The first thing Kagome noticed was how much brighter it was at the bottom of the well. The leafy vines adorning the sides of the well, the soft dirt of the ground beneath her, and the roughness of the stone walls were all illuminated by the sun high above her. As she pulled herself up the side of the well she noticed how much cleaner the air smelled, car exhaust and pollution replaced by the sweet smell of plants and earth. When she emerged into the world above she paused and listened. There were no car horns, no planes flying overhead, no people shouting or conversing. Instead, she could hear birds, the soft rustling of leaves, the light breeze playing through the long grass, and the subtle creek that was unique to trees in a forest.

It was like stepping into a different world and she loved it. It was no wonder why she spent so much time on this side of the well.

She shook herself for her reverie to study her surroundings. She needed to get her bearings and find Inuyasha before anything or anyone unpleasant could find her. She could see the sacred tree in the distance, towering over the forest and giving off a glow of power that wasn't present in the modern world. She thought of heading in that direction but decided against it; she didn't want to face it alone.

She took a few steps away from the well, still trying to decide on a direction when a feeling of dread shot through her. Her skin broke out in goosebumps and her heart started hammering in her chest. She spun in a full circle, trying to spot the source of her unease but she was still alone in the clearing.

"How convenient of you to come through all on your own."

The voice was deep and taunting and caused Kagome's body to tremble with the fear it instilled in her. Coming through the well alone suddenly felt like a terrible decision. She turned, planning to jump back through to safety, but was blocked by a man hovering in the air. Where the hell had he come from?

She froze in place and took in his appearance: the tentacles protruding from the man's back, the slit in his chest containing a single red eye, the bony spikes adorning his shoulders, and the barrier that glowed all around him. This man was dangerous and he was here for her. Her heart cried out for Inuyasha, her protector, but she couldn't find her voice to call for him out loud.

The man chuckled, clearly enjoying her terror. "Hello, Kagome. I know you don't remember me but that doesn't matter. You won't be alive long enough to worry about it."

He raised an arm and a bony spike grew from near his wrist. It shot towards Kagome and she instinctively jumped to the side, rolling as the spike gouged the ground where she had just been standing. She finally broke out of her stupor and scrambled to her feet. She turned to run but only got a few steps before she felt something wrap around her ankle and pull her off her feet. She hit the ground hard, scraping her hands and knees, causing her to cry out in pain. She didn't have time to hesitate though so she immediately struggled to her feet and bolted towards the trees. She could hear the man laughing behind her and knew he was only toying with her.

She was halfway to the treeline when a blur of red emerged in front of her. Inuyasha was racing towards her, sword drawn and ready for a fight. Before he could get to her she felt herself being yanked backward and surrounded by a cage of bony protrusions. She watched Inuyasha skid to a halt, his face twisted with his rage, a deep rumbling growl emitting from his chest.

"Naraku! Let her go you bastard!" Inuyasha growled and Kagome's eyes went wide at the name.

"Hmph, Inuyasha, are you sad you missed out on Kikyo's demise? Don't worry, I'll make sure you get to witness Kagome's final moments."

She met Inuyasha's eyes then and saw the pain and fear flash across his face before being replaced by his anger once again. A flash of white at the top of her field of vision caught her attention and she jerked her head up in time to see a boy with a naginata going straight for an unaware Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha!" she tried to shout a warning and Inuyasha jerked his head up just in time to see the blade racing towards him. He brought Tessaiga up at the last second and the weapons met in a blast of power. He hadn't had time to brace for the impact though so the force of the weapons meeting sent Inuyasha flying backward into a tree. The tree gave way under the force of the impact and Kagome lost sight of him the debris

She yelled Inuyasha's name again but Naraku was already on the move, turning her away from the fight. They were floating in the direction of the sacred tree and she could already feel the effects of whatever was waiting for her. Her dreams came back to her and the feeling of being consumed brought her to the edge of panic.

She started struggling, trying to find a way to wiggle free of her cage of bone, but he had her held too tightly. She felt something sharp press against her neck and instantly stilled her movements.

They floated down into the clearing and stopped in a very familiar spot; this was where she stood in her dreams. She could feel the power of the tainted shard trying to invade her, take her over. She concentrated on putting up a mental barrier but it was taking everything she had and she knew she couldn't keep it up for long.

"Just let go, Kagome. The pain will stop and you can forget all about Inuyasha and Kikyo. It must be painful, knowing how much he loves her."

She whimpered and tried not to cry. How he knew exactly what to say to get under her skin, she wasn't sure. It was clear that Naraku was both cruel and manipulative to a scary degree. She was still fighting with everything she had left but it was a losing battle. The edges of her vision were starting to blur and her body was going numb.

She heard sounds of fighting behind her but her strength was quickly leeching away and she was slipping into a mental fog. She felt her body jerk backward and suddenly she was falling. She lost consciousness before she hit the ground.

.

Inuyasha pulled himself from the twisted remains of the tree he'd been knocked into and immediately jumped at his attacker. He fired off a quick kaze no kizu then changed directions and started after Naraku. He heard Hakudoshi cursing behind him and knew he wasn't far behind. He twisted in mid-jump just in time to avoid another swing of the naginata and managed to swing Tessaiga enough to unleash another kaze no kizu at point-blank range.

It was enough to knock Hakudoshi back and put a significant distance between them. He bolted, dodging expertly through the trees. He made it to the clearing in time to see Sango and Miroku emerge to his right. Sango spotted Hakudoshi first and immediately sent her Hiraikotsu hurtling in his direction. Inuyasha and Miroku used the distraction to head straight for Naraku.

His back was to them so Miroku couldn't see that he had Kagome. Before Inuyasha could shout a warning he had the kazanna open. It pulled Naraku backward and he dropped Kagome to dig the bony spikes into the ground. Miroku spotted Kagome and closed the kazanna while Inuyasha dashed forward to catch her, sheathing Tessaiga and reaching for her in one swift motion.

He made it before she hit the ground and caught her under the knees and shoulders. He leaped away from Naraku and looked down to see she was unconscious. Landing near the edge of the clearing he turned in time to see Naraku and Hakudoshi making a quick retreat.

"Inuyasha," he heard Miroku call him. "You have to get her away from the tree. Take her to the village."

He grunted in acknowledgment and took off in the direction of Kaede's hut. As he got closer to the village Kagome started to stir. By the time they were in the village her eyes were open and she was gazing up at him, expression unreadable. He could hear Kaede moving around inside her hut and took Kagome straight in.

"Old woman, I need you to check over Kagome."

Kaede looked up from whatever she was doing and was only slightly surprised to see the girl in Inuyasha's arms. She was quite used to these interruptions and surprises by now. "Abrupt as ever I see. Bring her over and lay her on the futon."

Kagome was too dazed to protest and let herself lay back and be examined. She felt alright, just worn out from resisting whatever was trying to invade her mind.

"Inuyasha, I'm alright, really," she was finally able to say. She pushed herself up and Inuyasha moved quickly to help her. He kept an arm around her shoulders, supporting her so she could lean back a little. "Whatever he was trying to do I was able to resist. It just wore me out is all."

Inuyasha didn't look convinced and was about to protest when he was interrupted by the arrival of Miroku and Sango. They put their weapons aside and settled by the fire. The group formed a rough circle and Inuyasha adjusted his position so he and Kagome were facing everyone else. Nobody commented when Inuyasha left his arm around her shoulders.

It was obviously time for a long discussion. Sango and Miroku confirmed that their enemies had escaped but that wasn't a surprise. There were brief, and slightly awkward, introductions between Kagome and everybody else. She apologized for forgetting everyone but nobody held that against her; they forgot who she was too after all. Inuyasha stayed silent for most of it, lost in his thoughts.

Kaede and Kagome fell into a conversation mostly between the two of them while everyone else listened.

"So, uh, I think I have to do something to the tree or at the tree to undo whatever happened to make everyone forget." Kagome fidgeted and focused on her hands as she talked.

"No need to be nervous, child, Inuyasha has discussed some of your dreams with us already."

Kagome raised her head and gave Kaede a grateful smile. She felt Inuyasha squeeze her shoulder and leaned into him a little more. "I can't get close though. It tried to get into my head already and I'm afraid I won't be able to stop it next time."

"We'll need to take certain precautions before we attempt anything. I'm sure we can use a barrier or enchantment to protect you. Perhaps you can use an arrow to purify the evil from a distance."

Kagome shook her head, "I can't, I don't know how-"

"Yes you do," Inuyasha interrupted her. "I'm sure once you get your hands on a bow you'll be able to use it." She gave him a confused look and he tried to explain, "You've been using a bow since you first came here and you've gotten pretty good with it. I don't think you can completely forget something like that."

Kagome nodded, hoping he was right. "Alright, how long will all this take?"

"We'll get started tonight but I think you should wait until tomorrow to do anything," Kaede suggested. "You're going to want to be at full strength for whatever may happen."

"I should practice with a bow just to make sure." Kagome looked at her hands and flexed her fingers. "I can still feel my miko powers but I don't know how to focus them."

"That will also come naturally. I do have another concern though about a danger we have yet to talk about."

"What danger, old woman?" Inuyasha asked. He sat up a little straighter and Kagome felt him tense up.

"What will happen if Kagome succeeds?" Kaede asked. "We know you'll be fine Inuyasha, you can handle the conflicting memories. Miroku and Sango should be fine also; I'm confident they will forget the false memories. But Kagome is not affected like everyone else. What happens if she retains all her memories?"

Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged worried looks, both thinking of the incident right before they separated. The implication was clear: Kagome could die. They could fix everything and lose her in the process.

"Then we don't do it," Inuyasha said and pulled Kagome tighter against his side.

"Inuyasha, I have to do something-" Kagome tried to protest but Inuyasha cut her off.

"I don't care. I'm not risking your life, not for anything."

"We can't just leave things the way they are though."

"I know that. But until I know we've taken enough precautions I'm not letting you anywhere near that damn tree." His voice was getting louder and his mouth was twisted in a scowl.

"And what if we can't take enough precautions? What if we just have to take the risk?"

He glared at her but he didn't have an answer. Shippo and Kohaku were dead, he couldn't leave that be. As long as they did nothing she would be at risk of him remembering something and potentially killing her. Leaving things as is wasn't realistic but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Miroku interrupted his pouting, "We will take every step we can to protect Kagome. That is all we can do. Kaede and I will begin our preparations tonight so we will be ready for tomorrow. Does that satisfy you Inuyasha, Kagome?"

Kagome nodded in agreement and Inuyasha continued to pout but gave a single jerk of his head. Miroku and Kaede discussed a few more things before leaving to start making preparations. They were going to put up a barrier around the tree to try to contain the corruption then create a charm for Kagome to wear to ward off evil. Sango also left, mumbling about finding Kirara and sharpening her weapons.

Inuyasha and Kagome were left alone in the hut and their position suddenly felt very awkward. Kagome tried to move away but he pulled her closer with a quick, "No, stay...please."

She stopped trying to pull away but didn't relax into him as she had before. "Inuyasha, we need to talk. We shouldn't be doing this if you love someone else, right?"

He gave her an odd look and his ears drooped. "I told you I want you by my side Kagome, that hasn't changed."

"And Kikyo?" she asked then remembered what Naraku said. Her breath hitched and she watched Inuyasha bow his head, his bangs covering his eyes.

"She's dead Kagome. Even if we fix things, even if she can come back, she's still dead. Her body is clay and soil and she sustains herself with the souls of dead women."

That didn't make Kagome feel any better. "Do you still love her?"

"I don't know. Maybe." She tensed and tried to pull away again but he was much too strong for her. "Will you let me explain?"

"I don't want to hear it, please. Whatever thing we have going on normally, I don't want to know. It can't be healthy or good if you're with me while you love someone else." She kept struggling but instead of letting her go, he pulled her so she was sideways with her legs across his lap.

He met her eyes and all the fight went out of her at the sad look he was giving her. "Stubborn woman. Whatever I had with Kikyo was in the past. I'd have to die to be with her and I don't want to do that."

"You told her your life was hers. I know you did, I was there."

"Shit, I hate that you saw that," he sighed and used the arm around her shoulder to pull her against his chest. "Things are different now. I felt like I owed her my life back then but I don't think that anymore. I want to live, Kagome, and that's because of you."

She let her head rest on his shoulder and relaxed into him. It felt right being this close and she really didn't want to fight it anymore. "I suppose none of this will matter if...when I fix things. Everything should go back to how it was before."

Inuyasha grunted in agreement but his thoughts went somewhere else. He didn't plan to forget the last eight days, they were ingrained in his memory. The panic at waking up to her missing, the three days of wondering if she was even alive, the relief at finally finding her safe in her own time, getting to kiss her, really kiss her twice, holding her while she was literally dying...dying because he couldn't keep his mind off Kikyo; there was no way things wouldn't change between them, at least on his side.

He would worry about that later though, they had to fix things first.

"Hey, Inuyasha," she said, her voice soft and a little hesitant. "Where's the boy with the tail? Um, Shippo is his name, right?"

Shit. "He's not here."

"Ok, well, where is he?"

"The shard...he didn't...shit." He couldn't tell her, even if she couldn't properly remember him.

"It's alright, you can tell me." Her voice was soft and she slipped her free hand into his.

Could she read his mind? "He died. Whatever the shard changed he didn't survive this time around. But he'll be fine once you fix things." He hoped but he didn't say that part out loud.

Kagome felt sad despite her inability to remember the boy. For her, it was just another reason to put things right. "I should get some sleep, it's getting late and I need the rest."

The sun was setting and the light in the hut was starting to fade. Inuyasha moved her off his lap and got up to add some wood to the fire. Kaede had some leftover stew from her lunch and he filled a bowl and handed it to Kagome.

"Here, you should eat something."

She took the bowl, thanked him, and started eating. Inuyasha ducked out of the hut, leaving her alone with her thoughts for a moment. She was worried, not about what would happen to her, but about what would happen if she messed up tomorrow. Who else may have suffered because of Naraku's plot? She knew of Shippo and Kikyo, did they have other friends who'd died in Naraku's version of reality? How many people's lives were dependent on her success?

It was almost too much to think about. She stirred the last few bites of food around her bowl, poking at the bits of meat. Her vision swam and she squeezed her eyes shut trying to fight the urge to cry. The door rustled and she felt someone take the bowl from her hands. She opened her eyes and saw Inuyasha placing the bowl with a pile of other dishes to be cleaned.

He moved in front of her and started to roll out a futon that she hadn't noticed before. Once it was laid out flat he removed his suikan and held it out to her. "Here, it'll keep you warm while you sleep."

She blushed a little and took his offered clothing. She wrapped it around herself, inhaling the woodsy scent of the garment, and moved to lay on the futon. Inuyasha settled against the wall in her original spot, Tessaiga propped against his shoulder.

"I told everyone you were trying to get some sleep so they'll be quiet when they get back." He was blushing and looking everywhere but at her.

She blushed a little herself but gave him a small smile when he finally looked at her. "Thank you."

"Keh, whatever."

Kagome giggled at his surly response. "Goodnight Inuyasha."

"G'night Kagome." He was struck with a sense of deja vu and their last night around the campfire came back to him. If she wasn't there when he woke up this time he might actually lose his mind. He probably wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight.

He watched Kagome drift off to sleep, listening to her breathing and heartbeat slow and even out. The prospect of ending this shit in the morning lifted his spirits some but the worry over Kagome's safety still nagged at his thoughts. It was going to be a long night.

.

Kagome woke up to sunlight shining on her face. She squinted and rolled away from the window only to be met with a pair of gold eyes staring back at her. Inuyasha was lounging next to her on his side, back against the wall.

"'Bout time you woke up."

She groaned and tried to pull the blanket over her head but quickly realized she was still wrapped in Inuyasha's suikan. She blushed but pulled it tighter around her and discretely inhaled. She loved sleeping surrounded by Inuyasha's woodsy smell, but he didn't need to know that.

Of course, the smirk on his face probably meant he'd heard her inhale anyway; stupid enhanced senses. He pushed himself up off the floor and stood, stepping over her. "You gonna get up, or what?"

"Fine, fine, I'm getting up," she huffed. She sat up and unwrapped herself. Inuyasha took his suikan back and helped her to her feet. "Is there somewhere I can clean up a little?"

"Outside. Sango is out there, she can show you."

She mumbled a quick thanks and went outside to find the slayer. Inuyasha hung back a little, knowing she'd want some privacy. Pulling his suikan back on he allowed himself to breathe in her scent now surrounding him, giving him some small comfort. He followed her outside a few minutes later and found Miroku and Kaede waiting for him.

"Did you two get everything ready?" he asked as he approached them.

"As ready as we can be," Miroku said. He handed Inuyasha a small bead bracelet. "That's for Kagome to wear to keep the influence of the shard from reaching her. I'm assuming you'll be staying close to protect her."

"I'm not leaving her side." Inuyasha studied the enchanted bit of jewelry. It wasn't enough, nothing would be enough to make him feel alright about what she had to do. His ears perked and swiveled towards two sets of approaching footsteps.

Kagome still looked tired but she also looked determined. She and Sango joined the small group and they made a few quick plans for the rest of the morning. Kaede was going to take Kagome to practice with a bow and arrows while Miroku showed Inuyasha what they'd set up the night before. Sango decided to stay behind to watch Kagome since it was the only way Inuyasha would agree to leave her side. Inuyasha gave Kagome the bead bracelet while Miroku explained its purpose then the group went their separate ways.

Kaede led the two women to an area with a target set up and handed Kagome her weapon. She showed Kagome the proper hold and gave her a brief explanation of how to focus her powers. It was clear with Kagome's first shot that they didn't need to worry.

Kagome drew back her first arrow and immediately felt her power flowing out of her and into the projectile. She let the arrow fly with a muttered, "Hit the mark." It struck the target dead center and she let out a little whoop of joy at her success. A few more practice arrows later, all with the same level of accuracy, and Kagome was feeling much more confident.

The three women set off towards the forest, all agreeing there was no point in delaying what needed to happen.

While the women were starting their walk to the tree, Miroku and Inuyasha were surveying the area around the clearing. Miroku and Kaede had set up a barrier around the perimeter, just outside the treeline. It was there for containment since they weren't sure if the shard could influence anyone else, especially Inuyasha, given his connection to the tree.

There were also several sutra on the tree itself and Miroku had an extra stack ready in case anything crazy happened.

It felt like too much and not enough at the same time. The real worry was what would happen to Kagome if she succeeded but they couldn't do much to prepare for that. Inuyasha spent most of his night going over that particular problem and had come up with nothing.

Now it was almost time to undo this mess and he didn't feel the least bit ready. He could smell the women getting closer and his anxiety shot through the roof. He didn't feel scared very often, his own life didn't matter enough for that. But when Kagome was involved he was reminded of what real fear felt like, and he hated it. It left him feeling helpless and weak and vulnerable.

He grunted some excuse at Miroku and took off in the direction of Kagome's scent, determined to get a few minutes alone with her for his peace of mind. He wasn't far from them when another scent caught his attention. His growl was low as he drew Tessaiga; Naraku was back.

In the distance, he heard Kagome scream and he took off in her direction as fast as he could. The sounds of fighting reached him and he shouted Kagome's name so she knew he was coming. He flew out into the middle of the action and got a quick look around.

Naraku was to his right, looking pretty pissed off. Sango was in front of him, riding Kirara, with Hiraikotsu drawn back ready to be thrown. Kaede and Kagome were far to his left both with arrows aimed at Naraku. Inuyasha went straight for Kagome with the intent of running her to the tree to end this. Unfortunately for them, Naraku still had backup. Hakudoshi emerged from the trees behind Kagome and Inuyasha shouted a warning. He made it in time to block Hakudoshi's swing at Kaede but the movements caught the older woman off guard and she fell backward, tossing her bow in an unsuccessful attempt to gain her balance.

While Inuyasha traded blows with Hakudoshi, Kagome scrambled to help Kaede to her feet and away from the fighting. They made it to the cover of some trees and kept moving, heading for their original destination. Kaede was breathing heavy and limping so Kagome slowed their pace.

"Are you alright? You're injured, let me look." Kagome stopped and tried to examine Kaede but she waved off the help.

"Go ahead child, get to the tree. They won't bother an old woman like me and I'm only slowing you down."

"But-"

"No buts, you must go."

Kagome hesitated for a second but caught the determination on Kaede's face. She gave a quick nod and turned towards the corrupted light in the distance. "I'm going to end this," she said under her breath and took off running, arrows clattering around in their quiver, bow slung over her shoulder. The sounds of the battle behind her faded and she hoped Inuyasha and Sango were alright. She needed Inuyasha close by when she took her shot at the tree but she couldn't afford to delay any longer.

She finally broke into the clearing and spotted Miroku off to her left. He waved her over and gave her an appraising look when she joined him. Her hair was windswept and sticking to her sweaty forehead, she was clearly out of breath, and her expression was worried.

"Did something happen?"

"Yeah, Naraku. Inuyasha and Sango are fighting so I ran here. I'm ready to get this over with." She took a few deep breaths and willed her heart to slow down so she could concentrate.

Inuyasha knew something was wrong when Hakudoshi backed off and started trying to taunt instead of injure. He glanced around and noticed that Naraku and Sango were gone and he mentally kicked himself for letting himself get too wrapped up in the fighting to notice. He also realized Kagome and Kaede were missing and that's when he knew Hakudoshi was just a distraction.

He growled and transformed Tessaiga before sending the Kongōsōha straight at Hakudoshi, catching him off guard and giving Inuyasha time to escape. He followed Kagome's scent straight towards the damn tree. She was definitely going to try to end this before anything else could go wrong and he needed to be there. Naraku was probably heading in that direction too and he could only hope that Sango kept him away long enough.

It was time to end this and Kagome was ready. It had taken a few minutes to get her breathing and heart rate under control and to stop the slight shaking of her hands. Now she was staring down her target, bow raised, an arrow drawn, her aim perfect. She wanted to wait for Inuyasha, wanted to see him one more time, just in case, but was worried about delaying any longer.

She took a deep breath and exhaled, letting her arrow fly. It streaked through the air, directly at her target, and hit. Instead of embedding itself in the tree though there was a flash of light and the arrow dissolved.

"What happened? Did you see that?" she asked Miroku. Her hands were starting to shake again and she struggled to keep her composure.

"There was probably another barrier. Try again, we've still got time."

As if on cue, Inuyasha came flying out of the trees and landed next to her.

"Inuyasha! You made it." She couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face. Her nerves calmed and she felt steadier than she had before she took her first shot.

He pulled her into a tight hug and she wrapped the arm not holding her bow around his back. "You can do this Kagome. I'm right here now and I'm not going anywhere." He released her and stepped back to give her room. "Naraku is still out there though so take your shot, quick."

She nodded and got back into her stance. Her bow came up and she pulled her arrow back. Inuyasha watched her glow bright pink, the power seeming to flow down her arms and into the arrow. He could hear her take a deep breath to steady her shot. He looked up in time to see Naraku emerge into the clearing on the other side of Kagome.

Naraku scowled when he saw how close they were to victory and sent several tentacles in their direction. Inuyasha pulled Tessaiga from its sheath and moved between Kagome and the oncoming attack. "Shoot it, now!" he shouted, and swung his sword with all his strength, obliterating everything in front of him.

He heard the thrum of the bowstring when she released, heard her mumble 'hit the mark', and turned his head to watch the path of the brightly glowing arrow. It struck dead center, embedding in the hole previously left by Kikyo. There was a tremendous shockwave and Inuyasha spun to try to catch Kagome. He didn't reach her in time and he was blown off his feet, out into the forest. He hit a tree and slid to the ground. His vision blurred and he struggled to maintain consciousness but it was no use.

When he woke up it was almost dark; he'd been out for much too long. He jumped up and started sniffing the air, trying to find Kagome's scent. He caught Miroku and Sango's scents, faint but somewhere in the forest. Naraku and Hakudoshi's scents were faded and stale so he knew they were gone.

There was no Kagome though. He was reliving eight days earlier, waking up in camp without her. Inuyasha rushed off through the trees, searching frantically. He found his two friends, unconscious but also unhurt. He found Kaede, unconscious and leaning against a tree. He took them all back to the village, laying them in Kaede's hut before going back out again to find Kagome.

He would spend his whole night searching if he had to. Hell, he would spend the rest of his life searching if it came to it. And he would find her because Kagome couldn't just be gone.