Disclaimer; I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters.

Side note – Thank ya'll for being so patient with me. I apologize for the fact that I have not updated in quite some time but some things went down at my home so… yeah. But anyway, I have uploaded a new chapter as you can see and will continue to do so until the story has ended. Thank ya'll again and I hope you review this chapter!!!

"Have you no idea what your true potential is?" Mizuki shouted, shaking him roughly by the shoulders so that he was jostled roughly against her. He grunted deeply, narrowing his golden opticals in her direction as though that would bring relief to his now throbbing cranium. She growled, slamming her head against his while throwing him backwards away from her. "What a fool!" She exclaimed. His eyes became mere slits as he managed to maintain his footing, a low sound coming from within him as suddenly he shot through the air and threw her down to the earth. He ground them both in a spiraling rotation through the dirt, their flesh tearing as he landed above her with his hands clasp around her throat. His eyes were that definite crimson, glowing bright crimson as he slammed her head back into the surface. "Yes," she choked out, grabbing onto his wrist as she began to push back up against him. He applied more pressure to her throat in that effort it took to keep from squeezing her brains into complete mush. But then suddenly her head shot up and her lips touched to his in a tender kiss. His eyes softened, blazing down to that melted amber as he released his hold on her neck entirely.

She slowly came up into a partially reclined position, panting a bit as she stared at him for what was the longest time. The inu demon leaned forward over her frame then forced her back down to the ground with the firm contact of their lips. She grabbed thick handfuls of his hair, rolling her back upwards as she felt the contact of his palms against her lower back. He gripped at the soft folds of her kimono then began to separate them until he could touch the smooth flesh that rested underneath. It was then that she grabbed his wrists and flipped them over so that he was beneath her at that time. She took a cool breath then drew back very slowly from above him so that she might stand. "Not here… Not here." She whispered, brushing her hand against her cheek before she began to walk away, holding herself around the stomach when she disappeared into their domain again.

Kagome whimpered in her sleep, rolling over to touch nothing but the soft air that soared around her. She could feel the rich winds that taunted her strands of hair and tugged at her skirt. Wait a minute! Skirt? Her eyes snapped open for her to see the open air that swept all through the skyline and embraced the clouds that snaked around her. "Sesshoumaru?" She whispered, grabbing at what lay beneath her in an attempt to locate some sort of comforting object. But she was to find nothing but the bare scales of Ah-Un's backside underneath her body. "What? What's going on here?" She inquired, pushing herself over so that she was sitting on her knees. The scenery was the only thing besides Ah-Un that she happened to recognize. She was close to Kaede's village… But why had Sesshoumaru sent her back? She pondered this only a second before she went tumbling out of the saddle to the ground below as Ah-Un came to an abrupt stop three feet off of the ground. She grunted, rolling through the grasses until she hit hardened dirt that lay the fabric of the main path to Kaede's village. The dragon beast snorted through both of its noses, tossing its heads through the air before it twisted around to take off into the clouds. "Ah-Un! Wait!" She called, pushing herself up so that she might clumsily race after it.

Unfortunately she was unable to reach him and fell down to her knees in the grassy fields near the village. Her head tilted forward with tears pooling down her face towards the earth below. "Sesshoumaru," she sobbed, wiping her face with the backs of her hands in an attempt to calm herself down. For a moment she found that her sadness was replaced with happiness and then contempt with her situation. Her eyes had hardened to the world that surrounded her, and inside of that she realized that she would never feel like she had again. How it came to be that way is beyond total comprehension but at the same time completely understandable. She focused her attentions elsewhere, pinpointing something that might enable her to think clearly and without hatred. Every muscle ached within her as she drifted upwards to her feet and found placement within herself. The silent climb down to the Bone Eater's Well seemed to take but an instant where as once upon a time ago it had seemed to travel on forever. When she reached it she slipped over the edge and floated down into the heavenly light that threatened to swallow her whole until she was crouched in the dust on the other side.

"Kagome?" Someone called, shining a light into the portal that was the ancient well so that they might illuminate the darkness. "Souta?" She inquired, tilting her head backwards to peer up at the heavens that rested above. "Yes! Kagome's back!" Souta shouted, setting the flashlight down so that Kagome could climb up the rope ladder without being blinded. Though it wasn't long after she reached the other side that her little brother overtook her. He threw his arms around her, embracing her tight to prevent from losing his hold on her. "Hello Souta." She whispered, giggling faintly just moments after doing so. It was like she found amusement in the fact that he'd been missing her all this time. He shook his head idly from side to side then released his hold on her, "You'd been gone for so long we'd begun to think that you weren't ever going to come back." He said. She sighed heavily though gave a sudden smile to show him that she was okay, "No. I won't die like that, Souta. Promise. You have my word on that." She explained. He gave a fierce nod in agreement with what she said then took her hand to begin pulling her towards the house.

Kagome stepped lightly into the house, pulling her shoes off of her feet to put them by the door. "Mom! Kagome's home!" Souta shouted, jogging lightly into the front room where their mother was resting on the couch. "Kagome," she said, quickly climbing to her feet to take Kagome into her arms. "Oh honey, for a while there I thought I would never see you again." She whispered, rocking the girl back and forth on the balls of her own feet. Then she pulled back and touched Kagome's face, stroking her thumbs against the maiden's cheeks as though to ensure the girl was really there. "It's me, mom. I'm okay. I just need a hot bath." She said, nodding her head as though to agree with herself. "Alright. I'll have supper on the table when you get out." She said, gently nudging the maiden up those stairs where the bathroom waited for her. Upon entry into the small boundary of the rest room she shut the door, locked it, and began to strip out of her clothing. Each strip of fabric fell into its own place and settled in small puddles on the floor's surface. The water's steam collected in the bathroom and threatened to produce tears in her eyes as she waded over into the tub, lowering down with her head dipped back against the edge of it.

The water soothed her senses and allowed the tense ache of her body to drift away from her as she breathed a sigh of relief. These were the comforts of home that would surely overpower any hot spring… no matter how great the guy was who was in there with you. She ran her fingers across the edge of the wall; peering up at the window that rested above the tub when suddenly lights squirmed all throughout her vision and overtook her mind… "Huh?" She choked, her entire body beginning to go rigid as she was convulsing. Her head slammed against the edge of the bath tub, splintering through the porcelain in such a way that blood started pooling down the side of her head. She gasps loudly, kicking her feet up as she started sinking below the surface of the waters. "Kagome?" Souta called, gently rapping on the door with his knuckles while touching his ear to it so that he could listen. She turned her head slowly while mouthing his name. "Souta… Sou…ta…" She extended a trembling hand, blood streaming down the edges of her fingertips to plop-plop on the tile flooring that rested below. "Kagome?" He called a bit loudly, listening carefully as though he was sure he would get an answer this way.

Kagome gasp, throwing her head back with the sick sloshing sound of the water bouncing off the wall echoing in her ears. "Souta." She whispered, grabbing at nothing but air with her feeble attempts to get his attention. It was like someone had their hands tight around her throat and was shaking her on a constant level. "Kagome?" He said louder, grabbing onto the doorknob to roughly shake the door so that it rattled on its hinges. "Mom!!" He shouted, glancing back over his shoulder without stopping the shaking of the door. "What is it, Souta?" She inquired, jogging up those stairs to take a gander at her son who at this point was throwing all of his weight into the door. "There's something wrong with Kagome!" He said, pausing his shaking only long enough to call out to the teenager once again. "Kagome!!!" He shouted, banging on the door in an attempt to hear something of a call from her. She grabbed at the towel hanging on the wall, blood streaming from her lips as she spilled out onto the floor where water had soaked into the small carpet. She curled up on her side, her hands grabbing at her exposed flesh in small attempts to conceal herself.

"Kagome?" Her mother shouted, shaking the door so that it seemed like it was going to come completely off the hinges. "Move mom! Step back!" Souta shouted, scooting back about fifteen feet from the door before he tore off at a dead run. The wood practically splintered when he collided with it, his hand grabbing at his shoulder where he'd located a thick tear in the bone. "Souta, are you alright?" His mother asked, touching his shoulder in an attempt to see if he was all right. "I'm fine. Get… Get the door open." He choked out, looking towards at the dark colored wood there. She extended her hand and pushed against the very cradle of it, pushing through the door with such force that she practically tripped over Kagome in the process. "Kagome!" She exclaimed, dropping down onto her knees so that she could scoop her off of the tile floor. "Kagome? Kagome! Answer me!" Her mother demanded, putting a small towel to her head while she wrapped a larger towel around Kagome's body. "Souta! Call 911 and hurry! Kagome, Kagome, honey, Kagome, answer me." She whispered, stroking Kagome's hair away from her face.