A/N: Thanks again to Yuffie-chan for my two reviews. Here's chapter three Yuffie-chan!

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My Only Hope
Chapter Three

"Inuyasha!" It was Kaede. "Inuyasha…stop! I'm down here!"

Inuyasha halted almost quick enough to throw himself off balance. "There you are, old woman! Help them!" he commanded. "They aren't breathing…please…help them…" he pleaded.

Sango helped Miroku move Kagome's friends to the ground. "They haven't been breathing for a while," she explained.

"Yes, but Kagome has swallowed the remaining jewel shards." Kaede stated plainly.

Inuyasha glared at her. "And? What does that mean?"

"She isn't going to die…but we need to see to it that the jewels are somehow dispelled from her body…it's not exactly good for her health that they remain…"

"Neither is not breathing!" screamed Inuyasha.

Kaede rose her finger, pointing at him. "Calm down, Inuyasha. They will resume their breathing in a minute. Now that they are in clean, clear air, their bodies can come out of hibernation…."

"Hibernation?" repeated Miroku. "What do you mean?"

"Suspended animation…A sort of defense mechanism. They're humans, so their immune systems cannot handle what a demon or even a half demon can handle. They have to find some way to save themselves…"

Inuyasha blinked in confusion. "But…Kagome is going to be okay?"

Kaede nodded. "I have some herbs right here to help her along the road to complete recovery…" she added as a reassurance.

"That's all I needed to know." Inuyasha glanced at Kagome, smiled slightly, and drew his sword. He had already begun to make his way back in the opposite direction when Miroku's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"What are you doing? I thought Sesshoumaru told you to leave him alone?"

Inuyasha groaned. "I'm not going to let him beat Naraku by himself! I'll never live it down!" he whined.

Sango suppressed a laugh.

"You won't need to worry about that, Inuyasha. The coward Naraku has once again run away from the fight…." It was Sesshoumaru. "How is the miko girl?"

Inuyasha jumped. "She'll be fine. I still don't understand what you meant, though…"

Kaede looked in interest from Inuyasha to Sesshoumaru and back again. Were the two rival brothers actually engaged in seemingly civil conversation? This would be something to add to her calendar when she got back to her hut, for sure.

"You don't need to understand anything right now." Sesshoumaru snapped. "And besides, Father's spirit would not be very pleased with me if I went and told you something like that."

"Like what? Damn you, Sesshoumaru!" growled Inuyasha. "Why am I always the last one to know what's going on around here, huh?"

"Because you're one of the only hanyous in the entire clan and I had to pull a lot of strings just to make sure they didn't kill you guys!" Sesshoumaru quieted and grew very, very quiet, as if he had said something that he had not meant to say.

Kaede also seemed to know more about what was going on than Inuyasha did, for she was staring at Sesshoumaru with a look of warning in her eyes. "Sesshoumaru…" she whispered. "I think that it is safe to drop this topic now."

At this, Inuyasha's eyes threatened to bulge out of his head. "What? The old lady knows what's going on?" he screamed.

"Quiet, Inuyasha! Ye will wake the girls up! We need to get them back to the village so that they can rest!" Kaede growled at him.

"But Sesshoumaru…"

"Shut up, Inuyasha. I will see you again soon." With that, Sesshoumaru walked off. Inuyasha stood, his mouth hanging open, watching his brother leave. He didn't move until his brother's silhouette disappeared over a nearby hill.

"Damn you, old woman!" Inuyasha yelped at Kaede as he carefully picked Kagome up and rushed back to Kaede's village.

Kagome's friends woke up by early the next morning. The three of them were still very weak, but Kaede used her strongest herbs to insure that the girls would return to full strength. Kagome herself, on the other hand, did not wake up until late afternoon on the day after her friends awoke.

Inuyasha was staring at her when she tried to sit up, but the motion only served to give her the worst headache she had possibly ever had. She groaned in pain and let her head fall back onto the futon.

"You all right, Kagome?" asked Inuyasha in the best concerned voice he could muster.

She frowned. "Don't talk Inuyasha…it hurts my head…"

"You swallowed the remaining jewel shards," he reminded her. "Kaede thinks they will make you sick."

"I am sick." She snarled.

"Do you know how to get them out?" he asked.

She moaned incoherently for a moment before responding. "I didn't think you were going to come. Naraku told me Kikyou was dead. And then, when you didn't come…I thought he was right…but I couldn't let him have the jewel shards…I didn't see any other way…"

"Not going to come for you?" Inuyasha's voice rose in annoyance. "I didn't even know what had happened until after it happened!" he defended himself. "And then, me and Sesshoumaru…we ran all the way there, Kagome. I didn't forget about you! I couldn't…"

"Oh…my head…" she groaned. "It feels like it is going to split in half. Please, Inuyasha…get Kaede…"

Inuyasha nodded. "I'll be right back."

Inuyasha left, and Kagome's three friends entered the hut. "Kagome?" she had her eyes closed, but she could recognize the voice as that of Yuka. She nodded. "So we're…in the past?" Kagome nodded again. "And that guy…Naraku? He's not human?"

Kagome groaned. "I tried to tell you guys…"

"And Inuyasha…he's not human, either?" it was Eri this time.

"Half." Kagome whispered.

"What?" Ayumi frowned.

"He's half human. His mother was human. His father was a really powerful dog demon…" Kagome explained.

"And why did that Naraku guy keep calling you a miko? How did you make that blue thing around us? What was the jewel he was talking about?"

"Kagome is the reincarnation of my older sister Kikyou," Kagome sighed with relief. Kaede was here to save her from having to answer any more of their questions herself. "She is able to come to this time because of that, and because of her spiritual link with the shikon jewel. Her magic is linked to her spiritual powers. She is the jewel's protector because that is what my sister was. The shikon jewel is a very powerful jewel desired by humans and demons alike, and the hanyou Naraku that kidnapped you four is probably the worst of these…but I shall finish the story later. I must get the shards out of Kagome's body before they start to purify her…."

Kagome sat bolt upright. "What does that mean? The jewel started out in my body! I'm a miko, right? How could the jewel purify me?"

Kaede shook her head. "Don't worry, child. I just mixed my words is all…"

Kagome looked at her with confusion in her eyes. "Kaede?"

"Lay back, child. This is going to hurt…"

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"Do not argue with me!" Sesshoumaru growled to the dog demon standing in front of him. He picked Rin up and sat her on his lap. "The only one aware of the miko's true identity is the old woman Kaede, and she isn't about to divulge the secret!"

"But Inuyasha…" the demon began.

"Is completely unaware." Sesshoumaru finished for him. "And shall remain as such until I have had a chance to talk to the miko's mother. Do you understand?" His voice was dripping with warning. "If Inuyasha or the miko is harmed in any way, I will come after your head."

"But Lord Sesshoumaru, what about…"

"My uncle? He is very aware that there are two hanyous in the clan. However, he is not in charge. I am. My father did not want my brother harmed, and I am telling you that I do not want anyone to lay a finger on that miko."

"But…will her miko powers…?"

"Damn you!…Not you, Rin…" Sesshoumaru calmed himself. "Listen here, I understand that holy and demonic powers do not mix. Why in the hell do you think that those powers have been suppressed for so long!"

The dog demon nodded. "Shall I fetch the Higurashi woman?"

Sesshoumaru waved. "Do so quickly. We don't have a lot of time. The miko and her friends were exposed to a large amount of Naraku's toxins. That will not mix well with the rest of her…."

The dog demon bowed and ran quickly from the room.

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A/N: Heh heh heh. (smiles) Reviews, please! Then I shall update!