Chapter 2

June 30, 2006

iNuQTpIe: Well, I guess you will just have to find out what the two do. Thank you for reviewing my one shot and then both versions of chapter one of this, you make me happy. Here is chapter two, please enjoy.

Angela: Alright, to answer your question, I do hope to update on Fridays again, and with summer vacation on, I hope to keep it up even better than last time. Thank you soooooooo much for reviewing this for me, I hope you will let me know if this is as good as Across A Land, if not better. (Wink) Always gotta go for better, right? Lol, hope you enjoy chapter two, let me know! Thanks.

Kalei: First, let me say it's good to see you back as well. (insert smile here) (lol) Here is chapter two for you, hope you like it as much as you seemed to the first. Please let me know how this chapter is as well, I await your review excitedly. (but then again, I always did that anyway.) Thanks!

Flower Tears: Here is the next chapter, hope you enjoy, let me know!

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns the Inu-Yasha Co. anyone else is mine, so no suing or stealing please. Thanks!

It's been three days, and not even a sign of either Yui or Arashi. My body has begun to slow with lack of sleep and food. What is he doing to my daughter…? Is she even alive still…? I burry my face into Hokori's neck as he flies, I can't think about that. We will find her, Inu-Yasha and I will kill the bastard and get Yui back…

"Kagome, you need to eat, just a little bit." Inu-Yasha is next to me, his one knee propped behind my back, holding me up. How did I get on the ground…? I turn my head away as my mate holds a bite of fish near my mouth.

"I'm not hungry." I mutter, closing my eyes.

"Kagome, look at me." His voice is stern. "Kagome!" He snaps when I don't move. His hand comes to hold my chin, turning my face up to his. My eyes slowly open. "You can't do this to yourself!"

"He took her… I can't sense her…"

"We will find her! You need your strength to do that though, you need to eat. Eat some fish Kagome." His voice softens and his hand strokes my cheek. I wince at his wisdom, but nod slowly.

"Yes, you're right." I take the small amount of fish into my mouth and chew slowly. "I'm sorry, Inu-Yasha…" I whisper as I swallow. He doesn't reply, just pulling me into his chest.

"We'll find her. Don't worry, Kagome, I won't let anything happen to Yui." He strokes my hair, finally lulling me into an uneasy sleep after three days.

((The Ending of a Beginning))

My eyes open with a snap and I sit up from Inu-Yasha. It is now morning, I was able to sleep through the night, but something is tugging at the edge of my brain… "Yui…" Breath rushes past my lips. I can sense her! "Inu-Yasha!" I turn to his serious eyes.

"Let's move." He says quickly, helping me to my feet. There is only an instant hesitation before he pulls me onto his back and we are no more than a flash through the land. I turn my head slightly as another flash catches my eye; Hokori.

"Inu-Yasha, can you smell her?" I ask as I turn my head forward again. He nods.

"They're up ahead a ways, but have stopped moving. We should be there soon, just hang on." Inu-Yasha replies.

I nod and fall silent. Yui is alive and alright, I can feel her aura. We'll get there in time.

Inu-Yasha skids to a halt an hour later. My eyes widen in surprise at the huge castle now before us. This wasn't here a few weeks ago… we just traveled through this area. Inu-Yasha begins to growl, his body vibrating under me. I turn to look at Hokori as he too begins to snarl and bare his fangs. A laugh draws my attention back to the castle.

"So you have come, miko and hanyou." Arashi's voice echoes on the air.

"Where's my daughter!" I shout at his voice.

"She is with me, miko." Arashi replies. I watch as rows of tiger youkai take up spots along the castle wall. My eyes scan the bodies and their weapons as my mind searches for Yui's location.

"Come out and fight us!" Inu-Yasha steps forward with his challenge. Arashi laughs again.

"Oh hanyou, you don't stand a chance against me." At the youkai's words, a blast of youki washes over me. A gasp leaves my lips as my vision spins and black tugs at my mind.

"Inu-Yasha…" I call as I collapse to my knees. I press my hands to my head, trying futilely to stop the pain. I hear a scream rip from my throat as the power of the youki increases.

"Kagome…" Inu-Yasha's voice breaks into the pain, but my vision is blacking out, everything is being muffled. Inu-Yasha's golden eyes appear over me for a second before the pain is too much and I am lost in darkness.

((The Ending of a Beginning))

The first thing I am aware of is the sound of a fire. I moan softly as my head pounds. I try to turn over, but a clawed hand stops me. "Inu-Yasha…" I breathe at his touch.

"How do you feel, Kagome?" His voice beats into my head. I open my eyes to look at him.

"I've been better." I wince as I reply. "How long have I been out?"

"All day."

"What happened?" I sigh slowly. My eyes reopen at my silence. "Inu-Yasha…?" Fear creeps into my voice. "Inu-Yasha, what is it?" I ask again, sitting up despite his protest. "Did you see Yui! Is she alright! Inu-Yasha!"

"Kagome!" He shouts back, his hands clenching on my upper arms. I can feel my heart pounding as I gasp for breath. "Kagome…" Inu-Yasha whispers this time. I stare into his eyes a second.

"She's alright?" I whisper back.

"I don't know..." My mate answers quietly.

"Inu-Yasha, I…" I don't finish the thought. "So that youki was…?" My voice trails off again as I realized that I had been knocked out by Arashi's youki alone.

"Yes." Inu-Yasha nods.

Silence falls again and all that registers is my head pounding evenly with my heart.

"We need help, Kagome." Inu-Yasha says later. My eyes turn to focus on his face.

"Help?" I question. My confusion grows as he pulls me to his chest.

"I'm going to Koga's den in the morning."

"What!" I sharply pull away, the sudden movement making my head spin. It takes me a second to see straight again, but as soon as I see one Inu-Yasha I fix him with a glare. "I thought we agreed that would be a bad idea."

"Arashi is too powerful, he completely knocked you unconscious, Kagome."

"Then I'll get stronger."

"We don't have time to train. We need more power now. Koga's wolf tribe is strong, if I can persuade them to help us, we have a chance of beating Arashi."

I don't argue this time, lowering my head. Inu-Yasha is right, I felt the power of Arashi, and he's much more powerful than Naraku ever was.

"Kagome," Inu-Yasha whispers my name. I allow him to hold me again. We sit silently for a little while.

"I'll go." My voice breaks the air. My mate's grip tightens on my arms as he pulls me back from his chest. His gaze is trained on me as he speaks.

"You're not going alone."

"Koga will listen to me."

"You're not going alone." He repeats.

"Wait for me outside the Taijiya village."

"Why the village?"

"You said help. Arashi is a youkai; we could use the help of the Taijiya."

He stares at me silently, thinking. "You…" he looks away from me. "You want to ask Sango and Miroku for help?"

"There are others there too, Inu-Yasha. We are going to need all the help we can get." I reach up and pull his face back to me. "You are willing to go to Koga, why not all of our friends?" His mouth opens to reply, but I shake my head to quiet him. "I want to get Yui back as fast as possible. In order to do that we need to defeat Arashi, and I'd rather be over prepared than beaten again."

He again stares intently at me. "Alright, we will go to Koga's den in the morning and then head to the Taijiya village after that." He replies quietly. He leans down to place a kiss on my forehead. "You are just as convincing as when I first met you."

"I'll take that as a complement." I smile as I wrap my arms around him again, taking strength from his warmth. I fell him chuckle as he holds me close. As my body relaxes, fear and sadness eat their way back into my heart. "We'll win, right? Just like always?" I can feel the tears prick at my eyes. Inu-Yasha's arms tighten around me, but he doesn't reply. I fight back the tears.

"Get some sleep, you still need to rest." He whispers. My eyes screw closed, but a lone tear escapes.

He's scared too.

A/N: Hey again everyone! How was the chapter? Please let me know, cause I wrote this one numerous times, and my beta said she liked this one the best, so here it is for you. Leave me a review and make me a happy author. I know you all know where the button is. I'll be happy if you review with 'good' or 'bad' even, just let me know! Show me how to be better for my readers! Ok, I think I've talked enough, see you all next Friday!

Myst