She ran deeper into the forest, wiping her tears with her sleeve. Once in a while, she stopped to destroy some of the nearer creatures. She has got to keep her head or these monsters will take her soul away. She definitely does not want that especially if she wanted to save Inu-yasha and her friends and undo her wrong. Plus. . . Kagome jumped behind a tree as one creature decided to leap upon her. She could hear it and the creatures behind crash into the trunk. Plus. . .she suddenly got a vision of a handsome but impassive face smeared with red marks by the side. She shook her head then continued on.

Just forget that, she kept scolding herself. She's in trouble so there's no room for past memories. Kagome fired another arrow. This time blowing a rock into pieces, shoving dust into the air and clouding the creatures' vision. She nodded in satisfaction then continued on. Another vision invaded again. The one she kept dreaming about. It was night and there was the full moon. The one with that handsome face was there and she was too. He held such quiet intensity and she such open compassion. He had just saved her but she doubted it was because he wanted to. . .maybe he killed those monsters because he was just passing by. . .

Kagome stepped over a rock. She desperately needs to forget that. There was just no way. . .

All of the sudden, Kagome found herself falling. She extended her arm to try and reach the edge. Kikio's pets must have lured her to this spot and now she's caught in it. Her hand grazed the edge and she managed to clasp to a protruding rock. The pit was indeed very deep. She could not glimpse the bottom. Using what was left of her strength, she tried to hoist herself up. But then, she heard a high-pitch screech and the faces of her pursuers loomed before her.

"You're finished, Kagome" Kikio softly said as she waited by the clearing.

One creature dove and bit unto Kagome's hand. The girl cried in pain and then let go. It took a moment to realize she was in mid-air with nothing to hold on. Her brown eyes widened in alarm as she fell into the dark recesses of the pit. "Ah!"

The creatures proceeded to follow Kagome into the hole. They will wait around until the life of the girl ebbs away and they will be ready to grab her soul. But as they swooped into the hollow, there came a rush of light and the sound of a fast-moving blade. The creatures' bodies fell in a heap around the bushes, lifeless and cold.

Kikio smiled. Kagome could die if she had fallen into her trap. If she does, then. . .she, Kikio, can have her soul. She didn't actually want it right now but if it's there then she might as well use it. It was a big mistake for Kagome to follow her. Inu-yasha would be released anyway but not now. Not yet. . .

She started to walk to where the pit is then suddenly halted. Someone or something is in there, among the trees. She could see the flash of a sword being used and the shrieks of her pets being killed. Who could it be? Kikio waited, then in surprise when the bulk of the demon, Sesshoumarou, appeared.