They ran. It was another of Naraku's traps, filled with enchantments and illusions one could not decipher from reality. And they had fallen for it again. They ran through a forest, trees casting mysterious shadows in jagged forms, a dark miasma lapping at their heels that burned at the slightest touch. Though their skin was burned and blistered, they could not afford to stop. Leading the group was the half-demon clad in red, pulling the wrist of the teenage priestess so she wouldn't get left behind. The contact reassured him she was safe. He knew he could easily pull her onto his back and run well away from the fog, yet that would risk losing the monk, demon slayer, neko, and fox demon. And he could not afford to become separated while in Naraku's presence.

"Inuyasha," Kagome called to him through labored breath. He did not respond, only continued pulling her through the never-ending maze of the forest. How much longer would this continue on? He could tell his human companions were tiring. The only thing pushing them forward was adrenaline and the need to survive.

A voice laughed somewhere in the distance. No. It was everywhere. It was a laugh the group had heard far too many times in the past months. That meant Naraku was safe somewhere enjoying the show as they ran for their lives. The crackling and popping of the acidic mist continued drawing closer, as if urged on by the sound of laughter.

Inuyasha felt Kagome begin to slow and wondered if her bare legs were more affected than the others who at least had clothing covering their legs for protection. He pulled harder on her hand, refusing to let her give up. He wanted so much to carry her now, yet he knew she would be in pain if he even so much as touched her burnt legs. He cursed at Naraku for doing this to Kagome and the others. Now he was beginning to feel the effects of the fog despite the protection of his robe of the fire rat, as he could feel it drawing even closer.

He felt Kagome collapse, losing her grip on Inuyasha's hand, yet his did not waver as he called her name and bent to pick her up, but was too late. The mist was already a foot away and he saw Kagome wince, preparing herself for the pain and inevitable death. He instinctively came between the fog and Kagome held her in his arms to shield her as best he could. He heard voices calling their names, but closed his eyes and held Kagome's head tightly to his chest, bracing for impact.

Yet, it never came. He looked up only to see his friends with faces showing mixtures of shock and relief. He looked behind him and saw no miasma. No traces of the deadly vapor that had chased them for what seemed like miles. He released his tight hold on the girl in his arms.

"Are you alright, Kagome?" he asked her. She nodded.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Inuyasha. We almost got killed because of me."

"Keh, don't be stupid. As if some dumb fog could kill me," he said, trying to lighten the mood and make up for the rather intimate moment that had occurred out of fear for her life. He watched her smile, knowing she knew what he was covering up. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara approached them now, though Inuyasha could tell they were exhausted and their skin was covered in those painful blisters. He had a few of his own, and if this pain was being dulled by his demon abilities, he hated to know what it must feel like for his human companions.

"I'm glad you both are alright," Miroku said as they all practically collapsed next to Inuyasha and Kagome. "That mist vanished just before it should have consumed you. Naraku must have something else up his sleeve if he didn't want to finish you off then."

Sango responded, "Yes. But perhaps we should take advantage of this opportunity and try to do what we can for these wounds." They were all plagued with blistered and red, scorched skin and they obviously wouldn't be able to continue in their current condition.

"Yeah, I don't know if I could run another inch. And I'm a big strong demon!" Shippo bragged.

"Shut up, Shippo. We all know you were hanging onto Miroku while he ran. You're such a wimp!" Inuyasha made sure to deflate his ego.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome warned, and he didn't try to push his luck any further. "Let me get out my first aid kit and I'll do what I can for these wounds." And she gingerly unzipped her backpack and ruffled around carefully, minding the blisters on her fingers until she pulled out the white box she brought from her time. "I'm running a little low on supplies, but-" She winced in pain, dropping her kit.

"Kagome! What's wrong?" Inuyasha demanded, not bothering to cover up the fear in his voice.

"Sorry, just hurt a little. No big deal."

"It is a big deal, Kagome," said Miroku. "We all are in pain. If it wasn't for you and the medicines from your time, we would all be in big trouble. She managed a weak smile, and began to work on sorting through her kit, finding the things that would be most useful in their situation.

"I have some bandages, cold compresses, pain medication, and some ointment. There isn't a lot, but it'll have to do until we can get back to Kaede's and I can go home and get more."

"This is perfect, Kagome. Thank you," Sango said and she took what she needed and began to apply it to Miroku, who seemed more relieved by her touch than the medicine itself. Kagome began to apply some ointment to Shippo's face while Inuyasha eyed the wounds on her legs. It was no wonder she had collapsed. He was right in thinking she was more exposed to the mist than anyone else. His gaze shifted to her face and he knew she was trying to conceal her pain and seem strong, taking care to tend to her friends before herself. Stubborn wench. He eyed the medicines she had laid out, but had no earthly idea what these foreign things were supposed to do. He could smell the saltiness of tears and knew she was doing everything in her power to hide her pain, but it was beginning to be too much.

"Kagome," he said softly, trying not to alert the others. She finished rubbing her ointment on Shippo's hand and turned her head to him, also reaching for the bandages. He stopped her from continuing by placing his hand atop hers, looking into her eyes and giving her a serious look he normally wouldn't allow. She froze and he could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

"You need to take care of your wounds now," he said seriously.

"I can wait. Let me help Shippo first, and then I can help you if you want."

"Kagome…" he started, but she freed her hand from under his and took the bandages with her, turning back to Shippo and attending to his wounds. Inuyasha sighed and looked over to Sango and Miroku, who worked in silence as they helped each other, but they seemed off in their own world, solely focusing on the other's wounds as Kirara rested beside them, licking her own blisters. He turned back to Kagome and watched her closely.

He watched her place a final bandaid on the bridge of Shippo's nose and said, "There. All done."

"Thanks, Kagome," he said. "It feels a lot better now."

"I'll fix you up better when he get back, ok? Now will you give this to Miroku and Sango and make sure they both take two pills?" She asked and handed him the bottle of pain medicine.

He nodded and made his way over to the other couple who seemed happy to see him able to move. Kagome let slip a slight wince, but she inhaled deeply and exhaled, gaining her strength then turned back to face Inuyasha.

"Ok, let me see your wounds," she said, not looking him in the eye.

"I don't think so. Don't pretend like you aren't in pain. Let me help you," he said softly, so the others wouldn't hear him being showing concern for Kagome. "Just tell me what to do."

She knew it was useless to argue, and it was extremely hard trying to hold back signs she was in pain, but the others were strong and she refused to seem weak. And to be honest, she could have managed her own treatment, but with the way Inuyasha was acting, she couldn't help but admit it made her heart flutter. She handed him the tube of ointment and sat back carefully, letting Inuyasha take charge.

"You need to put the ointment on first." And the two fell silent, Inuyasha tenderly rubbing her scorched legs with the cream and she watched him, almost transfixed at the gentleness he was capable of. She let out a sigh of relief, or was it a sigh of pleasure at Inuyasha's touch?

"It must hurt a lot. You don't have to hide it," he said, wanting to make her as comfortable as possible.

"It's fine," she said, but the shakiness of her voice gave her away. He pretended not to hear it, so as to let her keep her pride. He finished rubbing down one leg and looked at her to gain her approval.

"Good, now you would need to bandage it, but we're running low, so I can do it myself later."

"Stupid, what's the point of having it if you don't use it when you need it?" And he continued to tend to her wounds with the bandages. He moved on to the other leg, stomach wrenching at the thought of how much pain she must be in. They didn't talk as Inuyasha moved on to her arms and hands, which had luckily received less damage.

"Just a cold compress will do for that," Kagome said, honestly not wanting to waste any more bandages.

"What's that?"

"Here," she began, and took a cold compress, unwrapped it, took one of Inuyasha's burnt hands and placed it onto his skin. He immediately felt the cooling relief and resumed Kagome's treatment before she could continue to tend to him, know she would if he didn't stop her. When he had finished, he looked at her face. Patches of red had made their way up her neck and were splotched across her cheeks and forehead, but luckily that was all. He resumed his treatment of the ointment, starting on her forehead, but he found himself almost fascinated as he slowly rubbed his thumb across her cheek back and forth. He had seen Kagome up close, but never truly had the time to admire every detail, let alone feel her soft skin beneath his coarse fingertips.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome woke him from his daze. She was looking at him with wide eyes and her blush was indiscernible from the irritated skin of her cheeks. He knew he was blushing, too, but remained silent as he continued to gently apply the ointment across her cheeks and down to her neck. He couldn't ignore the slight pleasure he felt when she leaned her head to the side, allowing him free access to let his fingers roam. It was a sensual feeling, he couldn't lie. And it almost pained him when he was finished and had to break contact with her skin. He knew he had feelings for this girl, but this definitely wasn't the time or place. And of course there was Kikyo, the thought of his past love causing his stomach to fall in guilt.

The two just looked at each other awkwardly, unsure of what to say or do. But Kagome broke the silence, knowing his wounds still needed attending.

"Um, thanks. Would you like me to help you now?"

"No. I can do it myself. Besides, they're already starting to heal."

"Oh…Ok," she said, trying to hide her disappointment while he tried to hide his thoughts of Kikyo. She looked over at Sango and Miroku had correctly applied the foreign first-aid medicine and that Shippo and Kirara were ok. All eyes were on her and Inuyasha, but they quickly looked away when Kagome caught them. She felt her cheeks burn and knew it wasn't from the miasma. Inuyasha obliviously applied a cold compress to his skin while internally battling himself to pretend he hadn't liked caring for Kagome as much as he knew he did.

"Well now that we have some relief, why don't we get some rest?" Miroku offered and everyone nodded, including Inuyasha. He offered to keep watch, knowing it would give him an opportunity to think. The others helped Kagome repack her back, able to move better now they had been treated, and they lied down, soon drifting off to sleep free from pain.

Hours passed without any commotion, and Inuyasha had long given up resisting glances at the sleeping Kagome. In her sleep, she looked just like Kikyo, but he knew when she awoke, there would be a light in her eyes that Kikyo had never possessed. There would be messy hair, a high-pitched voice, and a stubborn attitude, and he half-wanted to wake her up now to see it and the other half wanted her to rest. But no part of him wanted her to remind him of Kikyo at all, because she wasn't. But was Kikyo what he wanted or could it possibly be someone almost the exact opposite. Damn, this was difficult.

A shift in the air broke him from his thoughts. An unnatural wind picked up and chilled him. Just as he was about to wake the others, there was the same menacing laugh from earlier. He immediately stood up and grabbed the hilt of his sword, growling.

"Wake up!" He yelled at his companions who were already starting to shift awake. "NOW."

At Inuyasha's command they startled awake and scrambled into a standing position in a circle so that there was someone faced out in every direction. There was another laugh then Naraku's voice filled the air.

"I hope you enjoyed my miasma mist. You have all felt physical pain, but that isn't enough. I will make you feel every sort of pain imaginable. You will lose everything."

And at that moment a scream could be heard in the distance. It was a familiar voice. One that filled them all with dread and fear.

"KIKYO!" Inuyasha screamed and began to run in the direction of the voice. Kagome's heart dropped and the others exchanged glances before running after them. Kagome brought up the rear, knowing well to stay out of the way as the last thing she needed was to distract Inuyasha.

She heard more screams or pain, although they were indiscernible as she ran faster so she wouldn't lose her friends. The forest was now a moving blur. Screams filled the air, joining one by one now coming from all directions. They kept running until they caught up with Inuyasha, who had stopped in a clearing, fangs barred in anger. He could now see it was crows who were producing the screams that were now recognizable. Kikyo, Kaede, Koga. They were people he knew, some he didn't. But he knew what Naraku was trying to do.

"Inuyasha," Miroku started, but Inuyasha took off again in an attempt to escape the piercing screams, Miroku and Sango not far behind and Kagome after them. They were running again, this time not to save their lives, but their sanities. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara passed through the edge of the clearing, but instead of breaking through as the others did, she felt as if she hit something solid. As if she had rammed against a glass wall and her momentum threw her backwards onto the ground. Her friends, now seeming to not hear the screams anymore, heard the thump and immediately rushed over.

"No, no, no, nonononono!" She screamed and scrambled back up to beat on the barrier that had formed between her and her friends. She couldn't hear them, only saw them scream her name. Inuyasha began to beat on the barrier, too, and she could see his lips form her name and his eyes filled with fear. The screams in the clearing were now beginning to form into words in familiar voices.

"Kagome. Your fault. Die! MONSTER. You deserve to die. YOUR FAULT."

"NO!" Kagome yelled, but they continued to chant, growing louder in volume until the noise was piercing her ears and she thought her head would explode. She couldn't hear the sound of her own scream even as she covered her ears and hunched over. Pain from her blistered skin began to thud against her consciousness. She heard screams of pain again. Her mother. Brother. Grandpa. She could make out Kikyo's taunting calls. Her friends from the future, laughing as if to mock her. Her friends from the past, shrieking in agony. But through all this, she heard one she never thought she would hear again.

"Kagome! Help me!" it called. It screamed. Kagome screamed.

It was her father.

She was in a classroom, filled with other boys and girls her age, no older than 6. The teacher was speaking, but the words were fuzzy and unrecognizable. A man slammed the door open, causing Kagome to jump.

"Higurashi. You are needed in the office."

The scene shifted into a blurry surrounding, but she could make out her grandfather speaking to her.

"Kagome, your father has been in an accident…"

The scene shifted again to a hospital room, the sound of a flatline and sobs were all she heard. She could make out a bed, the figure of her pregnant mother over her father, her grandfather, faceless nurses. She felt tears creep down her face and a hollow feeling in her heart. What did they mean he was gone? She didn't understand, but why did she feel so empty?

Kagome continued to scream, though she could feel her throat becoming raw. It didn't even matter. She looked up from her huddle to see Inuyasha, hands pushing against the barrier in an attempt to reach her. She could see him screaming words at her.

"It isn't real!" she made out among them. "Kagome!" She wanted more than anything to crawl into his arms and hide from the world there. All that separated her was a barrier. She fell to the ground, hands still covering her ears in vain to keep the screaming out. But it was still there. Her family, friends, even little Rin's voice could be made out. She noticed a red blur in her peripheral vision and looked up to see Inuyasha frantically trying to get her attention. His lips formed her name, finger pointing to something behind her, fist beating against the wall of the barrier. Sango and Miroku looked on with wide, fearful eyes.

She almost didn't care what they were trying to say. This was hell, and they were safe. But Kagome turned her head to see what they could be so afraid of, and was met with a brief flash of a tentacle as it struck her across the face and she fell to lay on the ground.

There was the same laughter and she didn't even have to look to know who the voice belonged to.

"Poor Kagome," he mocked as he made his way closer. "Driven to the brink of insanity just at the sound of screaming. But I thrive in it. The pain gives me strength. And yours is the most satisfying I've felt in quite a while. Fifty years to be exact."

Kagome could only watch as he drew closer. The pain from her wounds were beginning to immobilize her as was the throbbing in her head that made her stomach churn caused by the still present screams. She could not will herself to move, even after reminding herself of her friends' strength. They would not be so easily defeated. But here she was, a useless heap on the ground.

"Now watch, Inuyasha, as I make your decision between the two priestesses you so often are torn between much easier." And Naraku sent out a tentacle and grabbed Kagome by the throat, cutting off her airflow. Kagome tore at the appendage, but his grip was unmovable, and soon, Kagome began to feel the darkness surround her. She wondered about Inuyasha. Would he miss her if she left him? She wanted to see his face, but all there was was darkness and pain. But through it all, she saw his image flash before her. Felt his fingers that traced her face as his eyes seemed to scan every detail of her. The memory granted her a small relief.

But now it was growing dimmer and she felt as if she was falling. Where, she didn't know, but it was so cold and she was afraid. She wanted to reach out and grab Inuyasha and never let go. But the image was faded now and she was nothing.

"Kagome…" a voice was calling her. She felt a pulse deep within her being. "Kagome…" it called again. Something was swelling in her soul, so large it would burst in any moment. She knew whose voice it was, and she swam through the darkness to find the source. Her lungs felt as if they were on fire and she could scarcely breathe. She tried to cry out, yet nothing came. Please, she begged. Help me, Inuyasha!

"Kagome."

And the swelling within her burst forth in a white light that consumed her consciousness.

Inuyasha

He had sunken onto his knees, never having felt more helpless in his life as he watched his archenemy drain the life out of the woman he cared for deeply. He had already watched her suffer, wishing he could hear what she did and share in her grief so it might lessen the burden on her. The Red Tetsusaiga hadn't worked. He couldn't break the barrier with his own strength. He could only watch, the only sounds he could hear being the cries and sobs of his friends by his side as they, too, were unable to help.

It seemed unreal to him that Kagome was now lying motionless on the ground, Naraku's tentacle around her neck and a smirk on his face. Her chest no longer rose and fell with breath. She couldn't be gone. This was Kagome. His Kagome who had fought demons and tests and had been through so much just to stay by his side.

"Kagome…" he found himself whispering. He was a fool. Why did it take him until her death to realize what exactly she was to him? His throat began to swell and sting. A scratched cry tore from his aching throat and his eyes filled with the burn of tears, brimming to the surface, ready to spill over.

"Kagome…" He was aware of Sango collapsing into Miroku's arms next to him. He could smell both their tears as well as Shippo's. He tried to reach his soul out to her so he might try to reach her even if his arms couldn't. Naraku's laughter was all he could comprehend as it filled his head and made his stomach churn.

"How pitiful," Naraku sneered. "Humans are so weak. That was all it took to take down Kikyo's reincarnation."

Inuyasha watched her still lying there motionless, feeling helpless to save her. The feeling ate at him and churned his stomach and heart.

"Kagome."

The instant her name left his lips, there was a blinding white light erupting from where Kagome and Naraku had just been. After a howl of pain, Naraku stumbled away from the light, suddenly terrified. When the light died down, he saw Kagome standing there, perfectly alive with a fire in her eyes he had never seen before.

"Kagome!" he cried, desperate for her to hear, but the barrier had still not dissolved. He banged on the wall once more to no avail.

He watched as she reached her hand out to Naraku, the blinding purifying light flowing out and striking her target as he wailed and cursed her. She let it die down and took another step forward. He could see the wind picking up inside the barrier, her hair whipping around her. He could only watch in awe as she clapped her hands together, emitting another explosion of light towards her enemy. This was her true power. Something he had not even seen from Kikyo. She stepped forward once more, both hands outstretched, wind picking up speed as she dealt a final blow.

Through the light, he could see Naraku's form dissipating until nothing was left but a head.

"Damn you, you cursed wench!" he cried as he seemed to summon a void opening and his head disappeared. The moment Naraku vanished, the barrier wall was no more and Inuyasha did not waste a second in racing over to Kagome. She was beginning to fall to her knees, but Inuyasha managed to catch her in time. Her eyes were closed now, but she was breathing hard from exhaustion and he could hardly blame her. Not caring whether the others saw him, he held Kagome close in his arms, cradling her head as he felt tears well up inside of him again, but this time, it was due to his overwhelming happiness that she was still here with him, and he would never let her go again.

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, the light of the sun making it difficult to sleep any longer. She was vaguely aware that she was lying down on a futon, a warm blanket draped over her aching body. She recognized the hut she was in now. No doubt she had been returned to Kaede's village to recuperate after their last run in with Naraku. The memory of it was fuzzy, the last thing she remembered being Naraku's slimy tentacle wrapped around her neck. She could still feel the strain against her throat as she brought her hand up to touch it lightly while attempting to sit up. A voice next to her spoke and she wasn't at all surprised by the presence.

"You really shouldn't try to move yet, Kagome. Take it easy," Inuyasha said, scooting closer to her. Kagome ignored his advice.

"I feel awful. Like all my limbs are made of lead. What happened?" she asked with a strained voice, now propped up on an elbow. Inuyasha, knowing she would be stubborn, helped her into a sitting position against the wall of the hut for support.

"You don't remember?" The look on his face concerned her. For him to be so gentle and not abrasive with her, she knew something had happened.

"The last thing I can remember was Naraku's hold on me, then everything faded away." Inuyasha held his hand to her forehead, checking for a fever, then spoke as he checked the bruising on her neck, refusing to look her in the eye.

"We thought you had died, Kagome. You stopped breathing for a long time. After that, I don't know. There was a huge explosion of light and you were there purifying Naraku. I've never seen anything like it from you." His hands then lingered on the sides of her neck, cradling her head as he finally looked her in the eye with his piercing gaze. She couldn't help but stare back with wide eyes.

"You really scared everyone, Kagome. You scared me. You had all this power and if anything had happened to you…" he let his words trail off, afraid to finish his own sentence. As if realizing his hold on Kagome for the first time, he quickly retracted his hands, a blush forming on his face.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," she managed to get out, her already hoarse throat now beginning to sting with the onset of tears. "I really don't remember anything. Is Naraku…?"

"No, the bastard is still alive. He managed to get away before you could finish him off. Kaede said your powers must have kicked in to save your life, but she had never heard of any priestess having that much power. She thinks you have more within you that could be unlocked. She thinks you could be even stronger than Kikyo."

Kagome looked down at her hands at the mention of that name. She suddenly felt pressure, knowing the magnitude of that statement. Surely that wasn't possible, right? She was just Kagome, a girl from the modern era who went to school and went out with her friends. She looked back at Inuyasha.

"Me?" She asked. "But…"

She was silenced by Inuyasha placing a warm hand over hers.

"No matter what, Kagome, we'll all be by your side. Sango, Miroku, Shippo. And I promise I won't let anything like that happen to you again." And she smiled and blushed, surprised by the genuineness of his words, yet welcoming them gladly. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and felt his rest atop her own. They then sat in silence for several minutes, content that they were both alive and together.

Their moment was cut short far too soon by the door flap opening and several heads peeking in.

"Kagome! You're awake!" Shippo shrieked. Kagome and Inuyasha instantly snapped up at the sound, their hands jerking away from each other and blushes intensifying.

"Are we interrupting something?" Miroku teased as he, Sango, and Shippo entered the hut.

"Shut up, monk." Inuyasha retorted, though he knew he couldn't deny they indeed had. Sango spared the couple further embarrassment by changing the subject.

"Kagome, we're so glad you're ok now."

"Yeah, you really scared us!" Shippo chimed in.

"I'm sorry, guys," Kagome said. "I'm just glad we all made it out of that whole nightmare. How are your burns from that fog?"

"They'll heal, thanks you your medicine, Kagome," Miroku responded. "You must be hungry. Kaede was gracious enough to make us dinner if you're up to the task."

"Dinner sounds amazing," she said, realizing now just how hungry she was.

And they all ate together that night surrounding the fire in Kaede's hut, laughing and telling stories and enjoying each other's company. Inuyasha had returned to his normal self and was currently arguing with Shippo over the last of the stew. Miroku and Sango kept stealing glances at each other when the other wasn't looking.

Kagome looked around at her friends and felt true warmth and happiness in her heart. She felt her fears give way to hope that they would soon destroy Naraku and the Sacred Jewel and bring peace to the land again. With Inuyasha at her side, they could do anything.