**Inuyasha jumped thru the trees, minding his own business when he heard the sound. Moving quicker he tried to keep ahead of the footsteps that seemed to shadow his, but softer almost. They were familiar in some way and he paused for a second to sniff the air, his lungs filled with the scent of the air and angelica mixed with sandalwood. It was his love, the woman he had given his promise to marry and to become a human for. But there was something different about her smell. It was stale. Stale like death. How could that be though? She had just been with him the other day, having given her his mother's lipstick shell compact as a courting gift. He didn't have much to offer her as the only other thing left to him was his fire-rat robe. She had been surprised, but overjoyed to accept the gift.

"Inuyasha!" a voice called out, angrily before an arrow whizzed past his head. He could feel the air, the energy from the sacred arrow, as it stirred his silver hair. He glanced over to find that it was indeed Kikyo, the woman who claimed to love him. "Die!" Another arrow blazed past him as he tried to dodge, his mouth opening to ask her why she was doing this to him, but found that he had no voice. As another arrow flew at him he was sure that Kikyo seemed to morph for a second. There was another female there, tho her eyes were chocolate, rounder and her hair seemed darker. Kikyo's hair was tinted with a navy blue while this girl that flashed there for a moment had a more raven haired tone.

"Kagome?" The woman growled at him before another arrow flew, this one with more intense energy, the arrow almost lost in how bright the pink aura was around it.**

The woman who had shot him was not Kagome, no, she had tried to stop it, but this energy that pulsed around the arrow was not Kikyo's sacred powers. These were stronger, cleaner it seemed. Raw. This was raw energy and that was all he saw before he shuddered awake. Looking around he found himself leaning against the hut, having fallen asleep for some reason. It had been strange since he was hardly sleepy in his half demon form, but sleep had come and now as he looked around the darkened hut he found that he wasn't the only one who had passed out. Miroku was also leaning against the hut, his chest rising slowly in his relaxed state, while Shippo was face down on his father's pelt. "Old woman?" he questioned as he noticed that she wasn't there. He stood up, finding his legs had fallen asleep due to his crouched down position. That was another thing. How had he fallen asleep like this? Throwing that thought out of his mind he wandered out of the hut to see if Kaede was outside, maybe tending to some people after the strong storm. What he saw was not what he was expecting. There was no one up, the air filled with a heavy feeling and the fog that blanketed the village.

He took a sniff, the air was heavy with the scent of the rain that had passed, the earthiness making him think of the nightmare he had just woken up from. The scent so similar to Kikyo and yet he could almost smell her in the air...a mixed scent that was now becoming lighter with each passing second. Had she come thru here? A cry broke thru his thoughts and immediately he turned to find where it had come from. Rushing past huts he came across a set of stairs leading up a hill, the muck and mud from the storm showing him the footsteps of Kaede that lead up those stairs. As he leapt up the stairs he could smell the scent of salt water that wafted down and he knew that she was crying, but there was no smell of blood so she wasn't hurt. As he came up the final stair, the archway of the shrine telling him that this was sacred grounds, he found the older Miko staring blankly at a crater. On the edge of the crater was a small shrine, it was crushed in appearance, but one could tell what it had been. "I didn't have enough power," Kaede whispered, her pain mixing with her feeling of disbelief. "Why would someone do this?" He walked up to her, his clawed hand falling onto her shoulder.

"Who was it?" She looked broken as she turned to him.

"This was Kikyo's grave," she simply said before turning back to it. "The reason for this could only be one thing." Moving closer to the small shrine she knelt down. "I have a feeling that the information ye gave me yesterday could only mean one thing now." The sound of steps coming up the stone staircase drew their attention for a moment as Miroku appeared before them, Shippo hanging on his shoulder.

"I can only assume that it has to do with a certain person, well, an ogress to be exact." The pair looked at him, Inuyasha confused and Kaede nodding at his realization. "Then I can definitely agree that it will be bad." Inuyasha looked between the pair before letting out an annoyed sigh.

"What the hell are you two talking about?!" he asked in frustration. As the story about this particular ogress came out, the Hanyou still couldn't seem to grasp it, tho neither could Shippo, the fox child wide eyed in confusion and looking a little dazed at all the information. "In normal people speech," he grumbled. Before the Monk or the Miko could speak Inuyasha's ears shifted, his nose twitching. He didn't say a word, but began to run of, jumping from the top step and rushing away down the steps, the others rushing to their feet to give chase.

The raven haired woman moved again, the first time in a couple hours time, standing up again. Still a little wobbly, but better than she had before. She opened her mouth, no words leaving it, but the pink that had once been around her was gone now. Her aura was gray and it was starting to reflect in her facial expression. She had started to frown, the black aura shifting and darkening ever so slightly.

Are they closer? Can she see them? "What are you reacting to?"

"Urasue!" came a male's voice, sounding rather excited as he walked slowly up the hill. As he came into view she noticed that he had a woman with him. Was this the reincarnation? "Is the water nice this time of day?" he stated, his tone not matching his face as he still looked rather uninterested. She didn't bite at the joke and with a groan at this demon's strange attitude she went to fill the tub. She was beginning to feel like some sort of servant.

Run the water. Get these bones for this. Sighing now she watched the water in the tub rise, the smell from the herbs used in her concoction a sting in her nostrils. As soon as it was filled she threw in some more herbs, the flower petals dropping like snow on a lake. The ripples, first clear, began to shift in color to a rather pastel-ish green. She watched as the demon brought the girl over, her creation watching from her spot on the edge of the cliff Urasue's cave was located. "Put her in," she said, a bite in her tone for the one that was supposed to be serving her. He smirked and tossed the girl in, the water splashing onto the already irritated ogress. She shot him a look and he just shrugged, the smirk still on his face. Fucking creature. She ensured that her prey was submerged enough for the concoction to work. The girl's body was under, her head just above the water. "This shall only take a moment," she told the demon, her red eyes still looking down into Kagome's brown eyes. "I must say she has some similarities to her predecessor, but she is not a identical twin to the powerful priestess."

What is she doing? Kagome worried, her energy seeming to lapse in waves, feeling heavier and less coherent every minute that passed in the rather smelly waters.

I don't know, came a snarky reply. Kikyo only hoped that she could manage to escape whatever fate she would have had in the girl's body. She knew that she was powerful, but it was the girl's body and she didn't think that the other female would be willing to give up her form. Not even if Kikyo hadn't intended to kill the half demon that she was now traveling with. The raven haired woman that had stood on the edge now moved closer to the girl in the water, drawing the attention of the submerged girl. I can't see. Her vision was blurred enough that details had seemed to melt away, just leaving blotches of color, not even in a particular shape either. Just blobs, like someone had spilled paint on a piece of paper. She tried to squint at the black and peach colored...was it a face? She couldn't move her head to see more, tho she could look just a little further to see white...and red? Was this person a priestess like her? If that was the case why was she just staring at her? Why wasn't she helping her? The female seemed to be reaching out to them when Urasue reprimanded her.

"Do not touch her!" she scolded angrily. "She will give you her soul soon." Kagome shuddered as Kikyo seemed to balk. She was giving her soul to another Miko...or was this Miko her new form? She wouldn't kill another soul for her own use. "Do not worry, Miko. She was never a living being, but she was created from the ashes of one and the grave-site from where those ashes had been laid." It never occurred to her that they were her own ashes, since she had clearly instructed her sister to scatter her ashes to the winds. That is until the ogress continued. "She will be a perfect fit, almost like being in your own body." She cackled at her own joke, the demon standing close by, just watching the trio. Why is he still here? It was then that the demon turned his gaze, his eyes narrowing off into the distance where a bridge stood.

"How much time do you need?" he asked simply.

Kaede left her horse at the beginning of the bridge, Miroku, with Shippo still on his shoulder, walking in front of her so she could be protected and Inuyasha in front, his eyes narrowed on the the further end of the bridge. The fog was still low and he couldn't see far enough in the fog to see how long it was and the humans he was with were no help as they couldn't see more than a foot ahead of them as well.

"You shouldn't go," Miroku stated simply, his voice echoing off the ledges that sandwiched below them, the rocky ledges leading down to a dry riverbed below them. Inuyasha shot him a look, a question on his lips. "I have a feeling that you will cause great heartache if you come." Kaede nodded behind him.

"Why the fuck would I do that?!" he bellowed at them. Shippo ducked down, but before he could get his answer they noticed that bridge began to shake, the ropes that held it up bouncing with the weight that was coming from the other side as it drooped a few inches. "Looks like we have company." There appeared to be a shadow, a lone person walking toward them. As it grew closer the shadow began to grow, widening to the width of the wooden bridge. He backed up a bit, his hand going to his blade. He hesitated though, unsure of what was to greet them. It appeared they were human, but as they came thru the fog he could see that they weren't alive. It was in their appearance, their eyes just white with not pupil to give them the appearance of true human or demon. These seemed more like dummies, empty dolls that moved. They were missing parts of their bodies, and although they all wore armor, the armor itself was worn out, dried blood on the holes that marked where the soldier that might have inhabited them at one point had been taken down.

"Those are her clay soldiers!" Kaede yelled. Was it going to be that easy? Inuyasha seemed to think so as he ripped his sword out and once it grew began to slash at the soldiers, watching out for the ropes. It didn't take long to slash thru, but there were still more soldiers, more of them keeping them from the end of the bridge. He kept at it, until he heard a new voice. A male's voice.

"Ah, so you did get off that tree," he said. "Tho I knew that since I followed you and your little group." A chuckle. "For a while now." The group looked up, Inuyasha only glancing at him for a moment, his golden eyes narrowing on him.

"Who the fuck are you?" he growled slicing into the soldiers again. Each time they shattered, their bodies laying across the path, some parts falling to the ravine below. He didn't get a response from the demon tho, instead he was thrown from the bridge as the demon sliced the ropes with a swipe of a smaller sword. Reacting quickly he pushed off the wood under him, the others forgotten for a moment as he lunged at the other male. "When I ask you your fucking name you better believe that silence will only get me angry!" His sword swung high over him, the winds swirling around the pair as he swiped down. The demon jumped back in surprise. He had always believed that Hanyous were a weak race. Made from weak humans and weak demons, because true demons never lowered themselves to fraternize with humans. Humans were only good for what they could supply you or for dinner if your tastes went that way.

"Since you seem to be rather strong, half breed I shall give you my name," he said righting himself before throwing his sword out before him to deflect Inuyasha's own strike. "My name is Narakunoshimobe." He heard a gasp from behind him and looked to see Miroku and Kaede on top of Shippo in his more rounder formed ball. He was struggling with the weight on him, but Inuyasha turned back. He knew they could get across while he fucked this guy up. He recognized the name, not the demon's name, but the name in it that drew his attention.

"You work for Naraku," he hissed. The demon smirked broader. "Where is that fucker?!" Narakunoshimobe just chuckled.

"You will never meet him, so what does it matter?" With that he began his own attack, a flurry of strikes, moving Inuyasha back a few steps from his spot on the right side of the chasm. He held his blade, the fang holding back each strike, the flash of sparks almost blinding the Hanyou. He struck back, their blades screeching as they slid across each other. Inuyasha was still new to having a sword, his claws usually more than enough before having the blade. He could tell that this guy was strong, and his claws may not have any impact on them, but damn it if he was going to lose! Swinging his sword back out, they began an intense battle, their blades blocking and parrying so quickly and with such force that barrier began to bloom around them. It pushed the group farther up the hill, but also shoving them too hard as they skidded back. Kaede was finding it was more than a struggle for her to stay grounded, if not for the kindness of the monk and the kitsune, she would have found herself dead at the bottom of the ravine.

"I'll fuck him up just like I'm going to tear you to pieces!" the half breed hissed as he threw himself back again, the air clearing thanks to their demonic auras. Pulsing began, the soft sound accompanying the beat of the sword in his hand. He raised a brow at it, but listened. It was showing him something and even if he couldn't understand, he knew the signs when the sword was revealing a power. He looked forward, the the tip of the sword where a swirl of air was forming. It swirled around the blade and out toward the tip of the other blade, a chasm of air parting the two. It seemed to be calling him and with a final swipe of his blade he ended the other demon's existence, nothing left when the bright light faded. Sheathing his sword he turned his attention to the cave higher up the mountain, the group half way there. He rushed up after them, getting there quickly enough with a leap and a bound. Miroku again stated his idea that Inuyasha should stay back. "I'm not staying back." Kaede turned to him, a worried look on her face.

"I think he is right to tell ye that ye should stay back." His growl gave her pause. "Inuyasha, it might be my sister up there, but there is an uglier thing that could have happened and I don't think ye sho-" He shrugged the monk off and moved quickly past the older Miko. He didn't understand what they were so upset about.

A small light had appeared over her heart, Kagome struggling thru the other person in her body, could see it. It was warm, while she was starting to feel cold. She felt the fear that tightened around her heart, clenching it so tight. At least Kikyo's voice was gone, disappearing into the void where she had been kept for so long. She didn't know what was happening, but it was beginning to hurt, her body aching to move.

"Wh-What are you doing to m-me?" she managed to stutter out, the shock of the woman giving her hope. If she was doing something so surprising than she might be strong enough to get free. Her body began to glow pink, the ball of light growing smaller for a second before the ogress threw more herbs at her.

"You are not strong enough, little girl," the woman hissed, the silent female at her side coming into focus for the first time and only for mere seconds.

"O-oh,my god," she whispered before the added herbs kicked in and she fell silent again. This was...this girl looked kinda like her, but she could only guess that it was her predecessor. The one that had been controlling her body. Was she free? Is that why she had gone silent inside her head? She could see her in her mind again, the visions of the woman's memories. Of her life, flashes, and then her death. It was all she could see as the ball grew brighter and larger again.

"That's right, give up the fight," Urasue stated with a dark cackle. Kagome shook her head, willing her body to fight as the pink tint surrounding her body began to grow as she closed her eyes tightly. She was finding it hard to concentrate tho, the chilly feeling starting at her toes and fingertips. It was moving up slowly as she began to feel a pull. The chill had a heat to it now, like strings pulling the chill up her body with a burn that left her breathless.

Damn, I can't seem to breath. It was like her lungs were deflating, her brain telling her to breath becoming a fading call. She refused to just give up, but even as she was fighting against the pull another part was pulling out, yanking itself from her with such a force. It seemed to want to be free from her, the energy it was emitting to do this draining her own body and now the visions of the other Miko's life began to fade. Her own began to intermingle with Kikyo's life. Mixing them up as her own began to take over, reminding her that she hadn't had a full life yet. She was about to turn sixteen! She struggled more, the energy now slipping out of her, all the strings of fire moving over her chest, but like string it had an attachment. Her heartbeat was slowing with every moment, the pain of holding it on failing to deter her in her fight to keep her life in her body. To keep her heat beating. It was then that Inuyasha breached the cliff where the cave was, the air from the bright pink aura around Kagome, the wind blowing up dust that blocked her from his view. His nose twitched, his eyes falling on the ogress standing there, whispering something to the light.

"All he needs to do is whisper the name of that who has his heart," she murmured. This caught the attention of Kagome, her eyes opening. She couldn't hear anything around her, the water dulling the sound and the fact that she herself was finding her faculties fading with each pull of the strings coming from her. Lights burst forth from the first ball, bouncing around the dome the aura had made. The chill of the water shifted in waves as she attempted to move her arms higher up, the binding on her wrists keeping her from the act. She closed her eyes again, willing her body to hold on, to keep the blood flowing in her veins.

Don't say it, Inuyasha.

He will not say my name, if he doesn't care about me. Kagome started at the voice. She was in trouble then. She knew that Inuyasha still cared, hell, she knew he still loved her. The Hanyou in question found his eyes falling on the woman who stumbled out from behind the bright pink, her brown eyes lifeless, but that didn't register to him. He just saw the one that he had loved, the one that he had courted, the woman whom he had promised to lose his demon side for...and the one that had betrayed him...the woman who had killed him.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled as he came closer to the male, Kaede holding onto his back. The pair looked at where he was looking, and Kaede dropped slowly off of Miroku's back. She looked at the scene before her with wide brown eyes. The creature looked blankly at them and Kaede could see that, but what she failed to notice was that Inuyasha had taken a step away from them, his eyes also wide and his mouth open. Shippo rushed over, hiding behind Inuyasha's leg as he eyed the women before him, his eyes turning to the pink aura that was still steady growing to accommodate all the swirling lights. He tugged on the silver haired male's pants.

"What is that?" Inuyasha didn't seem to hear him and before the other two could react to stop him he spoke, one word.

"K-Kikyo?" he whispered, the beat of Kagome's heart so slow that when her name was murmured she felt a snap, the strings splitting and her body seizing up. The power that had been holding the lights captive erupted in such a powerful blast that everyone was thrown back. Kaede gasped as she fell to her knees, Miroku's warning coming to mind.

"I have a feeling that you will cause great heartache if you come."

It hadn't been an idle thought. She had felt the same thing. Something that the half demon would do was bound to cause heartache, she just hadn't known why that premonition had come to her and the monk. "What is that?" he asked, the ogress smirking as she turned to him.

"That is the girl's soul. You have saved me a lot of waiting with just saying her name at just the right time." She turned to the Kikyo doll. "Now soul, return to your original body!" As the soul of Kagome rushed out from the prison she had made for it Shippo and Miroku rushed to Kagome's side, Miroku reaching in to take her out, a side look to Inuyasha. The Hanyou just watched in confusion, frozen as he watched Kikyo come back to life before his eyes. He couldn't seem to turn away. It seemed like a dream, like she had never died.

"Lady Kagome?" the monk said pulling her into his arms and gave her a little shake. Her head lolled to the side and Inuyasha's head shot to look at the limp girl, her skin growing paler and colder. Urasue chuckled at their helplessness.

"She is nothing now. An empty shell. Useless and worthless," the ogress said. "Just good enough for me to use as a meal later." She failed to notice the souls entering Kikyo's new body completely, so smug in what she had done she failed to see the darkness that had once covered the shell had now grown darker, the resurrected Kikyo's eyes opening and the darkness that was in them. No one seemed to be aware of her, save for Inuyasha and Kaede, the older Miko going to her sister's side with words to Urasue about the travesty she had done. That she would dare to do this to her sister's body. Kikyo looked over at the older Miko, her brown eyes clear as they took her in. She ignored her again as the ogress began to talk again, "She isn't your sister anymore!" she crowed triumphantly. "She is my slave and I hold comm-" Her words died at the look of disgust and rage on the woman's face, now just inches from her. The aura of darkness still glowing strongly around her as she pulled her hand back from the stomach of Urasue. The blood from the gashing wound dripped off of her fingers, the glow from her fingers a dark pink, tinted with the darkened aura that pulsed around her. She turned to Inuyasha, but her words were for the ogress that gurgled out something so softly that only she and the Hanyou before her could hear.

"I will not be a slave and you are what I shall exterminate from this world." She noted that the woman who called her sister held an item she needed. "Why are you with him, Kaede?" she whispered harshly, her eyes cold even to her own blood. "I saw that you helped that girl and then allowed that scum to become free from his grave." She took a step toward Inuyasha, the hate in her brown eyes hardening them. "Why did you betray me?!" He was shocked at the sudden rage, the words bringing his anger to the surface. "You took the jewel from me and then said you wanted to taint it further by killing the villagers." A burst on her side, the right side flashing red for a seconds. The red looked like claws, like his attack, the blood gushing and tainting the white of her kosade. "You should have died! You should have gone to hell with me!" She ran, shoved her sister to the side as she grabbed the bow from her sister's arm while the arrow was pulled back in just seconds. Before the arrow could release tho, a small feeling crept along her body, a burning that started in her toes. "W-What?"

I hope you enjoyed. Thank you again to my readers.