*Sorry, it took me some time to get to the next chapter. I've been really busy. In the times that I did try, ff.net was acting up. Anyway, as I mentioned before, if the chapters are short, I'm sorry. This one is short; I'm sorry. Thank you to those who've read and reviewed. I hope I don't let you down with the rest of the story. If it takes me a few days to update, please bear with me. I like to do a great deal of rewriting things and changing the content. Anyway, enjoy and please review. Thanks.*

*I've already made my disclaimer at the first chapter, which means, "Inuyasha" is not mine....only in fantasies! -sigh- Ha ha.*

"**" - denotes italics. I have yet to figure out ff.net format.

The world around her was black, empty.

'What's going on?' She asked herself. 'Where am I?'

She made an attempt to move her arms, but there was no feeling. She couldn't feel anything; her legs, fingers, chest, back, nothing. There was no pain. She couldn't understand it. She wondered just how badly she had been hurt by the monster. Had she been hit so hard that she could not see, nor feel? Had she been paralyzed? She knew it couldn't be possible for she could feel the soft touch of air moving all around her; much like a gentle breeze

'Where is everyone?' She wondered. She remembered seeing Inuyasha annihilate the large monster that attacked her, but where had he gone to. Why couldn't she hear him at least?

'Inuyasha!' She tried to call out, but her voice had left her. She could only hear her own voice echoing in her mind. She made several attempts to use her voice once more, but it did no good. No sound came from where her mouth should be.

'Am I dying?' She thought to herself. 'Is that what's happening here?'

She hardly expected a reply, so it shocked her when she heard the faint sounds of voices. They echoed in the distance. She didn't quite understand what they were saying at first, but when she listened harder she recognized their words. They were singing. The voices were amazing. They were in perfect harmony; they were golden, serene. The thought, 'heavenly' had come to mind as she listened to the gentle voices croon.

'Am I dead?' She tried to ask again.

She then heard the voices, singing something else. It was a song. She had never heard it before, but she thought it was exquisite. However, the words terrified her. She didn't like them. She didn't want to think of it as being true. She didn't want it to be anything more than a melody.

**I'm in a state of confusion

I hope things aren't what they seem

If this is really happening

Then just let me go back to dream

You're home

Tell me I was dreaming

That you didn't leave me hear to cry…**

'Stop it!' She cried, trying to drown out the melodious voices. 'Just stop it!'

**…It was just my imagination telling lies

Tell me that you didn't say goodbye**

'It can't be!' She tried to speak.

Suddenly, she could feel an explosion coming from behind her. It was like a bomb had been set off on her back. It penetrated her skin, with a heat that engulfed every single nerve in her body. The intensity of the flames made her body feel like it was on fire.

Her back pulsated with an overwhelming ache and her eyes rained down tears, as she screamed, "Inuyasha!"

Her eyes shot open. The first thing she caught a glimpse of was the stars hanging high above her. They were shining a bright red.

'Red! Why the hell are they red?! They shouldn't be red!'

"Ahhh!" Her voice echoed in the night. "It hurts! Help me! Please! INUYASHA!"

Her lungs reached for the cool air of the night, hoping to soothe the heat of the flames scorching her very insides. It did no good. She couldn't get enough cool air inside her. As much as her lungs desired the fresh air, they could not subdue the torture that was going on. Her breaths only fueled the inferno.

Kagome tried to look all around her. She tried to move, but it hurt too much to move her body. She tried to move her head. It was far less painful. She looked around to find herself surrounded by shrubs and bushes. She assumed she had been hidden, either that or she had fallen into a set of bushes.

She tried to think through the agony, 'Where is he? Can he not hear me calling…oh…'

"Inu-" she tried, but she felt like she had been struck once again by the huge demon.

She didn't want to speak anymore. Every time she did, the pain only got worse. She tried to breathe easier, maybe suppress the pain, even if a little. She also wanted to listen. Maybe, just maybe, he was in the area and she could hear him.

She grew as silent as she could. Her breaths were so labored that it drowned out much of the already quiet night. She held her breath and strained to hear anything; something that would give her hope that someone was there for her.

Soon Kagome began to feel her body grow light. That familiar feeling of weightlessness had returned to her. The night sky began to fade and her breaths began to fall to a soft hush. She knew she was going back to the dark place. She knew she was going to hear the golden voices once more.

"No," her breaths growing shorter. "I'm not…"

She fought to keep her eyes open. Her mind told her body over and over, not to give up. It pleaded with the heart to not give in to the exhaustion.

"He'll come," she said softly. "Don't…I need to…hang…"

Then, everything went dark.

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Inuyasha fell to the ground in pain. The demon was much stronger than he initially thought. He knew he shouldn't have stopped to fight off the monster. He had Kagome to worry about. He didn't have time to be messing around with a stupid demon. She was hanging by a small thread. He had to get her back to the village. But the evil being wouldn't allow them to pass, not that he was asking.

Inuyasha made several attempts to outrun the demon, but carrying Kagome slowed him down. Not to mention, the sudden movements weren't exactly healthy for her already fragile body. He had no choice. He was going to have to fight the demon.

The hanyou ran to a brush as quick as he could, trying to lose the demon for a few moments. He searched for a safe area in which he could hide Kagome for the time being, while he took care of the monster. He found a bunch of shrubs and safely placed her beneath the greens. He left her wrapped in his kimono. He whispered a promise of return before gripping the Tetsusaiga tightly.

"Bastard!" He growled in anger. "You're gonna pay for that!"

The demon stood about twenty feet. It had the head of a cobra, with a tail of razor-sharp barbs. Its eyes burned a pale blue. It had rejuvenating abilities as well. Every time Inuyasha made an attempt to slash at its body, it would only heal seconds later.

He tore off another piece of the serpent. It hissed in pain, only to back off Inuyasha. When it did, it's body healed where the Tetsusaiga slashed through.

"What the hell?!" He panted. "How does this thing die?"

The hanyou took a few steps back and studied the large snake. He knew there had to be a weak spot somewhere on the body. He wondered if there was a shard buried somewhere on the demon. Assuming that was the reason for the regenerating abilities. He knew there was only one person who could answer that and she was lying, awaiting his return.

'Kagome,' he thought of her lying in the thicket.

It was at that moment he noticed something he had overlooked early. There appeared to be a tiny horn on the demon's head, right between the eyes. Inuyasha's mouth watered as he thought of ripping it off the demon's head.

For a moment the two enemies didn't move. They sat in defense; awaiting for each other's strike. Inuyasha knew the serpent knew just what he was staring at. The snake read it in his eyes and the hanyou read the snake.

Then in a blink of an eye, Inuyasha leapt into the air, the Tetsusaiga wielded to his right, ready to do some damage. It was at that exact moment the white haired half-demon heard a shrill coming from the thicket. It echoed anguish. That stopped him mid attack.

"Kagome," he whispered, ears twitching at the sound of her voice.

That was Inuyasha's mistake. He turned his attention from his opponent. That's when the strike came. He turned his head, not his entire body, leaving his front side fully exposed to the serpent. The serpent's tail slashed through the half-human's chest, with the blow knocking him to the ground. He tried to stand after the taking the hit, but the force of the impact caused him to lose his breath. He had to roll out of the way to avoid another hit from the serpent.

Again, he heard her voice. This time it screamed his name. It was filled with absolute suffering. That was all it took. He could feel his blood began to boil. He rose to his feet and walked over to the where the demon stood. His grip on his sword grew tighter, whitening his knuckles.

"Let's get this over with," he snarled at the large snake.

The rage coursed through his veins as the flames within his eyes burned a bright red. His eyes locked on the horn that rested on the serpent's head. His body was battered and bruised, but that didn't matter. There were other issues at hand, like the young girl who was waiting for him to return. He promised her he would be back.

Inuyasha swung his father's tooth at every part of the serpent. He moved with the speed of a full blooded demon. The serpent could not move fast enough to avoid the hanyou's attacks. It tried to restore itself after each hit, but it could not keep up with the strength of the half demon and his mighty sword. It was only mere seconds when the power of the large serpent was obliterated to dust, as Inuyasha sliced through its small horn, making it only a memory.

The hanyou took a moment to catch his breath. He placed his hand on his chest only to be hit with a stinging sensation. He had completely forgotten that he had been hit. All he was concerned with was killing the demon and getting back to Kagome.

"Kagome," he looked in the direction of the thicket.

He stood silent, trying to hear her voice once more. Everything was silent.

"No," he gasped.

Quickly he ran to the thicket where he had kept her hidden. He could feel the branches of the shrubs tearing at the abrasions on his chest. He didn't care. He knew that his demon blood would heal him.

It was that thought that made him run even faster. It wasn't too much further now. If he could only get to her before…He shook his head and cursed himself for his thoughts. He didn't like himself thinking like that. He didn't want to imagine her gone.

Just a few more steps, he told himself. I'm coming. Hold on. Just hold on, for me.

He sniffed the air for her familiar aroma. He smelled her just a few feet off. There was also another odor that surrounded her. It was one that he had smelled on her before and it was one he didn't like. It was pasty and strong. It was her blood; fresh blood. She had been bleeding, again.

No, he ran in her direction. I'm almost there. Don't…

"Kagome!" He called out to her. "Kagome!"