I Am Me; No One Else

Prologue: Heartbreak Can Lead to Drastic Changes

She was running away again for what seemed to be the thousandth time. Running from the scene she had just witnessed as it broke her already delicate heart into a hundred more shattered pieces of herself. How many times had this happened now? Too many for her to accurately count as they had traveled together for years with their friends, and one would have thought she would have learned her lesson by now.

But she hadn't; hadn't wanted to believe him capable of destroying her so completely. She had waited with patience, compassion, and kindness towards him. And she had briefly been rewarded. He had finally told her he loved her; that he wanted to be with her. She had been elated and left to go home to gather supplies. When she returned; he was not there waiting as he had promised her, and it was getting dark. The forest was dangerous at night.

She had waited for him for some time; until she knew she could not afford to simply wait. She got tired of sitting and waiting, and so she had begun to walk the forest trail to find him. Perhaps he was just late or caught up. She didn't like the idea of him fighting alone, though she knew he was more than capable.

There was a definitive chill to her heart though; and she knew whatever had disquieted it was about to be thrown at her. She ignored the sensation, but could not help but to feel hesitant about what she would find out tonight.

Her legs walked until she heard rustling amid some secluded brush and the voices of two people. One voice was male and it was the one she had come searching for; the other was feminine and very recognizable; though she wished it weren't. She stealthily crept upon them to see what was going on. Then he betrayed her and her eyes couldn't believe it though internally, she had suspected and expected it.

Her tears ran down her face and she had run from the sight as hard and as fast as she could. He was too busy assuring the other woman of her place by his side that he had not even noticed the smell of salt in the air. Nor the smirk to the woman's face as he embraced her to try and comfort her in her seemingly desperate attempt to be made sure that she was not to be replaced.

When she reached the old well that allowed her passage through time; she collapsed at its edge and she silently cried her heart out for no one to hear.

Was she never going to be good enough? Was she never going be enough for anyone?

Her sorrow was there for anyone to hear as she sobbed with wracking grief, but no one was there to help her or to console her. No one would comfort her in her despair and no one loved her for being herself.

'Okay, maybe that was unfair' she thought sadly to herself, 'Sango, Miroku and Shippou love me as I am...but none of them have ever felt for me as I did for him.'

Exhausted from running through the forest that had become dark and too tired to move any longer, Kagome fell asleep against the wall of the old well. She was totally unaware of the molten gold eyes in the trees who had been curiously watching her.

His eyes were hard and a near silent snarling growl left his lips as his gaze began to redden with rage for her suffering. The young woman had deserved no such treatment; she had always acted in compassion, kindness, and honor to all she had come to. He would allow her to suffer this way no more.

He had also known that his despicable half-brother would do something like this, and now his actions would have consequences. Ones that he would learn of later and likely be angered by before regret began to eat at him; if they did not outright end up killing him.

This girl was a curious thing to the demon lord who watched over her body now as she slept on. His presence there alone had scared off many, if not all, demons that would dare to try to harm her. They would wait to see if he left before trying anything, but he had no intention of leaving her to be so vulnerable.