“Inuyasha, you are such an idiot!” I screamed.  “SIT!!”

   Inuyasha started to make out with the ground.

   “Don’t do that!” he yelled back.

   “Sit!  Sit!  Sit!  Sit!  Sit!”

   There was a large, Inuyasha shaped, crater left behind me as I stomped off towards the well.

   “Where are you going?!” he yelled.  “You can’t leave!  We haven’t found Kish yet!”

   “NO!!  The only reason we haven’t found him yet is because you’re to busy with your stupid girlfriend, Kikyo!  I’m tired of it!” I sobbed.

   “Kagome,” he whined, “if you had come first I would have picked you.”

   I went stiff.  He just rejected me!  He just rejected me!!  HE JUST REJECTED ME!!

   I slapped him as hard as I could.  He looked at me both shocked and hurt.

   “For four years I’ve followed you around!  For four years I nearly died!  I’ve wasted four years of, my life on YOU!!  I helped kill Naraku!  I followed you happily to get your revenge on Kish!  I gave Kikyo a soul!  I did everything in my power to help you and make you happy!  To show you I loved you!!  For what?!  Nothing!  I gave up my dream of college for you!  I’M LEAVING!!  AND I WON’T COME BACK!!”

   “Kagome!  Don’t do it!” Shippo cried.

   I looked at him sadly.

   “I’m sorry.  But I must.  I can’t take it anymore!”

   I gave my box of medicine and bandages to a sobbing Sango; my books to a teary Miroku; and the rest of my ramen and chocolate to Shippo.  I then stood up and walked away.

   I walked towards the clearing with the Bone Eaters well in it.  Just as I was about to step out of the woods I saw Sesshomaru sitting the well, tracing the grain of the wood with a well manicured claw.  I drew my bow without making a noise.

   “Did you actually think you could sneak up on this Sesshomaru?” he said in a bored tone, without even looking up.

   “What do you want?” I said warily, stepping into the clearing.

   Suddenly he disappeared into thin air.  I felt a hand grip my neck from behind.  I flinched as a bolt of terror went up and down my body.

   “You have so much terror.  I can taste it in the air.”

   “W-what do you want?” I repeated shakily.

   “I have been sent to get you.” he said.

   I started to get an uneasy feeling about where this conversation was going.  Anyone powerful enough to send Sesshomaru anywhere must be one kick-butt person.

   “Why me?  Everyone around me is strong.  I meant there is a fox demon, demon slayer, a monk, and a hanyou.  All of them are stronger than me.  But still, none of us are suitable for someone of your high stature.  Go find somebody else.”

   His grip tightened painfully.

   “Are you saying that you do not want to come with this Sesshomaru?!” he said in a cold voice.

   “N-no!”

   I was about to pass out, his grip was so tight.  As the world turned fuzzy I heard him say distantly:

   “I didn’t want it this way.  It wasn’t my fault.”

   I walked into the clearing that the other miko was sitting.

   “Lord Sesshomaru, back already?” she said jovially.

   “I placed your necklace on my brother’s girl.” I said dully.  “Now give back this Sesshomaru’s belongings.”

   “All in good time.” Kikyo said coyly.  “But as I am a kind and lenient person, I have decided to give you back one thing each time you do one of my tasks.  So today I’m giving you one for your success on your task.”

   My eyes flitted towards the four things floating in the air, surrounded by the miko’s sacred barrier, that even I could not penetrate.  I looked back at her.

   “Which one?”

   The one on the end sunk to the ground.  The barrier dispersed.

   “Go ahead and take him.” she said.

   I slowly picked up the unconscious Jaken. 

   “I have three more tasks for you and three more belongings.” she said.

   I silently growled.  She smiled and continued.

   “Your next task is to fetch me one hair from the head of Kagome.  Then you may have one of these back.” she said, gesturing to the floating items.

   I turned around and left the clearing with Jaken.

   I walked for many miles, until I was sure that Inuyasha couldn’t follow me.  I set Jaken under a tree and then sat down. 

   I opened my flask full of the cold, crisp water from the lake I had found a few days before.  I poured it down Jaken’s throat until he started to cough.  He sat up in a start and spat the water out.  Jaken looked at me.

   “Oh master Sesshomaru!  Forgive Jaken!  He was trying to protect Rin and the Tenseiga but that woman, who looks like Inuyasha’s wench, was to strong!  She took us prisoner!  See look!  Jaken is covered in burns from the woman’s miko aura!  Jaken is so sorry!  But Jaken still thanks Lord Sesshomaru from the bottom of his heart for rescuing his lowly servant!  Lord Sesshomaru is so kind!!” Jaken sobbed.

   “She still has Rin.” I said, “And the Tenseiga.”

   “What?!”

   “The only way to get my four belongings back is to complete the four tasks she has given me.  I have completed the first, and so you were returned to me.”

   I started to walk out of the clearing.  I had divulged enough for one day.

   Behind me it appeared that Jaken was counting on his fingers.

   “Wait,” he said, “If Rin, the Tenseiga, and I were there, then what was the fourth?”

   I didn’t answer, because I didn’t know.