"It's so peaceful here," Kagome sighed, staring up at the stars.

"What's that, Kagome?" Sango asked. Kagome glanced at her friend.

"Oh, it was nothing," she replied.

"Do you sense any jewel shards yet, Kagome?" InuYasha whined from the back of Kagome's bike.

"No, I'm not sensing anything," Kagome replied, slightly exasperated.

"Kagome, we're going to go ahead and see if that village we were told about is close by, ok?" Sango called, flying up beside them on Kilala, Miroku sitting behind her and Shippo on Kilala's head.

"Ok, we'll catch up with you later then," Kagome replied.

She watched as they flew ahead until they went around a bend and flew out of sight. As she pedaled along, she looked down the cliff they were traveling along. She shuddered and said, "I'd sure hate to fall down that."

"Ya, that's for sure," InuYasha agreed, also looking down the nearly vertical cliff. They rode on in silence for a few moments, both lost in thought. Kagome was having extra troubles trying to get her bike to travel in a straight line seeing as the mountain pass was so rocky. She hit a few bigger ruts, and caused InuYasha to fall slightly off-balance. Kagome struggled to get her bike going in a straight line again as InuYasha struggled to find his balance. The bike's wheel turned, and Kagome and InuYasha both went plunging off the cliff.

"How far ahead do you think that village is, Miroku?" Sango asked, looking ahead for signs of civilization.

"I don't know. I've never been to this particular place before," Miroku replied. He was grinning slightly as he spoke.

"Miroku," Sango warned her hand straying to her boomerang.

"What?" Miroku asked, an innocent look settling upon his face.

SMACK!

"Serves you right, Miroku," Shippo snickered, turning to Miroku, who was rubbing his face with a stupid grin on his face. Sango was fuming in front of him.

"What was that for, Sango dear?" Miroku asked in a hurt voice.

"Don't even-" Sango's reply was cut short by a scream that echoed through the pass, then cut off suddenly.

"What was that?" Sango asked in alarm.

"I don't know. Let's go back and check it out," Miroku replied.

"Let's go Kilala," Sango told her feline companion. They quickly flew back the way they came.

"Wait a minute," Miroku said slowly, "Where are Kagome and InuYasha? We should have met them by now."

"Oh, no," Sango whispered, looking down the cliff. Miroku and Shippo also looked down and saw what had caused Sango to gasp. It was Kagome's bike, smashed against the boulders at the bottom of the mountain.

"Kagome? Kagome, wake up." InuYasha was crouched beside the unconscious miko, trying to get a response from her.

"Damn it, where are we?" he growled sitting back on his heels and looking around him. The last thing he remembered was falling off the cliff, and then waking up beside Kagome in this cavern.

"Please wake up," he whispered, turning back to Kagome andbecoming slightly desperate.She was lying deathly still, her face white, and barely breathing.

"Your friend will not die," said a soft voice, floating out of the shadows. InuYasha scrambled to his feet quickly, standing protectively over Kagome's still body.

"Who are you?" he asked, searching the shadows for the source of the voice.

"My name is Akura. I was sent to assist you and your friend," the voice said.

"If you were sent to help us, then show yourself," InuYasha growled, his hand straying to the Tetsiaga. His eyes narrowed slightly as a pale blue light flared up, and a woman stepped out of the shadows.