CHAPTER III: AT THE BRINK

A guy was standing near the edge of a cliff overlooking the vast blue ocean. His long gray hair was flowing with the wind. He was dragged there this morning by his, well, friends but the one person he was expecting to be with them was not there. It's that girl monkey, Kirisawa Fuuko.

Before the end of the first semester, that girl stupidly confessed to him and of course, he rejected her. But since then, he can't forget the expression she made that day. She looked so sad and it pained him to see her like that.

What else can he do? He was still that same child who lost his sister, full of hatred and anger, still stuck at that time, unable to move. He was afraid to open his heart, afraid to let someone in. Because he knew that as long as he has that hatred within him, Fuuko can never be happy with him. And they both might end up hurting each other.

"Mikagami-sempai." Called a girl's voice from behind.

He turned around and saw a girl with long brown hair and a smile that can ease anyone's mind.

"What is it, Yanagi-san?" he asked.

"The food is ready, let's go eat with everyone."

While walking back to the cottage…

"It's too bad Fuuko-chan isn't with us." Yanagi said.

"At least there's one less monkey here."

"You said that but you looked really disappointed when we told you she's not coming." She said in a teasing tone.

"You're just imagining things."

"Sempai, you should not push her away too much… she might get tired of it you know."

He was a little surprised by what she said and just said coldly, "It's better that way."

Yanagi just looked at him sympathetically and said, "You know that's really not what you want."

Then suddenly Recca came rushing towards them.

"What's the matter Recca?" asked Yanagi.

"Bad news. Genko just called, she said Fuuko is missing." Recca answered.

He felt that his heart just sunk because of what he heard, "Fuuko."

-FEUDAL JAPAN-

Fuuko was in the field helping the villagers' plant crops. It was the planting season that's why many of the villagers are there. It was almost three days since she arrived at that place. The villagers are very welcoming; they didn't ask too much question and just let her stay there. They even gave her food and clothing. The only problem now is how she will find a way to go back home.

Then suddenly someone held her arm, she looked down and saw a little girl with black hair abd cute freckles on her face. The girl's name was Rin. She was the girl staying at the village's chief's house. They said she arrived at the village a few months ago with no memories except her name. the chief decided to take her in.

"Hi Fuu-chan!" Rin greeted her.

"Hi Rin! What are you doing here?"

"Oh… I'm going to pick some medicinal herbs in the forest. I just passed by to see you."

"Wait- you're going to forest… alone?" she asked worriedly.

Rin nodded.

"You can't! It's dangerous… youkais might attack you."

"But I've never been attacked before … so it's fine."

She sighed, "Okay… I'll just go with you. Is that fine?"

"Hmm… okay."

When they reached the forest, Rin immediately started picking-up every medicinal herb that she sees.

"She's really excited about this…" Fuuko thought while looking at Rin.

She looked around and remembered the first time she got there. She can't help but remember the face of that dazzling inugami, his long silver-blue hair and his almost emotionless golden eyes.

"Come to think of it… I haven't seen Shou-chan since that day. I wonder what he's doing?"

When she looked at her, a giant youkai who looked like an oni appeared suddenly behind Rin and it was going to attack the little girl.

"Rin!"

She came to Rin's aid as fast as she coild but all she could do was to push Rin away from the youkai and in return she was the one to receive the youkai's attack causing her right shoulder to be badly injured. Its claws almost pierced her shoulder.

"Fuu-chan!"

"Give me the Shikon no Tama!" the youkai said.

"Shit! I've almost forgot about that. I became too complaisant just because they haven't attacked me these past few days." She looked at the youkai and said, "Like hell I would!" she put her hand right hand in front of the youkai and yelled "Kamaitachi!"

Raging winds came out of her Fuujin causing the youkai to fall back. She used that chance to go to Rin . she grabbed her hand and run, "Let's go!"

"Fuu-chan… y-you're bleeding… it's my fault."

She could feel the child's hand trembling, she just held it tighly and said smiling, "It's nothing and it's not your fault, okay?"

"B-but- okay…"

She looked ahead and thought, "I can't fight that youkai with Rin here… I must first get her to a safe place."

When she looked back to see if the youkai was still following them, she was surprised to see that aside from that huge youkai another group of youkai was following them.

"Shit! Listen Rin… from here on just continue running. Whatever happens, don't turn back. Go to somewhere safe, okay?"

"B-but- what about you?"

"It's me they want and I'm going to stop them."

"I can't do that! I can't leave you!"

"You must! If you stay here I can't guarantee your safety, do you understand?"

She heard her so, she knew that she was crying and finally she said, "Okay, but please… promise me you won't die."

She just smiled and answered, "I promise."

She stopped while Rin continued on running. She turned aroung and faced the youkais pursuing them.

She was starting to feel the pain on her right shoulder, not only that but her eyesight was starting to get blurry too. "Damn that freaking huge youkai!"

"Give us the Shikon!"

She cut a piece of cloth from the hem of the short kimono she was wearing and tied it around her wounded shoulder.

"Now I'm ready." She looked at the youkais in front of her, "If you want to take something from me then why don't you try and get it, baka youkai?"

Sesshoumaru was at his usual resting place when he flt the presence of a large number of youkai not so far from the place where he was. If he's not mistaken, it's also not far from the village. Then anxiety ran through him. He was worried for that little girl he left at that village even though he put a barrier around the village's perimeter to protect her. Aside from that, he can't also help but think about that strange girl he met three days ago.

Then he went to the direction where he felt the presence of the youkais.

"Wait! Sesshoumaru-sama! Where are you going?" asked Jacken following him.

He did not answer, he just continued to run. And that was when he saw a little girl running towards his direction. Even from afar he immediately recognized her.

He went near her as fast as he could and asked worriedly, "What happened?"

She lifted her head, her eyes were full of tears and said shakily, "Help… please help Fuu-chan… save her please… please mister I'm begging you…"

He can't understand but thoughts of that strange girl just entered his mind. He looked at the little girl, she looked so devastated.

"Don't worry. I'll save her no matter what."

"Arigatou…"

After saying that, the girl just fainted but Jacken immediately caught her.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin is-"

"Take her back to the village." He said cutting what Jacken has to say.

"Hai."

He started to run. The presence of the youkais was slowly vanishing and all he could smell was the scorching smell of blood. When he reached the place, he was stunned by what he saw. All around, you can see bodies of dead youkais drenched in their own blood. It was like a blood bath. And standing on the middle of that blood bath was a girl. Her purple hair was a mess and her clothes were torn and full of blood.

"Did she do… all these?"

When she noticed him, she looked at him and smiled wryly," Shou-chan…"

Then she collapsed.

"Fuuko!"

Kagome was riding on the back of Inu Yasha. They were currently looking for her cousin Fuuko who was missing for almost three days now after that incident with the Shikon. They looked all over for her around the shrine and also around the neighborhood but they couldn't find her. That's when she thought about the possibility that her cousin might have fallen in the bone eater's well. Just thinking about that makes her very worried.

"It's my fault… I shouldn't have brought her to the Shikon. Fuuko-neechan, please be safe."

"Thinking about your cousin?" asked Inu Yasha.

"Yeah. I'm just worried. If something happens to her I'll never forgive myself."

"She's strong, that cousin of yours. So I'm sure nothing will happen to her."

Then Inu Yasha suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"I can smell blood."

After saying that Inu Yasha started running towards the direction where he smelled the blood of youkais and when they arrived there Kagome could not believe what she was seeing. Tons of youkais lay there, completely lifeless.

"What happened here?"

"Hey Kagome."

"What is it?"

"I can smell your cousin's scent here. She's been here."

She was really surprised by what she heard, "Hontou-ni? Do you think she's okay?"

"I guess but she was with another person though, a very unexpected person. If we follow their scent, I'm sure will find your cousin in no time."

Sesshoumaru took Fuuko to a cave and let her rest there. She was burning with fever. When he cleaned her wounds, he noticed that the wound on her right shoulder was probably caused by something that was poisoned. And that poison was starting to destroy her system. He's not very knowledgeable about poisons but he knew that if he don't hurry and find an antidote, she will die.

"I can't let that happen."

He removed the outer coat of his kimono and put it around her.

"So this is where you are." Said a very familiar voice behind him.

He doesn't need to turn around to know who it was, "What do you want, otōto?"

"Somewhat that doesn't seem to sound very nice especially coming from you." Inu yasha said.

Then the girl who was always with his little brother suddenly went beside the unconscious Fuuko, her face was full of worry and distress, "Fuuko-neechan! What happened to her?"

He was taken aback knowing that the two knew each other, "A youkai might have poisoned her." He just said and continued, "She needs to be treated immediately."

"What?" she looked at Inu Yasha who was also surprised by what he said, "We must do something!"

Fuuko felt like her insides were burning. It hurts like hell. She can hear voices around her, very familiar voices. It seems like they were arguing. She tried to open her eyes even though it's hard and when she finally opened it the first face she saw was the worried face of her cousin. It felt like forever since she last saw her but she was really glad that she did.

"K-kagome…" she said almost in a whisper, "Damn… it's even harder to talk."

"Neechan! Daijobu?" she asked.

"Nah. I feel like hell… it's like I'm dying."

"I won't let that happen." Said a very cool voice.

She looked at the owner of that voice and said, "Thanks Shou-chan. I also don't want to die, so I can't let that happen either."

She knew at that moment that something was happening to her, something bad and it can kill her. Then she remembered something, "L-listen... Kagome-chan, bring me back home."

"We can't! we shoul do something about your condition first." She said.

"Trust me, bring me back and call my friend Yanagi. She can cure any disease. Just trust me, I will not joke when my life is on the line."

"But-"

"Just do as she says Kagome." Said Inu Yasha.

"I understand. We'll go back home."

"Thank you. Then wake me up when we're there." She said as she closed her eyes again and her surroundings turn to black.

After that talk they decided to go. Sesshoumaru volunteered to carry Fuuko until they reached this so called 'home'. He doesn't understand why he did that, it was so unlike him. Was it because he told Rin that he will save this girl? Or because, he looked at the face of the girl he was carrying, he is starting to care for her? All he knows was that he will do anything just to save this girl's life.

"And that's already something big." he just thought.

-PRESENT DAY-

Tokiya, together with Yanagi and Recca, was currently riding a train to the province where Fuuko's aunt lives. After getting the news about Fuuko being missing, they immediately canceled their vacation and boarded a train. Doemon couldn't come with tem because of some family circumstances.

"I hope Fuuko-chan is alright." Yanagi said worriedly.

"Yeah but it's really weird for her to be missing." Said Recca.

Tokiya looked outside the window and thought, "Where the heck are you Fuuko?"

To be continued…

A/N: sorry for the SUPER late update!

Gomenasai… _

Been busy lately…

Suryasree –chan: hmmm… well I did end my 1st chapter with Fuuko saying Mii-chan but that didn't mean that she saw the actual Mii-chan. You know, like when people see the person most important to them when they are in the brink of death. It's just like that. XP oh! I hope you'll like this chapter by the way and thanks for reviewing. XD

Selene-chan & satomika-chan: thanks for all the reviews. I really appreciate it. XD hope you like this chapter. XD

Please continue reading and giving me your reviews. XD

I promise I'll update the next chapter very soon.

And sorry if this chapter was not full of FuuxSessh just like what I said on the last chapter. :(

Ja ne minna!