Thanks guys for waiting a really long long time. Now that summer is here, I'm hoping to finish this story and start at least two more. Thanks also for the people who were really patient, and to Amaya Hanyou for correcting my spelling, you were right.

I do not own Inuyasha for the last time, don't sue me.

The wind changed for the last time. The mikos let their bowstrings ring as their recently sent arrows were aiming for each other. The silence was then interrupted by the splitting of skin, blood spraying, and the sheer pain that rippled through her body...

Chapter 4 Savior

Her arm hurt. She looked at the arrow protruding from the wound in her shoulder. Kikyo had actually hit her! Kagome had no time to react when Kiyo fired her shot, but luckily her arrow had hit her first.

Something wasn't right. She had hit Kikyo, yet wasn't she the better archer? She didn't care; all she knew was that Kikyo was on the ground in front of her, probably dead or unconscious. Kagome knew that her souls couldn't pass through her time, and thus the miko was weak and unable to be brought to life with out them.

She tried to get up, but was unsuccessful. Kagome couldn't believe the amount of pain she was in. After the last attempt at even getting to her knees she know something was amiss. The arrow had to be poisoned. She did pass out after the initial shot, but soon regained consciousness, or at least she thought. She could have been out longer than expected, but who knew. Now here she was, all alone dying from loss of blood and poison.

All she wanted to do right now was to be in Inuyasha's arms. She didn't care if they had a fight, they always did. She just wanted to say she was sorry, based on how much time she had left. If he didn't get here soon, she might die and never see him again.

At that thought a sudden wave of sadness passed through her, constricting her throat. Kagome couldn't imagine a world with out him. He was her protector, and if she believed it or not, he was the one that she loved. The pain of losing him would never go away.

Kagome started to feel like falling under again. She could barley keep her eyes open. If she could just hold out a little longer, maybe Inuyasha would come. If she prayed, maybe he will be her protector again, and everything would be ok.

Please Inuyasha, come for me!

With out realizing it, Kagome's eyes shut.

Racing out of the well, Inuyasha could already smell the blood. It clung to him like miasma, suffocating him because he knew who the owner of that blood was...Kagome. He couldn't think. When he got out of that well, Inuyasha saw that she was laying against it unconscious in her own pool of blood. Sticking from her left shoulder was an arrow that belonged to the woman 100 ft away. But that was not just any other woman, that was Kikyo! Didn't he just see her on the other side five minutes ago?

With all the confusion racing through his head and the sight of the two women that he loved covered in blood, his head reeled. With out thinking, he grabbed both Kagome and the imposter of Kikyo and went towards Kagome's house looking for someone to help him. He knew that Souta had a way to call the far superior doctors here using a 'telephone'. All he needed to do was to find that little brat!

Before he reached the house, Kagome moaned while Kikyo remained silent. He knew Kagome was poisoned from the arrow, yet he couldn't figure out why. And why wasn't she dead? Kikyo had a far more accurate shot that Kagome, even if it was someone that was just an imposter. But he couldn't think of this now, Kagome needed his help.

When she didn't make a sound and her breathing became shallow, he knew he had to move fast. Inuyasha wasn't going to allow her to die with him here. He wouldn't know what to do with out her. With this new determination, he flew passed Kagome's house at lightning speed in search of a hospital. He couldn't wait for someone to arrive with her in this condition. Besides, he was much faster than anyone in this time. Inuyasha didn't care if people were staring at him; he was going to save his Kagome!

Dream sequence

She was running. The pain in her shoulder was now unbearable. She didn't know what was wrong or whom she was running from, but she knew she had to get away. In the back of her head she heard the familiar words.

Run away. He will hurt you if you stay.

But it wasn't Inuyasha she was running from this time. It was much more evil.

She couldn't see. The blackness consumed her already impaired senses, and left her in a state of frenzy. Kagome heard laughter around her, but she couldn't tell from which direction it was coming from. It sounded familiar, yet she couldn't place it. All she knew was that it brought the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and made her terrified.

Suddenly, an awkward feeling passed through her. It was like she was being ripped apart in two, literally. She could sense her mind was being separated from her body. Her body was aching with the stress of it all.

She screamed with tear-filled eyes. The pain was too much. Her legs were somehow being ripped into two. Her arms were searing with more pain. Her agony felt like it lasted forever until she was on the floor in the darkness cuddled into a small ball. But the pain wouldn't go away. She tried to scream again, but she was lost for words. It was the weirdest pain she had ever experienced, and she had gone through some serious injuries before.

As suddenly as it started, the pain stopped. For some reason, she couldn't move, she was immobile. Kagome could only tilt her head from her lying position. But what she saw was shocking. Standing before her was a duplicate of her. It was like looking at yourself in a mirror, only in a different position from what you are actually looking at. The only difference between her and this other Kagome was that she had a tattoo on her shoulder, almost exactly the place she was shot from the arrow. It was a design of heart being twirled with a dark wind, almost on the verge of consuming the lovely spirit.

When Kagome got her voice back, she screamed.

End of dream sequence

Inuyasha held her in her hospital bed looking over her while her nightmare passed. He was helpless. This time he couldn't chase the monsters that she was fighting.

Kagome was trying to get free of his hold, almost like he was hurting her. However, he wouldn't let go. Inuyasha swore to himself that what ever happened, Kagome was going to remain safe in his arms. It didn't matter that the doctors tried to take her away from him; he always kept her hand in his.

When she started to scream, he winced. It became suddenly apparent to him that she was in serious pain. But it wasn't from her shoulder wound; it was as though she was facing much more.

Then Kagome fluttered her eyes and stared straight at him while he took a deep breath. It was so unexpected that she opened her eyes and actually saw him. He wanted to jump up with joy. For Kagome's sake, though, he kept her gaze, making her know that he was with her.

"My savior," was all Kagome said before she slipped back to a deep sleep.