A/N: Hello! I'm back! Hehehe... I didn't take too long this time, did I? Gods, I love semestral breaks! It's one of the very few times when I start feeling like a human again. ^_^

The only thing that I don't like about this break is that my boyfriend had actually left for Canada already. T_T He just left last Sunday, and I miss him already. Shit, this hurts like such a bitch! I've been feeling kinda down, and when sad, I tend to look for outlets. Luckily, writing is my favorite outlet, so I get to update faster! Yatta!

And I believe that this is the chapter that most of you have either been waiting for or realy dreading (hint, hint). Check the chapter title and you'll see what I mean.

Anyway, on with the chap. ^_^ Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, that won't be good. I would have messed the plot up REAL bad, and nobody would be writing fanfics on it coz it won't have had any fans.

-----/---@

SEVEN WEEKS

Her True Identity

-----/---@

"Kouga-kun? Why would he be with Naraku? He hates him!" Kagome asked in panic as Inuyasha pushed her to the direction of the cave.

"I told you, I don't know! Just do as I say, Kagome! Onegai, I want you safe," Inuyasha pleaded with Kagome as she tried to peer behind him at the rapidly approaching twister made by Kouga.

"Alright. But you have to promise not to get hurt in any way! And don't kill Kouga-kun. Don't deny it, Inuyasha. I know you want to shred him," Kagome replied worriedly as she backed into the cave. Inuyasha nodded and gave her a small smile, before giving her a slight push in the right direction. She turned and began to run to the safe haven.

"And don't leave that cave, no matter what happens!" he warned, before turning around and facing the direction of the coming danger.

Kouga was coming fast, the scent of Naraku approaching just as quickly. Inuyasha could have sworn that the scent was coming from Kouga himself. He placed a hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga, ready to pull it out at the slightest indication of danger.

The blue cloud of dust was but a few meters away from him now, and Inuyasha felt his heart start to pound loudly in his chest. Something tells him that something was horribly wrong with the wolf youkai.

Kouga's cloud slowly subsided as he stopped a few feet in front of him. When the dust cleared, Inuyasha noticed that Kouga had in his arms a childlike youkai who held a mirror before her chest.

"Kouga," Inuyasha began as he slowly took in the sight. The ookami put the child down, making her stand right beside him as he turned and glared at Inuyasha. The hanyou blanched slightly, looking at the familiar white youkai that stood before him, looking for all the world like she was asleep with her eyes open.

Then it clicked. 'This is the bitchy kid that tried to control Kagome,' he thought angrily, glaring at Kouga. No wonder he could smell Naraku. Kouga had his minion with him. "Oi, ookami! What the fuck are you doing with that kid?"

Kouga continued to glare at him, baring his fangs as a growl left his lips. Inuyasha arched an eyebrow when Kouga didn't answer. He clutched the hilt of Tetsusaiga firmly, preparing to pull it out if need be.

Kanna stepped behind Kouga as the prince took a small step forward. Kouga spoke in a low, hollow voice, his tone full of anger and malice.

"Inu... yasha... teme... you took her from me..."

Inuyasha took a step back in surprise, tightening his hold on the Tetsusaiga. 'How did he...?'

"Oi! What are you talking about, wolf?" he shouted at the seething youkai, praying to all the gods he knew that Kagome would heed his warning. Things didn't look good.

Kanna stepped a bit to the side, out of Kouga's shadow, showing him her mirror. Or rather, WHO were in her mirror. It was an image of him and Kagome, the morning after they shared their bodies for the first time.

He gasped in surprise, embarrassment and anger. What shocked Inuyasha was not the thing that he saw in her mirror, for he knew well that it had happened, but the fact that she managed to peer into such an intimate, personal thing. Then there was anger...

"How dare you intrude into my personal life," he said in a dangerously soft voice.

Kouga just glared at him, cracking his knuckles as he took a step forward. "I saw her first..." he said slowly, much to the confusion of the hanyou.

"What do you mean you "saw her first"? You kidnapped her from me, remember? If any thing, *I* saw her first!" Inuyasha yelled back, taking a menacing step forward. Both youkai bared their fangs at each other, murder in their eyes.

"Listen ookami," Inuyasha began. "I thought you were sensible enough not to bear a grudge about this! I trusted you enough to let you go and find that fucking antidote, knowing her life was in your hands! I can't believe you would side with that bastard Naraku just for this!"

Kouga kept glaring. "She's mine, hanyou. She's been mine before you even knew about Crystallia!"

Inuyasha looked at him incredulously. 'What is this bastard talking about?!'

Kagome was in the cave, watching and listening intently to the exchange. Kouga was saying crazy things... what exactly did he mean? He didn't seem to be himself. He wasn't even calling Inuyasha "inukkoro"!

"You have no idea," Kouga said breathlessly. "You have no idea what hardships I went through to prove myself worthy of her... you... how dare you just waltz in here and claim her!"

Kagome's breath caught in her throat. 'What did he say?' she thought in shock as she saw Inuyasha begin to get really annoyed.

"You fucking bastard!" he yelled. "I protected Kagome to the best of my abilities since the day I met her! You have no right to say that I don't have a right to her! She's mine, got that?!"

"You're wrong, hanyou! You don't deserve her! She belongs to me!"

Kagome's mind was spinning. Something about the way Kouga speaks... was so familiar.

- Flashback -

"Naraku, can't you see? Crystallia is dying! I... I need to get back to my duties!" she cried out pleadingly, her tearful eyes looking imploringly at Naraku. He stood right outside the dome, sitting calmly on the floor. He did not look at her, but simply listened to her pleas and interrupted her every once in a while.

"I told you before. I do not love you, Naraku. And even if I did, love is a luxury that I will never be allowed. Let it go, Naraku. Let ME go! I beg of you..."

"Your pleas are useless, Azalea. I would only let you go if you agree to be mine," Naraku stated calmly, making her blood rush to her head in frustration.

"But I don't WANT to be your wife, Naraku!"

The man turned to her slowly, locking her eyes with his in a painful stare. He gingerly touched the dome, as if wanting to hold her face, as he seriously gazed into her gray/blue eyes.

"I will not let you go without my prize, hime," he said t her with burning eyes. "You have no idea what hardships I went through to prove myself worthy of you. I sold my *soul* just to be able to hold you, Azalea."

"If you truly love me," she said severely, beginning to lose her patience with his spiteful, continuous insistence. "You would let me go and do what I wish to do. To do what makes me happy..."

"You are not happy with being princess!" he shouted, pulling his hand back and forming a fist. "You think I could not see how you look whenever a pair of husband and wife walks into the palace? You envy them. You want to have someone to share your life with, and I am the only one who could touch you! I am the only one who deserves you! I..."

"I do not CARE!" Kagome/Azalea shouted, her long-trained patience gone. "You're right... I DO want to have someone... And I don't care what you went through! Because frankly Naraku," she seethed, glaring right at his scarlet eyes. "Frankly... no matter how lonely I am... no matter if you were the only person in Crystallia... I would rather live a thousand lonely lives over than to be with YOU!"

Naraku drew back as if he had been burned. "Azalea..."

"Azalea-SAMA! Call me by my title! Any person who wishes harm upon my land and friends is no friend of mine!" she yelled, pounding at the dome with clenched fists. She began to unconsciously release a strong, bright cloud of reiryoku that was so thick, it shielded her from his view.

Naraku had grown deathly silent. He approached the dome again slowly, placing his palms flat on the barrier. "Listen," he said softly, his eyes boring into hers. "You are mine, Azalea. You are mine, and no one would say otherwise," he paused, then, "You belong to me."

- End Flashback -

"Oh gods," Kagome murmured as she realized what was happening. She cried out when she saw both youkai suddenly lunge at each other in a flurry of punches, kicks, and curses.

Inuyasha threw a frenzied punch at Kouga, snarling when the wolf easily dodged him. He pulled Tetsusaiga out of its scabbard, transforming it into the huge, steel-cleaving fang.

He took a mad swing, noticing out of the corner of his eye that the white youkai - Kanna, was it? - was watching them with little or no interest, her eyes trained solely on Kouga. He thought it strange, but before he could ponder any further on that, Kouga kicked a large chunk of dirt into his face, temporarily blinding him.

Inuyasha cried out, scrubbing furiously at his burning eyes, before he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He opened his eyes against the sting of the dust, the edges filling with moisture as he tried to see his opponent.

He could only see smudges of color here and there. Everything was blurry, and he lifted a hand to his abdomen, cringing when he touched the painful, wet part of his torso.

'Shit,' he thought, lifting his hand to his nose to make sure. Sure enough, it was blood.

His vision slowly cleared, allowing him to see Kouga. The wolf was standing a few feet before him, grinning madly, a blood-stained dagger in his hand. Inuyasha braced himself on Tetsusaiga, plunging part of the sword into the ground to help support his weight. He was swaggering slightly, his vision going blurry as he tried to glare at Kouga.

"You cowardly, traitorous bastard," Inuyasha hissed angrily at his sneering opponent. Kouga rushed at him, but Inuyasha's painful wound was making it hard to move away.

The wolf was practically upon him when he saw a glittering streak of pink energy fly swiftly his way. The shaft of light pierced through Kouga's right shoulder, making him cry out and drop the dagger he had been holding. H retreated back to where he stood just a few moments ago, and Inuyasha realized what had shot at Kouga.

'Hama no ya,' he thought in a daze. 'That was Kagome's spirit arrow!'

"Inuyasha!"

Sure enough, he heard her voice call out to him as he slowly slumped down, still relying on Tetsusaiga to try to keep himself up. She was by his side in a second, looking concernedly at him as she kept an arrow notched up on her bow.

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay put in that cave!" he snarled. She ignored him.

"Daijobu, Inuyasha?" she asked, glancing over at where Kanna now stood by the wolf.

"I-iie," Inuyasha replied. "That slash," he tried to explain hurriedly. "Wounds don't usually affect me like this but now..."

"It's Miasma, Inuyasha. I'm sure it is," Kagome said as she knelt down and put her weapon by her knees. "Stay still. I'm gonna heal you."

Kagome, unlike Inuyasha, didn't need to have to touch every single part that had been infected. Having mastered her abilities, she simply raised her hands and began to concentrate. She closed her eyes and put her hands over his wound, a soft light surrounding her as she summoned her reiryoku into her hand to purify the poison and try to heal the wound.

She let out a soft groan when she had finished. She managed to completely purify the miasma, but it took longer to heal wounds, so all she managed to do was close it up to the point that it no longer bled out.

"Thanks," Inuyasha muttered as he got up. He turned to face Kouga, pulling out the Tetsusaiga as he told Kagome to go back and hide in the cave.

"No. Inuyasha, I came out to tell you something. I think... I think Kouga- kun is being possessed," she said hurriedly, pulling at his sleeve to gain his attention.

Inuyasha glanced back at her. "How do you know that?"

Kagome hesitated. "The way he speaks... haven't you noticed? That's not Kouga-kun! It's Naraku, speaking through Kouga!"

The hanyou looked back at Kouga and Kanna, and noticed for the first time the thin wisp of smoke that hung from Kouga's neck to the mirror's edge. "You're right. But how does that help?"

Kagome paled. "It doesn't. If anything, it complicates things. It wouldn't be right for you to hurt Kouga over things that he has no control over!"

And as much as Inuyasha hated to admit it, the wolf had sort of become his ally when he had agreed to find the antidote for Kagome. He wouldn't hurt Kouga if it was not his desire to hurt him and Kagome. After all, he may well be suffering as he watches his own body move and speak against his will.

"It's Naraku that's doing this," Inuyasha said angrily. "Kagome, how much further are we from the garnet tower? Do you know?"

Kagome looked thoughtful. "Less than a hundred kilometers, I guess. We would reach it in five days. Doushite?"

Inuyasha tensed, and she realized that Kouga had just managed to stand up once again. "It's Naraku that I have to get to. But I can't do that with Kouga in the way."

"We have to get past Kouga," she replied, notching up an arrow once again. 'Naraku is really riled up. He's probably furious that I chose Inuyasha,' she thought in agitation.

"What do you mean, WE?! You get back into that cave right now!" Inuyasha shouted when he saw Kagome prepare to attack.

"No damn way, Inuyasha! I am not leaving you alone in this! You go stall Kouga, and I'll cut off Kanna's control over him. I'll be fine, Inu-chan!" Kagome replied impatiently as Inuyasha started to retort again.

"Alright, but you be careful, you hear me?!"

"Hai!"

Both turned away from each other to face their opponents. Kagome ran over to where Kanna stood holding her mirror up as Inuyasha lunged for the approaching Kouga.

Inuyasha let out a furious yell as he swung Tetsusaiga towards Kouga. He didn't really intend to hurt Kouga, but what better way to stall him than to keep hitting and missing? He knew that Kagome had a plan. He just hoped that she carried it out before something bad happens.

Kagome, on the other hand, was aiming a charged arrow at the mirror that Kanna held. The young youkai simply looked at her with her usual blank stare and spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

"Fire, and you ill regret it."

Kagome seethed at the arrogance the child had displayed with her soft words. "Oh, I assure you that I won't, Kanna. Let Kouga go!"

Kanna continued to stare at her in silence, and it was pissing Kagome off. "Let him go if you don't want to see your precious mirrors in pieces!"

But Kanna looked at her calmly and replied in a chilling voice, "Break my mirror, and you break your brother's soul..."

Kagome nearly dropped her bow. "My brother's... leave my brother out of this!" she cried in anger, stringing the arrow once again. "Naraku had killed him, in case you don't remember!"

But the youkai just looked at her as she turned her mirror a bit to the side. A strong flash of light graced the mirror's face, and when it cleared to show the image it now held, Kagome choked back a gasping sob.

"Niichan..."

Tears began to form around the corners of Kagome's eyes as she took in the face of her late brother. It was him... the same unruly brownish black hair, the same mouth, the same eyes - eyes that seemed to be closed in sleep. She could only see his face and upper chest in the mirror, and she bit back a sob as she continued to stare into the mirror.

-----/---@

Miroku held the book of the Holy Prophecy tightly in his hands as Kirara flew across the dull midmorning sky. The book had been in Sango's furoshiki, and she was presently tying the bag closed as the houshi frantically scanned its pages.

They had been flying with their usual pace when the monk suddenly reared up and hurriedly asked for the book. She had asked what was the matter, but he simply shook his head and told her that he would tell her as soon as she gave him the book.

"Miroku-sama? What is it?"

The said houshi kept reading, furrowing his brows at certain intervals. "Shit," he said softly, but it was loud enough for Sango to hear, and that surprised her. He never swore!

"Sango," he finally regarded her. "The sudden weather shifts have been bothering me. Not just that, but if you haven't noticed, many things have gradually been becoming unstable as we travel. And I can also feel shifts in the aura of the Shikon. I can't explain it... something is happening to the Shikon, and it is not Azalea who is spurring it. I have been thinking, and I finally realized that something must have happened to either the princess or the Shikon. I know that Azalea-sama is strong, but I worry that something may have swayed her to perhaps give Naraku some of her powers..."

"Aza-chan would never do that!"

"I know!" Miroku butted in. "I know, but what if Naraku held something up for her that she couldn't resist? Something that had to do with the fate of the entire land? Or..."

Sango looked worriedly at him. "Or what?"

Miroku gazed seriously at her, and had the situation not been so serious, Sango would have found herself melting. "Did you know that the guard Souta- san and Azalea-sama are brother and sister?"

Sango looked at him in surprise. "Why, of course I know. How did you know?"

"They had shouted each others appellations before Souta-san died."

"Oh."

"Anyway," Miroku interrupted before they went off track. "I asked so suddenly for the book when I realized that there was definitely something changing in here because I had a theory. And upon reading the scriptures, if I am right..."

"Miroku-sama, what are you talking about?"

"The book says that the garnet tower's highest peak is used as a temporary haven for the souls of the dead. And when Naraku managed to control the forbidden power, it means that he is now able to control anything and everything that ever goes on in the palace."

Sango paled. "Do you mean that... Oh gods, Souta-san's soul!"

"Exactly," Miroku replied in concern. "If Naraku couldn't get what he wants from the hime, he could very well take the souls in the tower, Souta-san's included, and hold them in peril in exchange. And knowing Azalea-sama..."

"She may yield even without her brother's soul, but with Souta's in there, she would be more easily swayed," Sango said in panic. "Oh, Miroku-sama! What can we do!?"

"I have no idea," Miroku replied. "All we could do for now is hurry as much as we can. I can sense the change in the Shikon as we speak... My houriki is strongly connected to the princess' reiryoku, and right now, her power is flaring out of control."

Miroku paused as he took in the now brightening sun. The sudden heat blinded him for a moment, and he took a deep breath before speaking.

"I just hope that Inuyasha is alright."

-----/---@

"What have you done to him?" Kagome yelled as the tears finally fell from her eyes. She could see thin wisps of soul in the background of the mirror and immediately realized something. "Why do you have his soul?!"

Kanna looked impassively at her, cocking her head to the side. The sun suddenly dimmed, and Kanna's mirror seemed to shine more iridescently than before.

Kagome stared, almost as if she were hypnotized. She didn't notice when the light began to go brighter again, and neither did she notice the soft sound of footsteps behind her.

She only noticed the footsteps when the one who made them came up behind her and covered her mouth with his hand.

"Guess who, hime," said the voice. Kagome didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

'Naraku...'

He took his hand from her mouth and slowly trailed it down her right arm to her hand. He snaked his other arm around her waist, pulling her up closer to him. Kagome furiously pulled away from him, wiping her face where his hand had touched her lips.

"What do you want now, Naraku?" she asked in anger, distantly hearing Inuyasha shout her name. She didn't dare take her eyes off Naraku as she saw her koi approach her out of the corner of her eye.

-----/---@

Inuyasha snarled loudly as he dodged yet another one of the ookami's attacks. "You are making me lose my fucking patience, Kouga!" he yelled angrily as Kouga skidded on the ground, only to come barging at him once again.

Inuyasha had wisely managed to stir Kouga away from his poisoned dagger. He ducked another kick, absently noticing that the sun's light had suddenly waned.

Inuyasha took great advantage of the dark. Kouga, what with his half-minded state, did not seem to be as sharp as he usually was. Inuyasha landed a swift, powerful roundhouse to the wolf's abdomen, before slamming the flat of the transformed Tetsusaiga onto his face.

When the light returned, it revealed a happy hanyou standing over an unconscious Kouga. He grinned, then turned to look at where he knew Kagome and Kanna were. His grin immediately melted when he saw who was with Kagome.

"Naraku..." he snarled as he watched Kagome push away from the man. 'That fucking pervert had his hands all over Kagome again!'

"Kagome!" he yelled, calling for her attention. She was staring daggers at Naraku, and Inuyasha hurriedly ran over to where they were.

He reached Kagome's side in a second, and he took her hand in his, pulling her behind him. "What do you want now, Naraku?" he questioned angrily. "I thought I told you to keep your hands off Kagome!"

Naraku smiled eerily, and Inuyasha's blood reached the boiling point. 'This man... this youkai is the one I have to kill to get my quest over with. If I kill him now, I can get back to my home with Kagome.'

"Kagome, eh?" Naraku asked, holding up a thin white bandage. Kagome's wrist binds. Kagome gasped loudly from behind him and Inuyasha looked over his shoulder at her, noticing that she had suddenly stiffened.

"Nani, Kagome?"

Kagome was tightly clutching her unbandaged right wrist with her left hand, desperately holding onto as much skin as she could. It looked almost as if... almost as if she were trying to hide her hand.

"Now, now, *Kagome*," Naraku said mockingly. "Why don't you show Inuyasha your little secret? Lovers should never keep things from their partner, now should they?"

Kagome seethed at Naraku from behind Inuyasha. "Bastard," she replied angrily.

"Come on, Kagome," Naraku chided her softly. "Why don't we all have it out on the open now? You have kept it secret from him for so long. I believe Inuyasha has a right to know who you REALLY are, aren't I right, hanyou?"

Inuyasha gave her a strange look, before warily turning to Naraku. "I trust her, Naraku. I know you're bluffing. Kagome would NEVER lie to me!"

"Honto?"

"Hai! I trust her Naraku, and even if you told me that she were your minion in disguise, I wouldn't believe you!" Inuyasha snarled angrily.

"Well then... tell me, hanyou... who exactly is Kagome?"

Kagome clutched his haori with her right hand, her left still furiously clutching at the unmasked wrist. "Inuyasha... onegai... don't let him make you hate me..."

Inuyasha gave her a strange look. "Kagome, I could never hate you..."

"Never, eh?" Naraku snickered. "What if I told you that Kagome... oh, right, that's not your real name, is it?"

Inuyasha glared at the youkai. "Don't you dare imply that Kagome has been a liar!" He glanced back at Kagome, expecting to see her wearing an angry, incredulous look at Naraku's accusation. But Inuyasha was totally blown away when he saw Kagome looking teary-eyed, biting her bottom lip in agitation. "Kagome?"

Naraku let out a loud, maniacal laugh. "I told you! Can you just see the guilt in her eyes?"

"Kagome," Inuyasha turned to her, holding her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Kagome cast her eyes down, still worrying on her bottom lip.

"Come now, Inuyasha!" Naraku laughed. "Surely you have noticed how averse she is to shedding that little bandage! Have you never thought that perhaps, she was hiding a mark behind those bandages?"

Inuyasha glared briefly at Naraku before turning back to Kagome. "Kagome, why are you acting like this?" Inuyasha asked in a slightly hurt voice. "Is he... telling the truth? Kagome..." He pulled her face back towards him, forcing her gaze away from the ground to his own worried face. "Kagome, please answer me."

"Poor, poor Inuyasha!" Naraku gloated. "You've been on a wild goose chase all along because of her! You've been chasing all around for the princess all this time haven't you? And your wonderful guide didn't even bother to tell you that the princess is no longer being held captive in the Garnet Tower!"

Inuyasha didn't take his eyes off Kagome the whole time. "Kagome? Was that true? Did you know all that?" Kagome remained silent, slow tears making their way down her cheeks.

She looked up at him slowly, stroking his cheek with her right hand. "I... I meant to tell you sooner..."

Inuyasha pulled away slightly. "You mean...?"

"Yes," she replied, tears racking her tiny frame. "I knew..." she clenched her eyes shut. "Please don't hate me..."

"And that's not all," Naraku said gleefully. "Kagome-sama, why don't you tell your warrior who you really are? Why don't you tell him where the princess is right now?"

"Urusai!" Kagome shrieked, slapping her hands over her ears to block out the sound of Naraku's voice. That's when Inuyasha noticed it.

Her right arm, which had always been bandaged, was now free of her concealing. On it, smack in the center, at the bottom of the palm of her hand, was a mark.

A glowing, golden star mark.

He pulled her hand away from her ear, and Kagome cringed as he looked at it intently. He knew perfectly well what he was looking at.

"That's right Inuyasha," Naraku said again. "That mark moved down from its place on her chest when she encased the Shikon in this," he added, holding up the glowing Shikon no Tama.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome began.

"Matte," Inuyasha cut her off. "Kagome... what is the meaning of this? Have you truly been lying to me... all this time? Why do you have a star mark?!" he shook her slightly as she continued to clench her eyes, as if trying to block him out.

"Kagome, onegai... tell me..."

"Gomen, Inuyasha. I should have told you sooner..." she replied as she opened her eyes, tears spilling unchecked down her face. "Please... I love you... and..."

"Oh, ho, hoh! This is nice!" Naraku gleamed in the background. "You love him, but led him to believe such false tales about yourself!"

Kagome centered her gaze at Inuyasha, as if trying to pretend that the whole world simply consisted of him. "Inuyasha... Kagome is my given name," she said softly. She held his face in her hands, kissed his lips softly, then continued. "But the name that I should use... the one dubbed by Crystallia and the law..." she breathed in deeply. "My name... is Azalea."

Inuyasha gasped, then pulled both her hands off his face with his own. He held them tightly in both of his hands before choking back a reply. "You're the princess?"

Kagome nodded her head slowly. "Hai. Gomen..."

Inuyasha could hardly believe it. He barely heard Naraku as he chuckled, then it turned to a full-blown laugh as the youkai saw Inuyasha's reaction.

"You... you lied to me?" he asked incredulously.

Kagome continued to cry helplessly. "Yes... but that is the only lie I ever told you, Inuyasha. Everything else... the way I feel for you... Everything else is real."

"You lied to me about WHO YOU ARE! Kagome... why? I trusted you, Kagome! No wait, that's AZALEA, isn't it?" Inuyasha asked, half-angrily, half-sadly as more tears spilled from her eyes. "How could you ever expect me to trust you again?"

-----/---@

A/N: *Hides behind pillows* GOMEN! Please don't kill me! I had to do that, because I needed to start some suspense for the next chap. Gomen for that. You must all think I'm a real bitch, but I promise you an action-packed next chapter to compensate for the wicked cliffy.

I know that the scene with Souta's soul greatly resembles that one scene in the second movie, with Kaguya-hime. I just needed it for the situation, and at the time I was planning this story, I hadn't watched the second movie yet. And, I hope that no one minded that I altered the power of Kanna's mirror yet again.

Responses!!!

Senna Weasley: I completely sympathize with what happened between you and Sirius. I know it really hurts like a total bitch, and I hope you're right... that you would get to see the one you love again if you are really meant for each other. By the way, thanks for the review! I'm glad you like my story. Good luck on OUR love lives! ^_^

Junyortrakr: Kouga didn't get to do much in this chap did he? He'll be getting up in the next chapter though...

RavenShadow: Glad you liked it! Miroku and Sango will catch up next chapter. ^_^

Trina: Salamat!

Litwolf689: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I already read and reviewed your new chap of "Wild Magic", and I've got to say I really like it. Oh, and you read my other fic?! Arigatou! I'm gonna be starting a new fic, by the way. I'll be posting the first chap next week. I hope you read that one too. Thanks again! ^_^

Nyah: Somebody told me about the resemblance too, way back when I posted my chap2, I think. I checked it out and, lo, they ARE similar! But I promise that I am doing all I could to make them as different as possible without changing my plans for this fic.

The Literary Dragon: I'm glad you like it! They should be catching up by the next chap.

Jiro: *Sweatdrops and scratches the back of her head* Yeah... Hehehe... They are similar...

Justmeh: I updated! I hope you haven't died from the suspense yet. *sweatdrops* I'm an awfully slow authoress.

liLmissy16: Hi! Salamat sa greeting! Ok lang kahit belated... buti nga binati mo pa ko. THANKS! I'm glad that your keyboard's fine now. Good luck on your term paper, by the way. I hope you get an A on it... Yup, my email add is scarlet_raven1001@yahoo.com. Thanks uli!

karisutaru-chan: I'm glad you like my work! Gosh, you read way into the morning!? I'm like, sooo flattered! And here's the update! I hope you like this chap too.

starry-sky26: I'm glad you like it! ^_^

badboysgirl: I'm sorry about the divorce. It must really suck. I'm glad you like my fic, by the way. I hope you liked this chap as well!

DevilWench: I updated! Glad you liked it!

Dragonstar03: Thanks!

Sukuri: Hehe... gomen about that cliffy. They lifted your time limit? Man, your lucky. Mine is still on, and I've only got 1 1/2 hours (how pathetic is that?)! Actually, I suck at surfing. I get washed out longer than the time I get to stand on the damn board! Yeah, I wondered that as well... so I decided to write it up, lol! And yeah... why doesn't Kagome ever tell him off? You'd think she likes the attention or something. Anyway, here's the chap. I hope you like it!

Hanamaru285: I'm glad you liked it!

deamon fighter: Thanks! Glad you liked it!

By the way, since this story is getting quite close to the end, I'll be starting on a new fic next week. It's Inu/Kag, Mir/San, as usual. I am so in love with those pairings! I hope you guys try that one as well. If you liked this fic, please check it out!

And please note that in this fic, we are now on day 34. Inuyasha leaves on day 42. If anything in this chapter confuses you, please feel free to ask me.

So, until next time, pipz! I hope you all liked this chap. Please read and review! I wanna know what you all think about this chapter. Besides, reviews make me write faster, and I need a lot more speed, wouldn't you agree? Yeah, I know, I'm a terribly slow authoress. I only get to update once a week, ain't that pathetic?

Thanks for reading!

ScarletRaven1001