Inuyasha was dreaming. He saw his mother smiling sadly, he saw all of the Mediae, alive, and healthy. And he saw Nikita, young, and full of happiness.

He saw love.

"Kikyo... For fifty years, your soul has wandered, unable to break those threads that still hold you to life. Is it because... I never trusted you? I loved Kikyo, truly, I did. But, I never trusted her. She told me once that I had insolent eyes. Niki said that too. She said that I may never truly love someone. That I might live my life in solitude, never trusting, never caring. Never being human. When I meant Kikyo, that all changed. For the first time, someone -a human- looked at me, and wasn't frieghtened. Kikyo never shirked away when I would hold her. I think that Kikyo loved me. When I was going to become human, I was just beginning to trust her, but I had loved her from the start. Trust, is fragile in its youth. Unless it is built and tested, it will never become full."

Mother...

Nikita...

Kagome...

Three people who trusted me completely. In a hundred and fifty years, I have trusted all of three people. Is that normal? Is that fair?

Mother, the woman I grew up with, the distantly sweet nursemaid of my youth. The one that taught me that it was okay to love.

Nikita, she was the first one to accept my blood lust. The first one to coax my anger into one area of my heart. She taught me so much about life. The daughter of a race that cannot love taught Me, a half-breed, how to love.

Kagome... Not just a shard detector, or a replacement of Kikyo. To me, she is only Kagome. My... friend. Kagome was the first one to teach me trust.

And I won't let her die. I have lost two of the three people that trusted me. I will not lose another.

"Inuyasha I'm back!" called Kagome's mother from the hall.

"Kagome's going to be fine, except the doctor's found that her heart's a little weak, but they can't explain why." Mrs. Higarashi walked in, and immediately began petting Inuyasha's furry ears

"KAWAII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she cooed.

"GET off woman" Inuyasha growled. "Wait, did you say her hearts weak?"

"uhuh... something about her brain doesn't want a lot of blood to flow there or something.. I wasn't really paying attention."

"WHAT? YOU'RE DAUGHTER"S LIFE IS HANGIN IN THE BALANCE AND YOU WEREN"T PAYING ATTENTION????"

"Kawaiii..." she wispered again.

"Inuyasha..." Came the faint, hoarse whisper of Kagome. Inuyasha turned quickly and stood.

"Kagome... Can you hear me?"

"I...nu.." her breathing, which had gone up in the past few seconds, returned to normal.

'Her heart's weak...' Inuyasha sighed deeply, then wrapped Kagome up in a few blankets, and took her in his arms. He turned, and Kagome's Mother stared at him, and for once, she didn't look crazily at his ears.

"You'll make her better somehow, Won't you?"

"I can try. I have to try"

"I trust you. I trust you because I know you Lo-"

But Inuyasha was already half way out the door. He jumped down the well, and when he reachec the other side, he shifted Kagome gently, and ran off to Kaede's hut.

There, Miroku and Sango were waiting. Since Inuyasha and Kagome had not been at the Gates at the oppointed time, and Nikita was no where to be seen, they had made the only logical choice: They paniced, and went back to Kaede's village. At the moment, Sango was pacing back and forth, and shippo was clutching Kirara like there was no tommorow. Miroku, however, was calmly sitting on a rock, eyes closed in thought, his hands in prayer.

"INUYASHA!"Shippo called, and let go of Kirara, who wobbled off due to lack of oxygen.

"What happened? Why weren't you there to meet-" Shippo finally noticed the bundle of blankets "KAGOME! What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do nothin' squirt! She's... sick. But, I know a way to help her.But, I have to go gather some supplies first. So, Sango, Miroku, could you watch her until... until I get back?"

"Of course INuyasha."

"Keep her warm for me. She needs to stay warm. Sango, watch out for Kagome for me, okay?"

"Hmm" Sango nodded, and Watched closely, her boomerang in hand, as Miroku picked up Kagome and the mess of blankets, and proceded into the hut.

~Gods, keep her warm~

With that thought, Inuyasha ran off in search of the only person he knew who knew just as much lore about plants as Nikita had.

He was going to find his brother...

duh duh DUUUUUUUUUUUU(Dramatical Reflex)UUUH!