Reliving everything left me on the edge of consciousness. I faded in and out, trying to concentrate. How did I get here? What was going on?

The ground began to tremble beneath me. The ice cracked and fell from the trees and the animals started to run in panic. My heart was racing, I didn't know how much more of this I could take. I could hear a rumble in the distance, rocks sliding and falling. The sky began to fill with black smoke. I looked around for its source trying, with no success, to stretch my power to feel for it.

Found it! NO! I could feel my eyes widen. The mountain, it was erupting. But, not in the fashion of a volcano. No, something was struggling to be released.

I could hear a shrill screeching high above, then something dropped right below the blackening skyline. I squinted my eyes in an attempt to focus more clearly on this new entity. The creature was winged...and massive… It's shape constantly shifted before my eyes, billowing in and out like it couldn't decide. I rubbed my eyes. This can't be right. But it continued to mold itself into shape.

As it grew closer I pushed myself to my hands and knees, straining to stand. I saw it fall from the sky and the ground trembled again. As it stood to its full height wispy, almost translucent wings unfurled and horns formed on its head and jaw. It flexed its fingers in towards its palms then flicked them out to reveal needle like claws. It craned its neck and tilted its head. It seemed to zero in on me and a chill went through me. It stared at me with hollow eyes, if you could call them that. White orbs that were still trying to form in black sockets. I wanted to scream, to run, to drag myself into the well and go home.

I watched it lift itself off the ground with its ghostly wings as my body gave out. I lay in the cold snow, unable to move.

...and i closed my eyes.

I could feel myself being lifted.

"I've got ya. You're safe." And then we were off. I could feel strong hands tighten under my knees and arms as I was pulled to a warm chest.

I opened blurry eyes and saw a familiar red. I shook my head. No that's not right. That can't be right. I looked up to the face of my savior.

"Inuyasha!" I half sobbed. "But how?"

He slanted his eyes down at me as he ran.

"Ya didn't think ya could get rid of me that easily did ya?"

I wanted to cry all over again. I couldn't believe it. He was here with me. Did that mean...the others? Where were they?

I was brought out of my reverie by the sound of something crashing through the woods behind us. I heard another crash, then a deafening roar. I looked over Inuyasha's shoulder as he flattened his ears at the sound. The creature was chasing us. It would raise up on its wings and lunge forward just to crash to the ground. It looked like it was struggling with its unformed wings, but it was still gaining on us.

"Damnit! Where is he?" Inuyasha grit out.

I continued to fade in and out. My powers refused to regenerate, I had pushed too far and our current situation was not helping the matter.

I felt us vear off to the right and I turned to look ahead. I could see the edge of a cliff and nothing more. I felt Inuyasha leap and then we were falling.

Inuyasha adjusted me flat against his body, wrapping his arms tightly around me. I brought my hands up to fist them in the back of his haori and buried my face in his chest, the fabric of our clothing billowing as we fell. At least we were together.

"Trust me." He said.

And I did…

...even as we plummeted towards the abyss.