Chapter I:

Dreams of the Past

"Kagome-Kagome-Kagome?"

Kagome opened her eyes. Darkness greeted her, bleak and foreboding. Turning left and right, she tried to follow the sound, but she found nothing but utter emptiness around her. Scrunching up her face in confusion, she inhaled deeply. A soft, woodsy smell, familiar to her in every way possible filled her nose instantly.

"Inuyasha?" She whispered into the black world that surrounded her. The sound of her own voice echoing against unseen corridors made her blink. "Where-where am I?"

"Time is unforgiving, Kagome." The voice penetrated the entire void.

Her whole body flinched from the sound of it. Quickly, she whipped her head around, pulling a hand to her chest in fear, "Who-who are you?" Dark brown eyes scanned and scanned, but she saw nothing.

"You are the only one," The soft baritone encompassed her who body. "Who can change your future."

Kagome's hand dropped from her heart, and she bit her lip, "Future," The world seemed somehow ominous, "My future?"

"Remember," In the darkness, a soft glow started to form in the direction that the voice seemed to originate from, "You are powerful," Light flooded everything, blinding her. "You are strong," The sound of someone screaming pierced through the air, "You are brave."

Suddenly, the white light split in two, colors flooding forth from it to form a scene straight out of Kagome's nightmares. Laying on the ground in front of her, blood flowing from their bodies in endless crimson waves, were her dearest friends: the body of Sango laying on top of a crumbled Miroku, the tiny corpse of Shippo, barely ten years old, the once powerful, tall form of Sesshoumaru covered in a multitude of cuts, noble clothing ripped to shreds, and Inuyasha. Inuyasha whose haori was as red as always, but not because of the fabrics dye.

Closing her eyes against the horrors before her, Kagome turned her face ever so slightly away and bit her lip, "Why?" She asked, voice almost emotionless, "Why are you showing me the past?" Her eyes opened, fighting to blink back tears, "Why are you showing me the battle with Naraku?"

"You tell me."

The unnerving reply gave her pause. Lifting up her head, Kagome turned back to the bodies and gasped with just an air of shock. There, standing in front of the dead and dying, was Naraku. Fear-blind and terrifying filled her very soul, but just as quickly as it arouse within her, it vanished. Clutching her hand into a fist, not questioning the familiar smooth wood of her bow in her grip, she clenched her jaw. In one swift, practiced move, she grabbed an arrow from the quiver on her back, pulled it taunt in the string, and screamed.

It whistled passed the dead bodies of Kagara and Kanna who had attempted to help them defeat Naraku and headed straight for him. The transcendental hue of her power surrounded the sacred arrow, casting a white halo of light into the air. Naraku's eyes grew wide, he scrambled backwards in vain, and shrieked in pain as her attack hit him square in the chest. He collapsed to his knees, but despite the gaping wound, no blood flowed from his long dead body. Blood red eyes raised up to look at her, hatred filling them for all of a second before they clouded.

Her arms lowered, memories flooding her psyche. She felt a presence behind her, but refused to turn, "Please," She whispered towards her unknown companion, "I don't want to see this. It's too pain-fu-l," Her voice cracked.

"You must learn to live with pain—"

"What if I don't want to?" She cut him off, closing her eyes as tightly as possible.

"Then," A gentle hand touched her back, fatherly, and soft. "You must learn to be disappointed." He whispered as he turned her to look at the one memory she never wanted to relive. "We can't always get what we want."

Her eyes opened almost against her will. There, behind her, stood Inuyasha. His body battered and bruised. He moved his lips but no words came. Then, his eyes rolled back in his head and he groaned. Rushing forward, she reached him seconds before his body gave way. A breath escaped him shakily as she held him to her chest. Her own tears burned her eyes, but she didn't dare let them fall as she turned him over in her grip.

Gold, bright and beautiful as always looked straight into her soul, "I'm sorry Kagome," he whispered before choking on the blood that was building in his throat.

"No," Kagome quickly shushed him as she held his body to her own; he was growing cold.

Wetness appeared on his cheeks, a wetness she had only seen once before. "I'm supposed to protect you, but I couldn't."

She shook her head, lips trembling. "Baka-I'm safe," She pushed his hair back away from his face, "Naraku's dead-we made it; we're-we're-ali," An ironic smile came to her lips when Inuyasha stopped breathing.

That strange smile still on her face, Kagome looked down at the listless face of the man she loved. He looked peaceful and calm. And that was so wrong. Inuyasha was not a person who was ever calm. He was exuberant, happy, and excitable. He was a big puppy who wanted nothing more than to be petted and loved. But this Inuyasha in her arms was all wrong. This was wrong-all of it was wrong.

"This isn't the past," Her voice was forceful, strong, and fierce, "Tell me who you are. Why are you in my head?"

"Are you sure, young Miko?" The voice wasn't taunting despite the words. "Was that not your past?"

"No." She shook her head adamantly. She looked up at the battlefield around her. Naraku had disintegrated into nothing. His body had vanished from the earth and in its place was the Shikon no Toma laying unassuming on the ground. "They didn't die." She gently laid Inuyasha's body down, pushing herself to her feet. "I didn't let them die."

She took her first hasty step towards the jewel, a wish already forming in her heart.

"Shikon no Toma-please-I don't want to be alone." Her fingers reached out, sprawling wide. "I just-I want to be with everyone-forever."

The jewel glowed and the voice in the dark hummed with disapproval.

-break-

With a start Kagome sat up, her body cold and clammy. Taking deep, shaky breaths, she blinked the sleep from her eyes and brought a hand up to cover her mouth. Slowly, the world came back to its senses, and she gulped. It was a dream, just a dream. Relaxing slightly, she looked around her for any sign of reassurance to that fact and smiled when she saw Sango and Miroku curled together asleep. They were sporting bandages all over their bodies; bandages that held the faint under shadows of red.

Her smile turned into a frown from the sight. The battle with Naraku had happened years ago. So why? Why were they covered in bandages? Swiftly, her eyes searched the entirity of the hut, not fully comprehending what she was seeing. Shippo was asleep in the corner, resting against Kirara in her kitten form. He too was beaten up, banages covering his small hands where he had been burned by some unknown tragedy of the final battle.

Eyebrows knitting, Kagome's eyes moved from Sango and Miroku to Shippo and Kirara and back again. Her throat swelled nearly shut, and her hands began to shake. Throwing herself to her feet, she ran outside the small shake they had taken ruffage in after the battle had concluded. They were much too hurt and too far to make it back to the village just yet.

Looking towards the roof of the house, eyes frantic, she searched for any signs of red. There were none. None on the roof. None in the trees. None on the ground. He was nowhere to be seen; no where to be felt. He was no where.

Panic reached her mind and she stood only to fall again.

"Inu—" She fell unceremoniously to her knees.

She heard movement beside her and looked. Kouga was sitting against a tree watching her, his face grim. "Kagome—" He whispered, eyes turning downcast towards something by his side.

Following his blue gaze, Kagome's whole world crashed down around her as she spotted the grave for the first time.

"No!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, loud enough to wake the dead and challenge the gods.

"Is this your past?" A voice chimed in her mind.

"No!" She yelled back as Kouga's hands grabbed her, and Sango's distant voice called her name.

"So, it is not a memory?"

"It isn't. It isn't real! The Shikon brought him back." She cried, ignoring the feel of Sango wrapping her arms around her body.

"Kagome please, he's gone. The Shikon did nothing." Sango's own voice was tight and raw with emotion.

"This isn't real." Kagome grasped at Sango's kimono, yanking on the fabric. "You can't be gone! I need you," Face buried in Sango's shoulder, Kagome broke.

"Who needs a hanyou?" The voice chimed back in.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kagome whirled around. Sango disappeared, the grave disappeared, the hut disappeared, Kouga disappeared, and her anger swirled around her."Who the hell cares if he's a hanyou?!

"Most people call them bastards."

"Not me," Kagome's tone nearly came across as a threat.

A shape began to form in the blackness. The outline of a person masked by a glow of white light, "Remember that Kagome. It may just save you from your future."

Startled by the words, Kagome pushed herself backwards, taking a step away from where she perceived the voice to be, "Who are you?"

"Someone who cares about Inuyasha dearly." Her eyes widened with realization as a man appeared before her. Choppy silver hair framed his angular face and a high pony tail swung down his back. A pointed nose she had seen on another face a million times sniffed the air, and golden eyes narrowed, gazing at her with intense focus that she knew all too well. "What I am showing you Kagome is what might be, not what has come to pass."

She nodded her head as the man took one of her hands. His gentle golden eyes reminded her so much of Inuyasha.

"If you do not act accordingly all will be lost forever for my son."

"Inuyasha?" She questioned softly. The man nodded.

"Kagome, it is imperative that you save him."

"From what?" She asked as she felt the man's grip tighten on her own.

"From himself." With that he disappeared completely. The darkness sparked to life, turning red and violent. Demonic energy flared into existence and a disembodied snarl cut her to her core.

Two demon eyes, red with blue pupils, blinked into existence, followed by a wicked smile.

Tensing, Kagome started to run, only to freeze as she caught sight of something that made absolutely zero sense to her. An odd shadow was hovering behind Inuyasha, several strings connecting the shadow to Inuyasha's body. Eyes narrowing to take in more detail, Kagome gasped as red hair filled her vision, followed by thin, red lips, and claws white hands. He smiled his lips an eerie red color, his hands lifted and strings shot towards her, connecting to her body.

She gasped as the strings gripped her body at key points, her legs, head, arms, fingers, even toes. She felt like a puppet as he pulled on all the strings at once, yanking her towards him violently.

"Kill her!" The red-haired man screamed.

Immediately, Inuyasha's body sprang into action, calws swinging in a wide arch.

"No!" Kagome brought her hands up to block the hit, and everything went dark.

-winter-

The twilight air was cold; cold enough to see puffs of breath. Kagome was bundled up in a pink sweater and black sweat pants. Her fingers toasty and warm inside the new pink gloves her mother had bought her on her last trip back home, two months ago. The snow crunched underneath her feet as she made her way towards the well for the first time in a week. Part of her was hopeful, but a bigger part of her kept her hope in check as she approached the small wooden structure in the middle of the snowladen field.

Placing her hands on the old wood, she leaned over the edge and tensed for the bariest of seconds as the sight of snow greeted her. Sighing, she lowered herself down to a kneeling position and looked down into the white depths. The well was still snowed in. It had been this winter that Kagome and the others had realized why the well house had been made. It was meant for the winter, when the snow filled it and prevented her from going home. This was the first time it had happened in all of her time traveling back and forth between the modern world and the feudal world. Still, Kagome couldn't help but think it wasn't a coincidence that it had happened right after she had defeated Naraku and made her wish on the Shikon-no-Tama.

Turning away from the well, Kagome sat in the snow, knees pulled up to her chest. The peacefulness of dusk was not lost on her as she looked up at the cloudy, dark-blue sky. The past two months had, perhaps, been the best she had ever experienced in the feudal era. Kikyo had passed peacefully, Sango and Miroku had married, and they were expecting their first child together very soon. No one was going to question the fact that Sango was probably about three months pregnant, and they had only been married two. And her and Inuyasha-

A shiver passed up her spine to her shoulders as a very familiar demon presence became known behind her. "Took you long enough." She whispered and was greeted with a light grunt from behind. She smiled and turned to him.

Around his neck was a scarf she had bought for him. It was green, like her school uniform, and fluffy, perfect for the cold winter months. He looked at her and tugged at the scarf absentmindedly, "What are you doing out here? It's nearly dark and freezing."

"Just thinking," She stood up, dusting off the snow that had caked her legs and bottom. Sighing and shaking his head, Inuyasha moved, his feet allotting a crunching noise with each step. For a second, she looked at the trail he'd left in the snow. It seemed so odd, how everything about snow was peaceful, even when footprints distorted it. With a flip of her hair, she turned to him and smiled brightly.

"Baka," He smiled back at her gently, eyes flickering like a candle in the semi-light. "You shouldn't think out in the cold-you'll get sick."

"I know. I know." Her teeth chattered as she spoke, and her breath turned white as it hit the cold air. "Walk me back to the village?"

"Sure." He replied and turned to leave down the path that lead them passed the sacred tree. Falling into step beside each other, they walked in silence. The only noise the crunching of snow and the birds that were still singing even though it was night.

Goshinboku's thick trunk came into view within seconds as did the branches that were bare and naked. Coming to a halt a few hundred yards away from the base of the trunk, Kagome frowned. Memories of her reaccuring dream from the past two months flickered in and out of her mind.

"Kagome," Inuyasha turned around, hiding his hands in his sleeves, "Is something wrong?"

"Do you remember," She asked suddenly eyes still focused on the tree's naked branches. "When we first met?"

Following her gaze, Inuyasha licked his lips before smiling sweetly from memory. "Yeah," He paused, frowned slightly, and allowed his eyes to linger on the spot where he had once been pinned for fifty years. His own memories of the moment wafted in his brain, and his heart tightened in his chest. "That's-one of my favorite memories," He admitted only to turn bright red. Clearing his throat loudly to save face, he turned away from her and fidgeted, "Damn, I think I'm going soft."

Kagome laughed at him gently and crossed the short distance between them. Without hesitation, she reached for his hand, grasping it in her own. His body stiffened only briefly before he relaxed and squeezed her hand back. "If it's any consolation," She whispered causing a puff of white to breach her lips. "I don't think you're going soft. Maybe you've just found someone you don't mind showing your soft side to."

"Found someone?" He seemed to taste the words as he said them. "It's possible; I've seen weirder things."

She giggled and laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling into it as she looked at the old tree before them. Without its leaves, it looked even more ancient. Briefly, she wondered how long it had been growing, how long it would continue to grow, "It seems like so long ago."

"Wench," He growled even as he laid his cheek on her head affectionately. "It was a long time ago."

Kagome snorted, pulled her head away from his shoulder, and glared up at him, "It really wasn't that long, only four years."

"Four years is a long time." He looked away from her but didn't pull his hand away from her own or move his body back.

"No," She clicked her tongue, "It's not."

"Yes, it is!" He yanked his hand out of her own and crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do you always have to fucking argue with me!" He bit out, his eyes turning dark gold and his lips curled back.

Shocked by the sudden change in mood, Kagome held her hands up in front of her body peacefully. "I didn't mean to upset you," She reassured gently as she studied his tense jaw.

This wasn't the first time in the passed two months that he had lost his temper in such a way. Hell, he had been loosing his temper as long as she had known him. But, recently, it had been getting worse. He had been loosing his temper for no reason or for silly reasons like this one.

"Are you feeling okay?" Tentatively, she reached up her hand to feel his forehead. Her smile returned when he visibly relaxed.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. I just," He hesitated and looked to the tree as if asking for the right words. "Haven't felt like myself lately." With a shake of the head, he turned towards the village path. "Let's go. It's getting too cold for a weak human."

A smile came to her when she heard his obvious lie and ran to catch up. After a moment, she settled by his side and took his much warmer hand into her cold one once again. In response, Inuyasha sighed, let go of her hand, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

"Maybe," Whispered Kagome as she leaned her head on his chest as they walked. "Four years is a long time."

He glanced down at her out of the corner of his eye, "Why do you say that?"

She wanted to tell him that it was because of how he had changed in the four years she had known him. Four years ago, he never would have apologized for yelling. He would have just continued yelling. But now, because of all the time and energy she had invested in helping him, healing him, he was a completely different man from the one she had met in middle school. He could talk now. He could express his feelings and thoughts. He could hold her hand, hug her to himself. He could apologize and admit when he was wrong. It had taken a long time to get him to open up to her, but she had to admit it had been worth with time.

Smiling secretly to herself, she inhaled the scent of wildlife and trees that always clung to him, "No reason."

-Break-

With a sigh, Kagome set her textbook down. The second they had arrived at the village Inuyasha had disappeared, leaving her with nothing to do. It was rather boring without him there. All she had was a pregnant Sango, an uptight Miroku, and Shippo who was currently taking a Kitsune Exam.

Kitsune's were very strict when it came to their class and ability. Upon learning this, Inuyasha and Kagome had both encouraged the young boy to begin his journey into the world of a rightful kitsune. Even though they encouraged it, however, that did not mean it was easy to deal with. It was downright painful when the kitsune decided to try to practice on anyone of them and depressing when he left for long periods of time to train with the other kitsunes.

Glancing down at the textbook in her lap, Kagome cringed thinking about her own exams and went back to studying. The subject was Edo Era poetry and not her favorite. Feedup with the textbook, Kagome shoved it off her lap onto the ground. It landed with a thud and she worried her teeth against her bottom lip.

"Why am I studying?" She thought to herself, eyes wandering to the reed mat that covered the door. "It's been two months; the poetry exam was over a long time ago."

Pursing her lips together, Kagome allowed her mind to wander away from studying. After all, if she focused on the act too long, she would have to admit something to herself that she just wasn't ready to process. So, instead, she turned her thoughts back to her recurring dream.

It was almost odd reliving that day in her sleep. She had awakened the same way she had in reality, and Inuyasha had been pointed out by the same person, Kouga. The only difference from her dreams version and the truth was the fact that Inuyasha had been alive in reality. The Shikon no Toma had saved him, and everyone else for that matter. The dream, without a doubt, was false. What bothered her though was Inuyasha's father appearing in the dream as well as the red haired man with strings attached to his fingers. She shuddered as she remembered the demonic look on Inuyasha's face. It had scared her if she was being perfectly honest with herself, but it also worried her.

"Teach him how to live as a hanyou, Kagome."

"What did he mean by that?" Kagome wondered to herself. After all, Inuyasha seemed happy with himself. He hadn't even mentioned becoming a full demon to her in years. "Maybe, he wants me to reaffirm to Inuyasha that I like him just the way he is." She bit her lip in concentration. She of all people knew that had already been done.

"Kagome-chan?" She jolted up right and turned to look at Sango's pleasantly worried face.

"Sango-chan," Kagome straightened. "What are you doing here?"

Looking perfectly perplexed by the question, Sango laid a hand on her slightly swollen stomach, "I live here, Kagome-chan."

Kagome mentally hit herself for not realizing her mistake. "Sorry, I forgot." She said while sticking out her tongue and gently bonking her head. Sango smiled kindly and moved to sit down next to here.

Being extra careful even though she wasn't really showing yet, Sango positioned herself before the fire, "You seem distracted." The older woman frowned at Kagome before continuing, "Is something bothering you?"

"No!" She held up her hands and plastered a fake smile on her face, "Everything's great. My studies are going well. I actually understand poetry unlike math. Doesn't mean I like it, but still. Oh," She snapped her fingers, "And Inuyasha's been really good about not bothering. Usually, I can't get him to leave me alone for even five seconds when I'm studying. I swear, that man needs more attention than a five year ol-," Kagome stopped mind rant as Sango lifted up one of her eyebrows and sent the younger girl a pointed look.

"You're rambling, Kagome-chan."

"Sorry," Kagome hoped Sango would let it go but the unnerving eyes that stayed on her said otherwise. With a slight groan of frustration, Kagome sent Sango a pained grin, "Nothing gets past you does it, Sango?"

"Nothing ever will." The pregnant woman replied. "I'm married to the biggest pervert in Edo. I have to be on my toes."

Kagome laughed softly at the joke, but her amusement didn't last long. Shifting uncomfortably, she placed her hands in her lap and bit the inside of her cheek, "Sango," Kagome began, voice soft and lacking in confidence. "Do you ever have dreams about Naraku?"

"All the time," Her voice was tight yet honest, "Sometimes I even wake up and swear he's really there." One of Sango's hands reached for her stomach, rubbing at the tiny baby bump. "Luckily for me, I sleep next to a constant reminder that he's dead."

"Miroku's wind tunnel is gone." It was a statement not a question; a fact that they all took to heart. Especially Sango.

"Thanks to you, Kagome-chan," Sango said with a smile as she looked at Kagome, eyes filled with deep love and affection. "Your arrow killed Naraku."

Kagome looked away and blushed. "It's not that big a deal, Sango. Any of us could have killed him."

"That may be so," Sango reached across her lap to Kagome's and placed a hand over Kagome's own, "But you were the one who did it."

Kagome's blush deepened, but she took solace in the comforting weight of Sango's hand on her own. The two were quiet for a moment, both in a companionable silence. The silence was only broken when Sango pulled her hand away.

"Was that," She placed the hand back in her own lap as she looked at Kagome imploringly. "All that was bothering you?"

Kagome thought carefully for only a moment then let out a deep breath. "Well, um," Her eyes frantically looked this way and that as if debating if she should tell Sango the truth. In the end, though, she knew that Sango might have been one of the only people in the world that she could tell the truth to, so she did. "I had this dream, recently, about Inuyasha."

Sango cocked her head to the side, "What kind of dream?"

"Well, it's not a dream about Inuyasha," She backtracted trying to think of a way to explain, "It's a dream about his father."

"His father?" There was hesitation in Sango's voice and a note of bewilderment.

"Yeah, in the dream he tells me that the future is-," Kagome closed her eyes and tried to think about how to put the dream into words. "I don't know," She struggled, "I just get this overwhelming feeling that something horrible is about to happen. Something that his father is trying to prevent," She snapped her attention towards Sango, sending the other girl a desperate look, "By using me."

"What does his father say exactly?"

"He says to teach him how to be a hanyou, but Sango that's not it." She looked up at her friend with confused eyes before she bit her lip. "In the dream, Inuyasha isn't a hanyou anymore. He's a pure blood. And he's being controlled by this guy with red hair and stings on his fingers. This guy uses the strings to hold me down and then-then-he forces Inuyasha to kill me." She paused and tried to gather her thoughts, but her emotions got in the way. A tear rolled down her cheek and then another. The two gathered on her chin, catching Sango off guard.

"Kagome?" Sango reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Shaking the memory from her head, Kagome blinked back the rest of the tears and wiped the ones on her chin with the back of her hand. Silence reigned in the room for a few seconds before Kagome found the ability to speak again, "Do you think," She turned towards Sango, looking the other woman in the eye, "This could be an omen?"

Dropping her hand from Kagome's shoulder, Sango worried her bottom lip with her teeth, "We'll have to wait and see."

"Wait for what?"

"The dream to return, " Sango turned away from her quickly and reached for a small Kimono she was working on. "If it returns, then it could be an omen. We should keep our guard up just in case but don't worry Kagome. With Naraku gone, there is not much that could afflict us too horribly."

Kagome nodded, feeling almost relieved at Sango's words. At the same time, however, she couldn't help but be a little scared. What if the dream did continue? What if the dream became something more than a dream?

"Miroku is adamant that this baby will be a boy." Sango brought the garment back to her lap and let her needle slip into the material, the string following shortly.

"Then why are you making a pink Kimono?" Kagome asked with a giggle.

Sango held up the fabric again and smiled at her work. "Just to make him mad." The two laughed and began to chatter idolly, letting the serious conversation fall to happier things like the unborn child within Sango and the prosperity of the village.

"It's been four years," Thought Kagome as she watched the exterminator make another stitch, "Four years is a really long time." Another yank to the thread was made. Her eyes shifted to the door of the hut when Inuyasha walked in. His eyes were bright, his step sharp, and his mouth was curled into a pleasant smile. She smiled back at him as he dropped on the floor beside her, sitting a little too close to be considered proper. "A lot can happen in four years," She reached over and rubbed one of Inuyasha's ears. Even with Sango there, the hanyou didn't pull away. "A lot can change."

End Chapter One

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