A/N: Stuff at bottom but this chapter and the next are dedicated to my 40th reviewer Lare. 60 more guys and I will be very very very happy. Oh, I was technically going to put up a chapter that was before this for her but I changed the order around. What can I say except this one fit better before the new chapter 10 then after. Oh…

IF U THINK U HAVE A TALENT FOR DRAWING AND WANT TO TRY AND DRAW MY CHARACTERS, GO AHEAD AND SEND THEM TO MY MAILBOX IN THE AUTHORS PAGE. IF I LIKE THEM I WILL PUT SOME ON MEDIA MINER WITH MINE.

Hope that you enjoy Lare and the rest of my reviewers too  ^_^

She released her Hiraikotsu yet again from a top Kirara, bringing down another youkai. It seems that they were being attack more lately ever since the return of Kagome. This time they were on their way to a village in the northeast, where some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes could be seen. They had been traveling that way since it had the vilest aura around the surrounding area, that and the fact it was the last place Naraku had seemed to have been before he had disappeared. Lately though, they were starting to wonder if he was just waiting out for them. Most of the youkai that had attacked them along the way were probably sent by him. They had been fine till Shippo had looked up to the sky. It was a dreary looking day with the sky covered in light and dark gray clouds. They could see patches of a light gray-blue in between them, but they were almost swallowed up by the clouds. It looked like it was going to rain later on. Then Shippo had seen it. Hundreds of youkai were coming their way in the sky, and a few on the ground. They all had gotten ready for the battle knowing it was going to last a while. Shaking her head from reminiscing, she continued to look around the battle field as they all continued to fight. Miroku was sucking up the demons in his Kazaana and when he couldn't take in anymore, used his staff and sutra's to kill them. Kagome was releasing arrow after sacred arrow at the beasts, purifying them one at a time or in groups. Inuyasha was hacking away at the demons coming for him with his Tetsusaiga, taking more swings than usual just to kill them. That puzzled her as she looked to the last member. For a tiny kitsune, Shippo was doing fairly well in battle. He was beside Kagome using his blue fox fire to take down some of the lesser demons. Soon her attention was drawn back to the battle as another youkai nearly reached her to throw her off of Kirara, and possibly kill her as she was falling. Luckily she saw the worm-like youkai and sliced through it with Hiraikotsu in a sword like manner.

~

"This is getting ridiculous. Where are all these youkai coming from?"

It seemed that whenever they killed one, two or three more would take its place. Kagome reached behind her shoulder to her quiver only to find it was empty.

'Since when did I use up all my arrows? The quiver was packed to the brim.'

A kamakiri noticed that she was not attacking and decided to go after her. She felt its presence nearly upon her and with wide, frightened, brown eyes; knew it was going to kill her. She turned her head and watched as it raised its razor appendages, racing towards her at an alarming speed. Her grip lessened on her bow as she dropped it and ran towards where Shippo was near to her. She picked him up and tossed him to the side out of harms way. He landed on his rump, with his green eyes wide as he watched Kagome race to pick up her dropped bow and then to a dead youkai to get an arrow out of it; all the while the youkai closing in on her. She made it to the youkai and pulled out the object with all her might, struggling to string it into the bow.

~

Sango looked down to assess the battle again and noticed Kagome in serious danger. She was about to throw her Hiraikotsu at the demon, when she was attacked by another flying youkai and this time knocked off Kirara. She fell towards the ground at an alarming rate as Kirara was trying to get to her but had her paws full with the demon. She watched helplessly as her master fell towards the earth.

~

Miroku had also noticed Kagome but was finishing a demon who had tried to attack him from behind. That's when he saw Sango falling towards the ground and then Kirara to busy to help. He struck his staff in the youkai's head one last time to make sure it was dead and then dropped it to race towards Sango, praying he got there in time.

~

Shippo didn't know what to do. He saw the kamakiri but knew he was too small to defeat it. He looked around the battle field towards Inu-yasha but saw he was busy. The only other people he knew were Sango and Miroku so he scampered away at his top speed to get to them.

~

Kagome did the only thing she could think of when she couldn't string the arrow. She screamed at the top of her lungs

"INU-YASHA"

~

He turned his head away from the dead youkai to see Kagome getting attacked. He sped away from the beast right when the kamakiri was upon her for the kill.

~

Kagome slumped to the ground and closed her eyes waiting for the blow. She raised her crossed arms in front of her turned face as an automatic reaction. When she hadn't felt the attack, she reopened her eyes to see Inu-Yasha above her taking the blow in the back. His face was shaped to that of one in serious pain, his golden eyes closed so no one could see the pain inflected in them. Her eyes opened wider and they had tears at the side pricking to get out as she watched Inu-Yasha fall to his knees, then slump to the ground in front of her. Not caring anymore she let them fall down the side of her face in anguish and let out a hurt scream.

"INU-YASHA"

~

Miroku had heard her scream bloody murder but was too concentrated in reaching Sango in time. He picked up speed as he was nearly underneath her.

~

Kirara managed to finish off the youkai and then dived after her master. She knew she would not make it in time but was determined to try.

~

The kamakiri was laughing on the inside at the girl. She looked so pathetic and weak. She was over next to the hanyou kneeled beside him. She had sprawled herself out across him, crying onto his back and holding him as close to her as possible. It snickered and raised a razor appendage; it was about to take a strike at the girl when it stopped in mid-air. It started to back away from her scared.

~

Miroku managed to reach Sango right before she hit the ground. Unfortunately it wasn't as he had planned as she landed face down on top of his back. Sprawled out on the ground he knew he would be hurting tomorrow but was happy that Sango was safe. Grunting in pain Sango managed to push herself off of the houshi and roll off to the side. She was breathing hard and trying to calm her racing heart. She had nearly had a brush with death and didn't want to experience it again. Kirara flew to a stop at her side; instantly changing to her kitten form. She went up to her face and started to nuzzle her, trying in her own way to say sorry for not being there. Sango managed to move a shaking hand to pat her on the head.

"It's ok Kirara. You were busy finishing off the youkai. Thankfully houshi broke my fall."

Said monk was slowly managing to raise himself from the dirt and moving over to her side. He wanted to make sure that she was alright himself. We he was satisfied she was fine, he was about to try and stand up when Shippo collided into his back.

"Miroku, Miroku. Kagome is in trouble! You have to go help her!"

They were all about to try and go to her, when they all heard the earth shattering shriek.

~

Kagome raised her head from Inu-Yasha's back. Her head was bowed but even someone without spiritual or demonic powers could tell she was angry. Her black hair was cascaded around her form, her bangs covering her eyes. She slowly pushed herself away from his back and set her hands on the ground in front of her bent knees. She stayed that way knelling beside him. His back had a deep gash in it, bleeding freely when it should have, at least by now, closed up and healed. She slowly turned her head to look at the youkai. She had anger and death flashing in her eyes. But they weren't really her eyes. Slowly the pupils and the eye itself had disappeared and were now gone, and in its place stood just two blinding, white orbs. Her black tresses were waving furiously around her shoulders and head like they had a will of there own. She was surrounded by bluish-white light as she slowly stood away from him and started to walk towards the kamakiri. It backed away from every step she took towards it. The jewel around her neck was pulsing but not as much as the one near her side. It seemed to be pulsing one with her. She stopped her pursuit on the kamakiri and stood there looking at it. Her face which had been neutral up to this point turned to one with a smirk on it. She lifted her arms up in a way that resembled her holding her bow. A light the same color that was around her body, generated in-between her hands and a bow was formed. She pulled back on the string and a whitish-pink arrow formed in the center of it. The arrow itself was more white than pink as she took careful aim at the youkai and released it. It traveled at a burred rate and was brighter and more powerful then her regular arrows. When it pierced the kamakiri skin, it shattered into a million small pieces in a blinding white light, but not with out shrieking a horrible sound first. The arrow continued to sore through the sky, taking out the little remaining youkai there were before disappearing. Kagome put down her hands after all of the demons was gone. She was so tired and weak. She started to sway but shook her head to clear the dizzy spell as she made her way over to the hanyou.

'Inu-Yasha'

Eyes still their blinding white; she stumbled over to him, but fell to her knees in fatigue a ways from where he was. She crawled over the short distance and fell onto her stomach, but was near enough to him to lay her head on his bleeding back before falling into unconsciousness. The sky grew a little darker and started to rumble with the sounds of thunder; as the storm grew nearer to them. Then suddenly the clouds began a downpour of their cold rain over the two and the blood soaked battle field.

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It be so cruel for me to stop it right here. But I'm not that mean so I won't. ^_^

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Miroku lead Kirara through what remained of the battlefield. It had started down pouring and they need to find shelter fast, after they found Kagome and Inu-Yasha first. His back still hurt from the fall but he would not ride Kirara after Sango had offered. Instead he made Sango ride her and was walking in front. Shippo had hopped up in front of Sango and they had started walking to where the shriek was heard. Miroku's black bangs were stuck to his forehead; as some drops of water managed to get on them and run down the front to drop on the earth. His purple robes were starting to stick to his lean form and he started to shiver as the cold registered through his soaked garbs. Once they found the two, they would have to find shelter soon or they would all catch cold. He spotted their weapons a few feet away from where they were and headed for that direction. After loading the items on Kirara, he barely made out the figures of two people through the now fast pouring rain. He ran over to them to see if it was indeed Inu-Yasha and Kagome, leaving behind Sango, Kirara, and Shippo. When he reached the two and confirmed his suspicion, he waved over to the fire-cat who went over to his side. When she got there Sango gasped. She covered her mouth with one of her hands as she looked over the two.

Kagome looked worse for wear but wasn't as bad as Inu-Yasha. He had a huge diagonal cut on his back that was healing slower than usual. It was still bleeding but not as much as before. Kagome was laying on top of him as her uniform got soaked to her skin and her hair to her face. They both had little cuts and scrapes that one gets from battle, but they needed serious attention if they were to survive. She got off of Kirara with Shippo and went over to their sides. She helped the monk pick up the two and walked back over to Kirara, taking off the weapons and securing the two on top of her. Kirara was looking at the two passengers on her back as Miroku and Sango put on their own weapons and picked up there companions. Shippo had scampered off to the woods to grab Kagome's backpack and was now back on top of Kirara, this time on her head. Sango went back over to her companion and walked beside her as Miroku led the way to find shelter.

~

They all soon happened upon an abandoned hut and went inside after Miroku and Sango managed to get the two off of Kirara. They sat them down by the door and went to preparing what was necessary to save their friends. Kirara and Shippo just decided to stay out of their way and fell asleep, not knowing what else to do. There weren't any futons in the hut but thankfully Kagome had her sleeping bags with her. Sango grabbed the two out of the canary yellow bag and opened them up onto the floor. Miroku then took Inu-Yasha and Kagome, and placed them each on one. Then he thought of something that made him worry.

"They need warmth but the rain had soaked all the wood. And I do not think there is any wood around here."

Sango continued to get out the medical box out of the bag and went to both their sides. She took out the antiseptic and started on Kagome. She dabbed the white cloth in the liquid and started cleaning her cuts. Kagome stirred under the sting of the disinfectant and woke up. Her eyes had returned to normal and she looked around the hut in confusion. She then stared at Sango as she placed a white bandage on her cheek and then her arm.

"Sango? What happened to the battle? The last I remember is crying on Inu-Yasha when he saved me."

Sango, happy that her friend was not dead, was still quiet as she finished her ministrations; all the while suffering from her own. When she was done she finally answered.

"I do not know Kagome. We heard a scream then Houshi and I found you two together looking almost dead. We found the hut and brought you here."

She started to go to Inu-Yasha when Kagome sat up and saw him again. He looked horrible and wasn't healing any faster. Then she looked at Sango as she struggled over there. She looked almost as bad a him.

"Sango let me take care of Inu-Yasha while Miroku takes care of your wounds"

She was about to refuse when she looked Kagome in the eyes and just couldn't say no to her pleading gaze. She sighed and did as Kagome requested, taking the sleeping bag she had previously been lying in and Kagome going over to Inu-Yasha's side. After a few minutes of silence Kagome finally spoke.

"What are we suppose to do about a fire? If we do not build one soon we will all freeze."

"Miroku asked the same thing. There is no wood as we can tell. And we can't go get any because the rain will have soaked it all."

She finished putting the bandages over Inu-Yasha's chest and back, wiping her forehead from her work. She then put a finger up to her chin and looked around. It looked remarkably like Kaeda's hut. Her eyes passed over each area and to the grass doorway. Her eyes lit up with acknowledgment. She looked at the two looking at her; a smile on her face.

"We can use the mat door way. All we have to do is get some wet wood or stones to make a place to hold it."

The two thought about it for a moment and nodding their heads in agreement, they all went back to helping each other out and building the fire.

~

Kanna walked back to where her creator was. She slid the door open and walked near to him, stopping when she was a few inches away. She sat down on her knees with the mirror held firmly in her hands. Her blank eyes looked up at him waiting for him to acknowledge her presence. He continued to look out the open screen door near him as it continued to rain. As a flash of lighting lit up the sky you could see his eyes glow their eerie red color and then go back down. He turned his head away from the scene to look at his oldest incarnation.

"You have found who I was looking for?"

"Yes"

"Show me where she is."

"Yes Naraku."

She looked down at her mirror as it began to swirl in the center. Her white hair cascaded over her shoulders and she closed her void eyes as she concentrated on the picture, else the spell would not work. The scene flashed into the glass then disappeared. It flashed again and she used all her power to keep it that way. Now the scene was apparent as he looked into it. There was the shrine with the powerful onno-shijin. She had eluded his finding her for some time yet know he knew exactly were she was. The picture soon faded out and disappeared as Kanna was now too weak to keep it up. She opened her closed, black eyes and looked up at Naraku. He had no emotion to his face as he looked at her, then back to looking outside.

"You may leave Kanna"

"Yes Naraku"

She stood up and headed back to the doors, sliding them shut after she left. Naraku's red eyes continued to glow in the dark room as the lightning continued to flash outside.

'Now my onno-shijin. It is time to pay you a visit and get the answers I want.'

~

Miroku and Sango had gone outside to find some stones and maybe a few dry twigs to start the fire with. It had finally stopped raining and now the only people in the hut where Kirara, Shippo, Inu-Yasha and Kagome. Shippo, Kirara and Inu-Yasha were all resting while Kagome decided to stay up and watch over them. She had stayed by Inu-Yasha's side ever since she had woken up, not wanting to leave him. The main thing she was worried about was why he wasn't healing fast enough. She looked through the door that led outside, now that the mat was moved to the side. It was getting late and she hoped that Miroku and Sango would be back soon. The bright yellow sun was slowly sinking into the horizon behind the trees; making some of the forest look like it was on fire with it's brilliant display of colors; while the other parts of it where just black silhouettes. The sky was a deep orange, the few remaining clouds a deep blood red. It was actually quite beautiful to her. She turned back towards Inu-Yasha and with a delicate hand, brushed his bangs away from his face. She loved it when he was asleep. He just looked so innocent. The warmth that glowed on her face soon turned to worry as she continued to play with his bangs.

'Oh Inu-Yasha. Why aren't your wounds healing faster? What could be causing this?'

She continued to wonder over this—all the while moving away from playing with his bangs to doing the same with his silver locks.

'You always get hurt because of me. And yet…..and yet you are always there to protect me….no matter what. It's my fault you're like this.'

She stopped her playing with his hair and stood up from his side. Tears were pricking at the sides of her eyes but she would not cry. She walked over to where Shippo and the fire cat were, picking up the kitsune and taking him over to the second sleeping bag. She made sure to make sure he was comfortable before going back to Kirara and doing the same thing. When she had made sure that everyone was ok and comfortable, she went over to the entryway and stood there leaning to the side. She crossed her arms and just looked at the surroundings. The abandoned hut was located near where they were going yet there was a forest they had to pass through first. She turned to the right and saw there were boulders placed in a specific way that made a small creek run by the hut. Bushed and vines grew around it but nothing to block the flow of the water. The ground had been worn down from travel enough that there was now a dirt path leading to the hut. That seemed to be it. She sighed and went back inside to sit next to Inu-Yasha. Yawning from extreme tiredness, she laid her head down on the puffed up edge of the sleeping bag to use as a pillow.

'A nice little nap won't hurt.'

 With that she drifted off in a content sleep.

~

"Kagome. Kagome."

She slowly woke up to a world surrounded by a thick gray fog. She slowly stood up from her lying spot on the ground, looking this way and that for her companions.

"Kagome."

Startled from the soft voice she searched around for the source.

"Kagome"

The voice seemed to be surrounding her from all sides, not letting her pinpoint where it was coming from. It wasn't entirely feminine yet wasn't masculine either. It was sort of a mixture of both. Frustrated and scared beyond belief she just decided to answer the voice after not being able to locate her friends or the source.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?"

She started to walk straight into the fog, knowing it wasn't the smartest decision but she was curious as to who owned the voice.

"Kagome. What is your greatest desire."

She stopped in her tracks and looked around confused.

'My greatest desire? I guess it would be for Inu-Yasha to love me back but he's in love with Kikyo.' She thought about it some more. 'And I guess to be stronger so that Inu-Yasha won't continue to get hurt because of me.'

She had wanted to say that but said something else entirely different.

"I do not have a greatest desire."

"You are lying."

 

Angry that the voice would defy her words she instantly got stubborn.

"I'm not lying."

The voice snickered and then laughed. The voice echoed around her head growing louder and louder by the second. She slumped down to the ground and closed her eyes, all the while covering her ears to try and get the sound out. When it finally quit it talked to her again.

"I will help you."

She opened her eyes in shock and uncovered her ears. Still on her knees on the ground she placed her hands in front of them and leaned forward a little.

"How?"

"I will help you"

With that finally statement she was transported out of the fog in a white light and into the pitch black darkness.

Pulsing gently next to her, the Taikou no Tama was slowly gaining power from her. It continued to pulse next to her side, while slowly sinking through the fabric of her uniform to her skin; to the exact place the original Shikon no Tama had been removed.

~TBC

A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry this is so late….and short….but I have something very important to say.  Ok I'm going to go hiatus on you guys for a little while. I'm now confused on my own story. I have to reread over it and make sure it's going the way I want it to. Then I have to figure out something for towards the end and the middle. Like I said I have some stuff done I just need to find a way to get to those points. So until I can get something I'm sorry but I have to do this. Also Lare I'm sorry about your second chappy dedication but that's what I get for trying to make each chapter as long as the last. All in all this story is not going to be updated anytime soon. On the bright side, I get to work some more on my other stories. I really need to finish two of them so this is sorta a good thing I guess. But that's what I wanted to say.

New words

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Kamakiri- praying mantis

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""-talking

''-thinking

~-scene change

Italics- dream

DISCLAIMER: I unfortunately have to say this. I don't own inu-yasha and co. but I do own my loveable unique characters that I have all for myself ^-^

Again….IF U THINK U HAVE A TALENT FOR DRAWING AND WANT TO TRY AND DRAW MY CHARACTERS, GO AHEAD AND SEND THEM TO MY MAILBOX IN THE AUTHORS PAGE. IF I LIKE THEM I WILL PUT SOME ON MEDIA MINER WITH MINE.

Don't forget to review. If u don't I'll be so sad T_T

I want to try for 5 new ones since last time I only got 5

Also tell everyone u know to read my story(s)! I want more reviews and reviewers!!!