"But why would I do that with the shards? Surely there was a better place for them." Kagome muttered to herself sitting up. Kagome wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, looking out the window Kagome peered at the sun to try and get an idea of what time it was. In the Western Land is seemed that the sun sunk slower. Touching the back of her head Kagome almost panicked, her hair felt terrible.

"Oh no!" Kagome scrambled, throwing the beautiful silk sheets off of herself to look in the mirror. It wasn't as bad as Kagome felt it was. "I can still save it." Fixing her bangs Kagome looked at the wild mass of hair that had once been a braiding, trying to decide what to do.

"Kagome-chan dinner will be done in a little while." Rin's voice called from behind Kagome's door giving it two small knocks. "Kagome-chan are you awake?" Rin asked sliding the door open to peak in.

"I'm awake Rin-chan." Kagome replied as the girl stepped into the room better. "I'm just trying to fix my hair." Kagome explained to the girl who smiled quickly moving to Kagome's side chatting happily as she pulled Kagome's hair out of it's braid, it was clear the girl knew what she was doing as she ran her fingers through it lightly letting the curls that had formed fall, she took a few pieces braiding four of them before twisting them elegantly before piling it all up.

"There you go Kagome-chan. Put your kimono on and come to dinner." Rin urged she was in a checkered blue and green kimono versus her normal orange one. Smiling at her appearance Kagome quickly pulled on the kimono tying it as best she could before descending towards the dining room. Sesshomaru sat, annoyed vibe coming off of him as Kara and Rin chatted happily together. Kara was apparently going to make Rin a new kimono with flowers on it.

"Sorry if I kept anyone waiting." Kagome apologized seeing the food already out on the table. Taking the only available seat, across from Sesshomaru, Kagome bowed accepting the rice from Kara who grinned at her, before offering her the green beans as well.

"Don't worry about it, after all you and Rin are the high light of the dinner." Kara pointed out. Looking at the green beans Kagome looked up at Kara, they looked delicious and she was unsure why the woman wasn't eating any.

"Do you not want any of the green beans?" Kagome took a bite of one of them. They were delicious, seasoned and sauced perfectly. "They are very good." She added.

"You and Rin will eat most of the vegetables. Sesshomaru and I prefer meat. While we tolerate rice and such, meat is still out preference." Kara explained she was right. Kagome noticed they both had rice on their plates each had a big helping of un-sauced rare meat.

"I see that." Kagome laughed it off though she had never seen Sesshomaru eat and was very interested. He didn't seem to be like Inuyasha at all. Kagome snagged herself a few pieces of barbequed beef as it smelled excellent.

"How do you like the kimono Kagome?" Kara asked sipping at her tea innocently. "It's very pretty, makes her look beautiful doesn't it Sesshomaru?" Kara asked him much to Kagome's horror. He looked up at her, his eyes going over her quickly, nothing but indifference in their depths.

"Hai. The kimono is lovely as are all of the ones you make Misso-sama." Sesshomaru agreed his attention moving back to his food. Kagome's head hung a little, she had been expecting something like that from Sesshomaru, so why did it sadden her?

"I think Kagome-chan looks like a hime." Rin offered happily wiping off some sauce that had gotten on her face. "With Misso-sama's kimono she just looks more beautiful." Kagome smiled at Rin muttering a soft thanks though Kara didn't miss how wan her smile was. Rin chatted softly as dinner begun, when not chatting she hummed in a world of her own. She had probably gotten used to silent meals with Sesshomaru. Kara who was being unusually quiet glared as Sesshomaru as she ate, not fazing the daiyokai at all. Keeping her head down, Kagome ate silently until Sesshomaru sighed setting his chopsticks down.

"Why are you staring me down as if you'd rather eat me than the meat on your plate?" Sesshomaru asked golden eyes clashing as Kara's gaze met his. "I don't like to be stared at while I eat Misso-sama." Kara looked away her gaze moving to the ceiling, shrugging her thin shoulders.

"My apologies grandson. I was simply trying to figure out whether or not you were a man." The nonchalant tone in her voice made Kagome's eyes pop at the audacity of her question, even Rin stopped eating to look between Kara and her Lord. Sesshomaru glared at Kara, a dangerous aura coming off of him.

"What is that supposed to mean Grandmother?" He asked fangs growing as if reminding himself that she was indeed related to him, and while she was small Kagome had no doubt, the woman was probably strong. Kara on the other hand didn't seem to care about which buttons of his she pushed, and pushed with accuracy.

"You've never shown an interest in women, it's almost mating age and Inuyasha is closer to having a mate than you are." Oh she definitely knew which buttons to push. Sesshomaru glared at Kara watching as she ate her food calmly.

"Be mindful of your words, even if you are related to this Sesshomaru I will not tolerate being spoken to in such a fashion." He added.

"I am being mindful of my words Sesshomaru. Before I become a big pile of bones I would like to see you have some pups. After all it's not many Inuyokai who outlive their spouse and two of their children." Kara smiled despite how Sesshomaru's glare intensified. "Besides if I'm gone before you have pups who will tell them old stories?" Kara gave an exasperated sigh winking at Kagome from the side that Sesshomaru couldn't see. Kagome tried not to grin as she could see Sesshomaru's eyebrow twitch at his Grandmother.

"I guess I'll count on Inuyasha having pups to carry on the lineage of some sort though they would all be half breeds if we are lucky they might come out strong especially with Kagome's miko blood." Kara stopped speaking as Sesshomaru slammed his fist down, pink around the edges of his eyes.

"Enough this Sesshomaru will not have the hanyou's pup carry on the lineage of our Father and have them inherit this home." He spat angrily though Kara remained calm.

"Oh does that mean you'll take a mate this year? Perhaps within the next six moons?" Kara asked hopping up on the table an excited look on her face, a tiny claw clenched into a fist. Rin, watching the exchange simply moved the food as if she had seen something like this before. Sesshomaru stood up, facing the old yokai down giving Kagome a nostalgic feeling.

"When this Sesshomaru finds an appropriate yokai to mate with he will." Kagome smiled, Sesshomaru reminded her a bit of Inuyasha when he let his emotions show. The smile froze on the young girl's face, her heart giving a single furious thud before it ceased all together leaving Kagome breathless. Rin was the only one who noticed as Kagome clenched her chest. Eyes wide as she stared at the woman she considered a sister.

"Kagome-chan are you okay?" Rin asked as she stared at the girl. Kagome tried to smile at Rin though her heart thudded again once more in gripping pain making Kagome dizzy.

"I think I just need to go lay down." Kagome told Rin. She didn't notice the sweat on her brow or that Kara and Sesshomaru had stopped arguing, becoming silent. Standing up Kagome pushed herself away from the table only to have another dizzy wave hit her along with Rin's distorted voice yelling her name before she hit something hard, yet not the floor.

Minutes later Rin sat on one side of Kagome as Kara checked the girl's heart beat. Kara's eyes narrowed at the strange beating. As she listened carefully Rin looked to Sesshomaru for an explantion of what was happening, though the daiyokai had none for her.

"Something is strange here." Kara said opening up Kagome's eyes to look at them, they were extremely dilated her breath scarce. "Her heart is trying to beat but it's as if something stops it." Closing her eyes for a moment Kara decided to do the only thing she could think of. Beckoning to Sesshomaru she urged him to the floor next to her.

"Is she going to be alright?" Rin asked her eyes tearful. Kara looked at Rin, she liked the girl though she might be a hindrance during this time. Sesshomaru appeared to have the same thought process as Kara.

"Rin go and find Sakura, have her come down to look over Kagome." Sesshomaru instructed. Rin didn't like it but she followed his orders regardless. "What is it that you need Misso-sama?" Sesshomaru asked once Rin left the room. Kara was an accomplished healer and Sesshomaru trusted her completely.

"Convert as much of your jaki as you can into your hands, not too strong though as it might harm her unnecessarily." Doing as she said Sesshomaru gathered his jaki, a green glow sliding over his palm. His mind calculated quickly, but he wasn't sure what Kara wanted.

"Misso-sama?" Sesshomaru asked one brow quirking at the older yokai.

"This is going to sound strange but I want you to attack her with your jaki. The initial shock of a yokai attack should jump start her own miko energy, starting up the healing process." Sesshomaru understood now, it was a good plan though if it didn't work, he could kill her.

Not seeing another option Sesshomaru struck at Kagome, beside her heart not wanting to hit it directly. Sesshomaru didn't get a chance to make contact as Kagome's barrier rose up to protect the girl in an instant. Sesshomaru drew back, as it burned his hand. Normally the girl's power didn't have any effect on him. The trick worked, both of the yokai could hear the girl's heart returning to a normal rhythm letting her breathe.

The energy from her felt off though. Having stopped one of Kagome's arrows in the past Sesshomaru knew what Kagome's miko energy felt like. Clenching his fist Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes looking at the girl.

"Misso-sama. Can you feel that?" Sesshomaru asked one claw tracing along the thin barrier Kagome's body had erected. The hiss from the two energies meeting lay quiet but obvious.

"Hai. There isn't something quite right about the energy." Kara agree licking her lips. She could almost taste the energy. It was in the air, she even felt as if it were on the roof of her mouth. "I've never felt energy like this before." Kara added Sesshomaru's golden eyes burned intensely.

"I have in the shikon shards."

(Inuyasha)

"Wake up." A sharp sting to the face of miko energy. "Wake up if you want to eat anything at all." The voice speaking to him seemed miles away and the next slice of energy only made his head feel all the heavier. Opening his eyes with difficulty Inuyasha blinked trying to focus on the woman. For a moment through the bright light filtering in the room she looked exactly like. . .

"Kikyo?" But why would she do this? As the light settled Inuyasha saw the woman changed completely, while beautiful she was not Kikyo. Her hair was blonde. "Keh what do you want with me?" She smiled at him.

"You can act tough if you'd like to." She stuffed a piece of bread roughly in his mouth, smirking as he ate it furiously obviously starving. "You have no idea why you are here though do you and that frightens you. Do you even know where your precious Kagome is?" Inuyasha's eyes widened in terror at the mention of Kagome. He didn't know where she saw, trying to remember all he saw was the girl being carried away from the battle by Kirara and Shippou, badly injured.

"Oi! Oi! What have you done with Kagome?" Inuyasha asked a fire in his eyes as he violently struggled against his chains. "I swear if you have done anything to her." The woman cut him off.

"What will you do little pup?" Sayuri smirked twisting her beautiful face. "You are stuck here. Besides." Sayuri turned walking away. "She's dead." Inuyasha's heart stopped his eyes widening. Kagome? Dead?

"You're lying." Inuyasha muttered as the door closed engulfing him in darkness once more. "You're lying!" His yell turned into a roar. Not having Tessaiga at his side to subdue the demon part of him Inuyasha changed, his emotions getting the better of him. From the dark room the demon roared, then howled in pain for Kagome. Two weak heads, one holding a small non-moving creature, looked up as the roar resounded through the walls. They had been separated hours ago, probably for this reason.

"That was Inuyasha." Miroku said quietly hearing the screech of chains being pulled, before something hit the floor. He had pulled one of them out. Beside him Sango didn't speak. Miroku wasn't sure what had happened to her when they were moved but since then, she hadn't spoken at all, barely moved. Miroku was just glad she had eaten the bread that they received. Unlike the others the weak priest remembered everything.