Author's Note: Happy New Year everyone! And here we go, fresh into a new year, continuing our tale of loss and love, magic and youkai. Will 2016 be the year I actually finish this thing? I hope.

I've decided to start replying to reviews on my tumblr blog that I am not able to reply to here on. So from this point on, if you leave me a review as a guest or not logged in, you can check out my tumblr blog for my reply! I feel bad not being able to answer you guys. You can find my replies under the tag: Review Replies.

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated again to LadyCash, for being my 350th reviewer! Some people just have all the luck. Thank you so much for your continued reviews LadyCash, and I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek, as well as the full chapter!

Disclaimer: I wrote my first Inuyasha fanfiction seventeen years ago (should have updated that sooner!). And still, I own none of the Inuyasha series or its characters. So sad.

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Chapter 26: Resurgence

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Kagome

Her world swayed under her body.

It was a gentle lapping, a rising and falling. Kagome was on her back. She could feel sturdy wood underneath her. She opened her eyes to a crystal clear sky. It was wide and deep, not a single cloud present. It filled up her vision.

She had been sleeping for a while now, the warm sun beating on her skin. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she had to have been out for a while now, as her nose felt dry and tight, signifying the onset of a sunburn.

Kagome reached out and gripped the sides of the small rowboat, hoisting herself up into a seated position. She looked around for her sunscreen. She should have brought it with her, she would have never fallen asleep under the sun without it. She looked around, under her feet, shifting her weight to see if it was under her body.

But there was nothing. No bag, no towel, no sunscreen. She realized then that she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, not her swimsuit like she normally would have.

How strange… she thought, gripping her shirt into her hands and peeking under the collar, only to find a bra instead of a two-piece top. What the heck was I thinking? Coming to the conclusion that she was losing her mind, Kagome sighed and lifted her head to figure out where she'd drifted to.

She was far out in the middle of a gigantic lake. High mountains rose up every which way in the distance. The water underneath her was flat, like glass. She hadn't realized the boat had stopped its gentle rocking. Now it was still. Everything was still.

Kagome gripped one side of the boat and leaned slowly over the edge, cautious not to tip herself over. The water was a deep, royal blue color that only allowed her to see so far down. It was beautiful, and she wanted to touch it.

She reached out and dipped her fingers into the water. It was cool and wet, and she pulled her hand up to wipe some of the liquid on her sunburnt nose.

Her fingers came up covered in blood.

Oh god, what the hell? She thought, staring at her fingers. She leaned over the side of the boat again, peering deep into the water. It was the same brilliantly dark blue color, nothing like the thick, sticky red that stuck to her hand.

She gazed deeper, looking for where the substance had come from. Her nose inches from the flat surface.

Then she saw it.

Hojou's face materialized from below, rising slowly, slowly, slowly towards the surface. His face was pale, his lips blue, perfectly preserved save for the blood seeping out into the water from the split in his scalp. Kagome reached out a trembling hand to touch him. She wanted to pull him up out of the water, take him back to land and bury him properly. He came closer, just below the surface. Her fingertips brushed across his skin.

He opened his eyes. They were filled with blood.

Kagome reared back into the boat, the blood-water mixture splashing up, wet and sticky against her face. She watched, horrified, as Hojou's pale, water-wrinkled fingers reached up and gripped onto the side of the boat, pulling himself up, pushing the edge down.

Kagome opened her mouth to scream, but his hand clamped down on hers as water quickly rushed in, soaking her clothes. She could feel now, how the blood thickened the water as it swallowed her legs below the surface. She smelled Hojou's rotting flesh as he pressed it up against her face, stifling her screams.

"Don't leave me..." his open mouth said. It was missing a tongue, the word gargling in his throat as water poured out past his lips. "Kagome… Don't leave me…" He was staring at her. She could tell, even through the blood that swam where his eyes should have been. Red trails pathed their way down his cheeks.

He was staring at her.

She screamed into his hand.

She screamed.

She screamed.

The hand was over her mouth, wrinkled but dry against her lips. "Hush, child," Kaede whispered as Kagome's screams trailed off into heavy breathing. "It's okay, you're safe."

Kagome could feel her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She was coated in sweat. Her bedclothes stuck to her body. She was uncomfortably hot yet freezing cold on the inside. She shivered.

Kade removed her hand and picked up a mug that had been sitting on the nightstand. She offered it to Kagome, going so far as to picking up her hand and wrapping her fingers around the mug for her.

It was warm against her palms and fingers.

"Drink," the old woman ordered.

Kagome obeyed, taking big, long swallows of the soothing liquid. She felt it slowly warm her insides, felt it calm her nerves. It tasted like honeysuckle and lavender and… what she could only describe as gold. It was a taste she'd never experienced before. She looked up at Kaede who was still perched on the side of the bed. "What is this?" She asked.

"It's a home remedy. A special tea to help calm your soul. I haven't heard your story yet, but you've been through some trauma. That much is obvious. If you drink this daily, your dreams will soon disappear."

"Does it have medicine in it?"

Kaede smiled. "You could say so." She moved from the side of the bed and placed a new set of clothes on the covers. "Get dressed. After breakfast I will take you to the woods again."

"How's…" Kagome started as Kaede made her way from the room. The old woman paused just inside the doorway, her chin turned over her shoulder.

"Inuyasha is fine, it is his turn again today. No more questions. Come eat."

Kagome looked down at the tea in her hands as Kaede made her exit. She could feel her nightmare beginning to fade, like most dreams do. She gulped down the rest of the liquid, then stood and headed to the bathroom with her fresh change of clothes.

The hot, steaming water was a godsend. She stood under the shower head, just letting the jets relax her muscles. Today was day three since she and Inuyasha arrived at Kaede's forest. The first morning had been strange, but relaxing compared to what had become Kagome's life over the last couple weeks. Kaede had made her a traditional breakfast. The old woman didn't ask anything about what happened to her and her friends, which was fine with Kagome. She didn't want to talk about it.

Kaede kept her busy though, taking her out into the meadow and picking herbs, helping with the laundry, doing normal everyday tasks. Kagome was more than happy to assist. Anything to get her mind off of Sango and Hojou. Anything to get her mind off of what Inuyasha was doing in that room.

On the second day, when Kaede had announced it was her turn to take over and disappeared inside the room, Kagome had expected Inuyasha to emerge. She sat in the tidy, sparse living room, staring at the dark screen of a 50's style television covered in dust. She wasn't sure if it had ever been turned on. Kaede didn't seem like the type to watch T.V.

An hour passed. Then another. By hour four, Kagome got tired of sitting still, and instead headed outside to look for the same herbs Kaede had taught her about the day before. It was more difficult than Kagome thought it would be. It was hard for her to concentrate. Without Kaede's constant chatter about idle topics to distract her, her mind conjured up constant images of her friend's bodies split open, their blood splattered stark against the light walls. The feeling of Kikyou's hands around her neck. Of her contorted face, filled with terrifying hatred.

She angrily wiped the tears away from her eyes and started ripping out some of the herbs she thought might match the ones Kaede had pointed out the other day. She stared at the roots in her hands.

She broke down. In the meadow, on the dirt, a weed in her hand, Kagome sobbed, her sorrow echoing out through the forest.

Inuyasha never came out that day. And as the sky darkened, Kagome finally headed back inside, having nothing else to do but climb into bed and close her eyes. Then came the dream of Hojou.

Kagome was relieved that Kaede was out of the room again. Now at day three, she had lots of questions for the old woman. Maybe they would be done with the healing soon? Maybe she would be able to go in and visit? Kagome washed quickly, dried off, and changed into her fresh clothing. She wrapped her hair up in a towel and headed out towards the kitchen.

Breakfast was waiting for her at the counter, and she sat down at her place just as Kaede started to pour her some tea. Kagome leaned down to sniff it. "Ah, it's the same as before," she noted, thanking her before taking another sip and wondering again at the incredible, new taste on her tongue.

"Are you feeling better?" Kaede asked.

"Yes, thank you," she replied politely. She paused, biting her lip before collecting her courage. "How… how are my friends?" Her voice sounded weaker than she would have liked. She was hoping to sound aloof.

Kaede hesitated slightly, she saw it as she put the tea away, before ambling over and smiling. "No change, I'm afraid." She must have noticed Kagome's dejected look, because she reached out and patted gently at her hand. "Now, now dear, don't give up. No change is good. It means they are still alive. Do not worry about them until the week's end."

Kagome pouted. "I was hoping it wouldn't take so long," she admitted.

"Aye, we all hope the same. After my session yesterday, I do believe a week will be the least amount of time until we know for sure."

She nodded and started in on her breakfast. "How about Inuyasha?" She asked over a mouthful of eggs. "He didn't come out yesterday."

Kaede chucked. "Don't expect him to come out at all. He's stubborn, that one. He won't face you until the weeks' end is my guess."

"Why not? He can't possibly blame himself, he-"

The old woman held up a hand to interrupt. "Let's not discuss such things right now, child," she said. "Finish up and let's get outside. We won't be picking herbs today. Today I have something different planned."

She tried not to let her disappointment show. Kaede was being very generous, and it wouldn't be right to go against her wishes. She was nervous without Inuyasha, however, and it didn't sit well with her that she was not able to go into the room.

Still, she finished the last of her breakfast as instructed, swallowing it down with the last of the tea, and followed Kaede back into the living room, where the old woman picked up a dusty bow and quiver set that sat in the far corner. It too, like the television, was covered in dust. "Come now," she said, ambling towards the front door.

Kagome followed, silent. The weapon confused her. Kaede sure didn't look like she hunted. She looked like she could barely pick up a rock, but if Kagome had learned anything since this all began, it was that you should never assume a book by its cover.

The thought brought back flashes of Hojou. Flirting, dates, holding hands, kissing… How different he looked as he faced down Inuyasha, trading punches, moving faster than she'd ever seen him move before. She hadn't known he could make such a face, full of concentration and quick thought. How unbelievably strong he was as he held her back from Inuyasha's mirror.

The tears sprang up again, and she tried to choke them down as she trailed along behind Kaede. She didn't want to think about what happened in that room anymore. The thought that both Hojou and Sango may have lived their last moments fighting for their lives because of her… It was too much to bear. So she choked it back, all of it, as they walked out into the forest, where the old woman turned to her once they reached the meadow and lifted the bow up for her to take.

Puzzled, Kagome reached out and accepted the bow. It felt awkward in her hands. She watched as Kaede walked towards the edge of the forest, maybe five feet from where she stood, and hung a target on the rough bark of the closest tree. Then she turned to Kagome.

"Our goal for the rest of your stay here is to get you somewhat proficient at protecting yourself. The journey you and Inuyasha will embark on is not an easy one, and it is far from safe. Kikyou and her minions being on your trail will not be your only worry." She gently patted the tree. "You will spend the morning attempting to hit this target. You must shoot at least one hundred arrows before lunch."

Kagome tried to keep her jaw from dropping. Failed. One hundred? What was the old woman thinking? She watched, eyes wide, as Kaede ambled up to her and picked up an arrow, holding it up for her to see. She pointed towards the end, where four white feathers spread out. "This slit in the wood allows you to load an arrow. Place it snugly on the string, where the nock is. Pull it back, aim and release. The old woman smiled at Kagome's stupor before moving past her towards the house. "Uh.." Kagome managed to say smartly.

Kaede turned her head, a single brow raised. "Aye?" She asked.

"One… One hundred?" Kagome repeated.

"Aye, one hundred. We need to get some muscle memory into your arms. Strengthen you up."

Kagome shook her head in disbelief. "Why not a sword? Or a gun?" She shivered, remembering how using a gun against Inuyasha had fared for her and Sango. Okay, maybe not a gun.

Kaede flashed an amused smile her way. "I'm afraid the bow is the only weapon I know anything about." She said, turning again and heading towards the house. Kagome watched her go until she closed the front door behind her.

Kagome looked down at the bow in her hands. It was heavy, made from solid wood, the center wrapped with strips of what was once probably white cloth, but was now an aged yellow color. The string that ran from one end to the other was taught and sturdy. She gently plucked at the string. It barely gave.

She pondered what would happen if she left the bow and went back inside and refused. Twenty shots she could understand. Thirty, maybe. But one hundred? She frowned. Wouldn't it be better to learn healing herbs, like Kaede seemed so well versed in? Kagome was far from athletic. She'd never been into sports or martial arts like Sango. She preferred hanging out at the arcade or shopping at the mall or karaokeing with friends. And her studies. She was way more studious than she was brawny.

But… She bit her bottom lip. But I'm not in any place to choose, am I? She felt her teenage stubbornness at war with who she'd become over the past few days. She wasn't any older than when she'd first met Inuyasha. She was still a seventeen-year-old girl who, other than losing her father, hadn't truly known any hardship. But she felt different. She felt… older, somehow. And before, where she'd have originally been flippant about such things as learning the bow, she couldn't help but be ashamed by her immature impulse.

Because even now, after coming across the dangers of magic, of learning of her past, after being chased and attacked by Kikyou and those that followed her… After realizing Sango and Hojou's true selves, after her fear and deep-seeded need for Inuyasha all wrapped up within each other… After all that, she was still the one to come away unscathed. At least, less scathed than the others. She was not the one currently on the brink of death. Her brother was not the one possessed by an evil priestess. How could she possibly go inside and refuse Kaede's wish? How could she possibly act so childish?

Her grip tightened on the bow. One hundred? Fine. She would shoot one hundred arrows by lunch, no problem. It was nothing compared to what she'd been told of Sango's rigorous training. One hundred arrows was nothing compared to facing off with Kikyou.

One hundred arrows was nothing.

Kagome reached down to the quiver and pulled out a single arrow. The tip was made of carved stone, or… on closer look, bone, maybe? The end was notched and decorated with simple white feathers. She glanced up at her target before nocking her arrow.

Or trying, anyway.

She fumbled, dropped the arrow, cursed and picked it up. Tried to nock it again. Failed. She could feel herself already becoming impatient. Come on, girl, she said to herself, don't let this stupid thing beat you already. Sighing, she tried again.

It nocked! Oh, joy! She did a little hop of excitement before reeling it in and reminding herself to focus. This was only the first step.

Kagome had never held a bow in her life. The only experience she had with a bow was from watching movies. Pulling upon those memories, she held the shaft of the bow in her left hand, the nocked arrow in her right, and slowly attempted to pull the string back, as forcefully as she possibly could.

Oh, it was difficult! The string was taut, and she struggled to pull back and keep the weapon as a whole steady. Carefully, she aimed. Her arms shook. She felt the first pricks of perspiration on her hairline.

She released the arrow.

It promptly fell to the ground by her feet.

"Ah…" she said, slightly embarrassed. She grit her teeth and nocked the arrow again. Drew it back.

She already felt weaker than her first attempt. But this time at the moment of release, it actually moved forward a few inches.

Two down, ninety-eight to go, Kagome thought as she picked up failed arrow number two and re-nocked.

"Again." She said aloud, drawing it back.

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Her arms were like putty and her entire body drenched in sweat by the time Kaede appeared by her side. She was in the midst of aiming, but with her heavy breathing and tremoring muscles, she couldn't keep it on-target. Not that she'd hit it even once. Not that she'd come even close.

She grunted against the pain, knowing Kaede was there beside her, watching. She released.

The arrow flew off target to the left and about half a foot too short. Panting, Kagome doubled over and rested her hands on her knees. She glanced up at Kaede. Managed a smile. "Lunch ready yet?"

"Aye, ready and waiting," the old woman replied. "How have we been doing so far?"

Kagome straightened up slowly, stretching the muscles in her back, wheeling her shoulders to stretch those too. "Three more and I'm golden." She replied, taking a deep breath and reaching down to her pile of arrows. She had, over the past four hours, emptied her quiver as her arrows slowly shot further and further from where she stood. Once she was out, she'd gone out to collect them and pile them up beside her. She didn't bother re-loading the forgotten quiver on the ground. And so it had gone, shooting until she was out, then collecting and bringing them back.

She felt Kaede's hand on her shoulder as she began to nock. "How about stopping here, child?" She suggested. "You've done quite a bit already."

Kagome paused. It was tempting. It was incredibly tempting. Her entire upper body ached. She was already sick of shooting arrows. She would have switched happily to washing dishes or folding laundry in exchange, which were two chores she venomously hated.

Three more. If you can't handle three more, how can you handle Kikyou when you run into her again? How can you complete the jewel with all the dangers you'll face? She turned to Kaede; tried her best to smile. "Three more," she said. "I'll do your required one hundred if it kills me."

"Aye, lunch will wait," Kaede said, stepping back to observe. Was it just her imagination, or did she see approval in the old woman's eyes?

Kagome drew back. Released.

Again.

Again.

A failure at all three. Her body screaming. She wanted to cry. The bow dropped from her aching fingers as she plopped down onto the grass, wiping the sweat from her brow. She breathed deep, willing her beating heart to slow, willing her body to relax as Kaede's shadow fell over her.

"One hundred," she said, amusement etched in her voice. "Not many would have stood to the challenge."

Kagome sighed long and deep before hoisting herself back onto her feet. "You were right," she admitted. "I do need to learn to defend myself somehow. I'm not Sango or Hojou, and I don't have any magic abilities, although…" She trailed off, the image of fighting off Kikyou with that strange warmth fresh in her mind.

"You're a reincarnation of my sister. A doppelganger." Kaede said knowingly. "Inuyasha spoke to me in the room of how you two came to meet. He told me of the jewel in your side. He told me of the purification powers you possess."

She fought the knee-jerk reaction to deny being anything other than herself, remembering that Kaede was not Inuyasha, and did not deserve harsh words. Instead, she nodded. "It's kind of like magic, right? What I'm able to do with all that… heat." She said, for lack of a better word.

"Not quite," the old woman replied as they both headed into the house and towards the kitchen. "The magic Inuyasha and Kikyou possess is quite different. My sister's magic… Where she draws it from… It's ancient. Much more ancient than you or I, much more ancient than Inuyasha, and Inuyasha's father." She paused as they reached the kitchen, and Kaede ladled up some warm soup into a bowl for Kagome, placing it in front of her. "My sister… What she has become…" She shook her head. "Inuyasha is only able to access that power due to Kikyou weaving the entrapment spell. He was right to theorize that the longer my sister goes without re-spelling the mirror, the weaker the original spell will become. But that is not all…"

Kagome waited with bated breath for Kaede to finish. She'd gotten so little of the story the first night she and Sango had been out walking around with Inuyasha. And he was so cranky, trying to get it out of him had been like pulling teeth.

"I'm also theorizing that my sister will start losing all magical strength once enough time passes without her capturing Inuyasha into a spell again."

Kagome sat back, letting it all sink in. "Do you mean all of her spells will become weakened?" She asked.

"Aye," the old woman said. "That is what I believe."

She mulled over the new information. If Kikyou could get weaker simply by Inuyasha being kept away from her, if all her spells could get weaker by Inuyasha being kept away…

Kohaku… She felt her heart start to beat wildly in her chest, excitement boiling over. If Kikyou weakened enough, that meant Sango's brother could possibly be saved. If Kikyou weakened enough, they could rid the earth of her for good. If all her spells wore off…

It suddenly clicked. Inuyasha's age. Kikyou's age. Kaede's age. She was old. Incredibly old. How had she not realized before? How was it even possible?

"Kaede…" she inquired gently, not wanting to offend. "You talk as if Kikyou is your sister, yet… She and Inuyasha are very, very old. Impossibly old. So how…?"

"Ah," the old woman sighed, looking deep into her own bowl of soup. "Aye, Kikyou is my sister, born of the same womb, three years apart." She smiled. "I am the elder of us two."

"But… but how?"

She sighed, heavy and deep. "Kikyou died. I was nineteen when it happened, married and with a basket of children myself." She looked up then, straight into Kagome's eyes. "Inuyasha was to blame."

Kagome jerked back, shocked. She quickly shook her head. "No, that can't be right. He's too revengeful towards her. He… he's hurt. There's no way he would be that hurt by her actions if he were to blame for her death."

"Aye, that's true. Very insightful of you. I should have said: Inuyasha was accused of blame. He had been seen attacking Kikyou and stealing the jewel for himself. It was said by witnesses that he used it to make himself more powerful. He used it to attack my sister, and she fought back and managed to take back the jewel. Yet the damage was done. She slowly bled to death in my arms."

"Oh, Kaede…" Kagome uttered empathetically. She could see the moisture gathering in her eyes.

"Before she was gone, she begged to be cremated and sent on her way with the jewel. It was the only way to truly rid the world of it. It was the only way to stop those like Inuyasha who would use it for evil." She paused. "Or so we thought. Inuyasha had for some reason come back to the village, looking for my sister, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. As if playing some sort of sick game. The villagers gathered and chased him out. I was at the forefront." Her eyes were now gazing into the distance, lost in the memory. "I will never forget the hatred I felt for him. However… I will also never forget the absolute dismay and sorrowful look on his face as we pushed him back towards the woods."

Kagome stayed silent, caught up in the story.

"But I will tell you, years later, when my sister appeared to me again, and I saw the magic she possessed, saw how it changed her, how she came at me and spelled me with eternal life without eternal youth simply because I wished to do right by her afterlife, and saw Inuyasha just as sorrowful as I'd last seen him all those years ago… I began to wonder. Her magic changes things. The fact that she was re-animated at all does not align with my original theory of Inuyasha killing my sister. There is something else at play here. I just do not know what. All these years later, and I still do not know what."

Chills went up Kagome's spine. Could there be something else? Something more evil than Kikyou herself, controlling things behind the scenes? She contemplated everything Kaede had told her as the old woman finished her soup and placed their dishes in the sink. Kagome stood from her seat and started towards the dishes, but Kaede grabbed her wrist and shook her head.

"No, Child. Leave the dishes to me. You will be shooting another one hundred arrows."

Kagome opened her mouth to protest, shut it, and moaned with reluctance before heading back out to the meadow.

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Sore and exhausted to the point of tears, another one hundred arrows down, Kagome ate her dinner and drank the delicious tea Kaede had set out for her. The old woman reminded her that it would be her turn to take over the healing process tomorrow and that she was to continue shooting another set of one hundred arrows after breakfast, and another set after lunch. She explained sternly that she would know if Kagome slackened at all.

Gumpy and aching, Kagome finally crawled into bed and drifted to sleep.

She dreamed of Kohaku.

He was leaning over Sango, his giant kama gripped in his hand, his sister's blood covering his face. Kagome screamed at him to stop, to leave her be. His head turned, his eyes filled with the same blood that had filled Hojou's. His lips pulled back into a terrifying grin and he stood, stalking towards her, his kama high above his head, ready to strike…

A light engulfed him, bright and all-consuming, blinding her. It wasn't the same heat that radiated from inside her. This was different. This heat was scorching.

Inuyasha stood in front of her, materializing inside the flames, the same wide, chiseled back she'd come to know so well taking up her vision. He turned to look at her over his shoulder, eyes golden and playful.

"What are you doing, Kagome? Get up. Let's go." He reached a hand out for her to take.

Carefully, she slipped her fingers into his palm. He lifted her up, onto his back, his skin bright and glowing.

He jumped.

Up they went, higher and higher, until Kohaku was nothing but a speck on the ground. Too long they were in the air, and Kagome realized they weren't jumping. They were flying.

Inuyasha shifted, turned to face her, arms wrapped protectively around her waist, and drew her in for a kiss.

She gasped against his lips, against the tenderness of the kiss. She felt it again: the need. It pooled deep down below. It called to her.

But then he was pulling away, his hands gripped tightly into her shirt, her feet dangling in the air.

"Bitch," he growled. "You dare to betray me?"

Kagome's eyes widened. Fear shot through her.

No! She wanted to scream. I didn't betray you!

But it was too late.

He let go.

And she fell.

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Wooow, I got that out quicker than I thought I would! I hope everyone liked it! As always, I would love to hear what you think, any comments or crits are welcome. And for those of you unaware, I keep a tumblr blog for my readers. Just about how the writing is going, updates and extras, as well as daily life stuff that keeps me from writing. Check it out if you'd like, just search for SugarRos Fanfiction. You can also follow the tags Youkai in the Mirror or YITM for updates related to this fic! :)

See you next chapter!

~SugarRos