Kagome didn't stop moving after they returned to Earth. She had made a decision right before they had left. The least she could do before the ritual, the thing she had been unconsciously wanting ever since she had first met him, was at least tell Inuyasha how she felt. Or at least…give him something before she left him forever. She kept moving right along, completely ignoring the people who sat in the kitchen. She ignored everything, for she was on a mission. She scented the air and trumped up the steps to the bedrooms opening the door at the far end of the hall. Her eyes landed on a form, pretending to read, though staring out a window. "Inuyasha…"

Miroko watched as Kagome stalked away from her, right past her friends. She held back tears and fiercely debated whether or not to just leave. She could just leave and let Kagome live for a little while longer, she couldn't let her die. Her eyes focused on her fiancé as he touched her shoulder, "Moriko…" She shook her head and pressed it into his chest. "Luki…" She felt arms wrap around her and she allowed a single tear to escape.

"What happened?" He asked gently, holding her close.

"Kagome…." She held back a sob, "The…the Gate has cracked." She her Luki sucked in a breath and her fingers squeezed the fabric of his shirt in distress.

"What are you going to do?" He asked softly.

"T-there's a ritual….I learned it from my mentor. It seals the Gate and heals it…at the cost of the Gate's host's life."

She felt Luki shake his head, "That doesn't make sense. You can't do it."

Moriko nodded, "I know. I can't let Kagome die." She looked up into Luki's eyes, "She's so precious to me…to everyone." She pressed her head into his chest again, "Why, Luki? Why does it have to be Kagome? Why not me?" She let out a sob, "Why not me instead?" Luki shook his head, "Moriko….neither of you deserve this. It's not your fault and it's not Kagome's fault." He stepped back and looked right into Moriko's eyes, "We'll find a way, Moriko. We'll find a way to fix this." Moriko stared up at him and nodded once, "Yes…" She stepped away and walked toward the house, "Come, Luki, let's get to work."

Kagome stared at Inuyasha, taking in every single detail about him, because she knew she would never see those details ever again. Inuyasha looked up and over at her, "Kagome, you're back already?" He stood and walked toward her. Kagome met him halfway, "What are you doing here?" He asked, a rueful smile gracing his lips, "I thought you never wanted to see me? And your niece will kill me if I'm in the same room--!" His sentence was cut off, Kagome had jerked his head down and kissed him. His eyes widened and he pushed her away as he felt her fumble at the buttons on his shirt, "Kagome?" he whispered, eyes wide with shock. Kagome shook her head and moved in again, kissing him and undoing one button, "Please, Inuyasha…" She whispered as they broke apart, "I can't tell you why…but I won't ever see you again and I just…" She pressed her lips to him again, " Just please…" Inuyasha didn't understand what had come over Kagome and he hesitated, looking at her and into her eyes. Silently and without really knowing how, he understood. "Alright…" He kissed her slowly.

Moriko sighed, rubbing her eyes determinedly, she wouldn't rest until they had found a way to fix the ritual. She glanced up as Luki set another half-dozen leather bound books on the table. It had been awkward explaining things to Kagome's friends. She couldn't tell them much, only that something up there had gone wrong and that she and Kagome were working very hard to fix it. Moriko couldn't bring herself to tell them everything. Too many questions, too little time. She yawned and shook her head. The earliest they could perform the ritual would be the end of this week. They needed to gather the power needed to do this and it took time to get that much, even if they were already very powerful. This gave them time, but not enough of it. She gave Luki a thin smile and returned to the manuscript. She glanced up, eyes flashing with anger, as the phone rang. Luki answered it and gave it to her, shaking his head with an apology.

"Hello?" She kept her voice from revealing her distress, but barely.

"Moriko, such a pleasure to hear your voice again." Murmured a velvet soft voice.

Moriko froze, eyes wide with disbelief, "You…"

A chuckle, "Indeed, Moriko, it is I." The voice continued before she could speak, "I hear that you have seen my work."

Moriko swallowed and anger flooded into her. He did this! How dare that wretch do this! "You did this? You are the one causing the crack in the Gate!" She stood up, almost knocking the table over, "How dare you! How dare you meddle in things you cannot control! Do you have any brain is that pathetic body of yours? Have you no shame?" She snarled, teeth bared, her fury raged against this nameless person.

The voice chuckled again, she felt him smirk through the phone, "Ah, but I am only trying to bring the world back to its former glory."

"Glory? Glory? What glory? The world will end, you fool! And you will not be spared from the consequences!"

The voice chuckled again, "You underestimate me, Moriko, I can withstand anything."

He hung up.