Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha =(

"Lovely"

Chapter Three--Finding Nirvana

Kagome walked as if in a dream, waking in the early morning when the first bits of sunlight were peeking through the canopy of leaves and braches, she had quietly gathered herself up off the ground from her place beneath a tall tree, standing there for a moment to stare down at the slumbering hanyou. Her mind sympathized at the way he sat there, his back straight against the trunk of their shelter, knowing he would feel pain in the morning. But yet, she could not make her body move to tell him so, instead, without her consent, her form turned and walked into the still dim forest, following an unseen path.

At first she was frightened, her mind reeling in panic and pulling against the force that seemed to be calling her, but at last she gave up her resistance, knowing she could not help what was happening, knowing that it would only make her weak and her consciousness would slip away again. But there was something very strange about this force, something that she could not help but think was familiar.

Suddenly she remembered what it was, the same force that was drawing her deeper and deeper into thicker parts of the forest was the same force the Shikon no Tama had made when she had first seen it. Her mind sighed and smiled mentally as it remembered the sweet beckoning call it had made to her, it had been sweet, giving of the impression of a mother's lullaby to her young when singing them to bed, and she had to let herself be entranced by it. Even now, the scattered pieces always sung to her, their voices soft but always growing louder with each shard she found.

So she walked on, like she had a choice, willingly toward the sweet chant of the Shikon no Tama shard, buried somewhere deep in the brush of the forest, her legs moving faster as she gave into their pull and soon she was running, jumping, turning, twisting to avoid ramming herself into the wide trunks of trees or tripping over some unburied root. Eventually the forest thinned out again and her body stopped abruptly at the edge, the view before her taking her breath away as she stared in awe.

In front of her stood a clearing with the most lush, green grass she had ever seen. Little patches of flowers grew here and there and beyond is what caught her eyes the most. Water fell, from some unknown source leading back into the wood, in a series of small waterfalls, creating a light mist over the pond in the center of the clearing. The water was so clear, though it was so deep, she could see pebble covered bottom and the silver fish that swam within, jumping every so often to catch some small bug flying over the surface. She sat by the waters edge in the soft grass and leaned back on her elbows, all her problems disappearing from her mind as if they had never been there in the first place as she smiled down at her reflection, listening to the singing of birds and the splash of water.

"Priestess...," A soft voice called from behind her. Turning, she stood quickly, snapping out of the beautiful daze the clearing had put her into immediately at the notion of approaching danger. Though when she saw what it was that had set of alarms in her mind, her breath was taken away yet a second time at the beauty that stood before her in the form of a woman. She looked sort of like herself she thought, though even if you didn't look closely you would notice the obvious differences. For one, this woman was much more gorgeous then she was, her long black hair flowed like silk threads to her knees, covering a naked body, that looked like it had been chiseled from fine ivory, behind a luscious veil. Her eyes, crystal clear like the water that ran behind Kagome stared at her with such warmth, held much wisdom and a hidden sadness as she walked lightly towards her, her steps not even leaving prints in the grass beneath her feet.

"Priestess, you have nothing to fear from me, welcome to my sanctuary." Kagome, still a bit nervous, started to take a step backwards then stopped and walked towards the being instead as a feeling of reassuring safeness came over her. "W-who are you," She asked softly as she stopped once more in front of the beauty who smiled and replied," I am Relaina, soul of the Shikon no Tama."

A gasp came from Kagome's lips as she rose a hand to her mouth, raising a hand to point a finger accusingly at the woman who stood before her. "YOU are the Shikon no Tama?" Laughing, Relaina shook her head," No, love, I am the SOUL of the Skin no Tama." Smiling, Kagome's mouth opened in the shape of an "O" as she herself laughed.

'So she's the one who's been singing to me,' Kagome thought and Reliana smiled and took her hand in her own as if confirming her tough and they stood there in silence a few moments, just smiling as if exchanging something funny through telepathic means before Relaina's face lost its smile and took on a serious look. "Priestess-." "Kagome," Kagome corrected tilting her head with a kiddish grin on her lips. Relaina's smile returned for a split second before she continued,"Kagome, I have called you here to tell you something very, VERY important..."

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Ok, ok I know that chapter wasn't very long but I had a hard time trying to come up with it, blast the writers block }=(

Anyway, thaaank you both TigerJade and Blind Raven for your reviews, that was soo nice of you

AND EVERYONE ELSE---- Review! or ELSE! =D