The return back to camp was easier than he expected, and he wasn't surprised when Shippo jumped into his arms, pleading with his large, watery emerald eyes to stay. Then there was Sango and Miroku who also approached him, and after explaining that he did not plan to leave them, they were over joyed.

"We're glad to hear that Link," Miroku replied before patting him friendly like on his shoulder. "Serena told us everything."

"Did she?" He asked before looking around the camp for his fairy friend. "Where is she?"

Both the slayer and the monk pointed to a small area where Kirara was nestled quietly. Atop the feline's fur was the small fairy; she hadn't even heard her companion return as she lay there sleeping.

Sango smiled. "She fell asleep a little while ago,"

Miroku nodded. "She must be exhausted. We did, after all, have a long day."

Inuyasha leapt down from his spot in the tree before sending a look in Link's direction. Sango and Miroku were quick to take notice of this and quietly excused themselves to sit by the fire in light conversation. After which, the half demon and the young boy stared at one another for the longest time.

Because he was still in the comfort of Link's arms, Shippo didn't have to think twice. He immediately jumped from Link's arms and rejoined his two friends by the fire, leaving Link and Inuyasha to talk things out.

Crossing his arms stubbornly, Inuyasha stepped closer to the young boy, who also took a step toward him. "Hey…listen…about earlier,"

Link shook his head. "It's alright. I understand. You had every right to distrust me," He explained, and at this, the half demon blinked. "It was a foolish idea on my part…"

"Keh! Damn stupid, if you ask me!" He replied with a roll of his eyes. "Listen, if you ever try something like that again…" He paused before narrowing his eyes in the direction of his listening friends. "I'll beat you upside the head and drag your ass with us!"

A small smile graced the young boy's face and he nodded. "I understand. And Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"Thank you."

Inuyasha blinked. Thank you? What was he thanking him for? "Huh? I didn't do anything."

Link wasn't sure why he never expressed his gratitude to the half demon, but it must have been because of their awkward and tense first meeting he shared with him and his friends. Of course it was only natural that there would be distrust between them during that time, and counting all the times he received glares and rude remarks from the half demon. "During our first meeting, you rescued me from a life threatening situation," Link replied before lowering his head in gratitude. "I thank you…I hope the two of us can get along from now on."

Thoroughly flabbergasted by this, the half demon found himself red in the face, his mouth opening and shutting. Never did he believe the kid would actually thank him, but he did. "Yeah…well…no problem…" Now he just felt awkward, but also satisfied, and maybe even happy. Hell he wasn't sure, but it was all in the past now. "Your foods getting cold,"

Nodding, Link rejoined the monk, slayer, Inuyasha and the young fox child by the fire, and the five quietly enjoyed the roasted fish and mushrooms as they awaited the priestess to return.

OOO

As the night waned on, the group talked amongst themselves around the blazing fire, laughing and sharing stories of their grand adventures. They revealed many of the dreadful and unexpected encounters they each shared, the enemies and friends made. Miroku had explained that if it wasn't for Kagome shattering the Sacred Jewel, he doubted that he or anyone else in the encampment would have become such close friends. Friends with the same goal in mind; the goal was to put an end to Naraku.

Miroku smiled. "It truly is amazing…" If he hadn't met Kagome or Inuyasha, he might have either continued traveling around searching in all the wrong places or he might have succumbed to his inevitable end by his nemesis.

Because she was enjoying the great conversation, Sango couldn't help but search around the camp. "I wonder where Kagome got to…"

"I believe she's still sitting by the hillside, looking at the stars," Link explained before tossing another piece of wood on the fire.

Hearing this Inuyasha made a noise that sounded like a snort. "Her and those damned stars. We see them every single night. You would think she'd be used to them by now."

Serena, who was awake at this point, casually seated on her companion's shoulder, looked between Link and Inuyasha curiously. "Huh?"

"You can't blame her," Sango replied. "Back in her world, the lights are so bright; you can hardly see the stars." The slayer remembered her female friend tell her these interesting things a while back during their journey.

"What? Lights at night?" Serena questioned. "That's impossible. How can there be a light so bright that it blocks out the stars?"

"I've seen it," Inuyasha explained with a knowing look, and hearing it from Inuyasha, who was the only person capable of traveling into Kagome's time, had everyone listening curiously. "She lives on this shrine, and you can't even see the stars. The lights in her village are so bright, that it's like looking at a bunch of…" He paused before looking at Serena. "Like of a bunch of fairies gathered together in one spot that never move," He explained. "And they are everywhere."

Now this had Serena's interest peaked. How amazing was that? "Wow…I want to go there one day…sounds interesting, her world…"

But at this, Inuyasha only shook his head. "No…you don't want to see it..." Even to his friends, it would be too much. "It's nothing like Termina, or our world for that matter…"

"How so?" Link asked.

"Well, one village stretches for miles and are three or four times taller than a castle," He explained. "They're made of this weird stone too…" Inuyasha didn't know how to describe it. "For one thing, it's too damned noisy there." A thought suddenly occurred to the half demon, and he figured it might interest his friends. "Apparently in her world, traveling to the moon is possible."

"The moon?!" Serena gasped. "No way!"

Inuyasha nodded. "It's true. I saw it on her moving box. Apparently humans have been trying to fly for years and now there are strange creatures flying through the sky."

"Moving box?" Link questioned.

"Creatures flying through the sky?" Serena asked.

Link and Serena shared a moment and couldn't quite make sense of it. One thing was certain; Kagome's world was indeed different compared to their own.

After a moment of attempting to explain in detail everything out of the ordinary in Kagome's time period, Inuyasha finally called it quits, before standing up and cracking his back from sitting too long. "Well I better go get her before she gets lost on her way back," He replied, but before he could take one step, he noticed a familiar girl in a sailor uniform saunter into the camp. "Hey, I was just about to come get y—" Inuyasha blinked. "What's wrong with you?"

Everyone turned to look at the young girl.

Stopping, Kagome looked at the half demon blankly. "Huh? What did you say?" She asked feeling a little dazed. The young girl was still caught up in her kiss with Link.

Inuyasha approached her, and from the sight of her reddened face, he placed a hand to her forehead. "You're not getting sick again, are you?"

"What? Oh I'm fine…Thanks for asking," She said before sauntering past him and leaving him quite dumbfounded.

When she arrived at her sleeping back, Serena fluttered over to her. "So did you enjoy those stars?"

"Stars?" Kagome asked. When she looked over her shoulder and spotted Link staring at her, she blushed before turning back to the fairy. "Yeah…I was enjoying the stars…it was the best night ever…of watching stars…" She sighed before pulling the blanket over her as she laid down with her back to everyone. "I think I'll go ahead to bed now…good night everyone," With that said, she closed her eyes, but not before smiling to herself happily. "Best night ever…" She whispered to herself.

Everyone shared a look.

"Man…I need to go to that hillside and look at those stars!" Serena exclaimed. If it had Kagome feeling this great, then why not herself? "Link, let's go look at those stars togeth—hey, where are you going?" At the sight of her companions lying down in the grass with his eyes closed, she felt disappointed. "Don't tell me you're going to sleep too?" Sighing, she fluttered to the sleeping kitten nestled next to Sango.

From the sound of the little fairy coughing, the slayer couldn't help but worriedly look at her. "Serena?" Sango questioned before holding her hands out to the little fairy. "Are you feeling alright?"

The fairy nodded. "I'm okay. I kind of feel a little off today for some reason…"

"You're light seems a little less bright than normal," She replied before pondering to herself. "Maybe it's something going around…" Kagome was acting a little weird and her face was red it seemed; so maybe her and Serena were getting sick?

When the little fairy fell asleep, Miroku and Sango turned their attention to Inuyasha, who was at this point, suspiciously hanging around too close to Kagome's sleeping back where the young girl slept silently.

"Inuyasha what are you doing?" Miroku asked from his seat beside Sango.

Crouching down in front of her, Inuyasha was able to get a good look at the priestess's face. "The idiot has a stupid smile on her face!" He explained before narrowing his eyes. If that wasn't bad enough, she was also giggling.

Miroku laughed. "I am quite curious now. Maybe you and I, Sango, should go to that hill and look at those stars?" He affectionately placed a hand upon her shoulder, drawing the woman into him suddenly. Sadly, he was rewarded with a slap to his face when his hand traveled too far downward.

"Look at those stars, monk!"

OOO

An eerie and cool breeze brushed by the camp in which the travelers soundly slept, and what were once overhanging, sparkling stars looking down on the land of Termina were now blanketed by the ominous clouds of a storm fast approaching.

Disturbed by an unsettling dream, the priestess, nestled inside her sleeping bag, whimpered. It was a dream somewhat different than her last once dreamt in Great Bay. Blood was not symbol dominate in her sleep, but this time, she heard a voice as clear as can be, a soothing yet frightened voice calling out to her in warning.

Dream

No longer standing within the camp among her friends, Kagome found herself looking out upon the land of Termina. The ominous red moon was still present in the night sky, and as she squinted in the dark, she noticed an eerie silence press down upon her and the land; it was the same silence during the last earthquake she experienced on Romani's Ranch. However this time, she felt more disturbed than anything she'd ever felt before.

Clock Town sat in the distance, the ticking hands turning on the face of the Clock Tower ever presently loud in her ears, even from so far away. If she had to guess, the clock and the ticking symbolized that of the hour glass from her previous dream; there wasn't much time left…

Pressing a hand to her chest, Kagome couldn't help but close her eyes. They finally acquired the third pendant, but now only one remained. Was there enough time to reclaim it?

"Great Fairy…" She whispered to herself solemnly. "are you still there?" She asked.

As if to answer her question, the town in the distance suddenly faded from sight, and alarmed by this, Kagome watched helplessly as everything around her slowly succumbed to its inevitable. The grass beneath her feet was wilting, and the trees decayed to a sickening gray until not even their brittle branches could support themselves.

"This can't happen…" She voiced aloud.

The wind carried with it an angelic and frail voice, and it was so familiar that it had Kagome suddenly turn and look around in each direction for its owner. "Help…"

"Great fairy? Where are you?"

"My children…please…there isn't much time left…" The weakened voice of the Great Enchantress pleaded.

No longer standing within the dying field of Termina, Kagome found herself standing within a small pool of crystalline water; it was then that she realized she was in a Fairy Fountain. A small gathering of pink fairies circled the small pool, their lights dim and the transparent wings drooping as they fluttered in a frail and drained dance.

"My children…save them…I beg of you…"

One by one, the fairies fell into the spring, their lights fading as the water engulfed their small forms until nothing was left but the last of their glittering dust floating atop its surface.

A tear trickled down the priestess's face, and she held a hand up to her mouth trying to stifle back the sob threatening to escape.

"Save her...please…"

Kagome gulped. "Who…who should I save?"

"Save…her…my sweet Ser…"

End Dream

OOO

A clash of thunder and lightning lit the sky as a downpour of rain fell upon the land, and it was such a surprise that it awakened the once sleeping priestess into a seated position in her sleeping bag. Her raven hair was matted against her face, dripping wet and her eyes hastily searched the camp for signs of a certain pink fairy sleeping close by. The sound of her heart drumming in her chest did little to help her as she anxiously stood up and ran around the camp in disarray; her tiredness was easily forgotten at this point.

"Serena?! Serena?!"

From the loudness of the young priestess's voice, Sango and Miroku, who were casually leaning against the other in slumber, awoke to find their female friend hastily running around the camp with a storm raining down on them.

"Serena?!"

Inuyasha cocked open an eye before lifting himself off the branch before squinting his eyes to look at the girl shouting throught the storm below. When he found her running around in circles annoyingly and questionable, he leapt from the tree to stand before her. "What the hell are you doing?" From her panicked expression, he couldn't help but move closer to her. "What's wrong? Kagome?"

"It's Serena! She's in trouble!"

"What?" He asked confusedly.

Kagome ran a hand through her hair, pushing it from her face before turning around, only to spot Sango, Shippo and Miroku behind her, staring at her with the same expression as Inuyasha's. "Where is Serena?!"

Everyone turned to the last spot they saw the fairy, but she was missing, along with Link. They were both gone, and it was at this point that Kagome felt her legs go weak.

"Why are you acting like this? Kagome, what's wrong?" Sango questioned, but the raven haired girl only shook her head repeatedly, berating herself mentally.

"Because…Serena's dying!" She cried.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. Serena was dying? What the hell was his friend talking about? "Look, I don't know what's going on, but are you sure you didn't just have some nightmare?"

"I'm positive!" She replied before pushing past the half demon, who responded by grasping her elbow. "Let me go! I have to save her!" Her tear filled eyes looked back at him, and it was at that instant that he believed her and relinquished his grip.

"The stream…help…"

Hearing the faint voice, Kagome grasped Inuyasha by his arm, much to his surprise and everyone else's. "Inuyasha, where is the nearest stream?"

"What?"

"Please!"

Pausing, he stared at her for the longest second before turning one way and then another. Over the crashing thunder and pelting rain, Inuyasha picked up the sounds of a stream not far from their camp, and with it, his nose picked up the scent of salt. He pointed in the direction of the thicket of trees that led into the forest back toward the swamp.

Without the least amount of hesitation and ignoring the calls of her friends to wait, Kagome ran in the direction where she hoped to find the little fairy. The dream had warned her to save Serena, and now she was missing.

"Kagome! Wait up!" Shippo cried some distance back with the others.

As she ran, she pushed past the shrubberies and the branches of trees to locate the running stream. Unfortunately, she failed to notice an obscured root in front of her, and she fell into the mud, her knee landing on a sharp rock before she let out a painful gasp. It bled, but that did not stop her from getting back up.

For what seemed like heart pounding minutes and anxious worrying, the priestess sprinted into a clearing where the sounds of the rushing water filled her ears, and as she stopped to catch her breath, her hands on her knees breathlessly, she lifted her head silently.

Near the edge of the torrent, her eyes landed on a crouched form of a young warrior with his back to her and his head lowered. Though it was a little difficult to see through the rain, she knew it was him.

Kagome gulped before hesitantly stepping toward him. "Link…" She softly voiced, but the minute she noticed his shoulders trembling, she stopped.

When Link heard her whisper his name, he turned his head, but his bangs hid his expression. "Kagome…I don't know what to do for her…" He replied before turning his head back to look at the small and frail form of his fairy friend in his palm.

In an instant she was at his side, kneeling next to him and her eyes widened. The little fairy was still in his palm, her pink light flickering and nearly gone. Kagome wasn't even sure if she was still alive or not, but that didn't stop her from placing her hands beneath Link's as he silently held the small fairy.

He only offered her a small glance before his eyes shifted back to his weak companion. The soft glow of the priestess's healing powers shone brightly through the rain and encompassed the small fairy whose light brightened to a small extent, and it was enough to bring small hope into their hearts. Yet, as much as it seemed to work, her light dimmed once more.

"I'm too late…" Kagome whispered more to herself than to Link, but Link caught it. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes and she almost couldn't bring herself to look at Link beside her, gently stroking the small fairy.

Serena stirred, but she was unable to move. She saw the crouched forms of her two friends looking down at her dripping wet from the storm, but she felt nothing. "Link…"

"I'm here!" He replied as he leaned forward. He almost couldn't hear her, she was speaking so softly. "Serena—"

"Link…don't worry…" She breathlessly voiced. "Don't…be upset…"

The priestess held a hand to her mouth, the tears spilling from her eyes as she listened to the small fairy whisper her last words to her companion. Why hadn't her healing powers worked?

The little fairy paused. "I'm…not really…leaving…Things will…get better…you'll see," She replied softly. "Promise…stay brave…Don't shut…anyone else out…" Her vision was slowly darkening and she almost didn't have the strength to say anything else. Serena didn't want to leave Link or anyone else for that matter, but she knew there was nothing she could do to stop the inevitable.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Link struggle to contain his emotions. He was clenching his teeth and his entire form seemed rigid as he attempted to hold back the sob in his throat. This was really happening…Link was going to lose another friend with whom he cared deeply for…

"Ka…gome…"

Kagome returned her eyes to the dying fairy. "Yes, Serena?" She asked, nearly sobbing.

"Keep an…eye…on him…please," She replied tiredly. "Promise…"

She nodded before biting her lip as another sob threatened to make itself known. Kagome wiped her eyes before nodding again. "I promise."

Grateful to the priestess and grateful to Link for always being there for her, the small fairy's light slowly darkened and the light in her wings vanishing entirely. "Link…I love you…I…always…will…"

When she said nothing more, Link felt a squeezing pressure wrap itself around his heart. The small ball of energetic energy that had been his companion for a few years and had remained by his side no matter the circumstances was gone. "Serena?" But she didn't answer, and Link didn't want to admit the truth, that she was dead, gone from this world entirely. "Serena?" He nearly choked as the tears flooded his eyes. 'Don't leave me…'

It wasn't but just a minute after that her unmoving form burst into a small pile of glittering dust and a gust of strong wind carried her fairy dust away, leaving Link and Kagome clouded with grief.

Shippo cried. As much as he didn't want to, he couldn't help it. He and his friends had arrived almost too late when they witnessed the small fairy give her final farewells to Link and Kagome near the stream.

Sango and Miroku lowered their heads at the passing of little Serena, and Inuyasha couldn't help but clench his hands tightly before turning his head away to hide the tears.

For the longest moment, Link blankly stared at his empty palms. She was gone, for good. There was no possible way to bring her back. Clenching his teeth, Link balled his fist and slammed it at the ground. His angered and desolate cry was silenced by the raging storm brewing around him and his teammates.

Unable to hold back from seeing her companion in so much pain, Kagome threw her arms around his shoulders, holding him into her chest. She could feel his entire body tremble as his sobbing became more profound. Even the tears he had tried to hold back spilled from his eyes. 'I'm so sorry Link…I'm sorry…'