She stumbled through the pouring rain. The images swirled in front of her lifeless gaze, flashes of storm gripped earth, incoherent and senseless. Life was a nightmare and she was trapped in it. The darkness engulfed her as she ran; twigs and branches pulled at her, leaving small clean cuts that drew blood. Her normally clean and pressed uniform was now torn and shredded; the sopping fabric clung to her body as she ran. Her ebony hair, usually elegant and beautiful, hung in soaking strands around her face. You could barely see the tears anymore, for they merged with the raindrops that splashed her face. The only sign of her crying was her red swollen eyes. She knew not where she was going, she knew not how long she had been running, and she did not hear her body scream in protest as she tested every limit of her strength. She only heard her broken heart, which commanded her to keep moving force into the night. But her tortured sobs were becoming harder to stifle, and she found herself gasping for air. Then, her foot caught a tree root and she was on the muddy forest floor. She didn't move, she didn't even feel or her herself crying. She just lay there, for how long, she didn't know. It wasn't really that she fell asleep, more that her body just gave in to her misery. She slipped in to complete and total darkness.

He made his way though the cold morning rain. The sun had not risen but most of the storm had past. He was slightly troubled as he made is way along the treetops. He pursued a certain scent on the rain soaked wind. His silvery hair blew gracefully behind him as he glided from tree to tree, barely touching each with his god like speed. He easily evaded the branches that flicked by and he seldom even felt the rain that was caught on the leaves just over his head. But he slowed to an agile halt as his nose lead his eyes down the tree to a small figure curled in its roots. Just as he had thought. It was Inu-yasha's mortal companion; he didn't bother to recall her proper name. But if she was here, then where was Inu yasha? He dropped swiftly to the ground to inspect her closer. Her worn and ripped clothing spoke of her run through the forest in the stormy night. Looking at the cuts and bruises he wouldn't doubt she had ran the whole night through. He raised his eyebrowsever so slightly; her will may have been stronger then he suspected. He picked her up by the back of her shirt and raised her before him. Her light brown eyes slowly flicked open and she let out a small gasp at seeing his face. He looked at her with those piercing golden orbs, so similar to his brother's. He asked her curtly "Where is Inu yasha?" His words had an amazing effect. Her body fell lose in his grasp as her eyes darted to the ground. He slowly set her on her feet but she only flopped into an awkward sit. She stared miserably at the dirt. He grew slightly concerned. He sniffed the air and discovered not only the scent of rain and forest on her but a much more disturbing smell. Blood. And not just any blood; his brother's blood.

He made to ask her again but stopped himself. If what he suspected was true, then being a human, she was very weak right now. He spoke softly, forcing himself to be gentle "Kagome?" She shakily looked up "that is your name, correct?" she managed a nod. He took caution in the way he said his next words. "Inu yasha, is he." he couldn't say dead so bluntly, but he didn't know very much about mortal compassion. "Gone?" She kept her gaze steady with his but the streams of tears were unstoppable as they flowed down her face. Her cheeks were already raw from crying. He did not need her to speak; this was an answer to him. Inu yasha was obviously dead. But how did he die, who had killed him? Questions circled round in his head and he brought his demon eyes back to the fragile figure before him. She had gone back to inspecting the ground and she sobbed quietly. He felt a small pang of guilt. Then he could of hit himself, was he feeling sorry for her? No, he couldn't care for her. He already felt the shame of taking care of little Rin. But he needed to know what happened, and he could tell he wasn't getting any answers right now. He silently reached his decision, She would return with him to his fortress in the Western Lands. As he reached down and helped her to her feet, he felt the burning shame again. But he fought it off; this was for answers only. Who could really care so deeply for a mortal?