Chapter Nine: The Secret is Revealed

Authors Note: Here's Chapter Nine...FINALLY! I'm sorry for not updating this since last year but we lost wifi for several months and finally got it back at the end of march. Anway, please leave a review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or the main characters. I only own the OC's and the story.

Kumori P.O.V.

I held the ribbon in my hand the entire time since dad and Koga came back. If this was all they found, then that means...

Gritting my teeth, I slammed my fist into the floor, feeling the bones scream in pain from the impact. No, I can't think like this. There's no way she would die that easily. She's too strong and free-spirited to let this happen. I didn't even realize I was crying until Ayumi came over and hugged me.

"I'm so sorry, Kumori." She said, her voice strained.

"It's not your fault, Ayumi, It's mine." I clenched my fist. "If I had followed her, then maybe this wouldn't have happened."

The door rustled and Hiro bolted in, panting. "I found her scent!"

All of us stood up. "How?" Mom asked. She placed her hand on my shoulder as if to keep me still but I could feel her hand was shaking.

Hiro tried to catch his breath. "I went to the otherside of the river and when I got far enough away, I was able to catch it. The weird part though is that I also smelled a demon." Wanting to test a theory, I held the ribbon out and his eyes widened as he caught the scent. "That's it! That's the same scent I caught across the river."

"Let's go. I'm going to find her." I grabbed my shoes and bolted out the door, Hiro and Ayumi right on my heels. My senses started to become heightened as the sun began to rise. Sniffing the air, I clutched the ribbon tighter and stopped when I reached the edge of the cliff. Taking a deep breath, I jumped off the edge, sliding down the side. Skidding to a stop, I looked around, her scent becoming stronger. The three of us ran in the direction it was coming from, eventually stopping at a village that was downstream. I could hear dad with mom, Koga and Ayame not far behind us.

We stopped when we passed through the village gate and I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Kneeling on the ground with kids surrounding her was a young woman, a half demon, with white dog ears on top of her head. Her skin was a pale contrast to the dark green kimono she was wearing. As if she sensed us, she looked over her shoulder and stood up, her eyes widening. Despite the fact that her eyes were gold instead of their normal green, I knew her features and her scent.

"Asuka..." I mumbled, not taking my eyes off her. I didn't know which one of us moved first but it didn't matter. The space between us closed quickly and I pulled her close, my arms tightening around her.

She was shaking and I stroked her hair, breathing in her scent. "I'm so sorry, Kumori...I am so sorry."

"It's okay. It's not your fault." I pulled back to look at her. She did her best to stay calm but I could see the raw fear in her eyes. The sun had risen over the horizon and I felt my dog ears come out just as I watched hers disappear. I turned back into my half demon state just as she turned back into a human. "I should've told you about Ayumi but I didn't think this would happen. Asuka, I swear I'm going to stay by your side until the day you tell me to leave."

Asuka P.O.V.

Kumori needed to know but I couldn't tell him, not with everyone here. He kept his arm around my shoulders and when Ayumi came over to us, I slipped mine around his waist and glared at her.

"You better keep your hands off him from now." I said, a warning note in my voice. Kumori must have heard it because he started laughing and quickly stopped when I turned to him. "If you ever think about cheating, you better hope I never get my hands on you."

He chuckled. "That's one thing you never have to worry about." He saw my expression and he sobered. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head. Not here. He understood and we walked to a secluded area away from everyone else. Kumori sat down in the grass and I sat between his legs, his arms around me. I explained to him the dreams I had and the encounters with Kikyo. "The other night, lady Kikyo showed me a vision of our future. She was right. History is beginning to repeat itself and I couldn't stand the thought of you dying by my hands." My voice broke at the last part.

Kumori tightened his grip. "She showed me the same vision, too. It was the same way Kikyo killed dad." He turned me around so we were face to face. "If that does end up happening one day, remember this: I love you. I have since we were kids and I will even after I'm dead."

I felt tears sting the back of my eyes and cupped his cheeks in my hands. "I love you, too, Kumori. Promise me something. If Naraku comes after me, get as far away as you can."

I thought he would argue but he nodded, taking me by surprise.

"If I'm going to do this, then you need to tell everyone the truth. There's a possibility everyone will try to protect you but you can't keep pushing us away." He said, his eyes darkening.

I was about to respond when it hit me. It was hard to explain but it was almost like something slammed into my chest and the next thing I knew I was standing in the center of the forest, right in front of the Sacred Tree. The scar stood out on the center of it, the bark paler than the rest of the tree.

I pressed my palm against it, expecting it to be rough but it was smooth to the touch. Images of Kumori bound here flashed through my mind and I backed away, my hand dropping back down to my side. The leaves began to rustle as a slight breeze began to blow overhead. The feeling I had before came again and I slowly turned around, my eyes darting around the tree line.

"Kikyo...it has certainly been a long time."

Kumori P.O.V.

I caught Asuka before she hit the ground. One minute she was fine and the next she suddenly fell unconscious. I silently thanked my demon strength since it fell like she was being weighed down by something. As soon as I picked her up, I knew something was wrong. Swearing loudly, I ran back to the others.

"We got a problem!" I yelled and they all came rushing over.

"What happened?" Dad asked, his eyes narrowed.

"I don't know. We were just standing there talking and out of nowhere she collapsed." I tightened my grip, holding her closer.