I'm still alive here! Hi I'm back...gomen for the long halt. I didn't expect it to take this long but I should be on track now! Anyway here's chapter 20! This chapter is mainly a flashback if you get confused at the beginning of the chapter. Just say'in...

I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA. ONLY MY BFF AND I OWN YURI!

Chapter 20: The Free Wind

Separated from Inuyasha and the gang Yuri ventures off into the thicket of trees. In her everyday 'battle' outfit that she's wore since entering the Feudal Era three months ago she sprints and leaps branch to branch. Exploring the forest for the past three hours she takes a breather and inhabits on the roots of a huge tree similar to the Goshinboku.

Peering her eyes at the leaves that where hanging gracefully on the bark of the oak tree she sees to what appears to be a rich ruby apple with fades of yellow on it. Distinguishing the ripeness of it she takes a simple yet difficult jump to the human eye. Demon strength on her side she snatches the fruit from its resting place and treats her victory in biting the apple. She settles back down to relaxation.

Yuri didn't notice she took a nap. The aura wasn't friendly anymore as the forest was quiet. Too quiet. She still held the unfinished produce on her palm. Her bite mark on the fruit remains as she could see the inside of it brown and rusty looking from being exposed to oxygen. Randomly tossing it into a bush she stands up stretching. Peaking an eye open on the lookout she sees with great detail the dark forms of trees as night had come. The sad, cloudy sky held no moisture as Yuri wipes the dust and fallen leaves off of her skirt and leggings.

She sighs, "great, I feel asleep. Looks like I won't be able to catch up with the others until tomorrow. Their probably freaking out in wondering where I am." Not in a splendid situation the demon easily remembers that she needs to find a safe haven for her to spend for the night. Not the best idea- since she's alone – to build a fire as it could attract attention to other demons nearby. Heck, she could unknowingly be in someone's territory. And in this time era the owner of the land would likely kill you without hesitation. Yuri eventually chooses or prays to stay alive when suddenly…

She smells an unknown scent.

Its demonic aura physically powerful.

Not the best sign to endorse.

The wind had grown tremendously as Yuri fights the wind while walking. Making out a huge crunch and crackling sound she rotates to see a tree losing its steadiness against the roaring wind as it begins to fall towards her. Her adrenaline spikes as she bolts out of the way in a flying leap. Seeing the disaster the plant crashes to the forest floor. Pollen shrivels in the air that it made her sneeze. Quickly taking a couple of steps backwards to get away from the dust and pollen she sights a figure out in an opening.

She was seeing the source of the unknown scent. The breed gets a near view of this new encounter. The stranger had a long kimono in thick stripes of dark red tint, the foreground of the fabric held green circles that had lavender butterflies.

A golden ribbon wrapping around it's waist it had ink hair that hung on its head in a bun. And it had green beaded ear rings as its right hand held a fan that spreads out like the wing of a bird. The fan's colors meant pureness and blood.

"Come out where I can see you."

Yuri wasn't surprised that the unknown presence knew she was watching. She comes out of the protection of oaks in illuminating her identity out of the shadows. That's when she pictures the crescent moon glowing in the misty sky.

After that the powerful being faces her. It's a female. Her elf ears note that she was not human. In baring no marks on her face she had red irises that held no pupil. Though deep inside the sea of red she somehow had pupils or else she wouldn't be facing Yuri so viciously in direct contact.

"Why have you come to disturb me?" she says venomously.

"I did not mean too but my curiosities lead me to wonder why you carry a piece of Naraku's scent with you?" Yuri speaks the evil masterminds name in a strict tone. The woman makes a deep hum inside her chest, "I am Kagura the wind sorceress. The wind is my destruction at my command."

Yuri nods in acceptance, "I'm not surprised. I was just in contact with a falling tree not a few moments ago."

Kagura hides her giggles with her fan, "I can gladly give you another taste of my power. That's if you're asking for a death wish that is."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that," the younger demon says straightly. The wind sorceress closes her weapon in presenting her pale face in the moon light. The wind sorceress smirks.

"Naraku has told me a bit about you. How you are new to the demon world from previously being a weak mortal. You must be a burden to your comrades but you still hold strong to kill Naraku for your friends. You're way out of your league."

"So you work for him to defeat us?" Yuri questions. She desires to know more about this demon. Kagura's face tightens in disgust; the wind flows more rapidly, "I am on nobody's side. And I despise working for that despicable man like a slave. I have no choice since he holds my heart reluctantly."

"So is that the solution of why you hold his scent?"

"You seriously don't know who you're dealing with do you?" Kagura's voice volume raises. Edgy she was, "I am the first reincarnation of Naraku to be born. You should be smart enough to know that!"

"I was hoping you weren't. Though I can't help but to tell that you have been quite nice to me compared to the other demons I've encountered with," Yuri proposes honestly in intertwining her arms against her bronzed, armored breast plate.

"Man, and I thought you were weird from just your appearance," Kagura's eyes spread truthfully.

She sighs in exhaustion and waves her hand in continuation, "Yeah, yeah, rub it off. I've gotten that a lot these past few weeks."

The reincarnation giggles in accepting this girl's personality.

"I know now what my main purpose is in defeating Naraku," Yuri says in a positive attitude.

"This I've gotta hear," the wind sorceress notes in a dreary nature but it still held some interest. The wind tickles both of their hairs in happiness.

"I'm serious," Yuri sniggers, "at least it's better than my last reason."

"Tell me about it," utters Kagura plainly while walking up a trail along with Yuri by her side.

"I've decided that my reason is to help you in winning your freedom," Yuri bounds over a boulder.

"I don't need your help."

"Yeah right! I can tell that Naraku has cleverly found out about us hanging out and tagging along with Sesshomaru. The past few months you haven't had time for yourself as much as you did. And it's slowly evaporating," she explains. It made her think of something else, "and you've used Inuyasha, the rest of the gang with me in it, and Sesshomaru in leading us to Naraku. We are like the key to your freedom and I would like to help as a friend. And I also know that Naraku doesn't trust you anymore from you trying to kill him with your own hands."

"A friend?" she curves her brows north.

"Why not? I know you have Kanna as a sister but you don't have anyone else to go to as a friend. Unless it's Sesshomaru but he's not that talkative," the demon requests to make it humorous.

"You can say that again," Kagura lets out a cheerful voice, "it's like talking to a rock sometimes," they both laugh hysterically after a split second of awkward silence.

"Well at least it's better than talking to Jaken and Inuyasha," Yuri blabbers as they just laugh harder.

"Fine I guess you can say were friends," advises the wind sorceress in still hiccupping in her aftermath of laughter. And she flies away on her humongous pallid feather.

Kagura inhales the consoling scent of morning air mixed with the after effect of rain showers. The fiery star pokes out of the valley of mountains in a balmy greet. Yuri settles down on the moist grass in sinking her bare feet into the cool river water. The wolf/dog demon tosses a small package of food to Kagura with a package of her own.

"What's this?" Kagura glares over to her companion while sitting on a log next to her. "Just shut up and eat it," Yuri glances at the reincarnation in great irritation, "it's supposed to be Sesshomaru's favorite. Well, that's what he told me. I thought we could try it."

"Then how the hell did you get it?"

"I didn't really get it anywhere. I just made it myself," Yuri facts. The woman peaks into the bag in glee. She puts a piece of the food in her mouth, "so what's in this stuff?"

"Well I used a liver of a horse, the meat and intestines of a pig and flour, egg, and I think some onion powder with a bit of goat's milk," she lists the ingredients of her masterpiece, and takes a cheerful stare over to the very young adult. The wind sorcerer give the impression of looking like she was about to barf as her face had the dye of a yucky green. She swallows the food, "Uh, very appealing Y-yuri."

Yuri giggles, "you know I was only joking right?"

"Why you insolent little-" Kagura threatens.

"Oh, hush up!" Yuri cuts her off. Later, Kagura views Yuri eating her share and thinking of something very deepy.

Sesshomaru's favorite huh…

Kagura thought that Yuri was thinking of the lord, "you know you're not the only one."

Yuri snaps out of it in humiliation as she views back to Kagura, "what do you mean?" She was really thinking about her adoptive parents.

"You're not the only one that has an…attractiveness towards Sesshomaru."

The breed stutters, "U-u-uh, oh, okay, w-what's wrong with that?"

"So in being precise you do like him?" it took Yuri a moment for her to consider the legitimacy. She stares at her reflection in the stream, "Yes, I do, I care for him too. W-what about you?"

"I do not know at what level you are in your likeness towards him but my description would have been similar as yours."

"Oh, so what do we do know?" wonders Yuri in hoping this won't be too serious. She awaits while she prepares for what she has to say next.

"We won't do anything just let things flow as they should. I have begun to learn that I need to live on with the realities that I go through now and in what awaits me in the future," the woman states with understanding. Still it lingers in her head as a problem.

The talk of realities forces the wind sorceress to think of one reality that may never come. The one reality that she desires most. She becomes sincere and burns her crimson opals into Yuri's eyes, "do you truly believe that I'll get my freedom before it's too late?"

Yuri saw the uncertainty and depression in her orbs. She couldn't give her a direct answer if it meant lying. All she could do was this, "no one can be sure of the future because it always changes like the coming seasons, but we can only hope and try hard for what we long for."

Yuri knew well. All Kagura could do was to have faith and hope. For whatever path that will be opened to her, smooth or rough, it will be a good one.

D-damn it!

Kagura's blood smears her chest and back as she collapses to the earth. Her kimono soaked in crimson she bares three holes that went through her body the size of baseballs. Miasma and blood seeping out of the wounds nonstop. She sat on her knees hopelessly in the meadow of snow flowers. The petals taint red.

My body won't do what I want it to…

With heavy eyes and unsteady, light breathing she knew she won't survive this case. She feels her heart beating. She smiles deep inside with pride. Even though this was the price Naraku gave back her heart and avoided it while piercing his tentacles into her. The tentacles contained his deadly miasma in which poured in her. He had no use to her anymore. He grew drained of her and her tactics that could lead him to his death, her betrayal to him. She was dwindling.

The wounds have reopened.

That didn't matter anymore. She didn't have to deal with that bastard. She gazes up at the blue jay sky in relief. Her eye display goes blurry as she makes out a bird flying and chirping. The outcome leads in her bowing her head.

I don't have enough power left to heal it.

She got her wish. She was free. Free to live a new life and start over, to control it for once, and to go wherever. She couldn't wish for anything more, but…

It's quiet…nobody's around. Does it end here? All by myself…is this the freedom I sought…

"K-Kagura," a feminine voice whispers in the wind. The wind sorcerer sees the figure fall on her knees. Purple fumes of miasma start to spray out of her body as the breeze carries it. It is her partner, Yuri, "I came as so as soon as I could." Kagura brakes out a gloomy smile with her beautiful red lips. She isn't alone.

Her voice sound as if mass was weighting it down, "arigato." Yuri gasps with sorrow and anger and much negativity. Her foggy, light brown hair jumps from her shake. She definitely didn't want to hear these syllables now. Not now!

"You helped me get my freedom Yuri, without you and the others I would still be suffering."

"You're going to get through this," Yuri immediately states strictly, "I won't have you earning your freedom in this path."

The abuse sorceress frowns in peering at the dozens of tiny flowers with the color of her eyes, "I don't care for this path either but it's a good one. I'm free, finally, in waiting for almost two years for this moment I have finally earned my freedom. I am not afraid of death. The only thing I fear now is what I have to leave behind now."

Nothing came as a response as she sees Yuri get up.

Don't leave me alone.

The reincarnation listens to another set of footsteps thumping on the field. They halt as she feels a comparable presence that sends faint butterflies into her stomach or that's what she requires to feel if it wasn't for the miasma eating her away.

Kagura raises her aching neck up and sees two souls in front of her decaying body. Luckily nobody could see the extreme damage as her bloody clothes stay intact like if the miasma had no effect to it. She first sees Yuri having her head ducked down in helplessness. She turns to the next person.

Her eyes widen, "Sessho…maru," he stares at her in baring no sensation. She hears his deep accent for the first time in weeks. He jerks his head up a notch in standing high, "I followed the scent of blood and miasma."

She huffs out a holding breath in granting a smirk. Her eyes contract again as her black brows sooth. The earrings that claim themselves on her sharp ears jiggle against her jaw line, "I see, you were expecting Naraku," she stares at the soil the third time today, "are you disappointed that I'm not Naraku?"

"I knew it was you…"

Both the ladies are astonished from his honesty as he releases a faint sorrow. Yuri quickly lets in a very tender curvature to her lips in excitement for her friend but rebirths a grave sulk.

She hears the truth and she's dying. This is what she's giving up. No, it can't end this way…

"I see," spoke Kagura.

So you came, knowing it was me.

Blood spews out no longer, just the miasma getting burly. Absorbing her body, her own heart, and power she drifts her chest lower from the breaking noise of her body or what was left of it being taken over by miasma. It's killing her. At first Yuri thinks she just views a dead corpse but she knew the reincarnation still remained in the body in sniffing out her very faint scent.

Yuri glares over to Sesshomaru as she sees him seize the handle of his Tenseiga, the sword of heaven. The sword that can bring a being back to life. He is willing to do that to keep her alive?

Even if she dies he will always care for her…probably more than just that, but…love…

He hesitates in pulling out his one and only sword – since Tokijin's blade broke and is of no use anymore – and he forces a noticeable depression. The miasma.

Even Tenseiga cannot save her.

The wind penetrates the meadow of wild flowers in having white pedals scatter around the three as they flip and swirl in journeying to one direction. Yuri sheds a tear on her left teal eye as it pursues down her dry cheek.

Sesshomaru could sense it as could Yuri. He calls out in a wondering tone, "are you leaving?"

The fading companion answers kindly, "Yeah, it's enough."

Sesshomaru lets go of Tenseiga's handle in accepting Kagura's fate. The breeze whistles softly as it ruffles Sesshomaru's fluff and everything in sight.

On her knees Kagura sits up straight to see both of her friends' features. Her heart beats are barley vibrating. Without a word to spare she makes a last beam at them.

I saw you guys…one last time.

She locks her eyes forever to step into another chapter. Falling backwards the miasma swallows her up as her hair unknots itself from the undersized ponytail. It releases a pale feather from the coal strands of her mane as it is free to roam with the wind. The entire miasma disappears as her body is nowhere to be found. Without a trace the crimson flowers also vanish.

The only memory of her is of the fan that lay with the flowers in peace. Yuri was just about to say something as Sesshomaru was already taking his leave when a hanyou catches up with his partners, "wait, Sesshomaru." The lord stops.

"Inuyasha," Kagome notes the teen.

"Did Kagura suffer?" Inuyasha goes on in grief. Yuri wanted him to just shut up but understood him in wanting to know as much as everyone else. She stares at the dog demon ahead of her in sadness and determination. She now has another principle in defeating Naraku. He killed her, he killed Kagura. She was going to avenge her death no matter what.

"She was smiling," he facts as he continues on back to Rin and Jaken in whom he left behind from the recent incident. Along with everyone else Yuri glares up at the sky that is decorated with the pedals and the solitary feather.

I am the wind.

The free wind.

So how'd you like the chapter? A bit of something different huh? Anyway, I guess I'll be editing the next chapter now!

Next update: Confusing Love

PLEASE REVIEW!