Chapter Twenty-one;

Kagome stood still as stone, her gaze glossed over as she admired the view. The plains of Musashi were beautiful this time of year, covered in a thick layer of snow and glittering in the light of sunset. Every so often a figure would pop its head out of a hole, some sort of animal testing the temperature before deeming it too cold to be outside and disappearing back into the safety of its home. Much to her surprise, the girl had adjusted to the cold of the Fedual Era and was thriving, partially thanks to the clothing Sango had made for her and partially thanks to the time she had spent running around in just her school uniform. Kagome was thriving, and her spiritual power had only grown since her arrival with the Wolf Demon Tribe.

Still, the beauty of this world was not lost on her. She knew full well that the rawness of this world would one day be eclipsed by tall buildings, artificial light and pollution. That one day the snow would be seen, not as a blessing from Kami, but as a nuisance and a hindrance. But what wounded her most of all, was the knowledge that one day the stars and the sunsets would be muted and their beauty forgotten. Sunsets like this one simply did not exist in the world in which she was born. If only I could share this with you, Mama. Her heart called out across time to the people she had left behind, a silent call to those who had loved her through all of her weakest moments. The cold wind only served to remind her that someone somewhere, trapped five hundred years in the future, was missing her as well.

As the sun dipped low in the horizon, the miko reflected on the time they had spent in the company of the wolves. It had been filled with a feverish training and reconnaissance to local villages in search of information on Erai. Much to Kagome's disdain, they had been unable to figure out what the she-demon's ultimate plan was and why she was eliminating the Mikos and their failure was beginning to weigh heavily upon the young girl's heart. But she had not given up hope. She couldn't, not with the rest of her friends standing behind her, pushing her to persevere. She would free Japan from the tyranny of Naraku in all of his forms. She would make her own future, one where she could live happily for the rest of her days. One where, someday, Inuyasha could visit her family and tell them how she had lived, and how she had vanquished any evil that threatened her home.

A strong gust of wind blew around her, messing with her hair and tugging at the fabric of her clothing, as an unsettling foreboding enshrouding her. Time itself seemed to stop, her heartbeat slowing as a darkness began to flood her vision.

Kagome Higurashi collapsed in a heap.

Xxx One Hour Later xxX

"Where did she get to?" Inuyasha huffed, his arms crossed over his chest in irritation. He would be lying if he said that Kagome's progress over the last few weeks had not impressed him. Both her physical strength and her spiritual power had grown exponentially and he knew without a doubt that she would pose a great threat to their newest foe. Still, he was not comfortable having her out of his sight for long periods of time. In fact, had he been in the den when Kagome had announced she was going for a walk to clear her head, he probably would have insisted he accompany her. While he had more faith in her holding her own, he knew deep down that he was the only one he trusted to truly protect her.

"Maybe she got tired of you and ran away." Shippo teased, shivering against the cold from his spot upon Inuyasha's shoulder. The inu-hanyou scoffed, flexing and clenching his fist in a silent warning to the kitsune. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Shippo nervously chittered, trying to avoid the impending beating that filtered in Inuyasha's eyes.

"Where exactly did she say she was going?" He asked, continuing to walk through the trees, catching and losing her scent amid the snow drifts. At least it had not started snowing again, making it relatively easy to follow her footprints.

"She just said a walk." Shippo stressed, hopping from his perch and bursting into a cloud of smoke. When the haze cleared, Shippo had disappeared and Kagome stood in his place, dressed in the same green and white school uniform she had worn on all their adventures before Naraku had banished her back through the well. "I just need some space to clear my head." He imitated, his voice perfectly matching that of their female companion. "Tell Inuyasha not to worry. I'll be back within the hour, I promise."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, his shoulders sinking slightly, his brow furrowing in his agitation. He was still getting used to having Kagome back in his life and having her constantly running off to clear her head was starting to bother him. Though he would never admit it out loud, he constantly worried that she would change her mind about wanting to be with him or worse start to regret the decision to return to the Fedual Era at all.

"What's wrong with you?" Shippo asked, still imitating Kagome's form.

"Knock it off, runt." Inuyasha huffed, seeming to sink even further into himself as they walked.

"Does this bother you?" Shippo smirked evilly, his eyes glinting at the game he had found. Bothering Inuyasha was his life mission. He had done a lot of growing in the twenty years that had passed, earning himself another tail and climbing up the ranks at the kitsune school. But still, he found a boyish joy in irritating the hanyou boy.

"I said knock it off!" He huffed, every muscle tensing again as he shifted, his fist almost making contact with the top of the kitsune's head. He stopped, just centimeters above the dark black locks, his heart lurching in his chest slightly. Something about striking out at Kagome, even though he knew it wasn't really her, felt wrong. "Change back, would ya twerp?"

Sensing the change in his companions mood, Shippo obliged. He erupted into a cloud of smoke, reverting to his original form and falling into the snow. "You didn't hit me…" Shippo trailed off, his eyes wide as he leapt back up onto Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Yeah well. I ain't got time to be yelled at by Kagome for giving you bruises. And I sure as hell don't want to be used as purification target practice again."

"Sure, sure." Shippo smiled knowingly, curling beneath Inuyasha's long silver locks to hide from the cold. He may still be a child, and maybe he did like to bother Inuyasha a bit too much, but twenty years had taught him much about the world and even more about love. Inuyasha wasn't worried about angering Kagome, he just loved her too much to do her harm in any form. His thoughts were cut short, however, as he was uprooted from his perch and thrown forward into the snow as Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks. "Hey! What's the big idea?!" Shippo hollered, dusting the snow from his hair and tail angrily.

But Inuyasha wasn't listening. He had taken off running, a flash of red amid a world of white as he ran through the trees. Faster and faster he pushed himself forward until with a heartbreaking roar he yelled out a name, collapsing into the snow beside the fallen Miko.

"KAGOME!"

Xxx Kagome in Darkness xxX

The sky seemed to ignite, flashes of light and explosions of fire falling around her as the small woman ran. She ran like she had never run before, her lungs burning in her chest as she catapulted forward. Every so often she would lose her footing and stumble, desperate to keep moving. She wasn't sure exactly what she was running from, but the sheer fear that plagued her was enough to tell her that she shouldn't stop. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, her heart beat erratically in her chest, and she was already drenched in sweat. Something roared in the distance, a deafening cry too close for comfort, causing Kagome to whimper slightly in fear. Still she did not stop running.

It seemed like the peaceful plains she had been looking at just moments before had erupted into war, descending into hell. She could hear pain filled screams and far off in the distance she could see unrecognizable forms trapped in battle. But no one came to her aid. As Kagome fled for what she assumed was her life, no one ran at her side. Where was her silver haired savior? What had happened to her greatest defender?

The sky seemed to open up, a cry of agony echoing as something fell from the sky with a sickening thud. With little other choice, Kagome skidded to a stop, desperate to avoid running into the newly fallen debris. Everything around her was on fire, burning and smoldering in the midst of all the chaos, and even the debris seemed to smolder. That was, until she took a closer look. Her eyes burned against all the smoke, her chest rising and falling at her exertion, but once Kagome had wiped away the sweat, the reality of the situation she had found herself sunk in.

The debris, mangled and broken in a heap before her, was actually not debris at all. It was a boy, wrapped in a red haori with flowing black hair.

"Run." He spoke, his voice strained as he struggled to move, to right himself. Slowly he shifted, his face lifting as his wounded gaze met hers. She rooted to the spot, staring into familiar brown eyes… the eyes of Inuyasha's human form. "Run Kagome!" He urged.

"No!" She yelled back, unaware that tears had started cascading down her cheeks. Shaking, she fell to her knees beside him, appraising his mangled form.

"You've got to run. She's coming. She's going to kill you." He strained as she moved to lift him slightly.

"Shut up, stupid! I wont leave you!" She cried, still struggling to try and move him, to get him back onto his feet. It was obvious that he had broken quite a few bones in the fall.

"We were wrong…" He breathed, crying out in pain as she pulled him to his feet. "It didn't work. She saw us coming from the very beginning… Kaya's gone. I couldn't save her." His voice cracked as if he was crying but Kagome could not be sure if it was the pain or his failure.

"I can do this." Kagome huffed, struggling beneath his weight. "I can end this."

"No." Inuyasha insisted, holding tightly to her. "Kaya died, Kagome. This killed her and she's been perfecting the Spirit Shield for years."

She's been perfecting the Spirit Shield for years. The name seemed so familiar yet so foreign, like some long lost dream she had become trapped in.

"I can do this. I can. Have faith in me. I can end this before the sun comes up and I can protect you." She vowed. Her foot caught on a rock, sending them both sprawling to the ground. She could do little to coordinate their fall and despite her best efforts to keep him unharmed, she landed upon him and his arms wrapped around her despite the immense pain he was in.

"Don't do this." He whispered, his lips against her ear.

Slowly she pulled back, pressing her lips gently but feverishly against his. "I have to." She whispered, using his pain against him as she pushed against his chest and freed herself from his grasp. "I'll end this. She'll regret the day she killed my friends." She turned a reassuring smile down upon him, tears cascading down her face. "I love you. Have faith." She breathed, not waiting for a response. She turned on her heels and sprinted into the chaos.

"KAGOME!"

Xxx Inuyasha xxX

Seeing the small girl sprawled out in the snow stopped his heart in her chest. His weight sank into the snow, his every movement a flurry of rushed determination. His haori was off his body exposing his bare chest before he come to a stop. He knew enough about survival to know that his best chance at saving her from possible frost bite was flesh to flesh contact. Besides, his half demon blood kept him warm in most climates and the snow was no different. He gathered her into his arms, wrapping her in his haori and trying his best to ignore the fact that she felt cold as death.

Shippo was not as kind. "Kagome!" He cried, running to the side of his companions. "Is she dead?" He asked nervously, tears springing to his eyes.

Inuyasha hushed him with a violent hiss of a sound as he listened for any of life from the frozen woman. Her breathing was shallow and her heartbeat faint, but she was alive and that alone flooded him with a sense of relief. "She's going to be fine." Inuyasha spoke, rising to his feet with Kagome cradled gently to his chest. She shivered deeply seeming to rattle to the very core as she instinctively caved against him.

"Spirit… shield…."

The bare flesh of her fingers and her cheek pressed flush against his chest causing him to take a sharp intake of breath. She was frozen and for a moment he was reminded of all the times Kikyo had touched him in death. Every time she had reached out lovingly to stroke his features, every kiss they had shared. He would not lose Kagome the way he had lost Kikyo. He would save her.

He was off running before Shippo could ask any further questions, shooting off through the woods towards the den of the Wolf Demon Tribe. No doubt a fire would be roaring, food cooking over the flames as the pack surrounded it in merriment. He would sit her so close to the fire that if she moved too much the flames would burn her and he wouldn't let her move until her normal rosy flush replaced the sickly pallor that had captivated her delicate features. Don't you die on me. He willed as he ran.

He could hear the roar of voices from inside the den. A loud mixture of laughter and competitive boasting as the group celebrated a successful hunt and the end of another day. Effortlessly he leapt up the cliffs edge, slipping through the gap between the wall of the cave and the waterfall with a natural grace.

"Hey dogbreath. What took you so long?" Koga smirked, rising from his spot amid his pack. He was just about to shoot off another snide remark when he noticed Kagome, shivering and practically blue. "What happened to her?"

Every eye of every wolf turned upon him, the once boisterous noise of the den silencing completely. There was not a wolf in Koga's pack, new or old, who had not developed a deep love for the small miko. She was, and always had been, an honorary member of the pack. She was a sister to them all. Not a single wolf would let harm befall her if they had anything to say about it.

"I don't know." Inuyasha spoke, his voice stern. However, anyone who even remotely knew the hanyou could hear the edge that lingered in it. He was close to breaking. Too many memories of Kikyo were plaguing him, too many regrets. His heart had been so connected to her that losing her had almost killed him. His heart was more connected to Kagome though. Losing her would not be an option.

Neither boy spoke again. They both just stared down at the trembling miko with mirrored looks of terror. It was Ayame who broke the silence, rising to her feet before rushing to Inuyasha's side. "Bring her over by the fire. We need to bring her body temperature up and neither of you are going to like it."

Inuyasha did as he was told, following beside Ayame who carried over one of the pelt mats, laying it down as close to the fire as she could without scorching it. Ayame gestured to the mat and Inuyasha laid the freezing miko down upon it as a flurry of emotions forcing their way across his features. "What now?" He asked.

"Take off your armor, darling." She spoke, turning nervous and wounded eyes upon her husband. "We need to bring up her body temperature before she goes into shock."

Both boys seemed to double take, first they glanced incredulously at the she wolf before turning to stare at each other. "Him?!" Inuyasha finally yelled, breaking the silence. "No way am I letting him touch Kagome. I'll be the one to bring her body temperature up."

Ayame let out a defeated sigh. "You both need to bring her body temperature up."

"A Kagome sandwich!" Shippo cried triumphantly, much to everyone's displeasure.

"She's right." Sachio spoke up, rising from his own mat and joining the group near the fire. "Demons run at a slightly higher body temperature than humans. And right now we need to bring Kagome's body temperature back up to normal as quickly as is possible." He explained, frowning slightly.

"As I said, neither of you were going to like it, but Kagome's life could be at stake." Ayame explained, turning wounded eyes on her husband.

Koga had already removed his armor, however. "Its for Kagome." Koga agreed, lowering himself down to the cot beside the frozen miko. He knew full well how much it took for Ayame to allow him to lay with a woman who had once held his heart.

"Yeah, well just don't touch me, ya mangy wolf." Inuyasha huffed, laying down on the other side of Kagome and pulling her closer to his body.

It seemed like hours passed, Kagome's frail body shivering between them as they sought to keep her warm. No one spoke; they all just watched her with anxious gazes.

"Why do you think she decided to take a nap in the snow?" Shippo asked, jumping up onto Inuyasha's arm where he could get a better look at the shivering girl.

"I don't think she took a nap, Shippo." Ayame offered, kneeling down on the other side of her husband and placing a hand upon Kagome's soft features. Already she felt slightly warmer, a sure sign that the fire and the combined heat from the boys was doing its job.

"Then what happened to her?" He asked, his tails twitching behind him nervously.

Kagome groaned out and a violent shiver ran through her, but she didn't wake.

"It looks like she passed out." Inuyasha offered. "The way she was sprawled out looked like she just fell over."

Again she shuddered, seeming to pull herself closer to Inuyasha's warmth and farther from Koga's.

"Seems like she knows where she belongs." Ayame smiled lightly. "Even unconscious mates know how to find each other."

"She ain't my mate!" Inuyasha flushed, though he had to admit it felt nice to have Kagome unconsciously choose him over the warmth of the wolf demon.

"She's kind of your mate." Shippo teased, earning himself a swift flick off of Inuyasha's shoulder.

"No she aint." Inuyasha huffed again, this time a little quieter.

"I kind of am."

A gasp ran through them all, every eye focusing on the still shivering miko. "Kagome?" Inuyasha spoke softly. "What happened to you?"

This time she physically pulled herself closer, nuzzling her freezing nose against his collarbone. Even though it was cold, he didn't move away from her touch. "I… I don't know."

"What's the last thing you remember?" Koga asked, rising to his feet and putting back on his chest plate.

"The sunset…" She breathed, a barely audible whisper. Suddenly the vision came streaming back to her; the endless battle in the sky, a human Inuyasha falling to earth, Kaya's death. The scent of burning flesh and the unending screams ricocheting off her memory. Kagome started, her heart seeming to stop in her chest. Death was coming. Somewhere deep inside herself, she knew what she had seen was not a dream, but a warning. She had seen a vision of a possible future. With a cry halfway between fear and sorrow, Kagome buried her face further into Inuyasha's chest. "We have to find Kaya."

"The priestess who took over for Kaede?" Inuyasha asked, wrapping his arms tighter around her in what he hoped would be a comforting embrace.

"She's safe, Lady Kagome." Sachio offered. "She's with my uncle and the other demon slayers."

"She's not safe." Kagome whimpered. "Erai is coming for her. Erai is going to kill her… I saw it. I saw it all."

"What did you see, Kagome?" Ayame asked.

"The end. I saw the end."