Suffocating... it was the only word anyone could use to describe this feeling...

It was like drowning, floating in thick water that you can't move from... can't breath.

Kagome opened her eyes to meet darkness, she was suffocating... trying to breath... trying to call Inuyasha, trying just to move. But she couldn't.

Darkness had settled all around, heavy the farther off it seemed to be, and lighter the closer it was to her eyes. She could have sworn she was underwater if she didn't know where she had been just seconds ago...

She tried to breath but no air filled her lungs. She tried to reach up, trying to catch the image of the silver haired man, who fled from her sight. Even her memories were beginning to leave her..

She wanted to scream, to run, to go to Inuyasha, but instead she tried to cry... even her tears wouldn't come.

"Are you hurting, Kagome?" a voice called around her.

Kagome looked around, to see light slowly coming from the darkness, still so far away.

"Where am I?" she heard her own voice from somewhere else.

"Poor girl.. Death certainly does not suit you..." the voice whispered again, closer to her this time. It all sank in then, why she couldn't breath, couldn't move... she was dead... and this was her death... "Dead..." she repeated, she could almost swear she was crying...

Warm hands slowly touched her face, and red eyes met her sapphire ones. "Are you scared?"

Kagome nodded, not wanting those red eyes to leave her alone, not in this place...

The warmth on her face was gone, instead the warmth fell over the rest of her body, as arms encircled her in an embrace. "I can bring you back."

Kagome's eyes were as big as plates, as everything hit home... she was dead... but..she could live again? Wouldn't any dead soul give anything for that chance? To walk in the sun again... to be with... him again...

"You can?"

"Do you want to come back?"

"YES! Please... please... I don't want to die..." she whispered, burying her head in the warm body's chest. It was a man... she could already tell by his voice, but now that she was actually closer, she could smell his scent. A thick husky scent, mixed with an incense she couldn't place.

"Come back Kagome.." the voice said echoing into oblivion.

A scream escaped her throat, and she recoiled, her body going into spasms. Pain had suddenly hit her hard, in her throat. A burning feeling coming from something inside of her throat... she scream, her body thrashing as she tried to get it out, and stop the pain. But warm arms again encircled her, and she was brought into a warm embrace.

"Kagome, your only alive because of that pain.."

"What happened to me?" her voice was hoarse as if she hadn't spoken in so long. Her throat dry, and her body stiff.

"You've been dead for a while, it's just your body waking back up."

"Why does it hurt so bad?"

"The jewel shard is trying to get used to your body."

"Jewel shard?" her voice was confused and she could feel the pain start to subside, replaced by a dull ache.

The warm arms were gone, and a chuckle echoed around her. 'Oh god..' she thought the voice hitting home. It was Naraku's voice...

Naraku's cruel eyes met her own, and his gaze softened. He reached up to touch her cheek, "My my Kagome... your as cold as death." he said the last word slowly, almost jokingly watching her eyes flash around her, taking in the crimson surroundings, and then the clear pain in her eyes.

"Kagome.. Be warned... since you are dead, Inuyasha will pick up that scent of death quickly... do you think he will treat you the same?" he whispered, his eyes were hard, the deep crimson core of them set firmly, but a hint of concern flickered somewhere in those blood red eyes.

Whether it as fake or not... Naraku had a point.

Kagome slowly brought herself into a curled position, her legs tight against her chest and her arms clasped tightly around her legs, even though hardly any feeling traveled through her limbs yet, her limbs trembled with the force of her pathetic attempt at hiding herself from reality.

She slowly looked up at the man she had learned to despise and tears flooded to her eyes.

"What can I do?" she whispered, fear clear in her voice as it cracked.

Naraku's eyes softened and he draped an arm around her shoulders, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "You can come with me... I can protect you... I can let you live again... live a good life." he said, each word held different promises, but all of them were comforting, except for her heart began to tear itself apart...

If she went with Naraku... Inuyasha would despise her...

She turned her gaze away from the kind words of Naraku, turning to her feet. She tried to think of a way to make this work out... some way to maybe keep Inuyasha with her... without him discovering the horrible truth of what had truly happened...

But everything that popped into her head only pointed towards Inuyasha hating her, him avoiding her... or him leaving her... each one of these conclusions was like a knife in her heart, all of them taking a piece of her as they passed through her mind.

She squeezed her eyes shut and held back a sob. Naraku stroked her hair and whispered, "come with me... and I will give you a home..." Kagome's eyes widened and her ears perked at the sound... home... it sounded nice..

She weakly nodded, as he lifted her to her feet. Her legs failed her and she fell into the chest of the man she had for so long hated. But... death can change a person... so maybe a new life could offer something new...

Naraku chuckled, the thick purple mist rising around him, encircling him and kagome. And slowly darkness set in, as the glint of silver reflected in the darkness of the forest.

A dark chuckle was all that was heard as the mist vanished, the two gone, but the crimson mess remaining.

A demon puppet slowly fell to the ground, a long black hair wrapped around it's wooden frame, and a dark purple glow slowly arose from the figure as it fell to the ground with a soft thump. It's frame grew, large and glowing slowly taking a shape. And then the glow faded after a woman like frame set in... now Kagome lay on the ground, eyes closed, blood staining her school uniform, and slashes, and bruises decorated her body, while blood seemingly poured from a wound torn on her right shoulder. And blood pooled freely around her frame, a soft smile tugged at the corner of her mouth for a moment, before a gurgling sound came from deep in her throat, and the smile was gone, blood slowly trickling down her chin.

A silver haired man came into view, his feet meeting the ground rapidly, his amber orbs searching everywhere, while his figure moved, barely a blur of silver against the green scenery of the forest. Slowly his eyes set on the figure, laying motionless, and his heart dropped, and shattered. His feet made contact with the ground and refused to move again, as he stood there in shock. He felt his hand reach out towards the girl laying lifeless in the distance and realization hit him hard, the cold reality setting in.

The stink of death, and the stench of blood filled the air, clinging tightly to the life of the forest, molding with it and warping it's natural smell.

The blood sank further into the ground and a light mist of white sparkles emerged, the crimson droplets rising from their former places amongst the grass. Small flower buds rose, blooming slightly, as if reaching for the sun.

Inuyasha slowly took a step forward, and the tiny flowers recoiled away, withering back into the ground as his feet slowly brought him over to the lifeless husk of a once kind priestess. He slowly sank to his knees, a memory flashing in his mind.

'A priestess stared at him hard, a jewel trembling in her bloodied hand, as his eyes slowly slid shut he watched her body convulse, and then fall to the ground.'

'Fire surrounded the building of the smoke maker, and a little fox kit sit crying by three bodies. A demon slayer, a monk, and a priestess. The kit looked up to him, tears falling from his cute green eyes. "I'm sorry Inuyasha... but they all stopped breathing!!" '

He had lost one...

He had thought and cried... thinking that he had lost the other...

But now she was really gone, and the proof was in her blood, that lay around him and now clung to his feet and knees.

"Kagome..."

A.N Okay guys!! Sorry it took me soooo long to update this thing... I haven't had a lot of time of my hands but here it is!! Even better part, I'm almost done with the next chapter so I should have it up before the end of this week! OH YEAH!! I'm on a roll!! does victory dance Okay, so I'm looking forward to reviews, tell me what you honestly think okay? Happy Holidays!! Love all you guys!!
MuzaiUsui