A/N: Hello again! Onto the next chapter to be revised! I'm not quite sure if after the chapters that are already done are revised if this will be continued at a steady pace, but I will try to keep up with this story as well as Yokai Academy so please try to bear with me.

The Shattered Soul: Chapter 2: Awakening

After Inuyasha woke up, he ate breakfast and got dressing into a pair of black pants, a red shirt, and his red cloak. He glanced over at the picture of his mother that he kept on the mantle and sighed quietly. "Bye, mom... Another grueling day of work..." When his mother first passed away, he

He quickly pulled on his leather gloves and slid on his boots before adding the final touch to his work ensemble. He finally placed the black bandana he usually wore over his ears on then slid his hood up. Perfect.

Inuyasha learned a long time ago that the weird looks from people about his ears would keep happening so he'd either have to get used to it or smother his ears for the whole day. He decided on the latter due to the number of people who harassed him about his ears. He didn't care what they thought, it was just annoying to constantly hear, 'You need to cover your damn ears half breed. There's no place for them.' over and over again. The only time it stopped was when Kagome was walking with him because none of the citizens would ever dare upset their princess. He could still hear some of the hushed whispers talking about how inappropriate it was, but as long as Kagome didn't hear, he could care less.

He quietly grabbed his bag and began his walk to work. As he arrived, he checked in at the station up front then headed off to the old site they had begun rebuilding.

Meanwhile…

Kagome hummed a small tune as she walked through the castle in a dark green dress the stopped just above her knees. Her raven hair fell on her back and swayed with her as she continued to walk. She held a basket in her hands that was filled with goods for a certain half demon. She had decided that she would sneak out and bring him lunch since sometimes he didn't bring his own. Since the site was close by, she was usually allowed to leave for an hour or so before Sota finally came looking for her. As she made her way to the door, she was suddenly stopped by the sound of Sota's voice, "Going to visit Inuyasha? Remember he's on duty right now. It's not quite lunchtime yet."

She sighed and turned to look at her brother. "I know. I wanted to get there early and surprise him."

Sota raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "Ok, just be back soon... You know I worry when you're out there."

Kagome nodded and quietly placed the basket down then walked over and gave him a reassuring hug. "I'll be fine Sota. All the builders will be there, plus I'll be with Inuyasha. He'll make sure nothing happens to me."

He nodded and lightly hugged her back. "I know, I know. Now go before a change my mind."

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "I'll see you in a bit, Sota. Have fun with your meetings."

With that, Kagome picked the basket back up and quickly made her exit, skipping over to the build site.

As Sota began walking back to his study, he heard a light voice say, "Your Highness, are you really sure she should be allowed to go out on her own?"

It was the royal mage and Sota's closest friend. "Hitome, what did I say about being so formal? Call me Sota." He chuckled.

She nodded quietly. "I know..." She paused. "But you didn't answer my question. You should keep a more careful eye on her, especially after my vision. I'm getting the uneasy feeling something is going to happen."

Sota sighed and shook his head a little. "I know... I wanted to give her one last taste of freedom before I really put my foot down about the whole ordeal." He ran a hand through his hair. "You know how Kagome is, she's stubborn and doesn't like to be bossed around."

Hitome pursed her lips. "She hasn't been informed about her lineage has she?"

"No... Mom and dad wanted to keep it a secret. I only recently found out from the advisor, but was advised to not tell her until preparations were made."

Sota had only recently found out that his mother's side of the family had come from a long line of priestesses who had spiritual powers. His mom, not wanting to involve Kagome in the rigorous training she had endured as a child, tried to keep it a secret for as long as possible. When Sota was coronated and made the new king, he was then gifted with this information by one of his father's advisors. Sota knew the secret would come out soon, however, as Hitome had a vision which she described as "fate changing". With this, Kagome could no longer be allowed out after today as Sota was terrified the vision would be realized.

Hitome gave him a stern look and he winced. "I know... I'll... We should go get her then. Come with me?"

She nodded and quietly followed Sota to the stables to get his horse.

With Inuyasha…

Inuyasha explored the building site until he knew it down to the last brick. However, he had recently discovered a secret chamber that had been hidden from sight. He was currently looking around and trying to make sense of the weird markings and inscriptions that were carved into the walls of the site. He and the rest of the crew had never seen anything like them. He told them to go find a translator while he inspected them more. Before they could tear the site down, he figured it would be better to figure out exactly what these meant. Before he could continue investigating further, he heard light footsteps coming towards him and suddenly felt hands cover his eyes. His nose told him exactly who it was.

"Hey Inuyasha, ready to take a break?" He heard Kagome's soft voice finally speak.

He quickly took her hands off his eyes and turned around to face the princess. "Kagome, what are you doing here? This isn't the time."

She put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that the thanks I get for bringing you lunch? Do you really not have time for ramen?" She gestured the basket at her side which she had put down to cover his eyes.

Suddenly, they both heard his stomach growl. The mention of his favorite food had him realizing that he hadn't eaten at all that day. He sighed and decided that there was no point in arguing with her when she was already there. Kagome had done this a few times and every time she ended up staying. He didn't mind her company, but it sometimes worried him because the buildings he usually worked in were old and could collapse at any time. He wasn't worried about himself too much due to him being a half demon, but Kagome was human. He knew that things like a building falling on top of her, something small to him, was possibly fatal to her.

"Fine... I guess I'll eat lunch with you this time, but next time don't think you'll be so lucky."

She rolled her eyes at him and grinned, knowing she'd won the battle. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say Inuyasha."

"Whatever let's just find somewhere more comfortable to eat."

With that, Kagome picked up the basket and began her way out to the rest of the building. Before she could even take a step forward however, the building began to shake. The symbols on the wall of the room they were in began to light up brightly, blinding the two. After a few seconds, Kagome dropped the basket and fell to the ground clenching her chest. It felt almost like something was sucking her soul right out of her. "I-Inuyasha? What's going on? I can't... I can't breath..." She coughed and sputtered then was eventually rendered unconscious.

Inuyasha watched in disbelief as his best friend fell to the floor unconscious and suddenly a jewel emerged floating over her body. He cursed loudly and quickly kneeled down to pick her up and check on her, but as soon as he touched her body the jewel shattered. Inuyasha quickly shook her body and yelled, "Kagome, open your damn eyes!" Only to be met with silence. He panicked, even more, when he felt her body grow colder and colder by the minute.

"Damn it. Don't you die on me!"

Before he could pick her up and take her to get help, he heard the voice of her brother shouting. "Kagome! Crap!"

Inuyasha looked over to see Sota and the castle mage rushing towards them. Sota looked at Hitome with a panicked expression. Sota grabbed one of Kagome's hands shaking as Inuyasha held her close to him. "What happened?! We have to get her to a medic."

Hitomi shook her head and looked at Inuyasha. "May I? I need to look into your memories to see what happened..." Despite her calm look, Hitome feared for the worse. Inuyasha eyed her for a second but nodded, his eyes hardening. "Anything that will help."

Hitomi nodded and quietly placed her two forefingers onto his forehead and closed her eyes. Her expression soon changed and she opened her eyes furrowing her eyebrows. Sota's eyes widened and he looked at her, trying to stay calm. "Hitomi... What happened?"

Suddenly a sad expression crossed onto her face and she looked down at Kagome. "My vision came true... Kagome... Her soul has been shattered. Even if she were to wake up now, she will most likely die within a few hours... Without her soul, that body is just an empty shell."

With those words, Inuyasha's world seemed to freeze. Everything was starting to go in slow motion. For Sota, his stomach became queasy and he looked down at his sister in disbelief. He knew what was going to happen. He'd been told but he'd just let her run to her death. How could he be so stupid?

Inuyasha shook his head. No, there had to be a way to save her. He wouldn't let her die. She couldn't. Inuyasha quietly looked up, his tone dead serious. "There has to be something we can do to help her. We can't just let her die."

Sota looked at Inuyasha then back at Hitomi with a hopeful expression. She pursed her lips and nodded. "There is... Her soul hasn't been lost forever. It's just been let loose. However, collecting the fragment may take a while. Are you willing to put your life on the line to protect the princess?" Her eyes hardened as she looked at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha nodded. "I'll do anything. Just tell me what I need to do."

"Then I will send you away to the person who can help you. She's known as 'The Great Priestess.' She will lead you where you two need to go."

Sota stood up. "Hitomi send me with them." Sota was terrified desperate. His sister was lying laying there lifeless and he would be damned if he just let her die. Hitomi shook her head at the young king. "I'm only able to transport the two of them. Inuyasha holds a rare bond with the princess which she needs there if she has any chance to survive."

Sota's eyes saddened as he quietly looked down at Kagome then up at Inuyasha. "Take care of her Inuyasha. Don't let her die on me."

Inuyasha nodded. "You have my word."

With that, he placed a light kiss on her forehead and whispered. "Come out alive, Kagome. Come back to us." Then looked up at Hitome. "Do it now..."

Hitomi nodded and both her and Sota took a few steps back as she began chanting an incantation. As she chanted, a white circle of light engulfed the two teens. As she finished the incantation, the two began to sink into the circle. The last words Inuyasha heard Hitome say were, "Stay true and good luck."

In Japan…

A young girl with brown hair held in a tight ponytail and dressed in armor kneeled before a woman dressed in a kimono. A sad smile formed on the face of the woman as she spoke.

"Midoriko... Please... I need help finding my brother. We were ambushed and he got caught in the middle of it. The man stepped into a portal and was gone before we could do anything..." Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke, trying to contain herself.

"Sango, I'm so sorry... It seems to me the culprit is not someone of this world..." A frown formed on her face. "I'm going to need to send you to someone else... This requires me sending you elsewhere... The woman will be able to help you on your quest."

Sango nodded and her eyes hardened in determination. "I'll do anything to get my brother back."

Midoriko nodded and quietly began a small chant. As Sango began to sink into the floor, Midoriko spoke, "Farewell my dear, may we meet in another life."

Another country…

A man with short black hair in purple and black monk robes wielding a staff stood in front of two double doors that had hundreds of sutras plastered all over them. He panted quietly and sighed as he finally neutralized the demon who had been stalking and attempting to kill him. It had been a long battle, lasting a few days and nights until he was finally able to gain the upper hand. The man knew that the seal wouldn't last forever and realized he would have to leave quickly in order for the demon to lose his trail.

"Miroku, do you really think this will keep him sealed away?" A raccoon dog stood next to the man, nervously looking between him and the sealed doors in front of them.

"For now it will, but he'll eventually get out. I need to leave before he can track me down again."

"Are you sure running is the best idea though? Won't he just find you again?"

"Perhaps, but if I get a head start I can buy myself some time and figure out how to kill him once and for all."

"But where will you go?"

"I'm going to transport myself somewhere that will allow me to go between worlds. Can I ask you to monitor these doors while I'm away?"

Hatchi sighed and looked at his feet then quietly nodded. "Whatever you need Miroku..." He reluctantly agreed, knowing that if he refused, a small beating was most certainly in his future. Miroku usually wasn't violent and tried to steer away from such actions, but Hatchi was a different story. The raccoon dog was stubborn and always tried to get out of heavy tasks.

Miroku smiled and ruffled the fur on his head. "Great. If he ever gets out, use the prayer beads to alert me. I will see you again someday."

With that, Miroku began to chant and disappeared.

With "The Great Priestess"…

"It seems they've all arrived." She said calmly as the three people all arrived at the same time. "This should be fun."

A/N: Hoping you guys are enjoying the story so far. I know some of the plot is kind of eh and I'm trying to work on improving that. Leave a review and let me know what you think.