Secret Love by RiN

Chapter 1: A Battle Lost

Kagome awoke outside Kaede's hut. 'How did I get here?' she wondered. The last thing that Kagome remembered was being in the middle of a battle that they were losing. Inuyasha had been knocked unconscious and Kirara was knocked to the ground when she tried to help Sango and Miroku when they went to defend Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku did not last much longer either. That youkai was just too strong. Shippo had been feeling sick so he had stayed at Kaede's village while the others went out looking for a nearby shikon shard. Kagome was the last group member awake and the youkai came at her and threw her to the ground. She was slammed down so hard that she too was knocked unconscious. Now, Kagome and her friends were at Kaede's village and Shippo, who now felt much better, was staring at them. It was early in the morning and Shippo had gotten up early so that he would be awake when they returned. He was too late because there they were all bruised and battered up.

Shippo saw Kagome awake and asked her what happened and how they got home. Kagome stared at him and wondered the same questions in her head. She described the battle to Shippo as he looked at her in horror. 'How could any youkai knock them all down as though they were nothing? Inuyasha was so strong and he was knocked to the ground as though he did not stand a chance against this youkai.' Shippo's mind just kept wondering about this battle and his friends being tossed around like that. Kaede awoke and joined Shippo outside. "What in the world? What happened?" she asked seeing the group on the ground. Kagome retold the story about the battle and insisted that she did not know who brought them home.

Kagome thought of who could have saved her and her friends. 'Shippo didn't because, well strength-wise he probably couldn't, but he was at the village with Kaede. What about Kouga? He wouldn't have. Even though he loved Kagome and would have fought that battle for her, he could not of saved her because if he had, Kagome was certain that she would be at Kouga's camp and her friends would have been left at the battlefield. Then there was Sesshoumaru, the Lord of the Western Lands. He was definitely strong enough, but would he really help his brother? Yeah right! Sesshoumaru probably would have watched the battle, figured it had nothing to do with him, and then he would decide not to get involved and he would leave. Why would Sesshoumaru get involved? He would rather that his puny brother dies so that he can never bother Sesshoumaru again.' With that thought ended, Kagome asked Kaede to help her bring her friends into Kaede's hut so that they could get some rest. They did and then Kagome lay back down and decided to get a little more sleep.