Chapter 5: Battles Come and Go

Kagome snorted lightly and turned her attention back to Kouga, her razor-sharp claws glinting in the sunlight. "I'll kill you next for getting in my way." She charged at him her eyes filled with rage. She managed to scratch Kouga once again, this time across his mostly unprotected right arm.

"I'm not your enemy, Kagome!" He defended himself from a kick aimed at his chest.

"Anyone who sides with that abomination is my enemy!" She charged him once again, hoping to get her claws somewhere near his stomach, which she knew would slow him down, if only a little.

"No!" Kouga yelled, hoping to end this soon. Damn, is she fast. I can't fight her though. It would go against my integrity to attack the woman I love. A distraction might be useful at this point in time.

Thankfully the gods were on Kouga's side at the moment. A soft voice called out into the forest, causing Kagome's ears to flicker curiously, causing her to stop her attacks. "Inuyasha, are you here?" Sango's voice. "I decided I'm going through the well now instead of later, it's only fair to let her mother know she is gone. Are you planning to come?" She was still far enough away to allow a retreat on Kagome's part.

"Next time, wolf. You'll be dead." Kagome took a step backwards and disappeared into the deep woods, Naraku following her. Kouga turned and found Sango entering the clearing behind him.

"Kouga!" Sango was thoroughly surprised. "Have you seen Inu-" She stopped as her eyes drifted to Goshinboku. "-yasha." she finished in a whisper. "What happened?" Placing her hand on her Hiraikotsu, she dropped it momentarily as she rushed to Inuyasha's side. "Did you do this?" She turned back, threatening him with her Hiraikotsu.

"Don't pull your weapon. It wasn't me that did this." He looked back at the area where Kagome had disappeared. "It was Kagome." Kouga looked back at his arm. The marks were Kagome had scratched him were starting to heal physically, but Kouga wasn't sure how long it would take for him to forget the injury. Kagome, my love. When you will return to yourself? Return to being my woman…

^_^

"Damn girl. I'd like to use her to sharpen my claws, interrupting me like that." Kagome snarled, climbing into the closest tree. She turned back to the baboon-skinned person. "I appreciate the help you gave, but I can take care of myself. You know that. You've seen it with your own eyes."

"I only wish to help. I also have a vendetta against the hanyou." He flipped the baboon head down, revealing his natural face. "He killed the woman I loved."

"Well, your revenge has been fulfilled. Inuyasha is dead now. He will never move from the spot he is now. My revenge has not yet been exacted. I still need to destroy the ones who cursed me," She stroked her own tail affectionately. "despite how much I like this form." She turned away from him and looked at the opened fields beyond the forest line. "How would I ever explain it to my mother, my grandfather and Sota?" She whispered, not realizing she had forgotten all about her "sister" Kikyou.

^_^

"You saw Kagome?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? She's the one who attacked me!" Kouga yelled back at Sango. He snarled lightly as she applied the antiseptic to his arrow wound, silently thanking Kagome for showing her how the first-aid kit worked. "And I wouldn't fight back, even if she…" he mumbled under his breath.

Sango was obviously curious to ask a certain question, but couldn't bring herself to say it. Kouga saw the question in her eyes though and replied, "It's not really Kagome. She doesn't remember anyone."

^_^

Shippou squealed happily. It had been a few days since he had left Kaede's village. He had gone off to seek information from other fox youkai that lived in the forests between Inuyasha's forest and Naraku's castle. Though kitsune were known to trick and deceive other youkai and humans, they were intensely loyal to their own kind and willingly gave the information Shippou sought. Kagome had been spotted a few days earlier, heading East on a well-known travel route. Heading towards the village.

Shippou squealed once again, transforming into a balloon, free to float back without a worry. After awhile, he transformed back into himself and wandered on the path, hoping to be back in the village by late afternoon.

I wonder what Kagome has been up to since she escaped Naraku. She'll be so glad to see everyone when she gets back. The young kitsune mused, not realizing the possibilities of what happened. He would just be glad to see her.

Reaching the path he had separated with Miroku on days earlier, he realized someone was coming. Hiding in the bushes nearby, he waited for the traveler. Once the person was in range, Shippou saw nothing but what he had been expecting in the days past. It was Kagome.

He rushed up to her, leaping into her arms as soon as he became close enough. "Kagome!" He was confused a second later when he found himself back on the ground. He looked up and realized Kagome's changes. Though she looked like a cat youkai now, her ears and tail evident despite her miko outfit and beside her purple and pink streaked hair, Shippou knew it was Kagome.

"Leave me alone, little one." She grumbled and kept walking away. Boy, Inuyasha must of really screwed up this time for Kagome to be leaving the village. I better follow her to make sure she doesn't hurt herself. He transformed back into a balloon and followed her, wondering what was going on back in the village.

^_^

Kagome was beyond furious at this point, as she stomped off onto a path in the woods. There was no information on who had cursed her with this form. The monk that usually traveled with Inuyasha had disappeared four days earlier and it was clear the exterminator couldn't have done it. Her magic aura was so low, it was pathetic. The elderly, but powerful priestess that was rumored to travel with them as well had gone off to a village, only Kami knew where.

Kagome kicked a stone in her path and looked at her surroundings. She had been walking nearly a full day now, with no results. Even Naraku had disappeared. Naraku. She turned Northeast and headed back towards his castle. It was only then she would know what to do next.

It was only after sundown did she realize how out of place she felt. It was as if her existence was being suspended between two currents. One current was drawing her towards the village she had killed Inuyasha in and the other was pulling her towards Naraku's castle. It was beginning to confuse her to no end. She also had been having the feeling that she was being followed all day, yet every time she looked back, there was no one or nothing there. This day was turning out to be very strange. Very strange indeed.

Another thing that had been bothering her most of the time she had been away from Naraku was the reappearance of the flashes. They weren't so pronounced anymore, but every once in a while she could see clear pictures. The pictures she had been seeing lately were those of herself with the hanyou, Inuyasha. Why would these come up? Is it another trap laid by those from that village? Make me think I had been part of their "group" so I wouldn't kill the dog for what he did to me? Why? Is he that important to them, that they would cover this actions by planting false memories in my head? Shaking off her thoughts, she searched around for a suitable place to sleep.

Climbing into a tree, she stretched and mewled happily. It had been a long day and she was glad for the rest. As she dozed off, she distinctly heard a sound and smelled the fox who had tackled her earlier. Satisfied he wasn't going to do anything she let herself fall under just enough to sleep, but keep her senses alert for danger.

^_^

Naraku sighed. It had been a while since Kagome had been at the castle and despite how much he despised her, the last few days had been less calming than usual. Though Kanna was useful, she wasn't usually the best person for the job. When he had made her, he had made her with little fight abilities, though her mirror could do just about anything. Kagura, though stronger and more able to fight and follow orders, despised him and he knew it. Kagome had become Naraku's best chance for a well-fought battle. She was a better slave than Kagura and Kanna. She got the job done and without all of the side-steps and deceits that Kagura had used lately.

Inuyasha was dead now. There were only four problems left and Naraku was confident Kagome could defeat them. Kikyou would be the hardest for Kagome, even without her memories.

"Kagura," Naraku called. "Go fetch Kagome, she's been gone far too long." Kagura gave him a murderous glance, as she sometimes did, but turned and followed instructions.

^_^

Kagome stretched as she woke up, feeling refreshed and in a better mood. She stretched her belly and realized a slight weight on it. She opened her eyes and found the little fox demon she had seen earlier snuggled up against her stomach, his tail wrapped around her midsection and he was making small purring noises against her belly. What is the kitsune doing here? Does he really know who am I? She paused for a moment. If I treat him nicely, he might tell me about my past.

She picked the small demon up into her arms and sat up, looking around quietly. She could tell it was morning already and there were no other youkai around that she could sense, or smell, no humans had passed either. Mewling with delight, she set the fox on the tree branch and leaped down.

She returned a few minutes later with a small deer. Despite how she felt about killing animals, she was hungry and her senses overpowered her on the hunt, and had killed the animal anyways. Over the last few weeks, Kagome had killed a few animals and taken to tasting raw meat. I guess demons eat it raw anyways… A flash came over her mind and she saw the man Naraku had called Sesshoumaru. He was standing over her on a two-headed demon and talking.

Kagome shook the image away and was just about to dig in when she sensed a human. She quickly took to a tree as a man in a black robe with a purple sash came past. She squinted (despite not needing to) and rifled though the small amount of images she possessed. Though Kagome didn't see him in those, she swore to herself that she knew who he was. Despite what her demon blood was telling her, she stopped herself and let him pass completely unaware of her presence.

Kagome sighed as she retrived the deer and lept back into the tree. It would be a few minutes before she actually ate, the monk taking up her thoughts.

^_^

Shippou awoke to the smell of meat in front of his nose. He opened his eyes and saw a piece waving before him. Grabbing it and eating it, Shippou looked up to see who had given it to him, and there sitting next to him on the tree branch was Kagome.

"Kagome!" He squealed happily before jumping into her arms. "I was upset yesterday because you didn't say anything. All of us were so worried when you were taken. Inuyasha was really upset as well, he spent nearly three weeks straight looking for you and…"

"That's enough for now." Kagome's ears flattened. "I am only being nice because I want to know what you know about me." Kagome slapped her tail angrily against the trunk of the tree in frustration. "I can't remember anything and you apparently know me…"

Shippou looked up from his meal to Kagome's angry face. "You don't remember anything?"

"What did I say, you little fox?" She threw down her food and leaped out of the tree. "You can have the rest, kitsune," she called before disappearing into the tree line.

"Kagome!"

^_^

Kagura slouched against the next tree to wait for Kagome to pass. She could sense her, and instead of walking one extra step in favor of that abomination that held her life in his hands, she waited for the girl to come past.

She appeared in the tree above Kagura a moment later, her tail swinging wildly and her bag loosely hanging off her back. "Well, well Kagura…" She purred loudly as she leaped out of the tree. "Naraku couldn't wait that extra four hours it would have taken me to get back?"

Kagura just glared at her for a moment. "I guess not."

Kagome sighed and followed her back to Saru.

Kagome sighed again as she stepped in the castle, nearly by force as Kagura pushed her. She turned back and hissed at her, not in the mood to put up with Kagura's pushiness at the moment. Kagome had had a long day, and was in the mood for a fight. She flattened her ears against her head and brought up razor sharp claws as a challenge. Kagura didn't back off, quite the opposite in fact. She raised her fan and gave a hiss-like sound of her own.

"Come on, Kagura." Kagome motioned for her to move closer. "You want to fight me? Ive been in one hell of a mood today, fighting you might only improve it."

Naraku stepped between the two before they could swing at each other. He pushed Kagura to the door. "Leave," he growled.

Kagura gave him a murderous glance, turned to Kagome and whispered, "This isn't over." Kagome hissed once again, as Kagura left the room.

END OF CHAPTER FIVE…