Hi! Hm… how long has it been since I updated this one? A few months… Sorry for the long wait! Hope this is worth it!

.:Tears:.

He was standing – or rather, floating – in a void of complete and utter darkness. There was nothing before him, and nothing behind him. There was no wind and not one wandering breeze. Everything was still as was possible to be.

Even his over sensitive ears could not pick up the slightest of sounds ruffling the frozen air.

And he found out soon enough that he couldn't move either. Panic rose in his chest rapidly, inwardly straining to shift his body even if slightly. But on the outside, he was as still as a statue.

He narrowed his eyes abruptly as a sudden outburst of noise disrupted his thoughts.

But in contrast to what he had expected, nothing and no one appeared into view. But the air… was shifting slightly.

Inuyasha gasped inwardly as he groped around helplessly – it was like he was stuck inside a statue of himself, as he could move, but his body would not.

Something had attacked him. He could feel the pain.

It felt as if a thousand needles had pierced into his body, making their way through his blood, and ultimately seeking his heart.

The pain was numbing, but the incredulity of it was worse still.

Unable to bear any more, staring down at where he felt tiny swords strike his skin, and seeing nothing there, Inuyasha screamed.

The moment his agonized cry cut through the air, he shut his mouth immediately.

He realized suddenly that he could speak. Which meant he could move.

Inuyasha stared down in confusion at his hands, realizing with relief that the pain was gone.

Suddenly, he felt something warm tingle his cold face. Inuyasha reached up and touched where he felt teardrops landing on his face.

It was strange – they smelled like…

Inuyasha frowned. He didn't remember her name.

He didn't budge the slightest as a warm tear rolled down his face to caress his lips.

Who was she? Inuyasha growled in frustration as he struggled to recall the girl's name.

"Ki…?" No, that wasn't it.

Just as he felt the familiar taste of her lips grace his mouth, he smiled inwardly and outwardly.

He could remember who she was.

The girl who entered his dreams of her own accord.

Kagome crouched in a corner of the dark room, sobbing uncontrollably as she attacked Inuyasha's cold lips with her own. She wouldn't give up. Perhaps all he needed was a little bit of air.

She was hopeful, even though she knew it was hopeless.

Ignoring the tears that streamed from her sapphire eyes to land gracefully on Inuyasha's face, sometimes mixing in with their kiss, the only thing Kagome could think of was to breath more air into Inuyasha's unconscious body.

When she felt a slight twitch in Inuyasha's form, Kagome feared that perhaps all her work was strangling the unconscious boy in some way.

She started to draw back, only to be pushed back in by two strong arms.

Tears of relief flowed out of Kagome's eyes freely as she sobbed into the deepening kiss.

When they were finally forced to separate for air, an uncomfortable silence dawned upon the two, as Kagome wiped away her tears, and Inuyasha supported himself into a sitting position.

He was the first to speak.

"You pulled me right out of my dream," were his first words. His voice was rusty from disuse.

Kagome wiped the last of her tears from her face with the sleeve of her blouse.

"And I suppose you were having quite a pleasant one?" she retorted irritably, suddenly annoyed at him because of all the fear and pain she'd been put through while he was dreaming happily.

"No," Inuyasha replied seriously, looking at her in the eyes. "Invisible swords were plunging into my body and slowly killing me."

Kagome abruptly turned her head to him. "The poison!" she nearly screamed.

"No," Inuyasha suddenly muttered. "Never mind. You can't be." He looked down suddenly, avoiding Kagome's gaze.

The girl stared at him. "What do you mean by that?" she demanded. Before he could answer, she jumped up, in frenzy. "Never mind that! We need to get rid of the poison first!" she said in a panic.

The only thoughts that roamed Kagome's mind at the moment was that Inuyasha was awake, and she wanted things kept that way.

She shuddered slightly as she felt two arms envelope her shivering form, offering her something to lean on.

Kagome cried into Inuyasha's still form, hugging his neck tightly, burying her face into his shoulder. She hung on for dear life, afraid of losing him.

"My demon blood won't return until sunset, when I transform into a hanyou again," Inuyasha started, as Kagome immediately clapped a hand over his mouth, surprising him.

"Don't say any more," she whispered, her voice weak and exhausted, tears framing her face and soaking her ebony locks.

Inuyasha watched in silence as Kagome offered him a small smile, before closing her sad sapphire eyes. It took him a while to realize that Kagome had fallen asleep in his arms.

He thought about how much he wished he could preserve the moment forever as he gently stroked the soft hair of the girl leaning into him.

Then he realized how fulfilled and calm he felt, knowing he could offer Kagome a haven for her sadness – that he could protect her in some way.

She felt as if she was in total bliss when she felt warmth and feeling returning to her body. She could once again sense the strong, muscled arms encircling her, and the warm breath tickling her neck.

She was awake.

Kagome smiled with closed eyes, wanting to enjoy the moment a little bit longer. Falling asleep in the embrace of her love was the most romantic situation she could imagine. Especially being alone in this small room, with no one else to bother them.

Kagome's eyes snapped open with dread. She had nearly forgotten. She and Inuyasha were in a sickly little dungeon of Naraku's.

Kagome felt as if her heart was beating out of her heart. Perhaps Inuyasha had… died during her sleep?

It was the most probable thing to have occurred.

Tears spilling anew to wash away the stains of the old ones, Kagome forced herself to turn around and look at Inuyasha.

His eyes were closed, and his skin was paler than before.

Kagome nearly choked on her own tears before emitting a gasp of surprise.

Silvery-white hair draped across Inuyasha's shoulders.

He was a hanyou again. Did this mean…

Kagome pinched his face to test her theory.

His eyes snapped open.

"Eh! What are you doing, wench?" he growled at her, his voice muffled by the grasp of her nails on his face.

Kagome uttered a shrill cry of relief before throwing herself into the hanyou's arms. "You're alive!"

"Yeah," Inuyasha grinned as he looked down at his lengthened claws. "I'm a hanyou now. My demon blood will take care of the poison."

Kagome laughed suddenly, a sound pleasant to Inuyasha's ears, and something he hadn't heard in a long time.

"Everything will be okay now," he whispered, happy to be able to offer her assurance.

"Yeah," Kagome said softly. And after a moment of hesitation, "But there's just something I don't understand." Her voice sounded slightly nervous.

"Yeah?"

"What kept the saimyoushou's poison at bay before you became a hanyou again?"

There was a brief silence before Inuyasha replied, making Kagome think that he'd purposely been avoiding getting to that question.

But he did answer, soon enough.

"You."

Kagome pulled herself away from the hanyou, to look into his troubled golden eyes.

"Me? But how-"

Inuyasha smiled a little before looking away. "You're a miko. Just like her."

Kagome only heard the first part. "A miko? What's that?"

"A priestess with magical abilities. Your job is to purify evil demons. That's why you were able to keep the poison at bay. Although miko powers aren't strong enough to melt the poison, your purification powers still had an effect on the saimyoushou's poison, by keeping it from moving for a limited amount of time. But it was enough for me. So as long as I was in contact with you in some way, the poison would be rendered immobile."

Kagome bit her lip. She was certainly very happy and relieved that she had helped Inuyasha, but there was also a part of her that held resentment. She couldn't help but wonder if Inuyasha had embraced, offered that protection she'd felt with his arms around her, just to shield himself from the effects of the poison.

The hanyou's sensitive ears suddenly perked up as he turned his head abruptly towards the source of the noise.

A click followed the sound of a key being turned as the door of the small dungeon opened.

But it definitely wasn't whom they had expected.

A small bundle landed harshly on the ground a few feet away, but Kagome was too caught up in her own nightmare to notice that it was moving.

Unable to hold it back, she screamed and fell to the ground.

She had been staring into a strange, embroidered mirror, when her reflection suddenly changed into something else.

She had been viewing Inuyasha's bloody and painful death right before her eyes.

What, or who is the bundle? Who just entered the room? What will happen to Kagome (of course, if you've read most of the Inuyasha series, you'll know who just entered the room and what will happen to Kagome. But not if I add a little twist!)?

Wow, I sound like a TV commercial.

First of all, I apologize if my writing is crappy today. I'm really tired, but I decided to update this story as I haven't in a long time. Hopefully it wasn't too bad.

Anyway, I realize I didn't write anything about Miroku and Sango in this chappie, but that's only because they just don't seem to fit in anywhere in this chapter. In the next chapter they will appear, though.

Anyway, hope you like it so far! Leave me a comment please! Suggestions are greatly appreciated (and needed).