I huffed lightly under the weight of my newly refilled bag as I climbed up out of the well. Since Kikyo joined the group three weeks ago Inuyasha never seemed to be around to help anymore. I yelped suddenly as I slipped from the vined wall to fall on my back. I laid there momentarily and almost laughed as the sky decided to open up then and there snowing. I closed my eyes against the darkness that was creeping back into my thoughts before standing to try yet again. Somehow managing to climb the increasingly slickening walls, I threw my bag over and landed on my feet. I looked around at the meadow with a sad smile on my face as the normally green meadow was turned into a blanket of white. Off to the edge of the forest, a herd of deer were running, leaping over the falling branches and I watched them with a jealous sort of feeling in my chest. 'Oh, to be free', I thought to myself before sighing and starting to lug my bag down the snow covered path.

As I walked I couldn't help but replay the visit home in my mind and wonder just how long my mama would put up with this behavior…

I walked home from my last day at school with my head hung low. I knew absolutely NOTHING on that last test! I sighed knowing that I would probably never pass high school. I heard my name called and turned to see Yuri running towards me waving her arms enthusiastically. I stopped and waited on her to catch up, smiling lightly as she caught up panting. We started walking again at a slower pace.

"How do you think you did?" She looked over and winced at the look in my eyes. "That bad? I'm sure the boils and fever probably threw you off." I internally blanched at the latest excuses.

"Yeah! I'm sure that's it." I mumbled the words as I hunkered down further into my jacket.

"Wanna go get some hot chocolate?" She questioned looking at me worriedly. I quickly shook my head, my stomach reeling at the thought of food.

"I'm not feeling well Yuri-sama… I must go," I whispered before taking off running up the shrine steps. I heard her screaming my name but ignored it. As I stepped into the kitchen mama was at the table with a steaming cup of tea.

"Hey mama," I said taking off my shoes. She smiled up at me but I could see the weariness in her eyes.

"Hello darling. Please sit down so we can talk." She pulled the seat over next to her and I sat down slowly, wrapping my hands around the cup of tea she had prepared for me. I took a deep breath and smiled knowing she had fixed my favorite cup of tea. I took a few tentative sips so as not to jar my empty stomach. I looked up when Mama didn't say anything and noticed her watching me closely.

"Kagome," she started tenderly. "I am really worried about you, dear. Since you've been home you're different, less happy." I looked down avoiding her eyes and continued sipping at the tea. She reached and laid a hand across mine on the table and I watched as her frown increased at how cold my skin was. "What's happened to you?" I sighed and looked up to meet her eyes.

"Kikyo joined the group… Inuyasha and her are mated now." I looked at the table as I whispered the words.

"Oh Kagome," she whispered and leaned wrapping her arms around me tightly. I choked then on a sob I had been holding in as she rocked me in her arms. It was in that moment, I cried for the first time since I found out he was gone forever out of my reach…

I sighed coming out of my memory. It was true that things had changed but none of my friends in the past seemed to notice it. As I entered the shack, I was met with the sight of everyone sitting to dinner, their laughs and smiles obvious as they watched Shippou fool around.

"Mama!" He launched into my arms and I couldn't stop the small smile as I nuzzled my little kitsune closer. "I missed you." He whispered clutching my shirt. I smiled and sat down with him in my arms.

"I missed you too, baby," I said reaching to hand him the sucker I had brought. He smiled and started sucking on it as he settled in my lap.

"What took you so long wench?" My mood immediately went south at the rude voice of the one that now haunted my dreams.

"I had exams Inuyasha," I sighed as I avoided his eyes. He went on mumbling but I reached into my pack pulling out my new iPod. Ignoring the group, I kissed my son's head before stepping out into the snow flurry. I looked around before heading to the edge of the village to make my way to the bridge. I sat, letting my feet dangle. I stuck my headphones in my ears effectively shutting out the world. As I leaned my head on the rope, I took a deep breath inhaling the smell of the snow. 'Snow…' My mind turned to Sesshomaru, the beautiful dog demon. He entered my thoughts frequently over the weeks since he let me sleep on him. I blushed at the memory and huddled deeper into my black parka.

Seeing the snow picking up, I sighed standing to walk back to the hut. However just as I was about to reenter the village, I felt someone's, a demon's, powers flared. I turned to Inuyasha's forest curiously, for the power felt familiar. I bit my lip, telling my inner voice to shut up its worrying as I trekked up the snow covered hill. As I neared closer, I recognized two things; there was blood, and I knew who it was. I picked up pace quickly praying I was wrong. About a fourth of a mile into the woods, there against a tree was the source of blood. His pants were ripped and tattered, soaked with blood. As my eyes traveled up, I was met with the marble chiseled chest that would normally be enough to send me into a fit of blushes. Now, however, there was a gaping hole on his left shoulder. Over his right shoulder, a mass of normally silver hair fell in a matted mess of blood. I gasped and jolted to my knees worried. I reached to touch his arm, perhaps to make sure he was still alive, when my wrist was gripped painfully. I looked up then, only to be met with the red eyes of Sesshomaru's beast.

POV CHANGE:

I sighed once again annoyed by how I was acting. I, Lord of the Western Lands, was sitting in a tree staring at a well. It had been a week since I had seen the wench jump into the well and not return. It had been three weeks since I had been thoroughly immersed in the same woman. I had watched her heart break at the news that my brother had chosen the dead woman for his mate. From that day on I have watched her fall further and further into depression. 'She is broken,' my beast whispered in my head. I nodded to myself but was distracted by a bright blue light coming from the well. Suddenly her scent hit me so strongly I felt my beast purr. Knowing she was safe, I turned to fly home. A few minutes later, with my thoughts solely on the human wench, I was attacked in mid-air. I felt the blade slice through my left shoulder, growl leaving my chest I as decapitated the horned demon. Turned to the injury, I frowned as the hole around it glowed a red color. 'Poison," I thought as I touched the hole. Knowing I needed to get back to the castle, my wound was not healing, I summoned my cloud. However, it was not happening. Feeling myself grow panicked as for once, my dog demon was quiet. I couldn't feel the power normally stirring in my veins. I still continued to walk, wondering why the hell I had left my father's fang back at the palace. That wench had been clouding my thoughts too much as of late. After a few minutes I felt the weakness begin to hit me. I sat down at the base of the tree knowing I needed that strength to continue breathing for as long as I could. I closed my eyes, and in the darkness I saw no way out of this. 'This Sesshomaru is going to die.' Stupid wench… I cursed her name repeatedly even as her face appeared in my mind. I drifted in and out for a while, not sure how long. Suddenly, my skin felt like it was on fire and in that instance my beast roared to life, reaching to grip the hand coming towards me.

POV CHANGE:

"Sesshomaru?" I stumbled over my words as I stared into his red eyes. His breathing was ragged as he tried to sit back. I gently grabbed his hand. "I can help…" His eyes narrowed but he laid back, releasing his hold on me. I moved to his other side, my stomach rolling at the sight. Almost his entire shoulder was a bloody hole oozing what seemed to be poison. I took off my outer coat and looked at it wondering how I would rip the seams. Seeming to understand my predicament, Sesshomaru held up his right hand, offering me a nail. I held up the seam of my jacket and watched as he sliced it. I began to dab the hole, wiping away the poison as his body pushed it out, knowing it would be reabsorbed if not properly gotten rid of. I scooped up handfuls of snow, using it to help clean the wound. The poison seemed to be lessening, the amount that was seeping from his body not as bright as it was prior. Content that I had gotten all the poison out that I could without any medicine, I put my hands above the wound as they glowed a light pink.

"What are you doing miko?" He asked me, jarring me from my thoughts. "I do not think you burning this Sesshomaru would help the problem at hand." I frowned and pulled my hands back, glaring at him.

"Listen here, I am out here in the cold snow, freezing my ass off trying to help you and you honestly want to be such a jerk about this?! I am trying to heal you, baka!" I felt the spark of anger dissipate as he just stared at me with no emotions. "I am sorry… I was just going to heal you. It will not purify you if you just keep your beast and powers at bay." I avoided his eyes as I laid my hands above his shoulder. 'I hope I am not too weak to do this' I thought to myself as I began to call forth my spiritual energy. It rose in my like a tidal wave, unlike any other time before. I felt our energies battling at first, he tried to contain his beast as I tried to contain my spiritual power but suddenly there was a snap. My normally warm powers flowed through my hands at rapid speed, like fire through my veins licking along each cell in my body. I felt the static down to the tips of my hair, my toes curling at the energy running through me. It wasn't a bad feeling, no far from it. It felt like freedom, like power, it felt like life.

POV CHANGE

As her hands neared me, I watched the dejected look in her eyes. The dullness had disappeared for moment when she had grown angry but as soon as she saw my eyes after her outburst it had gone dead once more. She needs us. 'What could this Sesshomaru do for a mere mortal?' I growled to my beast. Before I heard an answer however, her power, her spirit began to press against me. Our energies battled, my powers trying to rise in response to the natural threat. I held them at bay, until suddenly they were released. In seconds the power coursing between our bodies seemed to catch fire, lighting my body. I felt the wound begin to close but more than that, even after it was completely closed our powers, our souls mingled together. I felt her feelings then, her depression, her anger, her loneliness. It made me howl out at the sheer pain coming from the miko in front of me, it made me lose control. I heard her answering scream as she experienced the same pain, the same fire until suddenly it stopped. For a few seconds I could not move, I felt drained, more so than I had felt in decades. Opening my eyes, they seemed more sensitive to the light reflecting off the snow. Growling lightly I brought my left hand up to shield my eyes as my right seemed to be laying under the miko. When it hit me…I had a left arm. I jerked into a better sitting position looking at my arm. Curling my fingers, twisting my arm I tested it for feelings. The stripe was even there, in perfect alignment to the one on my right arm. 'She has healed this Sesshomaru?' I questioned myself as I looked down at the woman in my lap. She had apparently collapsed across my lap, where she rested on my thigh, her breath in uneven gasps. 'She did not have the energy' I thought while pulling my right hand from underneath her. Yet she healed you. Restored that to which our brother stole. She is magnificent… I have never felt such power from a miko nor a demon. I want her. My beast answered me and I growled internally to him. I looked around as the snow continued to fall in big white flakes. 'I cannot leave her here. I need answers.' I tested the strength in my arms and legs before standing with her in my arms. Seeing as my power felt stronger than it had in a while, I summoned a cloud stepping on it and heading back to my castle. I held her against my chest, both of us now covered in blood and wrapped my tail around her. 'Why am I caring so much for a worthless human?' I asked myself as I stared down at the somber face of the girl. Because Sesshomaru she saved our life. And I want her as my mate. I gritted my teeth but as her scent hit me I was once again confused. Because in her scent, was the same vanilla and lavender scent, but there was also the scent of snow. The same scent that has followed my family's blood and power for centuries.