He waded through the darkness of his dreams; horrifying images dotting his consciousness, the terrible knowledge that it had all come to pass through his own hand. He saw Kagome again, tears of crimson sadness dripping down her too pale face. He saw her agonized face, normally so kind and forgiving, now battered and broken. He saw his own reflection in her teary eyes, a lust driven monster. He heard her screams, her begging pleas to stop, please stop Inuyasha...

Suddenly, through the darkness, he saw a light in the far distance. He was alone, and he couldn't remember how he got there. He considered walking towards the light, but he became aware ofthe lightcomingcloser. No, the light was spreading, growing. Now it had enveloped him in its benevolent glow, and he felt peaceful. More peaceful than he deserved.

"No!" he cried. "I don't deserve this!"

"You have suffered a great loss," said a voice that seemed to come from all around him. It was female, unfamiliar, but so...gentle. It reminded him of…her.

"It's...it's all my fault," he said, his voice weak.

"What if there were a way to change it back, to make things right," asked the light.

"Tell me how," he demanded, a new hope springing in his heart. "Tell me!"

"The Shikon Jewel...it has vast powers. Powers fully untapped by any being," it began, the voice suddenly booming loudly.

"Are you saying the Jewel can make things the way they were?"

"It is...possible."

"How? Tell me how!"

"The flow of time is much like the flow of a river; you cannot hope to control it unless you know from which it stems."

"Enough of these stupid games, damn you!"

"Very well. But know this: there is no knowing what will happen, how far back time can go, or if anything will change at all. To simply ask for this is to risk everything. Do you do so willingly?"

The words echoed in his mind. What was there to lose at this point? His friends were all dead, he was alone…he saw Kagome again, an old and nearly faded memory. They were standing in a field of tall grass, the wind blowing her dark hair lightly, her cherry blossom scent caressing his nose as he walked beside her. Crimson red petals fell about him like lost opportunities, the gentle never-ending call of the seasons reaching out to them both. She mentioned seeing fireflies and his promise to take her, her cherubic face aglow with the joy of the possibilities. So young, he thought. So full of life…he closed his eyes.

"I…accept," he finally said, bowing his head.

"And so, let it be done…"

And the blinding light spread again, fully engulfing him, and he knew nothing but the light.

Kagome awoke to the sound of her brother stomping through the hallway. Despite his annoying morning habit, she was partly thankful he had woken her. Last night's nightmare was a doozy, and besides…she didn't want to be late for school. Not again, at least.

She was brushing her teeth and combing her hair at the same time, wondering if she had forgotten something. She'd done all her homework, put her books away, and finished her chores the night before…what was it? That was strange. She'd have to tell the others about it later when she went down the wel-

"Kagome, breakfast!" her brother yelled, sprinting past the bathroom door, a soccer ball bouncing between his hands.

"Aren't you supposed to avoid using your hands in football," she asked, a bit put out. Her brother was always interrupting her thoughts. Oh well, she was lucky to even have one, she thought. Why, she remembered her friend had lost a brother a little while ago, and she had barely begun to pull herself back together…

"Aren't you supposed to avoid, uh…looking ugly after doing yourself up," he shot back, sticking out his tongue at her. He was halfway down the stairs with a panic stricken look on his face when she began to give chase.

She was stepping out the front door when she saw the door to the sealed well open. That was strange; she walked over to see Sota standing at the doorway, his body shaking. Perhaps he realized the beating she was about to give him for his earlier comment; but apparently Sota wasn't much better than Gramps; he didn't even seem to realize he was about to pay for his earlier nasty comment to her. Instead he turned to her as if nothing had happened.

"You're not supposed to play in there," she lectured, her need for violence diminishing. Patience was the sign of an adult, she reminded herself. Sota was just a child, after all.

"I'm not…it's the cat," he said, a bowl of food in his hand.

"Did he go down into the well," she asked, concerned.

"Buuyou…," he called, kneeling at the top of the stairs. "I don't know where else he could be," he muttered.

"So go down," she suggested, kneeling beside him.

"But why do I gotta be the one," he whined.

"Because you're the one that's looking for him," she replied, put off. Was she ever like this at his age?

"Whoa, something's down there!" he cried, leaping behind her at the sound of scratching coming from below.

"Yeah…the cat," she said, reluctantly getting to her feet and stepping down the old wooden stairs. The creak of the wood did little to ease her tension. When was the last time Gramps had looked at these? The feudal era?

That scratching sound again…she felt something brush against her leg, and she yelped. Sota echoed her response, then he began to laugh at her when they both realized it was just the cat. She heard something from inside the well, something scratching. She turned away with Buuyou in hand, the whole scene oddly familiar. Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but could only look at her younger brother with a befuddled expression.

"What is it, sis," he asked. "Is something down there," he asked, fear creeping into his voice.

Kagome shook her head, the thought already gone as she leapt up the stairs, two at a time, to reach the top. She looked back, again half expecting something to happen, but nothing did. So she put the cat down and hurried off to school. If she were late again she'd be in hot water with her teacher. Again. Kagome reminded herself that punctuality was a sign of an adult, and turning 15 was a big step towards adulthood. No time to play around.

The sun shone brighter than it had all week. The clouds had broken the night before, the rains relenting. While the rain was good for the crops, she had to admit she hated it. Then again, it made you really appreciate the days it didn't rain. She heard the light patter of footsteps in the hallway, and the young, freckled face of her brother poked around the doorway.

"Hey sis, ready to train today," Kohaku asked, much more excited than usual. Perhaps training in the cold rain had been getting to him, she thought. Sango slid into her practice armor, the edges chipped and the color worn, and stepped into the brightness of the day.

The village was bustling as usual, but there was a renewed vigor about their routines. It wasn't because of the weather, it seemed, either. Sango approached their neighbor, a young girl who was seemingly daydreaming.

"Suzume, what's going on in the village today," Sango asked.

"Oh, hi Sango," the girl replied. "Nothing unusual," she paused, remembering something. "But there is a handsome young man about the village today," she squealed before regaining her composure and straightening her hair.

The young demon slayer barely nodded, her thoughts already on the day's training routine. Kohaku had shown a knack for his training, but he seemed to still be missing something. Father insisted there was nothing wrong, that his son's final training would pull everything together at once. Sango remembered the day all her training clicked, when handling her heavy Hiraikotsu ceased to become a labor and every movement felt perfect, felt right. The satisfaction of combat finally came to her, and with it a cool assured confidence.

She must have been daydreaming when the young monk passed her by, giving her an appreciative glance. His dark robes contrasted sharply with his pale skin, and his movements exuded a certain strength, both physical and spiritual. It might have been the light of the sunshine, but some would have argued that his smile actually sparkled.

"Why hello there," he smoothly spoke, leaning against a low fence by the family's garden. "I haven't seen you around here before," he added, turning up his considerable charm, flashing a smile with his eyes closed. His friendliness met with silence, he opened his eyes to see the attractive girl sitting with her back to him, running a whetting stone along the edge of her gigantic weapon. His face reddened at her shunning him, but he had to admit he enjoyed the view a bit more. He stepped around the fence, coming to her front, but she had already thrown her weapon over her shoulder and begun to walk away.

As she walked, Sango became aware of hot blood rushing to her face. She reflexively reached to her cheek, feeling a light burning sensation, and it surprised her. This was...different. No man had ever triggered such a reaction in her, not in all her sixteen years.

Pictures of a free life without fighting, a simple day to day life of holding hands in the sunshine and stealing secret kisses in the rain, began to assail her imagination. She felt a thrilling shudder run along her back, and she realized that such a life was one she wanted, no matter what she had told father and the others. She was still a woman after all, and this thought surprised her, as she had never thought of herself as that kind of woman, the kind that blushed so easily because of a man. It was this same impulse that urged her to turn around to see that handsome young man again, just once, despite her iron will. But he was now talking to Suzume, softly stroking her hand.

"Excuse me, miss...would you consider bearing my child," he asked, wearing a mischievous grin as Suzume giggled. Sango felt another hotness burning in her, a heat building to a head that would only be cooled by the fury of her training. Or...

"Say, monk," Sango called. "Would you care to help me with my training," she asked, stretching her lithe body to maximize the view. He came running over immediately like an obedient lapdog. Yes...violence wasn't a bad idea at all, she thought as she removed her now sharpened weapon.

"Certainly, young lady," he answered. "We should make sure your muscles are warmed up properly, though," he said, beginning to rub the muscles of her back. She felt his hand riding lower and lower, and she spoke, interrupting his progress.

"I feel like we're ready to start the next phase of training," Sango said, giving him a suggestive look.

"Oh, and what might that be," he asked flirtatiously, inching closer and closer to her.

"Running," she replied, as she hurled her weapon at the lecherous monk.

Kagome, more than anything, loved the lull of the evening. Her homework sat tucked away in her backpack, complete and double-checked. Dinner was delicious as usual, and there was nothing else to do but relax. It was one of the few pleasures of the school week, this content feeling of being ahead of the game.

The phone rang, breaking the stillness of the night. Kagome heard her mother calling out to her from downstairs. She rushed down the steps, half glancing at her brother struggling through his homework (finding a guilty, subtle pleasure in his desire to spend the time watching TV instead), and grabbing the receiver from the hook.

"I got it mom," she yelled, waiting to hear the click on the other line before speaking. She heard a boy's nervous voice on the other end.

Ah, to be young. Kagome walked about the house, her steps a bit lighter and her heart a flutter. Hojo, the hottest guy in school, had called her (HER!) and asked her out for a date (HER FIRST DATE!) over the weekend. She couldn't wait to tell her friends the news, the way she handled the conversation and calmly played it cool. She was so proud of herself, if only there was someone around who could appreciate it.

She heard the muffled voices of her grandfather and brother talking in Sota's room. It sounded like Sota wanted a scary story to end the night. Kagome laughed at the image of Sota cowering under the sheets later that night. As much as she loved her little brother, he was a class A pansy.

"Aww, come on Grandpa. Just this once...please?" he begged. She heard the old man sighing, reluctantly giving in. As if his scaring little Sota cost him any sleep.

"Very well. Let's see, what tale of horror to terrify you, Sota...? Eh, vampires? Mummies? Maybe werewolves?"

"Gramps, I'm not a kid anymore...give me the goods, the juicy stuff!" he blurted out, Kagome biting her lip to stifle the laughter as she stood in the dark hallway, remembering him not so long ago creeping into her room, terrified from his latest video game with zombies and monsters.

"Ah yes, how about some history while I'm at it," wondered the old man aloud, stroking his chin. "Many hundreds of years ago, there was a monster who walked this land, a man neither human nor demon. A creature that tormented our ancestors and the kind folk of this countryside, a creature that devoured helpless women and children despite their cries. Some say, even the one woman foolish enough to love him. A being without a soul, or heart, a being worse than any single man or demon, for he was a beast of neither world."

Sota's eyes widened, pulling the sheets up about his neck as his grandfather continued the story. "Wh-wha-what was the monster's name?"

"His name," replied their grandfather, "was Inuyasha." He said the name in a snarl, his face a twisted mask of animalistic, seething hatred.

Before she knew what she was doing, Kagome had burst through the door and was yelling at the two of them. "How DARE you tell made up stories like that to Sota? You don't know what happened, or if any of that story is even true! I can't believe you would go on to tell him a story like that just because he asked!" The two sat there, their eyes and mouths agape at her uncharacteristic anger. Realizing her overreaction, she blushed and quickly left the room, the two still stunned at her sudden intrusion and reaction.

"What's her problem?" whispered Sota.

"I suspect it's a part of her becoming a woman," answered their grandfather. "The same thing happened to your mother right about this age." As he spoke, a worried look came over his face. Sota ducked even more under his sheets.

"I don't know if I need scary stories anymore if she's going to be like that from now on, Gramps," he whispered.

Kagome fumed, her cheeks still a crimson red. Why had she reacted that way? The name Inuyasha...it felt so familiar. Perhaps she had heard the same story years ago, told differently. Maybe that could explain her anger at Gramps...him telling the story differently. No, that wasn't it, she thought as she paced about the house.

She found herself in front of the large tree in front of the shrine. It was strange, how often she had come to this same place with such a diverse range of emotions. She had come here in times of intense sadness and grief, in times of incredible joy and happiness. She wasn't sure what she felt now. She had thought she would be happy with everything happening with Hojo, but now...now she wasn't so sure what it was she really wanted. Sure, her friends would be envious of her, but that was such a trifling thing, really. She tried to think of the sad tale of Inuyasha, the half man half demon spurned by both worlds, but she felt it slipping away. A cold wind blew through the trees, whipping at her dark hair and sending a chill through her body. For some reason unknown to her, she felt an overwhelming sadness when looking upon the tree, and that one discolored spot in the wood high above her. Gramps had told her the tree had once nearly caught afire, but she still had doubts about that worn spot on the tree...

She returned to the house, casting one last regretful look at it. She spent the rest of the night imagining what she would wear for her big date that weekend. By morning, the memory of the story and her worried thoughts were forgotten.

The night wind grew colder, rattling the withered tree leaves from their branches. The two armed guards stood against the base of a wide tree, their displeasure obvious. Dark clouds masked the stars, casting the men in the pitch black of the late evening.

"Man, I hate guard duty," whined the younger man.

"I don't think anyone enjoys it," replied the older guard. "It's our turn anyways," he added wistfully.

"What's the big worry anyways," he asked. "The monster hasn't even moved in over fifty years."

"You're too young to remember what that beast was able to do when it could move."

"Well, so are you, 'old man'," he laughed. "This lifeless half demon can't be all that powerful...can it?""

"My father once told me the measure of a man's power is shown in how far he's willing to go to demonstrate that power. This monster murdered the one person that ever looked upon him as anything more than a monster, a kind and beautiful priestess. All her trust, her love...this creature destroyed that woman for the sake of power. That is what it is capable of."

"Huh," snorted the younger guard. "I'd say men aren't all that different from demons, then, if you were to ask me."

"Good thing the old and wise never need the answers of the young and brash," shot back the older man.

Their voices drifted into the still night, their laughter echoing off tall trees and snowy mountaintops. Inuyasha, however, heard none of this. He slept a dreamless slumber, an eternal journey through the abyss as his penance for the lives of his friends. The soul of a half demon is no different from that of a man; it seeks nourishment in the light, respite from the frigid darkness, the warm companionship of loved ones. For the half demon Inuyasha, his soul received none of this, only the heavy silence of the world, a world moving on without him as he slept his endless sleep.

THE END.