Kagome wiped the sweat from her eyes as she pulled back from picking herbs. When had it gotten so hot? She had been only picking herbs for medicines and salves for roughly an hour. Regardless of the temperature, she decided to take a small break and head back to the village.

It had been only two years, but she seemed to adjust to life there in Feudal Japan rather well. She missed her mother and brother, and there were always demons on the prowl, but Inuyasha...he made it all worth it. And with Sango and Miroku, it was like having a second family to love.

She'd never regret her decision to stay in the past.

As she neared the edge of the field, she began to hear a familiar bickering coming from the village.

"C'mere, you little runt! I swear when I get my hands on you...!"

Kagome's eyes rolled as she let out an exasperated sigh. It seemed Inuyasha and Shippo were at it again. It had become a weekly argument over something so trivial and her husand seemed to fall for the fox demon's tricks...everytime.

"No way! Besides, you know you can't move that stone on your hands without my help." Shippo nervously remarked. "Jeez, I knew you dogs were dumb but still..." he whispered under his breath.

"I heard that!" Inuyasha growled as he struggled under the large rock.

Kagome's smile twitched and her head began to ache.

Maybe she regretted her choice...just a little.

"Oh, hey Kagome!" Shippo ran quickly over to her and hopped up on her shoulder. Inuyasha struggled even harder, almost making a trench with his footing.

"Hi, Shippo. You eat breakfast yet?"

"Kagome! Don't offer that runt food! Tell him to get this thing off of me." Her husband began to pant with all the energy he had spent attempting to release himself from the fox demons magic.

"You started it! All I did was come here this morning to visit and I just overheard you and Miroku talking. And when I said I was going to tell Kagome, you started after me."

Kagome raised an eyebrow and gave Inuyasha a pointed stare, to which his little white dog ears lowered and he gave her a sheepish smile.

"Oh really? And what is it that he had to say, Shippo?" Kagome asked sweetly. Sickeningly sweet. Kagome could only imagine what was said. Was there another woman? Was he tired of her? She knew it had been to good to be true.

"Don't listen to him, Kagome!" She watched as her husband strained himself to get to her, but that boulder wouldn't budge.

"He says he's bored."

Kagome, who was welling up with rage suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon. He was bored? That was it. She fought the urge to release the giggle that was making an attempt to escape her mouth.

"Bored,huh?" She eyed Inuyasha up speculatively. "Well, I know a half demon that has LOTS of work that needs done. Perhaps he needs MORE work?"

"Ahh hehe..." Inuyasha laughed nervously.

Shippo carefully crept over to the boulder on Inuyasha's hands and removed the magic. As soon as he was free, he dove for Shippo in one last attempt to get him, but the fox demon was too fast.

"Inuyasha, why don't we go for a walk?"

(~)

Kagome and Inuyasha walked for what seemed like forever before they reached the shores of a nearby beach. They walked along the sand and remained quiet. Kagome was secretly proud that he let her hold his hand.

"So...why did Shippo say you were bored?" Kagome asked gently. Inuyasha looked away, his embarrassment apparent.

"It's not that I'm bored. It's just...before we were married, it was one adventure after another. We were traveling and fighting side by side. I guess I kind of miss it." Inuyasha looked up at her, his expression honest and open. Seeing him look at her like that made her remember all the hardships their relationship had gone through. They had come such a long way.

"There's nothing wrong with that, Inuyasha." Kagome smiled at him as she squeezed his hand. "But that doesn't explain the whole fight with Shippo."

"Little runt needs to mind his own damn business." Inuyasha uttered under his breath. "I can't help that I'm restless."

Kagome could understand that. The demon inside him was never meant to settle down and stay put. He had always been a free spirit, before and after they had met. I made sense that he was rearing to go.

Before she could speak again, Inuyasha went still and ridged. Kagome watched his golden eyes narrow and stare at the shore ahead. Kagome could faintly make out a rumpled shape in the distance.

"What is it?" Kagome whispered softly.

"I'm not sure."

Kagome grabbed her bow as they both carefully continued closer and closer towards the shape. She could make out a lot of red. Was it blood?

Finally it was a body that came to view. A woman from the looks of it. Inuyasha reached the crumpled mass first and looked down at her carefully. His eyes narrowed in confussion.

"Is she alive?" Kagome asked. Her skin was a perfect shade of death, at least from what she could see around the tangled mess of red hair that was splayed all over.

"Yeah, but just barely." His tone was noticeably harsh and clipped. She looked up from the body to still see him ridged and still.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?"

"Something doesn't smell right about her." he crouched down near the woman. "She's human..."Inuyasha had almost read her mind. "She just smells...off."

Kagome examined the girl once again. Her hair color alone made her an obvious foreigner. It wasn't until Kagome got to her pants that it clicked. Denim from the looks of it.

She was from Kagome's time.

"Well, we can talk about her smell when she's not an inch from death. Could you carry her back to the village?" Kagome sheathed her bow.

"Yeah, no problAAAAAAAAAHH!" Inuyasha howled as he placed his hands on the stranger. It looked as though he were He fell backwards in the sand, rubbing his palms in pain. "What...the hell was that?"

Kagome rushed over to her husband, but her eyes couldn't stay off the woman. A foreign woman from her time washing up on the shores of Feudal Japan, so strange

With a feather light touch, Kagome brushed the blue skin hesitantly only to pull back in surprise. There was no shocking pain but a surprising warmth coming from such a cold looking body.

Mystery shrouded this girl, and Kagome wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Inuyasha, go back to the village and get Miroku. See if he can carry her back. I'll stay here with her."

Inuyasha only nodded and began to run back the way they had just came.

If things were boring before, this girl was going to shake things up for everyone.

(~)

Rin hummed softly as she picked flowers. The small glade near the village had become a home away from home, its sunlit space full of plants and small animals and even a nearby stream that filled the air around her with a calming sound. But it seemed no matter the calming space, Rin felt...disconnected.

"Will he come back today? Or tomorrow? Today. Tomorrow." Rin sat on a hollowed log there in the forest, picking petals of a lovely purple flower.

Her Lord Sesshomaru was never far from her mind. She couldn't wait to see him again, and even Jaken for that matter. They had been her first real family, and though she liked Lady Kaede and the others, they were a poor substitute. For two long years, they had been a poor substitute.

She constantly dreamed of the day when she would be granted her choice, and her choice was as constant as her dream. She would go with him, be by his side until the very end. Being a young girl of only thirteen summers, however, did not give her the luxury of choice. Not yet.

Many of the villagers found her desire to be with youkai incredibly strange, and they were probably in the right place, she realized. But in the company of one of the most power and dangerous demons that walked across the land was the only time she felt safe and truly happy.

"...today. Tomorrow." Rin frowned as her flower became petal-less and began to wilt. "Ugh, I miss you Lord Sesshomaru. What could possibly be taking you so long this time?"

After a long while of relaxation, Rin headed back towards the village. Maybe he would be waiting for her? As the thought crossed her mind, her pace picked up.

However, her return was not what she had hoped. Instead, curiosity peaked her interest as she caught sight of Miroku entering the village with his hands full of something...red. She watched as he headed into Lady Kaede's hut, Kagome and Inuyasha not following far behind. Rin slowly and steadily walked towards the building, hoping that she could catch some the the convorsation.

"I can't believe she's actually alive. I haven't met many that survive the ocean." she heard the demonslayer say. "She isn't hurt anywhere else?"

"Well, she's unmolested, if that's what you mean." Inuyasha complained. "It seems Miroku still has some old habits."

Rin could faintly hear Sango growl at her husband, who replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Old habits die hard? Hehe, I only had to readjust her a few times due to her rather lovely womanly shape-" Rin then distinctly heard something solid collide with flesh. It had become a frequented noise between the couple.

"Oh Rin, were you coming in?" Rin looked up from the side of the hut to see Lady Kaede slowly walking in.

"Oh, I, uh...yes." Rin gave the old woman a soft smile as she opened the fabric door and passed through.

Rin's eyes instantly gravitated towards the red in the room. She saw a young woman in red cloth fighting to breath, with small shallow gasps being her only way to stay with the living. Her skin was pale and her lips were tinged with a dusting of blue. What really drew Rin in, though, was the the strangers hair that splayed over her face. It were as if each strand were a curled piece of the dusk sunlight that would burn her if touched.

She and Lady Kaede sat beside the stranger and began to look her over more thoroughly. The old woman had honestly taught Rin a great deal of healing techniques and she always was glad to be able to help where she could.

"So you found her on the shore?" Kaede asked, her brow furrowing.

"Yeah, and she caused me a great deal of pain when I tried to pick her up. What's with that?" Inuyasha whined.

"Hush, Inuyasha. We'll get back to you later." Kaede turned and began stoking the fire behind her. "What this girl needs right now is rest and warmth."

"She may be good on the warmth, actually." Kagome sat beside Rin and placed her hand on the stranger's forehead. "When we found her on the beach, she looked even paler in comparison and her skin even bluer, but she was warm. Not like normal warm, but warmer."

"Yes, I can agree to that. I thought that by holding her closer to me, she would gain some warmth but it seemed like she was warming me instead." Miroku slowed his words down as his wife glared daggers at him from the other side of the room.

Rin reached out and placed her hand on the head of the young woman. Her skin wasn't hot but it certainly was uncomfortably warm.

"Perhaps she's just sick?" Rin curiously asked Kaede.

"Hmm." Kaede hummed as she turned back to the woman and felt her skin for herself. "Was this heat the pain you experienced, Inuyasha? It doesn't seem like much to me."

"No, you old hag, when I touched her it felt like I was being skinned alive." Inuyasha growled.

"Yet we were all able to touch her without a problem." Kaede thoughtfully spoke. "Hmm, could someone go get the fox demon?"

It was only a short moment later that Shippo entered the hut, his tail as poofy as ever. Rin found herself smiling at the sight. He always made things more interesting when he was there.

"You wanted to see me?" Shippo nervously asked Kaede. He took a quick glance around the room before spotting the stranger. "Whoa, who's that?"

"A young woman that was found washed up on the shore. Now please, we need you to feel her temperature for us?" Kaede cooed.

Shippo looked at her suspiciously before slowly approaching the young woman. Everyone leaned in with anticipation as Shippo rested his hand on her head. A piercing scream exited his mouth almost instantly.

"What was that for?!" Shippo cried.

"Perhaps she cannot be touched by you demons." Kaede puzzled. "I suppose we won't find out about this woman until she comes to, though. Best just to try nursing her back to health." It was then that she turned to Rin. "I know it's much to ask but-"

"I'll take care of her." she found herself saying without thought. Something about this woman screamed out to her, and she wanted to find out what. Kaede silently watched her for a long moment before giving her an approving nod.

"I have faith in you, Rin. Just remember to keep her warm, break whatever fever she has. Let me know if you need any help." And with that, Kaede began slowly walking out of the hut. "Come along, everyone. We've done all we can do for now. Rin will take care of the rest."

Rin felt a pride swell inside her chest as everyone filed out. She looked down at her new patient and realized her first step.

Removing the wet clothes.

Rin looked through her things and found nothing that could possibly fit the strange woman. So blankets were settled upon and were fashioned into something similar to dress once the wet clothes were removed and were placed on a nearby rack to dry. With another layer of blankets placed, Rin started to comb through the tangled sandy mess of hair that laid freely around her.

Finally, she put a cold cloth on the woman's forehead. She had tried to feed her but it seemed she wouldn't take anything. All she could do now is wait.

(~)nika wandered in a hallway. The walls were made of a green stone and the floors were made of silver streaked marble. The only light that was present were the glowing stalactites hanging from the ceiling. It at first had amazed her when the image was first presented to her.

Annika wandered in a hallway. The walls were made of a green stone and the floors were made of silver streaked marble. The only light that was present were the glowing stalactites hanging from the ceiling. It at first had amazed her when the image was first presented to her.

But all the halls were the same.

A right, a left, a right again. She seemed to be going in circles, a never ending loop. She had long past the notion that she was dead and this was hell. It was cold, dark and smelled of mildew and decay.

She just thought it would be...more crowded.

"I bet Leanne is dead and in Heaven right now, probably snuggling up to Troy." Annika grumbled to herself. Yet here she was in hell, running around like a mouse in a maze. Except there was no cheese.

There was no end.

"Child, come..."

The ghostly whisper stopped Annika in her aimless ranblings.

"Yes, hello?!" she called out once more. "I imagine you get complaints here in hell all the time but, uh, I need more direct than that. Could you be more specific? Like, 'make a right at the fire pit and enter the void of eternal darkness' or something like that?"

The sound of grinding stone turned her towards an opening in the wall that wasn't there before. She stood in front of it and saw nothing but darkness.

"It's destiny."

"It's fate."

"You have no choice."

"Neither of you."

A wave of nausea hit Annika as twenty voices entered her head at once. Some were women, some were men. Some even the calling of children.

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" Annika cried but the voice did not relent.

"She wants us to stop?"

"'Stop it!' she says"

"Darkness will stop it."

"Yes, the darkness will stop it. Jump into the darkness, Annika."

"Jump into it."

Annika's eyes peered into the opening before, straining to see what was inside as she tried to cover her ears. There was no shape, there was no floor. It was simply a chasm of darkness.

"Jump!"

"Jump!"

"Jump!"

"JUMP!"

(~)

It had been three days since the others had brought the stranger there to the hut and it had been three long days that Rin listened to her speak absolute nonsense in her sleep. She had asked Kagome about it and the priestess had called it English.

Regardless what language she spoke, Rin knew she was unwell. She tossed and turned and it seemed at times that her fever went soaring. Rin did all she could to keep her well, but it seemed like the woman was becoming out of her reach.

Rin replaced a new cool cloth on the woman's head as she began to thrash about. But as it hit her skin, the moisture hissed and the vapor disappeared.

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" the woman screamed. Rin stood up and back away from her in fear. No sooner had she retreated to a nearby wall when the commotion drew the attention of Kagome and Kaede.

Suddenly, another powerful scream ensued as the strange woman bolted up right clenching her chest and gasping for air. Rin watched her shake from head to toe as if she had truly seen something horrific. Her eyes were wide and wild as she took in her surroundings.

"Shh, it's alright." Rin listened to Kagome speak the same gibberish as the woman had mumbled in her sleep. "You're safe. My name is Kagome. What's yours?"

"A-Annika." the woman stuttered.

"You're safe, Annika. Please relax." Kagome whispered kindly to her. But no sooner had Kagome uttered her words, the woman's eyes rolled up in the back of her head and she collapsed back on her blankets.

"Well, at least we have a name." Kagome sighed. "Rin, you might have to care for Annika for a few more days, but I think she'll be alright. I don't know what she's been through but with a scream like that, I wouldn't want to find out."

Kagome and Kaede left, leaving Rin with a much more steadily breathing Annika.

"Annika...an odd name. Pretty though." Rin muttered to herself. She scooped up the wet cold cloth and checked Annika's skin for the hundredth time that night.

She was no longer hot.

She was normal.

'How odd...' thought Rin.