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Life

After a short adventure instigated by Hakudoshi –involving rampaging demons with no heads– the Inutachi try to find a way to get back to the Dog General's grave. The demon graveyard is located on the border between life and death, making access problematic. It is also the likeliest location of the lost shard.

Kagome stays out of the discussions and speculation, more interested in remembering how Sesshoumaru resurrected a decapitated otter demon. The daiyoukai had no real reason to do so –it gained him nothing– yet used Tenseiga nonetheless. It warms the miko's heart to hope that Sesshoumaru is gradually learning compassion for so-called 'lesser beings'.

Tenseiga is even more stunning when it is in use; the sword-spirit's body shines with an ethereal glow as it plunges its delicate tanto into the heart of the one being resurrected while the fang itself drives away the imps of the underworld. As the slim blade strikes there is a flash like lightening and the former corpse draws a new breath, wounds healing as if they never were.

Remembering makes her wonder what Inutaisho would look like while bringing someone back to life.

Gateway

A course of action chosen, the group separates. Inuyasha leaves to hunt down Myoga the flea while Kagome takes it upon herself to explain to the rest of the tachi about the first trip to the Dog General's grave site she and the hanyou were involved in. Both the black pearl in Inuyasha's eye and Sesshoumaru's maiming are mentioned, but the miko takes care not to tell about seeing Tessaiga. She knows she is not really human anymore –the miko feels different on the inside now– but letting on was probably not a good idea. Perhaps she will confess when she knows what she is rather than simply what she is not.

Inutaisho tells Kagome that in order to go back to his burial site she will need to find Hosenki, the oyster youkai who makes the peals in the first place. The tingly feel of claws on her scalp is comforting and the miko sees no reason to stop him even when he captures the hand that as fiddling with her bow and starts placing teasing, nibbling kisses on her fingers.

When Inuyasha returns with Myoga with news of where Hosenki may be the tachi sets off to find the demon in question, the grass under Inutaisho's feet bending with each step he takes.

Bait

While hunting down the oyster demon Inuyasha is briefly confronted by Hakudoshi, who taunts him before escaping on Entei. The encounter makes the hanyou very grumpy and he stomps onward, ears flat against his skull, for almost an hour afterwards. Only a lunch break involving large amounts of ramen prevents his bad temper from lasting even longer.

Kagome wishes Inutaisho could try ramen, but the ghostly daiyoukai is incapable of tasting anything. The Dog General has confided in her that the greatest drawback of his current state is his inability to smell anything; being an inu and unable to perceive scent is like being blind for a human, a terrible disadvantage.

Trail

It turns out that Hosenki has died without leaving behind any jewels, making their journey a waste of time. Inuyasha is just asking Myoga if there are any other ways to reach the afterlife when Kagura makes an appearance, riding on a feather.

The wind-witch sourly informs the tachi that Hakudoshi is going to the Mountain in the Realm of Fire, since there is a gateway to the border between the worlds there. She also adds that the childish detachment specifically ordered her to tell Inuyasha where he was going and why.

Not caring for the pale child's motives or Kagome's reservations and concerns, the hanyou immediately bounds away, headed for their new destination. The rest of the group follow in his wake, Dokuseiga eyeing Kagura –who is trailing behind at a safe distance– while Inutaisho tells the temporally-displaced miko everything he remembers about the Realm of Fire, one arm wrapped snugly around her waist.

Kagome is nearly sixteen years old; she hopes her quest will be over before her next birthday but is not holding her breath. She has so many more things she wants to do with her life instead of hunt down jewel shards and defeat Naraku, but sadly her duties have priority.

Beyond

The group successfully reach the Realm of Fire and Inuyasha actually manages to defeat the Guardians and open the Gateway to the netherworld with Red Tessaiga, but is unable to pass through. Kagura tries to sneak through the gate, but stops in her tracks when a horde of lesser demons rushing through the gates are instantly turned into stone. Kagome catches a glimpse of the jewel shard shining in the darkness before the gates close again.

That flash of pink twinkling in the void gives her a strange feeling, a sense that the changes that have taken place within her have not yet been completed; a foreshadowing of greater changes to come.


And so the quest –and the plot– continues. More casual romance, more ominous foreshadowing and more sneaky little hints.