"Sorry, Kagome," Inuyasha murmured as he lay on the floor.

"I can't hear you." Kagome said in an annoy voice.

"Sorry, KAGOME!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Why are you shouting at me? Sit!"

Inuyasha banged on the ground again. "Sorry, Kagome."

"That's better." Kagome said as she stood up. She whispered, "Inuyasha, please don't this again." She then walked out of the room.

Shippo laughed loudly. "Serve you right for making Kagome wait for you for the whole morning!"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha hollered as he caught Shippo with his both hands.

"Ahh!" Shippo shouted as he ran out of the room.

Meanwhile, Sango was playing with Kohaku. "Sister, what is your dream?"

"My dream?"

"Yes."

"My dream is to kill that wretched man."

"Who is that man?"

"He is-"

Suddenly, the ground shook vigorously. It was as if the earth was splitting into two. "Earthquake! Kohaku! Don't move!" Sango shouted as she held Kohaku's hand tightly.

Inuyasha just stood up when that happened. Inuyasha dashed out of the house immediately. He ran as quickly as he could into the woods. "Kikyo, Kikyo!" he shouted as he ran.

When he arrived at the hut, he saw Kagura holding the unconscious Kikyo in her arms. "Kagura, what are you doing?" Inuyasha hollered.

"Idiot," Kagura murmured under her lips.

"You…let her go or else I will-" Inuyasha barked with his eyes straight at her.

"Inuyasha." There was a voice coming from the back.

Inuyasha turned around. It was Naraku in his baboon clothing. His right hand was holding onto the complete sacred jewel. "Inuyasha, do you know the power of this jewel?" he questioned as he moved towards him.

"How did you get hold of the Jewel?" Inuyasha asked unbelievably.

"The Jewel is able to control anything in this world. The earth, sky and every living thing. It is the power of God." Naraku said as he bended down and picked up a small, tiny fragment of the Jewel from the ground. He placed it back with the whole Jewel. "Maybe you are wrong, Inuyasha. This Jewel is not yet complete." He continued as he bended down and picked up another small, tiny fragment from the ground. At this point, the earth stopped shaking.

"Kanna." Naraku ordered.

Kanna came out from the back of the hut, holding onto her mirror. In her mirror, there was Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kohaku and the other villagers. "Why, you-" Inuyasha asked shockingly.

"Don't you understand the situation? In this mirror is the past. In front of you is the reality. The earthquake just now was separating the past and present into two and you just 'happened' to step into the present part."

"Naraku." Inuyasha said softly.

"Huh?"

"You are a bastard!" he shouted.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where did Inuyasha go?" Kagome murmured to herself.

"Maybe he was angry and walked to somewhere." Miroku comforted her.

"Miroku, where did Inuyasha go at that time?"

"He went to the river."

"No, Miroku. He would not have stayed there the whole day."

"Well, sometimes it is just like that."

"Miroku, I can tell that you know where he went that day. Please, Miroku. Tell me."

"Well.."

"Please!"

"Ehh…"

"Please!"

"Actually you know the answer already, right?"

Kagome flashed a vexed look and remained silent.

"Miroku, Kagome! Why are you still standing here? Dinner is ready to be served," Sango shouted in a cordial tone.

"Oh, coming! Let's go, Kagome," Miroku answered.

During dinner time, Kagome occasionally looked out of the window, searching for a person in the dark. "Did I punish him too harshly today?" was the question ringing in her mind.

"Sangochan," Kagome broke off Sango's conversation with her father.

"Yes?"

"What do you like best in a person?"

Miroku, Sango's father, brother and Shippo stared at her blankly.

"His or her character will be the domineering factor. I like someone when he or she is humble and determined. I cannot stand people with weak hearts. "

"Oh…what about people, who always scold you, shout at you, punish you but still foolishly wait for you?

"Kagomechan, are you referring to yourself?"

Kagome dashed out of the room, holding back her tears.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oi, Naraku! Don't act as a coward! If you are a man, come out and fight with me! Give Kagome back to me!" Inuyasha shouted as he ran in the woods, searching for the hut.

Suddenly, as if the world had been moved by his determination, it started to rain heavily. The rain was so heavy that he could not see clearly what was ahead of him. Suddenly, he felt someone's presence. Human or demon? Ally or Enemy? He had no idea.

"Inuyasha." The voice was close to him.

Inuyasha turned, holding Tetsusaiga in his right hand, preparing to attack the person.

"Inuyasha, why are you here?" The mysterious person questioned.

There was a familiarity in the voice. "Priestess Kaede! Is it you?" Inuyasha muffled.

The old lady was for once visible as she walked with measured steps towards Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, where are Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippo?"

Inuyasha then told her the whole story from the wheel of time in the hut to the point where he met Naraku in Kaede's hut. After listening to Inuyasha's narration of the whole story, Kaede shook her head. "It is bad. Naraku had gotten hold of all the fragments of the jewel. He will do more harm than good to the world."

Inuyasha blurted, "I don't care what he is going to do with all those jewels. I just want Kagome back! If he is not returning Kagome, I am going to kill him with Tetsusaiga!"

"Cool down, Inuyasha. Do you think we have a way to get Kagome back without going through Naraku?"

"Impossible. It is a world that he has created. It is not a wheel of time; it is a wheel of trap!"

"What if…you have the Sacred Jewel? Do you think the Jewel is able to transmit you back to that world?"

Inuyasha gave a confident grin and dashed out of the hut.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The villagers gathered around the fireplace, which was the only source of warmth in the early winter. No one spoke for almost an hour. Every one was too cold and hungry to say anything. Out of a sudden, the Taijin chief stood up and said in a lilt tone, "Let's be happy that we are one season older now!"

Sango stared surprisingly at her father. This was the first time he said something that meaningless and without logic. Sango gave Miroku a nudge. Miroku glanced at her and upon getting the hint, stood up synchronizing with Sango. "The beer is here and I will begin the feast!" Miroku exclaimed as he drank the beer in his hand.

Sango followed up, "Let's be happy that we are together!"

An old villager lamented, "How can we be happy? Chief, don't you realize that this winter season is colder than ever? It is just early winter and it is freezing like this."

Kagome looked at the falling snow blankly and thought, "Inuyasha, where are you now? Are you feeling cold too?"

Shippo looked up at Kagome and said angrily, "All because of that Inuyasha! That half-demon makes Kagome upset again!"

Kagome glanced at Shippo and gave a weak smile. "He is probably with Kikyo now in a small and cozy hut. He will not be thinking of me. He will not."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Naraku looked into the mirror showing the lives of the Taijin village. He grinned and took out a small fragment of the Jewel and passed it to Kanna. He said coldly, "Make the weather in there colder."

Kanna nodded and took the fragment.