She awoke to the familiar sound of his voice. He was holding her in his arms; gently caressing her arms in an attempt to help heat them. Kagome was deathly pale and was shivering with fever. Kagome slowly opened her eyes to the sight of Inuyasha staring into the fire, with a single tear streaming down his face.

Silently in his head Inuyasha was cursing himself forever letting Kagome out of his sight. How could he have been so careless! If it hadn't been for Kouga none of this would have happened. He stared into the fire worrying about what had happened to Kagome when he suddenly felt her muscles tense and relax, signaling that she had finally awoken.

Kagome let a faint smile escape her lips as she saw Inuyasha's concerned face turn down to gaze upon her. She parted her lips as if to say something but was silenced by Inuyasha's soft lips pressing gently against her own. At first she thought wow , then that gave way to so much more. A whole year's worth of pent up emotion came out in that one kiss. All though it seemed to only last a moment, to them that kiss lasted a lifetime.

When they finally parted, they stared into each other's eyes. Kagome's shimmering brown pools versus Inuyasha's golden orbs. Kagome was the first to break the silence by announcing her reason for distress. " Inuyasha! You must listen to me! We are all in great danger! I sensed it while in the higher mountain. There is a great deal of miko, as well as youkai energy coming from the far East. It is moving at an incredible pace and rivals even my powers at their strongest. I fear that this enemy's power may not be defeated so easily as those we have fought in the past. If I can sense there power from this great a distance away; further than even your senses reach, then his aura must be at least seven times than that of Naraku's."

Inuyasha looked out past her into the distance for a while before turning back towards her. "Do you have any idea what he's after? Why does this concern us? Why is he seeking us out?" Kagome stared down at the ground for a brief moment before pulling back out of her daze. She was afraid. Everywhere that she went danger seemed to follow. After putting Inuyasha through so much, would he still wish to travel with her especially with their newest threat.

When Kagome turned her eyes to look at Inuyasha he noted that they were slightly downcast and, fearful. "What is it Kagome?"

"He seeks a … a miko." Kagome turned her head in any direction; she couldn't stand to look at Inuyasha's face. "Are you sure of this," Inuyasha's voice echoed. "Yes. I've been having … visions for quite some time now. He is a very old priest with tremendous power. At first I thought only of the visions as a reoccurring nightmare, but then they started to appear again during our travels. Then when I was traveling with Ginta, I fell unconscious." Suddenly, Kagome's head snapped up. "Inuyasha he's here!"

I sense him everywhere! Come on Kagome pull your-self together! Now is not the time to fall apart! You've got to stay alert in order to get yourself and Inuyasha out of here. Just then Kouga ran to the scene. "Kagome, you're alright! You should have never left the cave." " Kouga I don't have time for this! Get it through your head, I am not your woman. I never was and never will be! I love Inuy…" Kagome trailed off as she saw Inuyasha turn to face her. He had a small grin playing across his face. Kagome blushed and turned back towards Kouga. "I love Inuyasha! Get that through that thick head of yours. Now if you'll excuse us we have to get going!"

Inuyasha gave her a proud smile as she climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. As Inuyasha and Kagome leapt from tree to tree, Kagome began to have another one of her visions. This one was different though. It was much more vivid than the others were. She was dressed in a white silken kimono with rose designs encompassing the arms; her hair was pinned up against her head by an elaborate clip, leaving only wisps of hair to frame her pale delicate skin. She then looked around to observe that she was no longer with Inuyasha in the forest, but instead she found herself alone in an ancient looking palace. As she drifted through the hallways, which seemed to be covered in a blanket of mist that instantly drifted apart as if to let Kagome pass. She stepped out into what appeared to be a shrine encircled by tremendous and beautiful gardens. Among these Kagome noticed what oddly enough, resembled the god tree. Next to the tree she saw someone, a stranger. He appeared to be old, older than perhaps even Totosai. Then as suddenly as it had begun, the vision ended.

"Kagome, Kagome are you all right? Kagome if you can hear me wake up!" Kagome opened her eyes to see Inuyasha peering at her with a worried look on his face. "Kagome are you all right? We were running through the woods when all the sudden you let go of me and fell unconscious. Kagome we have to get to Kaede's village. The others are awaiting us there. If we can just make it there we will be safe. Kagome I know you're tired but we must make it to the village." Inuyasha had a look of pain, worry, and anger mixed on his face. He squeezed her hand for reassurance and was gratified by the pressure applied in his own hand.

He could sense it too. He had to get Kagome to Kaede's village. If this necromancer was as powerful as Kagome said, he had to make sure Kagome was as far away from him as possible. He hadn't faced any necromancers in his entire life, but he had heard the horror stories that surrounded them. The way they tortured their victims, using their miko powers against them. Miko powers were a nasty thing to mess with, even one as unschooled as Kagome had enough energy to destroy someone ten times the might of Sesshomaru. With that thought he let a low growl escape him as he remembered the last encounter he had with his brother. Grrr! "Inuyasha? Is something the matter? Why are you growling, is he close by?" Kagome raised her head from Inuyasha's chest and began to look around timidly. "No Kagome, we are near the village, there you'll be safe."

When they arrived in the village Kagome was silently sleeping in Inuyasha's arms as he gently placed her on the futon in Kaede's hut. He had already discussed the situation with the others and had warned them to all stay alert. As he watched Kagome peacefully sleeping, he noticed a slight shiver travel down her spine. Quietly he removed his haori and placed it over her. He smiled as he too laid down on the futon, wrapped Kagome in his arms and fell into a deep sleep.

That night, Kagome's thoughts plagued her to no end. In the depths of the night she smiled as she remembered Inuyasha and herself in the mountains. She was acutely aware of a warm softness lying next to her, and as the night passed on and the air's cool breeze blew, she snuggled deeper against it's warmth.

"Yes my dear sweet miko, cuddle with that pathetic half breed. Tonight may just be the last night you share with him. Ha ha ha…." Kagome's eyes jerked open. 'That dream! No, not again, oh Inuyasha!' She turned to see him peacefully sleeping next to her. His face looked so child like when he slept. He had not a care in the world, well except the jewel and Kikyo, but still, he had risked his life time and time again to save her. Kagome slipped out from under his arm and after writing an explanation felt his soft ears one last time. "Kagome…" Kagome smiled and allowed silent tears to begin to form in her eye's corners. "Goodbye Inuyasha, I love you," and with that she disappeared out into the night.

"Kagome. Kagome I … I love you…" Inuyasha smiled as he awakened from his dream and looked around for Kagome. But Kagome wasn't there. Her scent was so faint that even his heightened senses could barely smell her. Then he saw it; the note pinned to the board directly over Tetsusaiga's hilt with one of Kagome's arrows.

She had been traveling for hours, not exactly knowing where she was going, just that she needed to get as far away from the others as possible. If these dreams were prophecies then she wanted nothing to do with her friends. There was no way she was getting them involved in this. However she already missed them, especially Inuyasha.

" Dear Inuyasha,

I'm so sorry for all of the trouble I have caused you. I never expected things to turn out this way. I wanted so much for everything to work out, the jewel to return to it's original form, Sango to find her brother safe, Miroku to have the curse removed, Shippo to return to his parents, but most of all I wanted you… I wanted you to be happy. I'm sorry for leaving but I won't endanger you and the other because of me. Good luck Inuyasha, and may all of your dreams come true, you're free now, live you life as you wish. I love you Inuyasha, I always have. Please tell everyone goodbye for me. And Inuyasha please, please don't follow me. You'll see, everything will work out.

I'll love you always,

Kagome

Inuyasha's hands began to shake as he read and reread the letter. He could smell Kagome's tears all over it. He reached up intending to fidget with the rosary, but it wasn't there. Inuyasha thought to himself, ' this isn't what she wanted! This can't be right, we … we were supposed to be together forever.' He had been leaning against the god tree wondering how to tell the others, ' no! I won't let him have Kagome. She's out there all by herself. She's in danger and yet still the only thing she thinks of us… baka! She should have known that I would follow her!' And with that he was off…