Here's chappie 2! The chapter lengths are going to vary a lot, since I just write it as one big story, then divide it _. The POV will switch a bit from now on, but I'll warn you when it does ^_~. So now! READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!

I woke up warm. The fire had long since gone out, and the morning sun shone hazily though the hallway. I stretched my legs a little, realizing that I was now lying on the floor, rather than sitting up. I didn't open my eyes, not feeling up to dealing with people yet. I deeply inhaled the smells of the morning dew, the ashes from the fire and… singed dog hair.

I opened one eye and took better stock of my surroundings. I noticed that my pillow was… silvery. I moved an arm and finally noticed the sleeping fox-demon curled up in my arms.

"Shippo," I whispered. He was out like a light.

I moved my arm cautiously up to my head, where my own black hair mingled with singed silver tresses. My fingers followed it behind my head and to another one. I made a face when I realized the hanyou was right behind me. He had his back to me and seemed to be asleep. My fingers traveled lightly over his head, trying to figure out where his face was. Instead they found a soft pointed ear, and a silly grin spread across my face before I could stop it.

"Heeheehee," I giggled silently, shamelessly toying with the half-demon's ear. It twitched under my fingertips, irritated.

A hand grabbed mine and I froze.

"What the hell are you doing?" a quiet, sleepy voice floated from the body behind me.

"Uh-um…" I stuttered stupidly, feeling my face flush.

He was silent. I don't know how, but I could tell he was laughing. He let go of my hand. It hovered above his head, unsure.

"Eh… Inu-Yasha?" I whispered.

"Hm?"

I knew I was risking it, but I couldn't help it. "Can I play with your ears?"

A sharp snort came from behind me. He was either totally disgusted, or very amused.

"Feh," he whispered warmly.

The silly smile found its way back to my lips and my fingers back to his ears. I stroked the absurdly soft silver-white ear. I didn't care if there would be consequences for this later. I was in absolute bliss.

I hadn't realized I had fallen back asleep until I was waking up again. Afternoon sun shone more brightly through the door, creeping across the sandy floor.

My arm was still twisted uncomfortably behind my head and my fingers were tangled in soft hair. Surely Inu-Yasha wouldn't sleep this late… I gave the hair a slight tug, and my scalp tingled. Oh. I sat up and freed my hand from my messy hair. I found my backpack and took out my brush, looking around. I was alone. I let my mind wander while dragging the brush through my knotted hair.

Did last night really happen? Inu-Yasha had been pretty mad at me… for some reason. It occurred to me that I wasn't sure why he was mad at me. My hand halted mid-stroke, then I resumed, brushing a little quicker and harder. Hmph. And he thinks girls are petty. Just who does he think he is? My hand moved faster as my annoyance began to return. He calls me names and tells me not to talk to him, and then he gets mad that I don't say anything. Sometimes I wish he would just-

I cried out in pain as my last brush stroke pulled my hair out by the roots. I stared at my brush, the white bristles clogged with clumps of ebony hair.

I groaned audibly. If I kept letting him get on my nerves, I was going to end up bald. I picked the hair out of the brush and put it away.

"What'd you do, cough up a hairball?" a voice sneered from the doorway.

My head whipped around and I glared at Inu-Yasha, who was leaning… no, slouching against the frame, his arms crossed over his chest.

I gritted my teeth and my ears began to feel hot. This was going a little too far, even for him. At least I groom myself every once in a while, I thought, the words on the tip of my tongue, but I didn't say them. Instead, I stuck my nose in the air and packed up my backpack.

"Don't ignore me, Kagome."

One of my eyes twitched. Grrr. The tone of bossiness in his words only ticked me off a little more. You just keep pushing it…

I willed my face to relax and pretended that I really didn't notice him standing there. I began to whistle, just because I knew it would piss him off.

"Kagome!" I felt him stomp on the floor immaturely. Bingo. I whistled louder.

Yep. The night before had to have been a dream. There was no way he could have been so… not pissy a few hours ago. I finished backing my bag and rose, shouldering it in one smooth motion, walking toward the door.

"Kagome, I'm not letting you leave until you answer me!" Inu-Yasha yelled, blocking the doorway. I kept walking, completely ignoring him, and stopped about two feet away. Finally I looked at him, using every shred of self-possession to keep an indifferent, apathetic expression on my face. He stood silently, arms crossed and feet apart, glowering down at me like the father of a difficult teenager. The nerve!

"Sit."

WHUNK! He face-planted into the floorboards. I hopped over him lightly and started down the hall.

"Hey, I 'm not done with you yet!" He protested, getting off the floor.

"Sit," I repeated, and kept walking.

WHUNK!

The snarls grew quieter until I couldn't hear them anymore, and I ventured out into the foggy morning.

I wandered around, trying to pay attention to the roots and rocks that threatened to trip me when I least expected it. But my mind was occupied.

Maybe I should just go home. Nobody seemed ready to search for more shards any time soon. Sango had gone to exterminate some demons in a nearby village, and Miroku had wanted to follow, but Inu-Yasha insisted on waiting for me. Why? So he wouldn't miss any time to yell at me? Kaede had told them to wait after the fog appeared, so there was really nothing to do until it lifted. It was likely Sango wouldn't try to make it back in this weather, anyway.

I wonder what Mom, Grandpa and Souta are doing. Probably getting ready for the New Year… If I leave now, I might be able to spend the holidays with them after all! Miroku and Shippo will be ok, and Inu-Yasha… he'll live.

I stopped for a moment and squinted into the fog. The nearly-noon sun shone directly above, refracting through every tiny water droplet that hung in the air, blinding me to my surroundings.

I took a deep breath and continued on. I knew where I was going… I thought. My thought returned to that oh-so-unpleasant subject.

What is Inu-Yasha's problem, anyway? I can't remember saying anything expressly mean to him. It seems like he just gets touchier every day. And what about my dream? I'm sure that wasn't real, the way he's been acting lately! But… it just… it seemed so real!

I took a sniff of the moist air. I could still feel the softness of his ears under my fingertips. I could still hear his breathing behind me. And I could still smell his burnt hair under my cheek.

A big sigh escaped me, and I felt some of the annoyance dissipate. Hurt took its place. A lot of the time I knew he was just being himself, trying his hardest to cover up any kindness with gruff words and annoyed snarls. But there were times when I wondered if he really did hate me. Lately he just… If it weren't for my ability to see the jewel shards, would he leave me behind? Or… would he… kill me?

A surprised cry was torn from my throat as I flew forward, coming into hard contact with the dirt. I lay shaking for a moment, trying to ignore the pain that shot from my feet and legs like white-hot electricity. I pushed myself off the ground and felt down my legs to my feet, tangled in a tree root of some kind. I pulled my clumsy shoes from the tangle and drew my knees up to my chin. My shoulders shook violently as I began to sob, hugging my legs to my chest, the scent of blood reaching my nose.

But the pain in my knees seemed small compared to the pain that gripped my chest. How did I get here? Why me? Why did I have to be the reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo? There must be plenty more, stronger girls that could have done this so much better than I have. Why did I have to meet someone like Inu-Yasha? My life had been fine! I didn't need this!

Images of Shippo, Miroku and Sango began to run across my mind. How I wished they were there, with me. Then another image flashed across my mind.

Inu-Yasha drawing the Tetsusaiga. Inu-Yasha wolfing down ramen. Inu-Yasha holding Shippo up by the tail. Inu-Yasha flying through the forest. Inu-Yasha getting flustered when I leaned on him. Inu-Yasha turning into a human. Inu-Yasha wounded. Inu-Yasha being dragged to hell by Kikyo. Inu-Yasha hugging me.

I sniffed and rested my chin on my knees, closing my eyes. I didn't want to think about him anymore. I didn't want to think. I let out a long breath and relaxed, my mind, for once, peaceful and… blank.

A leafy THUMP directly in front of me made me jump, startling me out of my void.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" an angry voice demanded.

I squinted into the still-present fog, but it was much later than when I had closed my eyes. The sun was behind me, and the rays that filtered between the trunks of the trees shone on and through the fog, and dazzling golden patterns shone around me. But I still couldn't see who it was. I didn't need to. I knew that voice all too well.

I sensed him stooping in front of me. "Get on," he ordered.

I stared at the faint blur of red in front of me, a sick feeling rising in my throat. "B-but how…"

"Keh," he blew. "I could smell your stench from the village, woman. Get on."

He… he couldn't have. In all this fog…? He had to be looking… I felt tears spill from my eyes again. I rested my cheeks on my knees and made no other movement.

After a moment, he seemed to grow confused. "Kagome…?" I heard the rustle of his haori as he turned. I held my breath to keep from sobbing.

"Kagome." His voice was quieter this time, and closer. There was an air of hesitance around him, but I wasn't sure why.

I hugged my knees tighter, hoping he would just give up and leave me alone, something I knew he would never do. But did I really know what he would and wouldn't do? What he did next made me question that.

A hand slipped against my neck and cupped my chin. He lifted my face up.

I wanted anything but to look at him. So I didn't. I kept my eyes closed.

I heard a quiet breath leave him. "Kagome… I'm sorry. Please don't cry."

Don't… cry? Don't cry? DON'T CRY?

I felt the anger rise in my throat again and my eyes flew open. He was too close to 'sit' him…

A small growl of frustration rose from my throat, and I hauled back and hit him. With my fist. Right in the eye. He flew backwards, away from me, hitting the ground in dazed silence.

I shot to my feet in righteous indignation, my arms straight at my sides. I turned on my heel and stormed off into the woods, not even waiting for him to get up. My face was hot as I fumed, trying to gat as far as I could away from him. I stamped through the soil, barely paying attention to where I was going until I realized…

"My backpack!" I exclaimed suddenly. It wasn't with me any more! Where had I left it? When did I lose it?

I stopped and thought about what to do. It had all my things in it. Everything! But if I went looking for it now, I would probably get lost! I had to keep to the present trail if I was going to make it back to…

I looked around me at the darkening atmosphere. The fog was everywhere, and I couldn't even see the trees around me. I was already lost.

"DAMMIT!"

Inu-Yasha's POV

She hit me. She actually HIT ME! I couldn't believe it. How dare she, that wench! I heard her rise and walk away while I lay stunned in the soil. I put a hand to my left eye. I would definitely have a shiner later. But right now…

I rolled over and got to my feet, leaping to the nearest tree. Annoying as she was, I couldn't let her walk off and get lost. Not in fog like this.

I sniffed the air, searching for her smell. It was something rare to smell out here in the woods. Her hair was the worst. It smelled of apples and flowers, the residue of something she called 'shampoo.' I snorted. Why she put such things into her hair was beyond me. I sniffed again, waiting for the sweet sme- I mean, stench to come to me again. Shit.

It was gone. I had lost her. Damn fog! I would have been able to pick up her scent easily if it wasn't for this plague! I made ready to leap down and try to follow her from the ground but…

"Oh no…" It was back, the irresistible tingling in my nose, the dizziness in my head….

"Ah… ACHOO!"

I saw the ground rushing up at me, and soon the taste of dirt was filling my mouth. I twitched my ears, trying to calm my rattled brains.

"DAMMIT!"

Exactly. Wait… I hadn't said that! I looked up through the fog, at the direction where I had heard the scream. I grinned. I had found her.