I want to start off by apologising for my absence, again! Midterms have sucked the life right out of me. I'm tired, burnt out, and I need some Halloween candy asap. But it hasn't been all bad!

If you haven't heard already, the first chapter of the audio play is out! You can find it on youtube just by searching, or through my blog on Tumblr. The feedback has been incredible so far, and the actors did an amazing job, so I encourage everyone to go check it out!

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A crack of thunder.

The world melted in hues of blood red around her, and suddenly she was standing on a beach. The orange cliffs rose up behind her. Kagome felt the warm water lapping at her bare feet as she starred out over the vast ocean. Foreboding black clouds boiled over the horizon, wisps slowly being drawn into the eclipse above. She could almost feel her soul lifting higher and higher into the slowly swirling void of the black moon, like it wanted to leave her body on the sandy shore. A humid breeze pushed strands of hair in her face.

Turning away from the endless ocean, Kagome looked behind her to the shore, her heart dropping as she caught sight of Inuyasha laying motionless in the sand, his black hair splayed out around him like a veil. She shouted his name, her voice swallowed by the eclipse and soundless, as she tore across the beach.

Kagome jolted awake before she could reach him. She could hear Takuya's sandals against the gravel and dirt outside her hut, and quickly pushed herself up. The moment he walked in to see her already awake, he lowered the bucket of water he had been carrying. Kagome smiled up at him. "Are you disappointed?"

Takuya turned away to hide his pout. "Of course not! This just means you're finally waking up early enough."

Kagome shook her head as she stretched her arms and rose to her feet. "Sure, sure, of course not." She mocked. "We'll be out in a few minutes."

Takuya paused, glaring at her like he wanted to scold her for mocking him, but in the end only nodded and left through the door. Kagome waited until he was gone to start getting ready for the day. With her moving around, it wasn't long before the dogs woke up and starting whining impatiently at Rin, nudging and licking her to coax her awake. It was the same routine every morning. Rin would eventually pull herself out from under the warmth of her blankets, and join Kagome in getting dressed and washed up. Once they finished, they would head up the hill to the shrine, join Takuya for a light breakfast at the top of the steps, and then get to work.

This had been her life for the past two weeks, and today was no different. As the two young women stepped out into the early morning, they shivered at the cold and ran up to the shrine, eager for Takuya's warm jasmine tea. Brisk winds were coming down from the mountains, the sea of leaves changing colours in waves. Autumn was coming.

Finally making it to the Shrine, Kagome and Rin were both pleased to see Takuya waiting with rice, persimmons, and tea. The three of them sat on the steps and watched the sun rise over the mountains while they ate, as they did every morning. Rin was eager to get her breakfast down so she could move on to the next exciting thing, Takuya ate at his own pace, occasionally scolding Rin for inhaling her food, and Kagome hardly touched hers. The tea cup sat in her lap, the steam slowly rolling over the edge as it cooled, her rice and persimmon forgotten at her side. Eating was the last thing on her mind.

Takuya watched her from the corner of his vision, as she stared at the horizon. The sun's light glowed against her skin as it rose, but she didn't seem to welcome its warmth. Kagome's expression saddened with each moment, like she mourned the passing night. Takuya knew all too well what she was thinking. Another sunrise meant another day of dealing with Lord Masao and his men, and another night that Inuyasha didn't return. Her eyes flickered between the retreating darkness and the forest, and he could practically feel her hope that a lantern would rise above the trees. But within minutes, the sky was too vibrant, and it was too late.

Kagome closed her eyes and exhaled that last sliver of hope through her lips.

"Kagome, your breakfast is getting cold." Takuya informed her when he felt she would actually respond.

Seeming to snap out of a daze she didn't realize she was in, Kagome looked down at her food and cringed. "Oh, sorry." She quickly apologized as she took a sip of her tea and put it down to get her rice. Thankfully, it was still just warm enough.

"Don't give it another thought." Takuya replied in understanding. "Rin, why don't you get starting on sweeping?" He diverted his attention to the younger girl, giving her a pointed look that said not to argue. Glancing between him and Kagome, she gave in and nodded, heading toward the Shine house to fetch the broom. Once she was busy, Takuya turned back to Kagome. "You're worried about him."

"Of course I am." Kagome whispered in fear of being overheard by a wandering villager. "It's been two weeks, and he hasn't come back yet. I knew it would have to be a while, so we didn't raise suspicion, but... I never thought it would be so hard." She laughed bitterly and shook her head. "You know, before I decided to become a Priestess here, I was separated from him for three years... I thought that would be the hardest thing I'd ever go through. I even thought that it would make this separation easier, but the fact that he's out there, and I could go to him if I wasn't stuck here... I don't know, it's a different kind of pain."

Takuya was at a loss for words, something that rarely ever happened to him. "You're doing the right thing Kagome. The right thing just isn't always easy."

"Don't I know that." Kagome sighed.

Any further conversation was interrupted by a frantic woman running up the stone steps to the Shrine. She paused under the torii gate, bowing low in front of the Priest and Priestess. "Forgive me Lady Kagome, but my son caught a fever overnight. He's still very young, could you come see him?"

Feeling pity for the frantic mother, Kagome nodded and rose to her feet, biding one last goodbye to the night as it was chased away by pink and golden hues. "Of course. Show me the way."

Kagome followed her down the hill and into the village, reminding herself that this was the life she'd chosen. She wanted to be a Priestess, to help the people that came to her, to become stronger in her spiritual powers. This just wasn't exactly how she pictured it. She couldn't let herself wonder if she'd have chosen this life if Inuyasha wasn't in the picture; it was a dangerous road she wasn't willing to go down. None of it mattered now. This was her reality, and she would face it. Besides, seeing the little boy's face light up when she walked into the hut was enough to get her by.

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His claws sliced clean through the wooden top flying toward his head. Inuyasha back flipped out of the way, landing in the branches of a tree, as the toy joined back together and slammed into the ground in a cloud of dirt. Through the cloud, a dark figure lunged at him. He reached out and grabbed the attacker by his bushy tail before he had the chance to strike.

"Ow! Inuyasha, let go!" Shippo protested as he hung defeated from Inuyasha's grip.

Inuyasha shrugged, dropping the kitsune without a second's hesitation. "Suit yourself."

Having forgotten about their height in the tree, Shippo didn't have the chance to backtrack before he was falling mercilessly, scrapped by twigs and branches until he finally hit the unforgiving dirt. Growing under his breath as he sat up and rubbed his sore head, he glared at Inuyasha. "That's fighting dirty!" He complained.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he leapt down from the tree and landed in a crouch beside Shippo. "Doesn't matter, you still lost." He grunted.

"But it wasn't fair!" Shippo argued.

"You think that's going to mean shit in a real fight? Like a demon trying to tear your spine out is gonna give you a do over because 'it wasn't fair'?" The Hanyou arched his brow as he questioned the young fox demon.

Shippo stubbornly crossed his arms over his chest. "No... but you already know all of my tricks!"

"Then come up with new ones. You can't rely on the same old toys and tricks forever. Sooner or later, someone's going to use them against you."

"Shippo." The Chief Kitsune of the monastery stood at the edge of the clearing between the building and the forest, his hands clasped behind his back as he called out to his pupil. "It is time for dinner. Come inside."

"Uh, yes Master Kenta." Shippo quickly scrambled to his feet, dusting off his dirty clothes as he ran toward his teacher. He only paused halfway when he realized Inuyasha wasn't following. He'd risen to his feet, keeping a steady eye on Kenta as he straightened up. The Kitsune didn't break his gaze. Shippo bit his lip, a habit he seemed to have picked up from Kagome. "Inuyasha? Are you coming?"

Master Kenta scoffed, doing a poor job in concealing that Inuyasha wasn't welcome to dine with the rest of the Kitsune. He hadn't let him eat with them since the moment he arrived. His presence was a nuisance.

"You go ahead Shippo." Inuyasha called to him. "I'm not hungry."

Shippo hesitated, but one glance from his teacher had him shrinking back and scurrying inside. Inuyasha watched him go, waiting until he was out of sight before striding toward the elder Kitsune. "I know you don't want me here, and honestly, I don't want to be here either. But I'm not leaving that kid, and I'm not making him leave. So you're going to have to deal with me, got that?" He growled. This confrontation may have been unwarranted, after all Kenta hadn't said or done anything to trigger it, but Inuyasha had never been very good at holding his tongue.

Master Kenta was silent. His eyes bore into Inuyasha's, and he could tell instantly that he deemed him unworthy of a response. Inuyasha snarled, cracking his knuckles in threat as the Kitsune turned his back to him and began to walk inside. Everything inside Inuyasha screamed to lunge at him, to challenge him, to make him pay, but for once he held himself back. This man was Shippo's teacher, like it or not.

"He does better when you are here."

Inuyasha snapped out of his thoughts to find that Kenta had stopped just a few feet away, his back still turned as he spoke. "What?"

"Shippo pushes himself harder, he's more focused when you are here. He must feel he has more to prove... someone to impress." Kenta looked back at him from over his shoulder, his eyes glinting like an animal in the darkness. "I knew from the moment he arrived at my monastery that he was leagues ahead of his classmates. Shippo hasn't led the sheltered life of his peers. He has seen battle, he has survived, he has forced himself to be brave."

Despite himself, Inuyasha felt pride swell in his chest. "Yeah, the little runt's pretty tough when he has to be."

"But he has spent too much time relying on you and the human companions he has told us so much about." Kenta finally turned to face Inuyasha. "He has to practice living with his own kind. Those humans won't be around for long in his life."

Inuyasha tried not to show just how much those words hit him. Thinking back to the day Sesshomaru brought Rin back to the village, his brother's words echoed in his head, the same reminder resonating in every word. He avoided thinking about his friends' mortality... about Kagome's. Still, he knew the Kitsune was right. It was the same situation as Rin. "Look," Inuyasha sighed, "I'm not trying to take him back to our village, if that's what you're thinking. The kid needs this. But down this mountain the world is changing, the threat against Demons is rising, and I'm going to make sure he's safe whether you want me here or not."

Kenta's eyes narrowed. "What threat?"

"That's the complicated part. Still trying to figure that out."

Contemplating all that the young man before him has said, Master Kenta finally turned his back on him once again. "Then you may dine with us, Hanyou."

Inuyasha's lip curled. "I have a name."

Kenta didn't reply. His figure retreated into the monastery, swallowed by the light inside as it got darker outside. Inuyasha huffed, half inclined to deny the Master's offer just to spite him. In the end though, he had eaten in the dinning hall, apart from the tables of students and teachers, in a secluded corner of the room where he could keep an eye on Shippo.

Later that night, his thoughts caught up with him. He did well at masking it during the day, keeping himself busy with helping Shippo train, but every night was the same. Laying on his futon with the blanket kicked off around his feet, he stared up at the moon from the open shoji and every thought he'd suppressed hit him at once.

He constantly felt like he was waiting for something. Going back to early was too dangerous than he was willing to risk with Kagome's life on the line, he knew that, but he could only take this for so long. So, what was he waiting for? Did he just not want to go back empty handed? He'd spent all this time in the mountains with nothing to show for it. He was no closer to fixing this than the night he left. He didn't want to disappoint Kagome.

"Inuyasha?" A tired voice whispered in the dark. Shippo rubbed his eyes as he sat up.

"Go back to bed." He grunted.

Ignoring the Hanyou's order, Shippo crawled over toward him, behind careful not to wake any of the other sleeping occupants of the room. He stopped beside him, sitting in the moonlight where the midnight breeze could still reach him from the door. "Can't sleep?"

"What does it look like?"

"Are you thinking about Kagome?"

"Mhm."

Shippo grinned. "You looovveee her, you wanna kiiiiisssss her."

Inuyasha reached out, roughly mussing the boy's hair before pushing him over. "Yeah, shut up."

Shippo swallowed a shout of protest, glaring at Inuyasha as he fixed his hair again. He'd been expecting a lot worse than that, to be honest. Just how much had he missed while he was gone? About to open his mouth to question him, Shippo suddenly found Inuyasha's hand slapped over his mouth. The Hanyou shushed him, his ears twitching with every sound outside. It took Shippo a few second longer to hear it, but as the noises drew closer, they became clear.

"They were attacked on the plains by humans. A small group of Kitsune, three families, all wiped out."

"It's unfortunate, but nothing new."

Shippo crawled over to the door, peaking out onto the porch to see two figures conversing in the garden. "It's Master Kenta." He whispered to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha dragged him back. "Quiet!"

"It is new, though." The other figure, one of the teachers, pressed. "They had never done anything to make themselves known to humans. They went about their lives in peace. They never even allowed their children to play tricks on them. And yet a band of humans burned them out of their burrows and destroyed them in minutes."

From the porch, Inuyasha could see Master Kenta's eyes flash in the moonlight. "How is that possible?"

"The only survivor was one of the children. She described a sort of crystal..."

Inuyasha was on his feet in an instant, leaping over the porch to land a few feet back from the Kitsune. They tensed as he stood, only dropping their guard when he stepped into the moonlight. Kenta, though, kept his back taught. Inuyasha ignored it. "I know that crystal. I know the people who use it."

The teacher frowned. "You know them? Are they allies of yours?"

"Hardly." Inuyasha spat, sending a knowing glance to Kenta. "They're the reason I'm here."

The change that came over Kenta was immediate, his defense washing away. "This is the threat you were speaking of."

"Yes."

"What do you know about it?"

Inuyasha huffed in frustration and scratch the back of his neck. "Not much." He admitted. "I've seen it used by the soldiers of a Warlord, Takeda Masao. I can't describe what it does exactly. It's almost like it sucks the life right out of any demon it's used against, but it might be able to control us..."

Kenta turned toward the teacher. "We need to learn more about this." With the other Kitsune's approval, he turned back to the half demon. "You've encountered it, obvious. Do you think you can learn more?"

Inuyasha smirked. "It would by my damn pleasure." Without waiting for a reply, much to the disapproval of Master Kenta, Inuyasha leapt back onto the porch, where Shippo had walked out to listen to their conversation. He landed in a crouch in front of the boy at his eye level, reaching out to ruffle his hair just because he knew it got on his nerves.. "I'll be back in a few days, alright? You'd better come up with some better tricks to try out when I return, got it?"

Shippo's brows furrowed in confusion and swatted his hands away. "Where are you going?!"

Inuyasha flashed him a grin. "Where do you think, dumbass?" With that, he rose to his feet again, about to take off into the trees without further delay, when he stopped and turned back to the young kitsune. "Before I go, though... where's the nearest market?"

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The little boy had been recovering fantastically through the last few days. As it turned out, it was only a seasonal fever, brought on by the cool shift in the weather, and he was back on his feet with a few herbal teas and plenty of rest. The only problem was that it seemed to be spreading to all of the children in the village. When even Rin came to her that morning complaining of a fever, she knew she was going to need a lot more herbs.

Kagome was more than happy to get out of the village anyway. She retreated into the forest at just about any chance she got to avoid every face she had seen calling for Inuyasha's death. Only hours ago, she'd tended to the daughter of the man who'd accused Inuyasha of killing Lady Kaede at the festival, unable to meet his eye. She knew that this was something she'd have to deal with, and she'd never withhold care for his family or even him, but that didn't make it easy. Every condemning shout from that night was burned into her memory.

Sitting in the grass in a forest glade, Kagome sighed and idly picked through a flower patch, gathering the petals one by one into her basket. In her mind, she went over the steps to make the tea like a mantra; lay them out in the sun, dry them out, crush, blend, and bless them. She'd just been repeating it to herself for the 8th time when a shadow fell over the patch. Stifling a gasp, she looked up to see who was intruding, her heart stopping in her chest.

Lord Masao stood over her, his decorative armor gone and his hair pulled back. He almost seemed bashful. "May I?" He asked, gesturing down to the empty grass beside her.

Kagome opened her mouth to answer, but he was sitting before she could get a word out. She bit her tongue to keep her temper in check. "Yes, of course." She forced a smile with a respectful bow.

"Thank you." Masao bowed in return as he settled down. "Are these for your medicine? I've heard a lot of praise for it." He asked as he plucked one of the vibrant flowers and laid back.

"It's nothing complicated. Lady Kaede taught me how to make it." Kagome replied shortly. She had absolutely no desire to entertain this man for any longer than she had to.

Masao chuckled low under his breath as he slowly spun the flower between his fingers. "Yes, as I understand it, Lady Kaede knew how to make a great many things." He mused.

"She did."

"But you are not without a reputation either." Masao looked back at Kagome. "A young Priestess whose power is greater than her predecessors, yet still hasn't reached her full potential. Many think highly of you." Kagome took a breath to respond politely to his compliment, but was once again cut off before she could speak. "But there are also many who don't. Your village trusts you completely, but there are those who think of your reputation as a foolish girl, bewitched by a Hanyou, whose power was wasted. I do not believe that, Lady Kagome. I believe you have a good heart, but you made a mistake and were led astray. I believe you've seen your errors." He offered her a smiled as he sat up and pressed the flower stem into her palm. "And I believe in second chances."

Kagome's fingers closed around the stem.

"You had your chance."

"I believe in mercy and second chances for all those who oppose me and my cause."

"That is why," Masao rose to his feet, once again blocking out the sun, "it would be my honour to make you the High Priestess of this village, and maybe one day, High Priestess of all my Empire."

Kagome tried desperately to keep a neutral mask over her face as she bowed, pressing her head to the grass. "Then... it would be mine to accept. Thank you." As she sat up again, she could see the genuine happiness in Masao's smile, and it made her shiver.

"Perfect! I know you'll do wonderfully. Anyone who ever doubted you will see that. I'll leave you to your work then." He laughed, looking around before leaning toward her to speak in a whisper. "I have to get back to the Castle before my Council sees me like this. They can be quite overbearing."

As Masao began his journey back through the woods, Kagome watched him, slowly rising to her feet. The flower he'd given her was dead and dry, and crumbled to dust in her fingers.

She made it back to the village by early evening, thankful to see that the Soldiers had returned to the castle as well, letting her breathe easier as she walked the streets. A few of the children she'd taken care of in the past few days ran past her, laughing and shouting their thanks as they played. Their parents stood in the doorways of their homes, calling them in for dinner as they sniffed and coughed. Kagome shook her head to herself and looked down at her basket. Good thing she'd gotten enough petals.

"Kagome!" Sango hurried toward her from down the dirt road, Mamoru balanced on her hip. "I haven't seen you much the past few days."

"I'm sorry." Kagome managed a smile. "I've just been so busy with this illness going around. Are the twins feeling alright?"

Sango nodded. "Miroku's been checking them for fever, they seem fine... is something bothering you?"

She should have known Sango would pick up on her troubled demeanor. "It's nothing, just that... Masao just asked me to become High Priestess of the Village."

"I don't understand... I thought you already were?" Sango frowned.

"So did I."

The Taijiya's face hardened as understanding dawned on her. He wasn't offering her more power. He was putting her on a leash. "You should come over tomorrow, if you aren't busy. We can talk." She offered.

"I would love that." Hugging her best friend goodbye for the night, Kagome continued on her way back to her hut.

The evening went on to night as it always did. Rin's fever was still high, but she was still eager for conversation after sleeping the day away. They ate dinner, she made the girl her medicinal tea, and they were in bed as the moon rose over the mountains. It wasn't until an hour later that Kagome stirred again, woken by Kei's whining from the doorway. In the light of what few embers were left in the fire pit, she groaned and dragged herself out from under her blanket. "Shhh, Rin's sleeping." She hushed the dog. When Kei continued whining, poking her head past the bamboo mat, Kagome sighed and pushed it back to see for herself what had gotten her so fixated.

As she stepped out into the night, the cool wind cut through her sleeping kimono, but she hadn't felt so warm in weeks. Kagome smiled, brighter than the moonlight, as she watched a glowing lantern rise over the forest.

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Just want to repeat before I sign off on this chapter that the first installment of the Light Me A Lantern Audio Play is on youtube! We're already getting to work on the second chapter, but we are still looking for Miroku! If you're interested, or know someone who might be interested, in voicing him send me a PM and we can set up an audition.

As always please review! Hearing back from you all makes my day.

Happy Halloween!