Hey! Thanks for all the reviews! I really appreciate it. And I wanted to give a little shout out to Anonymous: First off I would like to thank you for your review, however I am a little offended by it. I did not entend on making Minagi sound 'perfect', because she isn't. And yes I have read the Lord of the RIngs and I do know for a fact that they do have it over in Japan. Another thing, I realize that everyone is entitled to their own oppinion and I respect yours, but saying that you can't believe that people like my story is just rude(and remember I am a beginner) so I would appreciate it if you wouldn't bash my fic,(seeing as how you never even read as far as the first chapter) After all it is a FANFICTION! Also, I do not think that Kurama is a nerd, I love Kurama, he is my fav. character, but again: it IS my story and I put alot of work into it so again, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't bash my fic. Anyway, to everyone else, here is my next chapter I hope YOU actually enjoy it!

Ch.17 Minagi's Dream

Minagi found herself in total darkness. She looked down at her body to find that her wounds were gone, and her clothes were mended. Where was she? She called out, but only her echoes answered her. She was starting to become afraid. Was she dead? Had the two demons from before killed her? She kept hearing a voice, inside her head. It sounded so familiar, and so far away. She tried to call forth one of her knifes but her powers were somehow blocked by something. She kept trying only to get the same reaction as before: a small light, and then nothing. She looked in all directions nervously, seeing only the infinent darkness in every direction. She was alone, and only now, she was afraid. " Kuronue..." she said into the nothingness, almost as if she was praying to him "...I need you. Where are you...?"

Then suddenly, something called to her from the abiss." Minagi..." it said in a voice that was so familiar to her, her ears perked up and she gasped when she heard it. It was so close, almost right next to her. She recognized it...she knew that voice.

" It--it can't be--" she said, her voice almost in a whisper.

" Minagi," it said again, this time more clearly.

Minagi's eyes widened as she heard it again. That voice...that harsh, cold, yet loving voice. She had heard it before, and then it enchanted her. She remembered the exact tone, the exact pattern of speech. It couldn't be so, there was no way...but it sounded as if it was , the voice that had faded in her arms. With hesitation she turned to the voices direction, her eyes filling with tears. She stood silently, waiting for the owner to show himself.

Then, slowly stepping out of the darkness, was the same figure that she had fought so hard for. The dark hat around his shiny, black hair which was up in a high ponytail. The giant wings, tucked behind his back. The same peircing, dark blue eyes that had watched her for so long. It was impossible, it couldnt be...

" Kuronue?!" her voice was of both happiness and shock. As soon as she saw him she let the tears roll down her cheeks. She stood there, her mouth agape, but then a smile spread across her lips.

" Hey beautiful, " he said, raising one side of his mouth up in a half smile. His arms were at his sides, his head slightly tilted.

Minagi took a couple of steps towards him her hand streched out. She walked towards him until she was only a few inches away. Hestitently, she reached her hand up to his cheek, but pulled back at the last minute almost in disbalief. This wasn't real, it couldn't be. He was...dead! Yet here he was, standing right infront of her. He just smiled at her as he always did, pationtly waiting for her to say or do something. She looked him over from head to toe, trying to deicide if she was crazy or not. She reached her hand up again but stopped just before touching his skin.

" This isn't real..." she whispered.

" It is real, love." he said gently. " It's me. I'm here."

Minagi gathered her scenses and softly touched his cheek. It was real! His skin was soft, but cold. She moved her fingers to his pointed ears, feeling the skin and then to his soft hair twisting her fingers through the strands of shiny velvet. Everything was real! He was really here!

" It is you!" she cried throwing her arms around his chest and holding him close, crying into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her body and hugged her back, leaning his cheek on the top of her head.

" Oh, Kuronue..." she sobbed into his chest." I have missed you! I missed you so much!"

" I've missed you too, love." he said stroking her hair.

" I thought that we'd never be together again." she sobbed, but then smiled. " But I was wrong...now we can be together."

" Why do you say that?" he asked pulling away and wipping her tears away with his finger.

" Well," she said confused, assuming he knew. " Because... I'm dead now, and that means that we can finally be together."

Kuronue's smile turned a sorrowful . He didn't say anything, but held her close to him again. He layed his hand on the back of her head and gently pulled her to his chest. He rocked her back and forth, not looking into her eyes.

" Minagi..." he said sadly, "...your not...your not dead yet."

Minagi sucked in some air in surprise then pulled away from him, looking up into his stormy eyes. " What do you mean?" she asked confused and a little angry. " If I'm not dead then...then were the hell am I?! And how are you here!!"

Kuronue took her by the shoulders. " Minagi, it is hard to explain. But you are not dead. They sent me here for a reason. And the fact that I demanded to be sent to you."

" They?" Minagi questioned.

" Eh, some kid with a pasiphire." Kuronue shrugged. " It wasn't very hard, but I had to break alot of rules. I had to become a ghost in order to get inside your dream..."

" I'm dreaming?" she said pinching herself. " Ouch! But this...this doesn't feel like a dream..."

" Minagi," he said. " I speak the truth, your not dead..."

" But how?" Minagi asked. " The demons...I was weak...how did I live?"

Kuronue smiled then, and put his arm around her waist then one of his wings wrapped around her shoulders and back. " I'll show you..."

He turned her slightly so that she was standing closly beside him. Suddenly, the darkness started to evaporate like fog. She could see someone....someone on a bed. She closed her eyes and put her head in Kuronue's shoulder until he told her otherwise. Then, he took her chin and faced her vision on the surroundings. She was in a room, Kurama's room. The first thing she saw was herself...lying on the bed, her body bandaged under the sheets.

" That's..." she said wide eyed." That's me...but how??"

" Let's just say I borrowed your spirit for a moment," he said.

She then focused on the person next to her. There was Kurama, laying next to her, stroking her hair and speaking softly to her. Minagi walked out of Kuronue's imbrace and over to Kurama standing next to his body. She then looked back at Kuronue.

" Don't worry," he said. " He can't see you. He could bump into you and not feel it."

Minagi looked back down at Kurama and got closer. She saw his face...he was crying. Minagi reached forth to touch him but when she reached his shoulder, her hand went right through his body. She pulled it back, almost dissapointed. She watched him hold her body and talk to her. She felt tears form in her eyes, and she reached to him again only touching just above his head so that her transparent hand wouldn't go through.

" He saved me..." she said, finally understanding.

" Yes," Kuronue said walking over to stand beside her. " He killed the other demons just before they were about to rape you..."

Minagi smiled, but fresh tears flowed from her face.

" Why.." she asked. " Why did he save me after...after what I did to him.Why would he?"

Kuronue put an arm around her shoulders. " He knows why you did what you did. He also knows that it was not your fault, and that you were not to blame."

" But I could have killed him.." she said, her voice choked. "I accused him of a crime that he would never commit but..."

" But nothing," Kuronue interuppted. " You did it out of love. Look at him..."

Minagi looked back at Kurama and listened. " Hold on Minagi," she heard him say. " I'm so sorry...sorry that I did not protect you..."

" He blames himself for my pain..." she said, her voice now turning into sobs. She pulled her hand away and cried into Kuronue's shoulder. He wrapped his arms and wings around her, letting the image wash away.

Minagi raised her head to find that they were in darkness again. She put her cheek against Kuronue's chest and found that he hadn't a heart beat. She pulled away and when she saw him smile at her, she looked away. He raised her chin to meet his gaze and kissed her forhead.

" Minagi," he said looking into her eyes. " Do not turn from me. I do not blame you and neither does Kurama. I love you...nothing can change that."

" I have tarnished our friendship," she said. " I don't think I can face him..."

Kuronue touched her cheeks affectionatly, feeling her soft skin with his finger tips. " He will not turn his back on you." He caressed her face, from her cheeks to her ears, smiling. " And neither will I."

Minagi gazed into his stormy eyes, and felt his thumb brush her tears away. " Forgive me..." she said, touching his face and wipe a few stray hairs out of his face. " I ment no wrong..."

" I already have," he said pulling her closer and placing a tender kiss on her lips. She kissed him back with all the passion she had burried inside her heart. His hands felt her cheeks, moving to her hair and feeling the soft texture, to her neck and shoulders then back to her cheeks. She held him close to her, touching his shoulders and chest. It was the kiss that they had been waiting to preform, the kiss that no words in Human or Demon world could describe. Their love for each other had lasted even after death and far beyond.

" I love you.." Kuronue whispered, his lips against hers.

" I love you..." she said back, kissing him again.

He pulled away from her, and held her close to him. His arm went around her waist as the other caressed her hair. She layed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. How she had longed for this...to be with him after all this time. She had searched 500 years to bring his soul peace, and now that he held her tight in his arms...he found peace. He didn't want to face it, but sadly he knew that this could not last forever.

" Minagi.." he whispered in her ear. " I don't want to let you go, I want to stay like this with you forever..."

" That's what I want too," she said back.

" But you know that this cannot last," he said, feeling tears comeing to his eyes. " Eventually...everything will be as it once was. I will go back...and..."

" And I will be alone," she said. She suddenly felt her heart drop and anger filled her heart. " NO! You cannot leave me!! Not again!..."

" Minagi," he said holding her closer, trying to calm her. " Please....I do not want to leave you, I would give anything to --"

"NO!!" Minagi cried, her voice now choked by tears. " I can't live without you there with me!! You were the only thing driving me those 500 years, and now that we're finally together...I won't let you go again!" she held him tighter as her cries turned into wails. " I WON'T LET YOU GO!!!"

Kuronue touched her cheek, makeing her look at him. He found that he was crying also, but he didn't care at this point. All that mattered was the girl infront of him, the one he loved.

" Minagi," he said sniffing. " Please do not cry for me. You have to let me go. I can watch over you there, and watch you grow more beautiful with every day that passes. Minagi, I will always be here for you, you know that. I will never leave you, not even in death. No matter where you go or how old you get, my love will follow you. I will always be in your memories, and I will always be in here," he reached his hand up and placed it over her heart. " There is someone else who loves you also. But no matter how much his love grows for you, mine will always be triple."

" What are you talking about?" Minagi sniffed, grasping his hand which still held over her heart. " Who is this?"

" It is not my place to say," he said smiling, " But you will find out in time. He will take care of you and he will protect you with all of his being. Minagi, do you still have my pendant?"

Minagi reached down in her top and pulled out the pendant. She held it in her hand, showing him. He smiled and placed it around her neck, kissing the jewel on it then kissing her forhead. " Never forget," he said. " As long as you have this, you will never forget me or the love that we have for each other."

" I would never forget that," she said pulling him close again. He nuzzeld her neck and kissed it. " I love you with all my heart..."

" And I love you with all mine," he whispered back, his lips against her shoulder.

" Please don't go..." Minagi whispered.

" I must, love, " he said to her. He raised her chin and kissed her on the mouth again. " But I will always answer your prayers, and I will always be here...loving you..."

She let the tears fall. She knew that this was the last time that she would feel his touch. " Wait for me," she whispered.

" Forever," he said and then he pulled her close and engulfed her in a kiss. She felt his touch, his body, his lips. She could hear his breathing, and feel his tears. She felt her body becomeing numb from her feet up to her head. She tried to hold on for so long, not wanting to let go of his touch, but then all went dark and she felt nothing at all.

" Forever..."