the other side she began to walk to the others who were in the village.

There outside of Kaede's hut was Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kilala, Kouga, Inu-Yasha and Sesshoumaru, all of them apparently waiting for her.

'Here it comes: wench this and wench that. Feh, he's such a stupid asshole.'

"Oi wench what took you so long?"

"Wanna know what took me so long you goddamn bastard? I did not even want to come back here to deal with your stupidity, so I contemplated on whether or not to come back that is what took me so long."

Everyone had shocked looks on their faces. Everyone but Inu-Yasha and Sesshoumaru, where Inu-Yasha's face held anger, Sesshoumaru was completely impassive.

"Kagome," said Sango in a worried tone. She had never heard Kagome talk like that, no matter how mad she would become. Kagome began to relax at the sound of her friend's voice.

"Yes, Sango what can I do for you?"

"Is everything alright?"

"Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!"

"Feh, stupid wench."

"Shut the hell up, you stupid hanyou!"

"What did you call me?"

"A stupid hanyou, got an issue with that?"

"Miserable ningen wench!"

Kagome kicked Inu-Yasha in the balls. She then 'sat' him several times, she did this while laughing.

"Do you know how many times I told you that I had a name? Well today you are going to remember. For every time I have told you that I have a name and for every time you instead called me a wench you are being 'sat'. That or until I'm bored of watching your body make contact with the ground. Hope you enjoy this as much as I am."

"Kagome isn't this a bit much," asked Miroku.

"No, it's not enough. I've had it. He (points at Inu-Yasha) has disrespected me for the last time."

A muffled laugh is heard. Everyone looks around to find out from who it came from. Sesshoumaru had his back to everyone, so naturally they assumed that it's coming from him.

"Oi, Sesshoumaru-sama is that you laughing," questioned Kouga.

"This Sesshoumaru does not laugh," is stated by Sesshoumaru as he slowly turned around with that ever impassive look plastered on his face. "Do you wish to die wolf?"

"No I don't wish to die. I just didn't think someone like you could laugh."

"Well it appears that you are correct."

"Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, osuwari, and osuwari!"

Finally Inu-Yasha is out cold in the crater made by his body.

"I'd like to see him say anything else to me or Shippou."

"Kagome that was a bit harsh even for his name calling."

"Miroku, shut up. She has every right to sit that idiot to hell."

"You agree with me Sango?"

"Well, I was sick of it too. He would act like he was better than the rest of us. Well at least you and me. Since we are the 'women', the only use we have is to have children, cook, clean, and whatever else they want from us. Like we don't have opinions, like we aren't strong enough to keep our own."

All the men remained quiet, for fear of castration or worse. Kagome and Sango hugged each other and began to laugh.

"It's not our fault that we're smarter than they are."

"Hey, I resent that."

Both women looked at Kouga, who was beginning to regret opening his mouth.

"I have never thought any less of either of you because you were women or human for that matter," Kouga spat out quickly.

"Kouga, calm down I'm not angry at you, it's that asshole in there. To him, I'm nothing but a shard detector, weak, and a clone."

"Kagome, can you sit him again," asked Sesshoumaru.

"Why should I sit him for you?"

"Because I am Lord of the Western Lands and I demand that you do so, he was twitching a few minutes ago."

"Really? He was twitching?"

"Yes, yes he was."

"SIT!"

As Sesshoumaru said Inu-Yasha twitched after being plummeted into the ground. Kagome began to laugh outrageously so. She was laughing so hard that she could not stand up straight and tears began to flow from her eyes because of the laughter. Meanwhile the others were staring bemused at the sight. Sesshoumaru, stoic Lord of the West was holding Kagome from falling over.