Hikaru stretched her back as she mentally inventoried what herbs she had been able to gather this night. Behind her, Juanyu was teaching Shippou about the different herbs that they had so far found. She was glad that they were getting along so well. It would have been troublesome if there were any troubles in the group that she had joined.

Her mouth felt sore and odd, as the fangs hadn't completely grown back when the sun had set. She could only hope that the growth would finish when she returned to her hanyou form.

"Hikaru-sama, we should be getting back," Juanyu said. The little kitsune jumped onto his shoulder as he gathered their tools and the herbs.

"Are you sure? I was hoping to find some more herbs."

He nodded. "The moon is reaching the zenith."

She sighed and nodded. She had promised ani-chan that they would be back by the zenith. She didn't want to worry him.

"Let's head back."

Inuyasha fidgeted by tapping foot and his ears occasionally twitching. Kagome's presence was the only thing that was keeping him from pacing back and forth in the cave. He was nervous about Hikaru being out for so long. She had said that they would be back by the moon's zenith. He could barely make out the moon's path but it was almost at the apex and there was no sign of any of them.

"Gah! Where are they?" he growled. The others ignored him. They were use to his tempers by now.

He froze. The others froze with him as they all were beginning to hear an ominous buzzing that was all too familiar to the group.

Small balls bounced into the cave, emitting a nauseous gas. Inuyasha fell to his knees as the smell overwhelmed his nose. There were noises of people entering the cave.

"Dammit! What do they want now?" Inuyasha cried as he moved to draw Tetsusaiga. Unfortunately, a youkai came up from behind and pinned his arms to his body. Another grabbed the sheath and flung the sword towards the opening of the cave.

Looking around, the hanyou saw that the other were similarly disarmed and trapped. What could only be Kirara was struggling in a bag made from something that was strong enough to hold her. Sango had lost her Hiraikotsu and Miroku couldn't risk using his wind tunnel. The poison insects were clustered around him.

Standing at the entrance of the cave was Hakudoushi and Kagura. Kagura looked blankly arrogant while Hakudoushi was smirking arrogantly.

"It's been a long time since we've seen each other, hasn't it hanyou?"

"Dammit, what do you want, bastard?"

The youkai looked over at Kagome and Miroku. "Them for now. I need some one with strong spiritual power. And getting rid of them would be a bonus."

"Not if we have anything to say about it!"

Juanyu in his wolf form charged at the leaders, but he was intercepted and bound with Kagura's winds. Shippou tried his best but he was also captured. Hikaru was nowhere in sight. Inuyasha was glad for that.

"Now we have settled that, let's get started, shall we?" Hakudoushi moved closer to Kagome and Miroku, raising his axe.

"WAIT!"

He stopped as Hikaru emerged from her hiding place amongst the underbrush of the forest. Juanyu and Shippou had insisted that she remain hidden, she was too vulnerable as a human. But she couldn't allow this to happen to her friends.

"Why should I?"

"Because maybe I can help?" she replied.

He lowered his axe and looked at her with open curiosity. "How?"

"It would depend. Why do you need their blood?"

"The last shard is stuck between the realm of the living and the dead. The best way is to build a bridge of blood. I can use the blood of those with great spiritual power to form the bridge quicker than with ordinary people."

"What if I could tell you that I could travel to that realm and retrieve the shard all by myself? It would save you much trouble," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "Then I'd say get it for me."

"Only if you promise that you will spare my friends."

He chuckled. "So, you bring back the shard, I will let them go…for now?"

She nodded.

"Very well. I agree to your terms."

She nodded again and stepped purposely forward to the large wicker basket that Juanyu carried. She rummaged all the way to the bottom and retrieved a wooden casket that none of the group had seen before. Hikaru set it on the cave floor and carefully raised the lid. Inside were sealed jars with labels written in a language only she amongst them knew.

She lifted three of the jars and also removed a cup and little broom that looked like it was used for whisking. Carefully the seals were broken and she mixed them together using the water from the kettle that Kagome had over the fire. Hikaru replaced the jars. Her fingers rested on top of one jar as if she was hesitant to have anything to do with it.

Sighing the miko removed the jar and broke the seal. There was something about the jar that caused Juanyu to start struggling in his bounds. He whimpered and growled in protest. Whether it was to his bonds or to the jar that his mistress held was anyone's guess. She measured a few drops of the liquid and quickly put the jar back.

"What is that?" Hakudoushi demanded.

"This potion will allow me to travel to the realm between life and death and back. You do want me to return, don't you?"

He said nothing in reply. Hikaru took deep breaths as she tried to calm down. What she was purposing to do was very dangerous and not something she had attempted before. Her teachers had told her what she would have to do if the need arose. At this moment, this was the only way that she could see to help save her brother and friends.

She sat cross-legged on the floor with the cup in her hands. Exhaling, she closed her eyes and steeled herself. Hikaru drained the cup in two swallows; it tasted bitter going down her throat.

Dropping the cup on the floor she placed her hands in her lap and assumed a meditative stance. A few moments later, Inuyasha's ears detected her heart slowing.

"Wha…what was that shit?"

Hikaru looked around in the grayness that she found herself in. The boundary between the living world and the dead was locked in perpetual twilight. Ahead of her she could see a large arched gate and hear the water of a river passing by.

She walked forward carefully, not quite sure what to do. The girl had only heard of this before, she had never actually done it by herself. And yet, for everyone's sake, she had to succeed.

Gathering her courage, Hikaru continued on towards the gate. It all likelihood, that was where the shard would be. Near the gate, she saw a small girl sitting on the ground crying softly. Curious, she approached the child.

It was by pure instinct that she survived. The known whizzing of an arrow came at her and the miko flattened herself on the ground. Her teacher said that was the best way to handle it. None of this fancy dodging, the arrow could come any direction. Better to kiss the ground and live than risk getting hit by an arrow that is not seen.

"Get out of here!" a voice cried. It wasn't the child; while the voice was feminine it was older than the girl.

Hikaru lifted her head enough to get a glimpse of the archer. The woman had come out of whatever hiding place she had and was standing a few yards away from her. Hikaru blinked her eyes a few times to make sure that she was seeing clearly. The archer looked like someone that Hikaru already knew.

"Kikyou…"

The former priestess paused in notching another arrow. She looked puzzled and carefully took a few steps forward. "How do you know my name?"

Hikaru slowly sat up and faced Kikyou. "I've heard of you from those that knew you. I never believed that I would see you though."

"So, you know Inuyasha?"

Hikaru nodded and felt safe enough to stand. She rose slowly, not wanting the woman in front of her to have an excuse to try to shot her again. Kikyou kept her arrow trained on Hikaru.

"How do you know him?"

"He is my ani-chan," she replied. Hikaru saw Kikyou's fingers twitch and the girl moved to one side as the arrow flew past her.

"Liar! Inuyasha has no younger siblings!"

Hikaru found a hiding place underneath some underbrush and wondered what to do now. She couldn't get any closer to the gate without alerting Kikyou. And the shard was near there.

She nearly jumped when she felt a small hand on hers. Turning Hikaru saw that it was the little girl.

"Are you a miko?"

"Y…yes."

"Are you still alive?"

"Yes."

The child smiled. "Then please take me with you."