Chapter 13

"What did you see?" Kagome asked softly.

The fire had died down, and only embers remained. They sat in the pile of ash burning red, giving off only a little heat.

Rei still sat where she had during the fire reading but her hands had lost their position. They now lied limply in her lap. She had stopped her mantra some time ago. She was slow in answering. She perked up when she realized Kagome had been speaking to her.

She slowly turned her head, but not all the way, "What? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

Kagome tried again, "Did you see anything that could help us?"

Rei dropped her head a little and averted her eyes. "Yes, but Inuyasha wont like it…"

That explanation pretty much summed up what Rei had seen. It could only mean one thing; the extermination of Kikyo.

"Well, I for one wouldn't be sad to see her go." Mumbled Sango. She had never liked the idea of the woman being a walking dead person. To her, Kikyo went against the laws that Kikyo used to live by.

Rei excused herself quietly and left. She returned to the room that she and the other two women shared and prepared her futon. Since Sango and Kagome didn't join her after a short time, she assumed they had stayed behind to talk. They might have even gone to talk with Inuyasha. Either way she didn't mind. She was glad to have some time to herself to reflect on her vision.

She lay on her back and closed her eyes against all distractions, and brought back the visions to her mind.

First Rei had seen the past. She saw how Kikyo had been brought to life, and Kagome's soul ripped in half. With that moment, Inuyasha's heart too had been torn.

Next she saw the present. Kikyo and Kagome's soul was in a battle. It was fighting to be made whole…Rei had seen the result of that struggle.

The background was dark. Kagome and Kikyo faced each other from a distance. They each held their bows, ready. They would each string and raise their bows in perfect unison, each with incredible speed. Both arrows would be released simultaneously. Kagome's arrow would draw blood, but Kikyo's arrow would draw life. Kagome's limp body would fall in a heap on the floor. Kikyo would hold a bleeding shoulder.

That had been the near future. If that outcome came, she knew the result.

Without Kagome, Kikyo would be the only one left in the world to sense the precious jewel shards. She wouldn't aid Inuyasha just because Kagome was out of the way. Without her, Rei saw them shrink as they became powerless. She saw Kikyo become engulfed in the shadow of Naraku. She would become his puppet, or he would kill her. In her darkness she would lose the ability to purify the jewel shards. Everything…would break apart…and fall into darkness.

Rei could not let this happen. This was all to come about form Kikyo, and her actions. Rei had been sent here for a special purpose: To save the world. To do that, she must kill Kikyo and unify Kagome's soul. She only hoped she would have the strength…

At that same time Naraku sat outside his room, starring at the starry sky. His body was relaxed and still. His eyes were misty with thought.

He of course knew every action that Inuyasha and Rei had taken; he was a good villain that way. Usually he would be comforted to know, even if he didn't always know their motives. His knowledge was his strongest power. But right now he wasn't very comfortable. He had been at a loss for a while now and he didn't like it. At first he had been sure that something would come up to his advantage, but nothing had.

From the beginning he had been suspicious of Rei's purpose here to do something with Kikyo. That woman had overstayed her welcome on this earth in his opinion. So he didn't much mind the idea of her dieing. He couldn't use her, so her demise was none of his concern. Instead he thought he would try his hand at Rei. She was also a priestess, with strange powers, one of which was reading fortunes and seeing visions in flames. He certainly wouldn't mind seeing the future.

He was glad that he had planted that jewel shard in her palm. It had revealed all of her powers.

But then something occurred to him: if she could defeat Kikyo that would have to make her stronger. That transformation earlier had only made him more worried. That was unlike anything he had ever seen before…She still want a threat to him of course, he wasn't afraid of a little fire. Her strength only meant that she would be more difficult to control than Kikyo. That didn't make him happy…

That left him with a few options: 1) Try to capture Rei before she confronted Kikyo again 2) Wait for her to kill Kikyo and then capture her 3) Let her kill Kikyo and have her be on her way.

Naraku sighed…He came to a conclusion. He decided that the benefits of having Rei wouldn't outweigh the risks of getting her.

Kikyo was troublesome as it was, with her helping out that damn dog all the time, no matter how little or from what distance. And for all of Kikyo's negativity towards Inuyasha and Kagome, she never took acted on it. She had been presented with numerous opportunities to kill Kagome before, and she hadn't. That always disappointed him since that young girl was the biggest threat there was to him. She could track down and purify jewel shards for Inuyasha and the others…

So let her be. I suppose the best use she can be to me is just to let her do as she wants. If her motives change…He smirked. I'll take care of it when it becomes a problem.

He rose from the wooden floor and slide open his bedroom door. He walked inside and went to his futon. For once he was able to sleep a whole night through. No plotting, no scheming, ordering or manipulating. For once, everyone else's actions actually benefited him most just as they were.

Early the next morning, Rei was the first to wake up. She sat up and looked around her.

Sango and Kagome lay next to her on either side. Sango was turned on her side, in the fetal position. Kirara was curled up in the space between her knees, stomach and arms. It was a perfect little circle for her.

Kagome was on her stomach with her hands on either side next to her face. Shippo slept next to her, on his back like a dead little fox. Rei laughed to see his mouth wide open.

She pushed away he sheets and stood. Tiptoeing, she made her way to the sliding rice paper door. Once outside, she closed it carefully and turned to walk toward the toilet.

She hadn't taken but a handful of steps before stopping with a gasp.

"Inuyasha." She greeting quietly.

He had appeared out of nowhere, giving her a scare. He must have moved very fast, for him to appear so suddenly before she could sense him…

"Rei." He greeted coldly.

He was standing in front of her with his legs apart and arms crossed. A scowl was on his face.

"Good morning!" She smiled and tried to step around him. Her cheeriness was contrived, and they could both tell.

He stepped in front of her.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"To the toilet." She raised an eyebrow. She had hoped that her frankness might embarrass him enough to let her go.

"Really, and after that? You're already dressed."

"I slept in my clothes last night, it was cold." Suddenly, she dropped the civilities, "I don't need to stand here and defend myself against your suspicions!"

He said nothing, but narrowed his eyes.

"I'm guessing Miroku told you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, what? Do you think I'm going off now, to search for her? Where would I look?" She leaned back and crossed her own arms.

Inuyasha became nervous when she didn't continue. He didn't have an answer.

"Hmm. For all your suspicions against me, you didn't think it all through. Excuse me." She pushed her way past him and rounded the corner.

He turned around and called after her, "My thinking isn't unwarranted!"

Rei stopped.

"You are going to kill her."

Rei wanted to respond, to make it sound better than the way he said it, but she couldn't.

"So what? Are you going to stop me?"

There was another silence. They stood there with Inuyasha boring holed into Rei's back.

Miroku broke the silence.

"Inuyasha! Stop being rude…"

"Rude?!" Inuyasha spun around to face the monk.

"Yes," he could think of no other name for it, "Rei feels bad as it is. She knows of the relationship between you and Kikyo. She's only doing what she must."

"You're not going to stand there and tell me that! I will not accept-!"

"Stop!" Miroku grew upset.

Sango and Kagome and Shippo appeared at the entrance of the room. Sango stepped out into the hallway. Kagome continued to look from the doorframe with Shippo on her shoulder.

From their vantage point they could only see the two men. Inuyasha still stood behind Rei, right at the corner of the walkway. Behind him was Miroku.

Miroku continued, "She's only doing what she has to so she can return home! Or have to forgotten that?"

Sango stepped forward, "She has family, friends and responsibilities that obligate her to the future…her home."

Kagome raised her voice, "Just as I have the same that keep me traveling between the well."

Inuyasha tuned his head away with a huff. He didn't like how they were all ganging up on him.

Miroku softened, "Cant you try to understand now? She has no choice. She has been unable to go back through that well since she first came and this might be the reason why. Nothing in out lives is coincidental, and now she is part of it. She was brought here for a reason, and she has found her purpose.

"Do not chide her, Inuyasha." Sango finished.

Inuyasha turned and leaped of the wooden walkway and into the yard. He hurried away, and off into the nearby town.

Miroku sighed and went to console Rei. When he turned the corner he saw that she was gone. He assured Sango and Kagome that he would find her, and hurried off.

"Is it okay to let him go?" Kagome wondered.

"Yeah, he's such a letch, and Rei is delicate right now." Shippo pointed out.

Sango wasn't worried, "Is their any stopping him?" Sango shrugged.

Shippo and Kagome looked at each other. Their eyes told each other, "Isn't she the one that always tries?"

"Any way, she needs some sort of distraction from recent events." She reasoned.

Miroku didn't have to go far, just to the other side of the house. He found her right where she had said she was going, coming out of the bathroom.

"Oh, Rei, are you alright?" He ran to her.

Rei was caught off guard, "Umm…yeah, why?"

He grabbed her hand and held it between his, "I was worried that Inuyasha might have gotten to you. I thought I might have found you crying somewhere." He glanced at the bathroom, "Why did you run off so suddenly?"

"I had to pee."

"Oh…Well, I'm so glad you're all right!" He pulled her close and wrapped one arms around her, "He can be so thoughtless sometimes." He looked at her with gleaming eyes of sincerity.

"Oh, yeah, unlike your self minded hand?" She reached behind her and grabbed the accused appendage.

She lifted it up and pushed it back at Miroku before turning to back to her room.

"Oh, how can you be so cruel?" He laughed while rubbing a bruised wrist.

"Your lucky I haven't broken it by now!" She paused, turned her head around with a smile and winked.

Then she kept walking, her movement as graceful and seductive as always. Her hair swayed behind her with a gently rustle, the color catching in the light. Her back was straight and her steps sure.

Miroku watched her go. He dropped his hand and smiled. I don't need to worry…She'll be alright.