When they reached her she was crouching down by the edge of the woods, peering through a gap in the leaves. They came up beside her and peeked through themselves. Inuyasha sat beside her. "Is this where they are?"
"Take a look through here," she indicated the gap she had made. "Tell me if that's him."
Inuyasha bent forward and looked through. His eyes widened and he turned back to Kira. "Yes, that's him. I don't know how but you found him from way back there but that is definitely him."
"My senses are stronger than yours Inuyasha. It's as simple as that." She started to go through to face Sesshoumaru but stopped right before.
"What's the matter?" asked Shippou.
"What if...What if he doesn't remember me?"
"Then we'll deal with it." Said Inuyasha. "But you should at least try." He pushed her gently forward. "Go ahead," he whispered.
Kira looked back, nodded, and emerged out of the trees and on the edge of a large clearing. It was dusty and brown, not a single green thing to be found. In the center was a pool of clear blue water but that was it. The clearing led up to a sheer cliff wall where Sesshoumaru stood unmoving at its base. Kira stood there, on the very edge, unable to move. She stared at Sesshoumaru. His perfect, long silver hair swayed a bit in the wind and she self-consciously touched her miss colored tangle. He had the mark of a crescent moon on his forehead and two red lines on either cheek and on his wrists as well. She saw the long, slender sword sheath in his belt and wondered where he had gotten it. Then a gust of wind sprang up and she saw his left sleeve fly straight back. She gasped. His arm is gone! She thought. What happened?!
"Who are you?" Sesshoumaru's cold voice pierced through her thoughts. He had caught her scent in the fresh breeze. Kira stared at him unable to speak. She slowly walked forward and he asked louder. "Who are you? What do you want?" A tear slid silently down her cheek. So he doesn't remember me... She was now within ten feet of him. "Do I know you?" Sesshoumaru questioned, peering hard at her face. She looked very familiar and so was her scent, but from where?
Kira opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again managing to say these words: "It's me Sesshoumaru. I've come back."
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened for a split second and then went back. He was not the type to show emotion for long. "What do you mean?"
Kira took another step closer, while Inuyasha and the others watched anxiously from the trees cover. Kira spoke again. "We used to have so much fun together. Never worrying about anything. Then one day I disappeared and never came back. You and Inuyasha went your separate ways and started fighting because I was no longer there to hold you back. Is, is that why your... your arm is gone? I'm so sorry..." Kira was crying quietly to herself now while Sesshoumaru's mind quickly registered what she had just said. Could it be her? But how? She was gone for sure! Nowhere to be found. I looked for so long... and now she just expects to be welcomed back? It must be a trick of someone's. Maybe Inuyasha? No, he's not smart enough. Naraku? But how would he know of her? I kept her safe and secret from other's knowledge. "Why should I believe you?" he asked coolly.
Kira looked up. "Because I'm telling the truth! Do I not remind you of her? Does my story not match up? Who else knew of me besides you, Inuyasha, my mother and our father?"
"Come here." Kira walked the short distance that still separated them. They were now no more than one foot apart. Sesshoumaru studied her face. How could it be her? Only one of her eyes was the dark blue it always changed to when she was sad, the other was an ice blue, sharp and cold. She had the ears and the tail though, but her hair had dark brown patches all along it. But the thing Sesshoumaru noticed the most was that the moon on her forehead was missing. There should be one there, identical to his, centered on her forehead. "You're not her." He turned to walk away but something made him stop. He turned back around to face the tear streaked face staring at him.
"You don't believe me? How could you not? I'm not lying, I'm not..."
Sesshoumaru walked back to her and lifted her face to stare at his. "You're not her. Your hair is messed up and your markings are gone."
"But it's not my fault!" she pleaded. "Please don't leave me alone again..." Sesshoumaru stared at her one final time and then turned to leave. "You're lucky I'm not going to kill you for trying to fool me like this."
"Wait!" Kira tried to hurry after him but tripped on a loose rock. Sesshoumaru turned in time to catch her before she feel. He felt her hug her arms around his waist and remembered this familiar touch. He reached his arm around her to embrace her back, caught himself, and shoved her away. She stumbled back and into the cliff wall, where she sank down and started crying.
"Why that-!" Inuyasha started to charge Sesshoumaru but Kagome pulled him back down.
"Wait! Let's let Kira try to handle this on her own. If you get involved it will only get worse." Inuyasha gritted his teeth but agreed and stayed put.
Sesshoumaru stared at the girl in front of him. "I said you're not her. You don't have the markings! We were the only ones and you don't have them!" he turned to leave but stopped yet again, hearing the words within her sobs. "It's all your fault."
He turned back again. "And how is it my fault you've lost your markings?"
"Because you don't believe me. Inuyasha did. He came to the human world where I was and brought me back. He believed I was her and he helped me change back. I was a full human, right now I'm half. I got my tail, ears, and claws just from him. But I only got back my memories of him. I have almost no recollection of any times I shared with just you! Do you want me to only remember him now? Never you anymore? I though you both wanted to help me. You both wanted to keep me safe, be my one hero. Were those times lost in the past? Did they disappear forever with me? I can't believe you, I thought you were cool, would always take my side. I guess I was wrong to look up to you all the time. Inuyasha can be my full role model now. He accepts who I am..."
Sesshoumaru knelt down in front of her, grabbed Kira's face and made her look up at him. "Inuyasha is a fool. I cared very much for my little sister. If you ever say I didn't again I will kill you." As he was walking away he muttered to her, "If you stay there rocks will fall from the top and crush you. You won't survive."
"I don't care." Was the answer, "I don't care about anything anymore. My own brother won't listen to me so why should I care about anything anymore?"
So Kira sat there, unwilling to ever move again as Sesshoumaru walked slowly away from her. She pulled her knees up to her chest and put her face on them, while her messed up hair fell about her curled up body. She made no noise and no movements. She just sat there, silently, at the base of the massive cliff. A few pebbles fell from above and hit the ground around her but still she never moved. Sesshoumaru stopped for a second, almost looked back, and then continued. Several bigger rocks fell around Kira and still she sat, an emotional wreck. There was a great rumble from above and a massive boulder fell down heading straight towards her.
Inuyasha leapt from the trees and sprinted towards her. "Kira!" he shouted, but he was too far away. There was a huge smash and the boulder connected with the ground. Inuyasha stood stunned, mouth hanging open at the giant rock sitting where his sister had been moments before. He sat down and stayed there, his whole body limp and numb. The others gathered quietly around him, mournful looks on their faces, but none were as horrible as Inuyasha's. He had finally found her only to loose her after just one day.