Chapter 1

Kagome had been coming to feudal era of Japan for about two and half years now. She sighed as she looked at the Sacred Shikon Jewel sitting in the palm of her hand. By now, only about three shards were still missing. She had been thinking about the day Mistress Centipede had pulled her into the well; the day that had changed her life forever. Her thoughts brought her to think about all of the other memorable experiences she had gained throughout the quest. The many battles with Tsubaki, the dark priestess, and the time they had to go against Miroku and then Sango. The time Shippo had tried to steal the jewel shards and the many, many times, they had faced Sesshomaru. The battle against the frog demon that took over a prince's body and against all the demons the "wandering artist" had painted. The fight against Kikyo when she was reborn. And at thevery beginning with the battle against Inuyasha. It all seemed like such a long time ago.She was brought out of her trance when she sensed it, the presence of a jewel shard.
"Inuyasha! I sense a jewel shard! And it's moving fast!" Inuyasha ran out of Kaede's hut and crouched down while Kagome grabbed her bow and arrows. She climbed onto his back.
"Where?" he asked.
"I sensed it moving in that direction!" Kagome pointed to their left. Inuyasha immediately started to jump toward where she pointed. Again Kagome got the illusion that they were flying. She always got this feeling as they soared through the wind above the treetops. Suddenly she saw it. The jewel shard and it wasn't too far away. It was a huge shard and it might finish the jewel. "Inuyasha, it's down there!" Kagome pointed to a small clearing in the dense forest. They descended down into the clearing and at first they couldn't see because of the lack of daylight.

Inuyasha dropped Kagome to the ground gently. He didn't bother telling her to go hide because he already knew she wouldn't listen. She never did. Kagome got her bow ready and Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga out of its sheath. They both looked around for anything that could possibly use the jewel. Suddenly out of the shadows appeared a white-blue glowing girl. She picked up her head and opened her eyes. They also glowed but it was a red, sinister glow. She had a fan in her hand and wore clothes like that of a priestess. Her face reminded her of someone they had fought before, but who? "Kagome, it's a demon!"
'Well duh! I don't know a single human who could glow like that!' Kagome thought. 'He doesn't think I know anything does he?!'
"I won't even bother asking if you have a jewel shard." Inuyasha sneered and lunged at her, but she held out her fan and it started to glow as it retook shape, it was now a staff with a hook at the end. She moved it in the way and deflected his attack with almost no effort. Tetsusaiga began to smoke and it transformed back to its original state. She started to charge for Inuyasha as a slight mist was beginning to fall. Kagome got her bow in position.
"Please don't miss," she said under her breath and let go of the arrow just as it began to glow with a pink haze. It brushed right past the girl's face. She turned towards Kagome and lunged at her.
"Why did you kill them?!" Inuyasha pushed Kagome back and jumped in the way just in time to get a shock from the demon's staff as it went through him. Kagome looked on in horror at what he had just done.
"Stop!" Kagome started to run towards them, tears starting to run down her cheeks.
"Please, stop!" Inuyasha looked and saw her coming.
"Kagome... run…" he said through gasps of breath. The demon pulled her staff out of his chest and a spot of blood appeared on his fire-rat fur. He winced in pain and fell to the ground.
"I won't leave you!" Kagome came up behind him and got her bow ready to fire. Again the demon asked her question. "Why did you kill them?"
"What are you talking about?" Kagome asked desperately.
"My brothers. Why? Why did you do it?" She might have imagined it but she thought she saw a tear stream down the demon girl's face.

Kagome gasped. 'The Thunder Brothers!' "Listen to me! They tried to kill us and…." Kagome tried to explain it to her, but she wouldn't listen.
"No! I will get my revenge!" 'Even if they were defending themselves, they didn't have to kill my brothers.' At the end of her staff, a lightning bolt began to grow. The lighting flashed around them and it began pouring rain. The lightning grew to about double the size of her.
"She must have found Hiten's staff!" Kagome shouted. Inuyasha said annoyed by Kagome's obviousness,
"No, ya think?" The demon released the lightning bolt and let it fly toward its targets. Inuyasha, still wounded and on the ground, pushed Kagome out of the way again, only a few seconds before the lightning bolt engulfed him. z
"Inuyasha!" Kagome ran towards the gigantic ball of light. She stood right before it and watched, looking for any sign of Inuyasha. Then the smoke and debree started to clear the sky and she though she could see him.
"Inuyasha!" She started to run towards him frightened of what she might see. The smoke cleared so it couldn't be an illusion, but there he was sitting on the ground untouched.
"How…how are you still alive?" Kagome cautiously walked over to him.
"Tetsusaiga's sheath...remember last time?" Inuyasha said as though pointing out the obvious.
"Well sorry if I was just a little worried about you!" Kagome said starting to cry.
"Stop crying! I'm ok! Now just help me finish off this demon!"
"Are you still alive?" They both looked up to see the demon looking quite annoyed. Inuyasha got Tetsusaiga in position as it regained its power. Kagome got her bow ready for backup, as always, if Inuyasha got in trouble. The girl placed her staff horizontally in front of her and closed her eyes. She stayed there for several minutes while Inuyasha and Kagome stood staring at her, waiting for her to make a move. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and pushed her staff forward. Lightning came down from the clouds with great force now and gathered in her staff. She tilted it now vertically and raised it up. All the lighting shot up into a huge golden disc above her. Tiny sparks shot out at random of the disc showing its great power.
"Now you die!" The demon pointed the staff towards them and the disc flew down towards them with great speed. Kagome let her arrow go. It skidded almost against Inuyasha's ear as it collided with the disk. There was a huge explosion of lightning. Inuyasha jumped back picking up Kagome and jumped to safety followed closely by the lighting ball. When it all stopped, Inuyasha put Kagome down and looked back. Everything had either gone up in flames or had been knocked over by the attack.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Inuyasha screamed at Kagome. That could've been me just now if you were a little off!" "I knew what I was doing! I wouldn't have hit you even if I wanted to!" Kagome screamed.
"Whatever! You're really startin to tick me off! Lets just go finish off that demon!" Kagome stopped for a second thinking that something was sort of odd. Inuyasha hadn't kept up the fight. Maybe he was just getting tired of always fighting. Shaking her head, and telling herself it was impossible, she started to run to catch up to him. They came upon the corpse of the demon.
"Looks like she didn't make it away from the explosion." Inuyasha said as the corpse started to turn to dust before their eyes and blow away.
'It's so sad...they all died...because of us.' Kagome thought as she bent down to grab the two jewel shards that remained behind. As she picked it up, the rain ceased and the sky cleared to reveal a blazing sun. They were looking up at the sky when Inuyasha suddenlyclutched the wound in his chest when he fell to the ground. He heard Kagome quietly saying his name and then everything went black.
"Inuyasha! INUYASHA!" Kagome's voice could be heard all the way back to the rice fields where Sango was training. She caught her hiraikotsu and listened. It must be Kagome. Something horrible must have happened to Inuyasha. Carrying her hiraikotsu just above her head, she ran towards the forest.
"Inuyasha, please wake up! Please! Inuyasha!" Tears began pouring down her face as she shook his limp body.
"Inuyasha…you can't…die…please…" She gave up and started to cry even harder. She hugged her knees to her chest as she cried to herself. Oh, God, please let him live please, let him live. She silently prayed in her head.
"Kagome! What's wrong with Inuyasha?"
"Sango! I don't know, he blacked out and hasn't moved since…" Sango saw Kagome's tear-stained face and tried to remain calm…for her sake.
"Do you think we could carry him back to the village on this?" Sango held up her hiraikotsu.
"Sure…" Kagome sounded reluctant, but right now anything would be better than laying in the woods. Using the boomerang as a stretcher, the two girls started to haul Inuyasha back to the village, one of his legs dangling over the side. Kagome looked down at the man whom she had loved since the day that she saw him with a sad expression on her face. Will he live through this? Inuyasha has suffered wounds greater than this but he's never been unconscious for so long…what if he doesn't wake up? A stray tear trickled down her cheek. Sango was watching Kagome the whole time, and when she noticed the tear she tried to cheer her up, although what she said was different from what she thought. "Kagome, I'm sure he'll be fine, he just needs some rest and some treatment." Kagome nodded but she wasn't so sure. They were both silent for the rest of the walk back.Shippo saw the girls coming and ran over to Kagome.
"Hi Kagome! Hi Sango!" Then he noticed Kagome's face and saw Inuyasha.
"What's wrong with Inuyasha?"
"He got hurt in a battle with a demon." Kagome explained. "Shippo, will you go get Kaede for me? Tell her Inuyasha's hurt and to please have a bed ready. Ok?"
"Alright!" Shippo scampered off towards the village. He saw Kaede's horse by her hut and ran inside. "Granny Kaede! Inuyasha's hurt and he needs help! Kagome asked to have a bed ready and it looks like he'll need lots of herbs too!" Shippo spilled out everything he possibly could think of to tell.
"Shippo, could ye go gather some fresh water in this bucket for me?" Kaede handed a bucket towards Shippo. He took it and nodded. "Please hurry." In a flash he was scampering out the door.

Kagome and Sango entered the village with Inuyasha spread out on Sango's weapon. Kagome tried to imagine what Inuyasha would do right now if he woke up.
'He would probably yell at me for thinking he was so weak and protest against us carrying him back' She silently laughed to herself as she pictured his face. They came to the hut where the bed was waiting and bandages out on the floor, ready to treat the dog-demon. The girls laid the boomerang on the floor and lifted his limp body onto the futon. Kagome kneeled next to Inuyasha's head, and started to play with his hair. 'Inuyasha, what is keeping you from waking up? Why won't you come back to me?' she thought as she lay down to cuddle up next to his warm body.