Hello there, people, I'm back, and I even managed to cut down your waiting time down at least two months. Normally, I would have updated not sooner than by the end of May, but I finally managed organize my time well enough to try and get more time to write. I'll try to get back to updating once a month, from now on, too, but I give no promises on that one.

Alright, believe it or not, but things will finally start moving from now on. I'm past the moment where I focus mainly on developing Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship, it's plot-advancement time. Sorry to any of you who thought the wait for that was long LOL

Anyway, here's the chapter. Enjoy :3 Oh, and thank you for all your wonderful reviews :3 Hope they'll keep coming.

ANONYMOUS REVIEWER:

No penname: Well, I'm glad to hear you enjoy it so far. I hope the wait wasn't unbearably long, I tried my best. Hope also that you will enjoy this chapter as you enjoyed the rest of them :3

Tracks for this chapter:

SID: Namida no Ondo

Riviera: The Promised Land OST: Hector's Ambition (link: www. aimini view /?fid=IOT794Dg8w94jO36a5fq)

Breakers:

XxX: change of scene

~ξ~: time-skip

実: Beginning/End of Flashback

[T] and [/T]: Beginning/End of soundtrack

Reminder: 'Inuyasha' written normally refers to Inuyasha, while written in cursive (cursive and bold in thoughts) refers to Kagome, the "Gentle Dog Demon". 'Hanyō' written normally means "half-demon", while written in cursive (cursive and bold in thoughts) it means "half-breed".

Chapter 12 – Kagome's Time of Weakness

The only sound proving there were actually people moving through the meadow near Kaede's village was the sound of hoofs hitting the dirt. After Kagome's exclamation, the unspoken decision was made to follow the thief that dared to vandalize Kikyo's grave and take back what he had taken, so three horses had been prepared, one for each member of the pursuing group. Naturally, Kaede had been one of those who went, since it was her sister's grave that had been robbed. It was also her role to lead the way, following her priestess feelings to find the culprit.

Following her was the second expected person to tag along – Kagome. Being human, she accepted to ride a horse since neither her speed nor endurance were anywhere near their usual level. And the third person was Inuyasha.

Truly, he didn't know why he decided to tag along. If he thought about it, the whole affair didn't have anything to do with him, he didn't have to go. But for some reason, he had wanted to. Hell, Kagome and Kaede had planned to go alone at first, and he had to tell them that he was coming, too, before they had a third horse prepared for him, as if they thought he was going to just stay behind.

Now that their silent party had started its slow pursuit, he started to wonder why he had wanted to come along so much. It really didn't make sense. Was it because he was unaccustomed to staying in one place for too long while in the Feudal Era? It would make sense if he thought about it, since he was always traveling, but he doubted that was the real reason. Did he want to tag along because it would feel weird to stay alone at the village, then? Or maybe it was to prove something?

That had to be it, the black haired priest told himself. He was accompanying them because he wanted to prove something. To himself, but even more so to Kagome.

Although he would never say it aloud, the fact that the half-demon girl obviously didn't trust him, as was proven when she blatantly refused to tell him why exactly she turned human on this precise day, ruffled his feathers. To him, her being human meant that she was weaker than normal. This was true, of course, but the violet-eyed teen didn't stop there in his assumptions.

It had always unnerved him that Kagome thought he needed her protection more often than not. Now that she was human, he thought their roles would be reversed for at least this one day – that it would be his turn to protect her, like nature always wanted it to be. The fact that she wanted to hide from him not only when she turned human, but that she turned human at all, had to mean that she didn't trust him to protect her. It made him angry, so he was going to prove her wrong. She had said herself that he was handling himself well not even an hour before, after all, so she should know he was improving and steadily getting stronger.

'Just you wait, Kagome. I'll show you that I don't need your protection all the time and that I can protect you, too,' he thought to himself, though the idea to ask himself just why he suddenly wanted to protect her so bad didn't cross his mind, almost as if he had forgotten that before this whole mess, he had sworn to himself to not protect her even if his life depended on it. Somewhere along the way, things had changed…

Plus, there was also the place that had been robbed. It bugged him somehow. Why would someone rob a grave of all places? True, it was the grave of a very powerful priestess who once guarded the Shikon, but still, why would anyone go to such lengths for a grave?

"What could possibly be in one grave that would be worth this much planning to steal?" Inuyasha asked, finally breaking the silence between the three of them, not even realizing he had spoken aloud until someone answered.

"Well, what do you think is normally in a grave?" Kagome asked him, shooting him an incredulous look in the process. Inuyasha blinked.

"Someone's remains, obviously…" he started.

"Precisely," the young half-demon interrupted him before the black haired kannushi could continue. Inuyasha blinked in surprise.

"Are you trying to tell me that thief went to all that trouble to steal Kikyo's bones?" he asked.

"Ashes," Kaede corrected. "It was her ashes he stole, since my sister had been burned after dying."

"But why would anyone steal fifty-year-old ashes?" the young priest inquired, brows raised. Neither of his female companions answered for a while as they glanced at each other with worried glances. After a long silence that seemed to stretch on forever, Kagome sighed.

"Kaede has an idea as to the reason for the theft," she started, looking down at her hands and the reins she was holding. "But I sure hope she is wrong," she added quietly. 'I hate this!' she yelled in her mind. 'Why does something like this always happen when I'm human? If I were hanyō, I could easily pinpoint where the demon that dared to do this went, but the way I am now… what can I do other than rely on Kaede's powers?'

[T]

Just because she was human didn't mean she was weak and pathetic, she knew that. Still, it was frustrating to know that had she been hanyō, then the same situation would be less grave than it was right now. Especially if Kaede's thoughts were right. 'I might still be angry, mainly because I don't understand her reasons. And I did wish for her to live… but not like this. I wanted her to never die in the first place, not something like this. Kikyo doesn't deserve this!' Kagome thought as slowly, tears of frustration started forming in her eyes. Tears she quickly blinked away, although it was much harder than when her demon blood was present. She was always more emotional when human, and although usually she would let the tears fall in her human form, this time was different, because there was someone with her whom she didn't want to see her tears.

No, Inuyasha definitely wasn't someone who would get the chance to see her cry, human-day or not. He would never get off her back if he saw. Or at least that's what Kagome thought.

Sighing, Kagome shook her head, but it did little to disperse her somewhat depressing thoughts. She couldn't help but think of the priestess she had thought of as a sister… the priestess she might soon see again even though she no longer belonged to the world of the living… the priestess who had betrayed her. 'No, she didn't! She had to have had a reason to do what she did! Kaede and I already discussed this and agreed that Kikyo had been tricked by someone who wanted the Jewel, so she didn't betray me!' the half-demon thought angrily. She could say a lot of things about Kikyo and she could call her a lot of things, too, but 'traitor' was definitely not one of them. She refused to think of her that way. She wanted to believe in her, even if one part of her was still angry at what Kikyo had done.

Shaking her head once again, Kagome slowly raised her head… and froze in the saddle, her eyes growing wide as she stared ahead. Beside her, Kaede had also a surprised look on her face, for in front of them stood a figure. A figure both women knew very well.

"Kikyo," Kagome whispered, her eyes not leaving the somewhat transparent figure about twenty feet away ahead of them. Kaede turned to look at Kagome with her one eye.

"Can ye see her, too, Kagome-nee-chan?" the priestess asked seriously. "Can ye see this ghost of Kikyo-onee-sama?" Kagome only nodded in response.

"What are you talking about? I don't see anyone?" Inuyasha said as he narrowed his eyes, though as far as he was concerned, the road ahead of them was empty.

"I'm afraid this means that my fears have been right... and that we have in fact much less time than I thought we did," the old priestess said, making Kagome visibly tense.

"What do you mean, Kaede-chan?" she asked, reverting once again to how she called her fifty years ago without really realizing it, her eyes never leaving the ghost in front of her. The woman she was staring at slowly turned around, although her gaze was still locked with Kagome's as she raised a hand and pointed in front of her and further ahead. Then, she dissipated as if she had never been there. "Kikyo!" Kagome called after her, but the ghost was already gone.

"The ritual must have already started, and my sister must also know we are on our way to try and stop it before it is too late. So she's sending us signals, in order to guide us," Kaede replied, her tone leaving no doubt as to what she thought and what Kagome knew all along: they needed to hurry.

"So, Kikyo is calling us?" she asked as they urged the horses to go faster, Inuyasha following them silently and glaring at their backs for being ignored.

"Aye. My guess would be that her soul is being called back as we speak, yet it refuses to come back and fights against it, while at the same time trying to contact someone who could stop it from happening." Kagome narrowed her eyes. If Kikyo was calling, it meant the situation was dire. Really dire.

実

"Did you want to get killed? Why the Hell didn't you call? If I had smelled your blood only short time later, I wouldn't have made it! So what in the world were you thinking?" an enraged Kagome yelled at the bandaged priestess in front of her. They were back in the village and in Kikyo's hut. Kaede had gotten out a little earlier after patching her sister up, at Kagome's request. She didn't want the little girl there when she chewed the older priestess out.

If she had expected Kikyo to get as angry as she was, she would have been disappointed. The priestess was calm as ever and regarding her with a rather cool gaze.

"I do not require your constant protection, Kagome. I am perfectly capable of defending myself," she stated calmly.

"I know," Kagome said before sighing. "I know," she repeated slower, trying to control her temper. Getting angry would get her nowhere with Kikyo, she knew that. Besides which, she also understood how the priestess must feel. "It's just that… just this once, you could have died. Just this once, you were hurt worse than you usually are. I know it's not because you are weak, but I was still worried," she admitted. "I know you don't need me to protect you all the time… but promise me that if there's an exceptional situation like the one today, you'll call. You can't die, Kikyo, for you have too many people caring for you to leave behind. So promise me you'll call," Kagome said, staring the miko square in the eyes. She would never dare to admit aloud that she was one of those people, of course, but she had a feeling Kikyo knew. They always understood each other better than anyone else, probably because they were alike in so many ways.

Kikyo didn't answer for a long while, staring calmly into Kagome's fierce, golden orbs, but the half-demon refused to yield.

"Promise me," she stressed, holding Kikyo's gaze easily. After what seemed like an eternity, Kikyo finally sighed.

"Alright, I promise." The small smile gracing her features as she said those words didn't go unnoticed.

実

As the memory faded, Kagome bit her lip. If Kikyo was calling, then the situation was dire indeed. They couldn't afford to wait or to be overly cautious. They needed to hurry. With that in mind, Kagome nudged her horse to go even faster, forcing it into a gallop as she saw another ghost in the distance indicating the way, although deep down she knew she would probably regret it later. She knew from experience it was never good to rush, yet currently, she couldn't help but be rash in her decisions.

"Kagome!" she heard Inuyasha yell behind her, but she ignored him as she lowered herself in the saddle to allow the horse to go even faster as the wind made her hair fly behind her. 'Hold on, Kikyo, I'm coming,' she thought.

As she galloped over a hill, however, she was suddenly forced to stop as the horse she was riding neighed in terror and stood on its hind legs. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to control it as something had definitely terrified it, Kagome let herself fall of and rolled on the ground to minimize the damage the fall would cause. Just as she stood again, the horse landed on all fours again and ran off, while Kagome calmly stayed where she was observing the way in front of her with narrowed eyes. 'At least I know I'm going the right way,' she thought sarcastically.

Before her stood a rather large army of soldiers, but even though she was human and couldn't smell their scent, Kagome knew they weren't human. They were too pale and too frozen-looking to be real humans. As she approached, though, she was quick to find out that these weird soldiers didn't just stand there to serve as decoration.

Kagome's reflexes kicked in immediately and she dodged the spears aimed at her even as she reached for the bow strapped over her shoulder. Before she even had the chance to reach for an arrow, the bow's magatama glowed and a barrier formed around her, easily blocking the soldier's weapons and even blasting one who was unfortunate enough to be close enough up. He turned to dust and a small, white orb rose from him before even Kagome understood what was happening, but she was swift to catch on.

'Clay,' she thought as she observed the fallen soldier and the army remaining. 'No, not exactly… I can see bones in it… what does that mean?' Kagome wondered, although she knew one thing. They weren't even really human, they were clay figurines, most likely controlled by some sort of black magic. Narrowing her eyes, Kagome took a step back and reached for an arrow before quickly firing it, though it did little. It had pierced the forehead of one of the soldiers, but it was not enough to bring him down. In fact, it hadn't fazed him at all, but that fact didn't surprise Kagome much. 'I'll have to rely on the barrier for now. I don't have the time to wait for Kaede and Inuyasha,' the hanyō-turned-human thought as she tightened her grip on the bow. Then she sprang forward, forcing her way through the crowd of clay-made humans, her bow twirling in front of her like she had seen Kikyo do so many times before. She danced between her un-human enemies, dodging what she could dodge and destroying those that got too close to her and the barrier protecting her.

Then she saw it. The precipice, the bridge leading over it, filled with those same clay-soldiers to block the passage, and on the other side of that bridge – Kikyo. Or rather, another ghost of her.

She had an urgent, yet sad look in her eyes as she beckoned for Kagome to come to her. Just looking at her, Kagome understood. It was as if the ghost had spoken to her, explaining what was going on. 'The orbs that fly out of them once they are destroyed… These orbs are human souls! And this…' she thought as she glanced briefly at the soldiers surrounding her again before starting to force her way to the bridge and the other side of the abyss. 'This is what awaits Kikyo if I don't hurry!' she realized and a truly frightened look entered her eyes, although this fear was not for herself.

She knew she was wasting time here, but at the same time, she also knew she couldn't move forward any quicker. Not with how many soldiers were trying and sadly succeeding in, blocking her way. Still, she couldn't help but get angry as she finally, after what felt like a way too long while, set foot on the bridge and slowly started to cross it. She was about half-way through when she heard someone call her.

"Kagome!" she heard Inuyasha yell, but ignored him and didn't allow her attention to be drawn elsewhere. In her current predicament, she knew that Inuyasha would be on his own, but after what she saw this morning, she was sure he could handle himself against a few moving clay pots. Since he was here, however, she could try changing tactics.

Drawing an arrow, Kagome aimed and released as quickly as she could. As she expected, the arrow was now shining a bright blue and easily incinerated all the soldiers in her way. With half of the bridge cleared, Kagome quickly broke into a run to get to the other side and to Kikyo as quickly as she could. Before she could reach the other side, however, the distinct sound of ropes snapping could be heard and before the Inuyasha truly understood what was happening, the bridge fell from under her feet, letting her to fall freely into the abyss.

"Fuck!" the now-black haired girl swore loudly as she tried to reach for one of the falling ropes to hold on to the bridge. It had been cut on the other side, so if she could climb up, she would be able to still reach the other side. Before her hand could close over the rope, though, she felt a pair of calloused hands catch her by her waist and found herself literally floating upwards.

[/T]

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw a very old woman with deep wrinkles on her face, which would be more than enough indication to her age, had she been human. She had really long, white-gray hair, much like the hair of an old woman. There was no doubt she wasn't human, though. She looked more like an ogre and Kagome quickly figured that was probably what she was.

"Let go of me, babaa(1)!" she yelled angrily, not needing her hanyō-nose to tell her that the woman who captured her was a yōkai. Without thinking, she twisted in the demons hold and brought the bow between them. The magatama glowed once more and the barrier formed instantly, effectively forcing the demon to release her unless she wanted her hands burned off. Only that that left Kagome falling freely into the depths of the chasm she had been crossing before.

Luckily for her, she was close enough to the edge, and while she couldn't grasp the ground itself in time, she did manage to catch onto the hanging bridge. The demon floated downwards after her with an annoyed look on her old face, but stayed far enough to not let the barrier touch her. Kagome glared at her, knowing full well that in her current predicament, all she could really do was hang onto the bridge and wait for the demon to leave, for if she tried to climb up the bridge, not only would she expose her back to the enemy, she would also no longer control Kikyo's barrier. The demon clicked her tongue as they observed each other.

"A miko, huh? And a strong and daring one at that. And you look stunningly like her, to top it off," the yōkai-woman spoke finally. "There is no doubt, you are her… the one I needed. How about you let me take you somewhere safer than this falling-apart bridge? Unless of course, you prefer to fall to your death," she chuckled disgustingly, her big red eyes leaving no doubt as to her intentions. Whether Kagome fell or came with her was more than likely the same to her. The half-demon would die either way.

'Her reincarnation? Does she mean… Kikyo?' Kagome thought frantically. According to Kaede, the ritual that would resurrect Kikyo had already started, but for some reason, the priestess' soul refused to return from the other side and was calling out to her and Kaede to hurry and stop it before it was too late. But maybe the one conducting the ritual, namely the ogre in front of her, thought there was another reason? 'Could she possibly think that Kikyo's soul refuses to be called back… because it has already been reincarnated?' the young half-demon thought.

If that was the case, and if the demon ogre's words were anything to go by, then this dirty witch probably thought Kagome herself was said reincarnation. The young half-demon frowned. 'It's true that I look a lot like her when I'm human. Heck, the villagers had sometimes confused me with her back then,' she thought.

She could use that to her advantage. She could pretend to not know what the witch meant and let herself be carried off to where Kikyo undoubtedly was. Or she could let the witch take her and fry her with Kikyo's barrier on the way, although this plan was less likely to work.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Kaede, who had caught up shortly after Inuyasha did, were busying themselves with the remaining clay-soldiers. Inuyasha cursed as he swung his sword down diagonally, cutting down another three or four, but ten more immediately took their place.

"Dammit, there's no end to these freaks," the young priest cursed as he ducked out of the way of another wild swing aimed at his head before responding with his own strike, although his easily reached the target as another clay-soldier fell apart. An arrow suddenly flew right in front of his nose, missing him barely, and when he turned his gaze to follow it; he saw it tearing through some soldiers who were, up to that point, effectively sneaking up on him from the right. Turning in the other direction, his gaze met with Kaede's before the old priestess looked away and notched another arrow.

"Do not lose focus. Stay sharp, child," she advised as she let the arrow fly. Inuyasha scoffed.

"I ain't a little kid," he snapped under his breath, but he heeded her warning. He couldn't help but glance in the direction of the chasm from time to time, where the bridge had been not even five seconds ago, although he was too far away to see if Kagome had been able to hold on. Cursing again, Inuyasha swung his blade in a wide arc, cutting through another wave of soldiers. This time, however, the blade shone stronger than usual, as if being a source of light on its own, and a wave of electric sparks flew in every direction, effectively purifying more soldiers. Inuyasha blinked. 'Well, that worked out well… if only I could figure out how to use that when I want to, not when it wants to be used,' he thought angrily. He knew by now what these sparks were. They were his spiritual power. He still couldn't control it the tiniest bit, though, which frustrated him to no end. 'Oh well, so long as I can get rid of all these freaks then I guess it's fine,' he thought while blocking another attack aimed at him and swiftly counter-attacking. If Kagome could spare a moment of her time to watch him fight, she would have undoubtedly be surprised at how far along he had come in the short amount of time she had trained with him.

As it was, however, the Inuyasha was preoccupied with something else. Her mind was working in overdrive mode, trying to come up with a plan of action, yet coming up empty. She knew what she needed to do, but she couldn't figure out a way how to do it. How do you willingly give yourself in the hands of your enemy, who without a doubt plans to kill you, without it seeming suspicious?

[T]

Besides which, she was running out of time, and she knew it. Not only because her arm was slowly getting tired of supporting her, since being human she definitely wasn't as strong as she would have liked, but also because of Kikyo. A quick glance above her told her that the ghost had vanished, and her bow was acting strangely. The magatama were glowing and pulsing at a more or less regular interval, as if calling out to her, telling her to hurry. Something told her it was Kikyo's calling, too.

'I have to hurry. Kikyo's soul can't fight much longer, and when it finally gives in, Kikyo will be forced into a body that isn't real… to live a live that isn't real… only to die once again. I can't allow that! She doesn't deserve it! I have to prevent it from happening… but how? How damn it?' the young half-demon thought fervently. She was getting anxious and could do only little about it, a fact the ogre in front of her definitely noticed, though it probably linked it to something else.

"Running out of strength to hold on, hmm?" she taunted with a satisfied look on her face while Kagome tried to calm herself, and failed miserably at it.

"What are you planning, demon? Why resurrect the dead?" she finally asked as her anger and frustration got the better of her. The demon actually looked surprised for a second before laughing merrily.

"Oh, so you know what I am doing now, don't you? Well, I shouldn't be surprised, you are a miko, after all," she laughed as she stared Kagome down. "Well, seeing you won't be able to do anything about it, I might as well tell you. I am resurrecting the great miko Kikyo, the former guardian of the Shikon no Tama."

"I know that much. It was her grave you robbed, you scum. But why her? Why act against death and bring back those who have already passed on?" Kagome yelled angrily, for the first time in a long while, even as a human, losing control of her emotions.

"Isn't that obvious? Hmm, maybe you're more stupid than you look," the demon said carelessly, earning a hot glare from the young hanyō, although she ignored it completely. "It's rather obvious I would think. After all, the great Kikyo could feel and see the Jewel, couldn't she? I'll bring her back and use her to find the Jewel of Four Souls so that I, Urasue, can have it," she said as she chuckled darkly to herself.

Hearing her words, Kagome's initial anger was replaced with fear as she stole a glance at Inuyasha. So Urasue was doing all this to get the Jewel? Well, she should have expected that, really, but it made things all the more dangerous, for if the witch were to realize that the thing she desired so much was in fact right under her nose right now… Kagome didn't even want to think where such a thing would lead given her current predicament. As much as Inuyasha had improved in his fighting skills since she met him, if that witch decided to kill him here and now while Kagome was pretty much stuck and obliged to look out to save her own skin before she could think of protecting someone else, then whether Kaede helped or not, it would most likely end in his death.

She couldn't allow that, nor could she live with herself if she allowed Kikyo to be resurrected only to suffer. It was a lose-lose situation. Kagome gritted her teeth. If only she could somehow, without being too suspicious about it, get that witch to taking her to where Kikyo was, she could stop the resurrection and ensure that Inuyasha didn't get into unnecessary trouble.

Urasure suddenly narrowed her eyes and flew slightly to the side, allowing an arrow that would have otherwise hit her hit the bridge instead, a bit too close to Kagome's hand for the half-demon girl's comfort.

"Kaede-chan, I'm still here you know. I would appreciate it if your arrows didn't hit the wrong target!" she yelled, only to regret her words a moment later when Urasue laughed cruelly.

"'Kaede-chan', huh? So you and that old hag are close to each other? Amusing, really amusing. Too bad I'll have to kill her now. You see, her and that kannushi over there are destroying my army and it is slowly starting to get on my nerves. You can't imagine how much work it was to make all those."

Kagome's eyes widened as the witch slowly raised her hand. The half-demon didn't know whether the witch could truly use any spells to kill her pray or not, but she couldn't dare to chance it. There wasn't much she could do, though. In fact, there wasn't anything.

"Don't you dare!" she yelled angrily, only succeeding in making the demon-witch laugh again.

"Oh, are you threatening me? And if I don't listen, then what do you plan on doing, reincarnation of the great miko?" the witch asked and Kagome's eyes went wide as an idea hit her. She'd be playing into the witch's hands, though. If Urasure decided to remind her now that she thought she was Kikyo's reincarnation, it could only be in order to get one reaction out of the hanyō. She could hardly do anything else, and it made her job easier, too.

[/T]

"I'll go with you! I'll go with you, but please don't hurt them!" Kagome yelled. Urasue glanced at her, but pretended to not be interested in her plan. Kagome bit her lip. "You need me and you know it. You said it yourself, I am Kikyo's reincarnation," it was impossible, and Kagome knew it, but since the yōkai was so sure of herself, she wasn't about to correct her. "That means you need me to get the great Kikyo's soul, and I know just me dying won't be enough. You need to extract it, don't you? So then take me and my soul, but leave the miko and kannushi in peace!" Kagome was bluffing, of course, she had no idea whether in such a case just her death wouldn't be enough. Judging from Urasue's reaction, however, she had struck gold.

The witch lowered her arm and turned to her, before extending her arm and grabbing Kagome roughly.

"I believe we have reached a deal, little miko," Urasure gloated. Kagome glared in response.

"I warn you, demon, if you try to hurt them despite my coming with you, I won't hesitate to purify you until there's nothing left, whether it'll mean my own death or not," she warned, and it was by no means an idle threat. Thanks to Kikyo's bow, it was something Kagome could do and something she would not hesitate to do.

"Worry not, little priestess. I'll let them live," Urasue smiled as she all but yanked Kagome away from the bridge and started floating up, no doubt intending on leaving the site. "But that doesn't mean my soldiers won't keep them here," she said while chuckling darkly, before she hit the young half-demon on the back of her neck, effectively knocking her out.

'Maybe… but your clay pots… won't be… enough… to kill them,' Kagome managed to think before falling into unconsciousness, despite trying really hard to not give in to the blackness creeping into her vision.

Inuyasha cut down another soldier in front of him before allowing himself to look around. Their numbers were finally starting to drop, and he couldn't help but be grateful. The prolonged fighting was starting to tire him out. 'I have to build up more stamina for fights like these,' the black haired teen told himself. As he looked towards the sky, however, the relief turned into dread and anger.

He looked up just in time to see Urasue flying over the precipice between them and even further away, with Kagome slung carelessly over her shoulder and by the looks of it, the hanyō was unconscious.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, and almost ran after them, but stopped himself in time. If he followed blindly, he would only end up falling over the edge and down the chasm. He narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on Seiryuu, while his other hand balled up into a fist. "Dammit," he cursed. He had to go after them, he knew that, but which way? And he couldn't leave with those clay soldiers still in his way. "Dammit," he repeated, gritting his teeth.

"Behind ye, child," he heard Kaede's call and reacted on instinct and turned around, swinging his sword upwards diagonally. He wasn't really aiming as he swung, his anger getting the better of him and clouding his mind, but the attack still connected.

"Get off my back!" the young priest yelled angrily as he swung, his blade shining unnaturally brightly, much brighter than ever before. The swing left a thin blue line visible after it, and before Inuyasha understood what was happening, that one line literally exploded with light and a flood of spiritual energy flew from it like a river through a broken dam. It drowned the clay-soldiers, instantly purifying all of them, but bringing no harm to Kaede once it reached her. Once the river of light finally vanished, there wasn't even one clay-human left. Inuyasha blinked in surprise, but Kaede seemed unaffected by what had just occurred. Not much, anyway.

"Ye are truly strong, child," she said calmly. "Now, ye just need to learn to control that power."

"What was that?" Inuyasha asked bewildered, glancing at the elder miko. Kaede smiled at him.

"That, my child, was the manifestation of your true power as Seiryuu is able to bring it out. Ye were wondering why the sword's name is 'clear stream', and I believe that is the reason. It is a sword that cleanses evil through a flood of purity, much like a stream would act on a dry land once it broke through a dam," the old miko told him before narrowing her eyes. "But further explanation shall wait. We must follow the witch and Kagome."

Shaken out of his stupor, Inuyasha quickly sheathed his sword and nodded, but one quick look around had him sighing almost inaudibly.

"But how will we follow them? The bridge fell," he said quietly, fear creeping ups his spine, although he couldn't quite tell what he was afraid of.

"Then we will look for another. There is no chasm with only one bridge leading over it. Although we must hurry. I am sure Kagome knows what she is doing and she knows the risk she has undertaken now, but that doesn't mean she can foretell what will happen. We must hurry," the old priestess replied. How she could keep her calm knowing that was beyond Inuyasha, but it was also something he admired her for, even if he would never admit it aloud.

Turning around, the black haired teen quickly ran back up the way he had come and where he had left his horse when he heard the sound of battle. Kaede had left hers nearby as well, so he was quick to untie both beasts and bring them down to where Kaede was. Soon enough, they were both in their saddles once again, but this time both were galloping as fast as the horses could carry them, for there was no time to lose. Kagome's horse had been nowhere in sight and Inuyasha hadn't tried to lose time to locate it. The animal was gone and it was something they'd have to worry about later. Their priority was now to get to where Kagome was. Still, there was something Inuyasha just couldn't leave alone.

"Why did that demon take her, though? Why would she need Kagome?" he asked as they suddenly turned to their right, having finally found a bridge to cross the abyss separating them from Kagome and Urasue. Once they crossed, they'd be relying on Kaede's powers again. The elder priestess sighed.

"If my guess is correct and the yōkai plans to resurrect my sister, it is quite possible she thought Kikyo's soul had already been reincarnated, since it refused to be called back. And since Kagome looks a lot like my sister when she is human, the ogre might have though Kagome to be Kikyo's reincarnation, holding my sisters soul within her."

Inuyasha felt a cold shudder run down his spine at the implications of that statement. If the witch believed Kagome was holding Kikyo's soul, then she'd have to liberate that soul in order to revive Kikyo. Ultimately, it wouldn't work, because Kagome wasn't Kikyo's reincarnation, and Inuyasha knew that. But it still meant that if they didn't hurry, then Kagome would…

"That witch will kill her… won't she." It was a statement really, but even though he knew the answer, the young priest still hoped against hope it would be a negative. Kaede disappointed him.

"Aye. She will extract Kagome's soul in order to give it to the fake body that shall house my resurrected sister. Only all she'll succeed in doing that way, is forcing Kagome herself into a false body. And once that body is destroyed, then Kagome will die."

Inuyasha gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes. He knew now just why he was scared.

He knew ever since Kagome had fought with her brother that he somewhat cared for her. Ever since then, he knew he didn't want her to die, because he somehow grew to like her, if only a little bit. But only now was he realizing just how much the thought of Kagome dying actually scared him. And not because he would lose the person who was saving him on a regular basis as of late. He 'keh-ed' to himself.

Nice going, Inuyasha. The first time Kagome is human and you get the chance to prove that you can protect her just as she protects you, and not only are you managing to screw it up, you are even showing us a new meaning of the saying 'epic fail', a mocking voice he suspected to be his conscience mocked him in his mind.

'Shut up!' he yelled back at it within his mind. 'There's still time. I can still make it. Kagome isn't dead yet!' he tried to reassure himself, though it wasn't working well. He knew one thing, however. Kagome couldn't die. For one reason or another, he started to care for her more than for an acquaintance. He cared for her as a friend. He couldn't let her die. He just couldn't. And he wouldn't.

XxX

Kagome slowly opened her eyes as she came to. She was quick to notice that the witch that had knocked her out was carrying her on her shoulder and was no doubt taking her to where Kikyo was, so she decided to remain motionless and pretend to still be unconscious. Looking down towards the ground and also her limply hanging hands, she noticed that even though he had been unconscious, she had not lost her bow, a fact she was grateful for.

Hoping Urasue wouldn't notice the small movement, Kagome tightened her hold on her bow in order to make sure she wouldn't lose it. The witch didn't seem to notice and Kagome smirked to herself before closing her eyes to pretend unconsciousness even better.

It hadn't been long until Urasue had stopped where Kagome presumed Kikyo would be, as well as whatever means the ogre was planning to use to kill her, or extract her soul or whatever it was the witch was planning. Landing lightly, the ogre-yōkai deposed her baggage none too gently on the ground and moved closer, though Kagome didn't stay still long enough to find out with what intention. Quickly rolling away, Kagome got to her feet and brought her bow in front in front of her, effectively keeping Urasue at bay as the barrier formed once more and the magatama glowed with Kikyo's power.

"You didn't really think I would just let you kill me, did you?" Kagome mocked from behind her barrier, pretending to be calm while on the inside, her mind was frantically trying to form some sort of plan. True, she had arrived where she wanted to be – at the place where the resurrection was to take place. But what now.

"You should still be unconscious. You're sturdier than you look, little miko," Urasue answered with narrowed eyes. There was no doubt she was angry, and Kagome could very well picture why, too.

"Might have something to do with the fact that I ain't a miko, babaa," the young hanyō shot back, though she refrained from adding that she wasn't even human. It wouldn't be true right now, anyway, since she was human at the moment. "And I'm even less the reincarnation of the one you thought me to be. Too bad you fell for it. Now out with it, where's the miko you were planning to resurrect. Where is her false, clay body?"

Before Urasue could answer, Kagome scanned her surroundings briefly and, in the periphery of her vision, noticed a second person was present, although she didn't seem to notice anything happening around her. She was sitting on a rock, looking straight ahead, almost as if lost in her own little world.

Gulping slightly, holding the bow still in place so that the barrier wouldn't fall, Kagome slowly turned her head to get a better look at the person… and froze, her eyes going wide. Before her sat a miko she knew all too well. From the long, black hair, usually tied back in a low pony tail but now flowing freely in the wind, from the pale complexion to the big, brown, doe-like eyes. Before her sat the miko who had sealed her to the sacred tree, the one she had considered a sister. The person sitting there was…

"Kikyo…"

(1) Babaa – you probably know this, but it means 'old hag' in Japanese. It's a rather insulting term, too.

And that's that. Hope you enjoyed at least as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Virtual cookies and a special surprise or anyone who gets this 'Bonus Question' right: What thing other than the fact that she's human can the 'time of weakness' from the title refer to?

Well, see you next time and please leave a review with your thoughts in it. You know I love reading and responding to them :3 Ja ne!