The Better Man

Chapter Thirteen

The cup barely missed his head by a centimeter, her hand went for the empty cup sitting in front of Keiko. "You ass, how dare you spy on me. Thats it I don't care what your boss says. I swear if I sense you outside my window tonight, I'm going to purify your little ass to hell and back." She hurled the cup, Kuwabara stood up as it left her fingers. It cracked across his forehead.

"Damn Hiei, he took the blow for you." Yusuke started laughing.

Kagome got up without looking at anyone and walked out the door. She should have known better than to come. Even if she considered Keiko her friend, this was too much. She hadn't gotten nude until after she'd climbed under the covers. So how the hell did he know that she slept in the nude? Had he come in her room and pulled the covers back to take a quick peek? Her feet took her to the sidewalk, she'd rode with Kuwabara. Looked like she was walking home for now.

Her footsteps took her down a different route than what she'd usually take. A nice walk would help cool her temper. Her thoughts went back to her friends that she'd left behind, had they known that Kanna had somehow survived without Naraku. It caused her to pause, no they hadn't known. They would already be dead in her era but what about through the well? Were they okay?

Worry filled her as she began to run, she hadn't tried to go through since she'd returned. It had been best to severe all ties to that part of her life. Her breathing was heavy and raggid by the time she hit the shrine. Her senses picked up the two men waiting for her already. She paid them no attention her worry consuming her. Why hadn't she thought about it before?

She glanced at them briefly, her hand went to the rosary taking it off. The well door was yanked open as she ran inside. Without thinking she jumped inside, the familiar light engulfed her. Hiei and Kurama gasped when the saw her run into the old building. Then they felt the magic as it worked, they leapt out the tree. All they saw was darkness beckoning at the bottom.


She landed on the other side and looked around. Something wasn't right, it was almost overgrown with weeds and vines. It shouldn't be this bad, she hadn't been gone that long. She used the vines to make her way out. With the rosary back in place she'd be free to roam around. Her heart tore when she got to the top, everything was different. The village had been moved closer to the well for some reason. Smoke could be seen, had it moved or expanded that much?

There wasn't much to see in the dark but she made her way over hoping her friends would still be there. No one greeted or bothered her as she ran through the village. Kaede's hut now sat off in the distance alone. That was the first place she went.

"Kaede?" She ran inside screaming.

The young girl inside dropped the water she'd been carrying. Her large brown eyes looked up in suprise at her visitor. "May I help you?"

"I'm looking for Kaede or Sango."

"Ka...Kagome?" Her mouth widened into a smile. She threw her arms around the girl and began crying. "You've come back, I knew you would. It has been so long, I was scared I'd be alone forever."

Kagome stared at the girl, not sure who she was. Large brown eyes met hers and she gasped. It couldn't be, it was impossible. "Rin?"

"Yes, you remember me."

"How are you grown? Last time I left you shouldn't have no more than eight or nine."

"I have already seen ten and eight years, it has been almost ten years since you last came. Five years ago my lord brought me to live with the taijiya and houshi. Then two years past the village was attacked and my new family was killed by some pale youkai. My lord has still yet to return for me, I am alone."

Kagome felt the pain and anguish wash over her. Kanna had gotten to them while she'd been safe in the future. Why had the well sent her to this time? What had gone wrong? Tears streamed down her face, her arms went around the other girl. "You aren't alone anymore."

"You will stay with me?"

"I will stay for a short time but I will have to return home soon."


Kagome spent the next month with the girl that was now almost as old as she. She was no longer the small child that had trailed behind Inuyasha's brother. After watching her and speaking with her, it was obvious that Sesshoumaru had left his influence and so had Sango. Kagome was just glad she saw none of Miroku coming out in her yet.

They visited the graves the girl had dug for her friends. Kagome soon saw that Rin was very lonely, not that she could blame her. She had lost her family as a child, then Sesshoumaru abandoned her and then her newest family had been taken away also. She'd lost her loved ones three times already in her short life.

Kagome mourned for her friends all over again, knowing she would never see them again no matter what era she was in. Part of her wanted to hunt Kanna down in this time but she knew she couldn't. Because Kanna was alive in her time, so she had to live to see it. But the bitch would pay as soon as she returned.

"Rin, mind if I ask you a question? How did you survive when Kanna attacked?" They were sitting by the fire waiting for dinner to get done.

"Oh, I'm not sure. That woman came with a few others, we tried to fight them off. One of them attacked with a large blast of fire. I felt the heat and then my body began to tingle. I woke up in the forest alone, to come back and find them gone. My fans made a strange noise right before it happened. See," She took the two small fans attached to her side off and handed them to Kagome. "My lord gave them to me when I was but ten years. He said to keep me protected, since Jaken was bad at keeping me safe."

Kagome could feel the youkia aura on them, much like Sesshoumaru's. He must have had Toutousai make them from his fangs, it made sense. Most people knew the youkai to be cruel and uncaring but Kagome had seen him go out his way many times to save his ward. They were small enough to fit in her palm, clearly they were for protection only. "That was nice of him."

"Yes. They are all I have besides my memories." She latched them back to her side, "This smells great, lets eat."

Kagome stayed another few days before deciding it was time for her to go back. She'd already missed a month of school, she'd have to try and catch up now. Somehow she'd known the girl wouldn't take her leaving very well.

"Please don't leave me, I have no one."

"Thats not true, you are here in the village. The other villagers are here with you." Kagome tried to smile at her but didn't feel it.

"They don't talk to me, they ignore me. It's because I was with my lord. They avoid me, they don't like me here." She fell to her knees and began to cry. "Please don't leave me Kagome."

Her heart broke at seeing the girl at her feet pleading. She didn't want to leave her alone but she had to go back to her own era. "I'm sorry I have to go back, it's where I belong."

"Take me with you, I can protect myself. I promise I won't be a burden." She grabbed Kagome's pants holding on for dear life.

"I don't know, I doubt you can even go through with me. No one besides Inuyasha and myself have been able to go through. Plus, I'm sure whats-his-face wouldn't like it." The girl looked at her pleadingly with large brown eyes filled with tears. Kagome sighed in defeat, what could she do? "Okay we will try it but if you do make it with me. Things are different in my time, I don't have time to explain. Just stay with me no matter what happens okay.

"Thank you, give me a minute and I'll be ready."

Please read and review. A/N: Open to suggestions for the Rin/??? pairing.