A/N- Okay so we left off with the anxious Kagome in her bedroom and the Red Moon finally came up. Please review, no flames! And as promised secrets will be made and revealed!

x.O.x.O.x.

Chapter 2 Kagome's POV

x.O.x.O.x.

I crawled out of my bed, felt my way to the door and opened it quietly. Even though everyone was frozen, I still took precautions. Once, I saw my mother downstairs frozen like a wax doll, and decided after that that I didn't want to see my family in statue form. So I always kept the lights off, that way all I could see was their silhouette.

Tonight however it seemed they must have all stayed in bed because I didn't run into anyone or anything. I got to the door and pulled on some running shoes. I opened the door and stepped out into the night. The still air was unsettling, and it made me feel strangely isolated.

Nobody other than the different species of mikos and youkai could know or be in the Red Time, and there weren't many miko left. Youkai weren't as rare, but were still uncommon. Most youkai never really new about the Red Time, unless there was already an active Red Time going on in a certain area.

Why was Red Time called Red Time? Because the Red Moon had always been blood red and caused everything else to look a soft color of rose.

I heard someone sighing. I lost my train of thought and quickly looked around to see what had made the noise.

The creator of the sound leaned against the side of my house, his golden eyes staring, no burrowing into mine.

"I want to know everything." Sesshoumaru said finally after an awkward silence.

"Sesshoumaru, I need to go talk to Jolietai." I sighed moving my eyes to the red sky. "When… When I get back I'll try to explain."

I brought my eyes back to his face to see him with a thoughtful expression. "Promise me you won't get yourself killed."

"I won't get myself killed.(As if.)" I said rolling my eyes.

I left Sesshoumaru there, knowing he was watching me walk away. The trip to the lake out in the countryside was long. When I walked off the gravel road and onto the cobblestone path, my stomach started doing excited flips. Jolietai only requested to see me when something thrilling about to happen and I either got to join or watch.

As the minutes went by, I became more antsy. Soon I was counting my steps to try and calm down but it didn't seem to work. The trees, bushes, and other green things all disappeared behind me suddenly. Before me was a lovely thriving lake just big enough to put a boat or two in, which was exactly what was in it. Flowers and grass grew around it and the rocky shore was plenty clean. Hardly any water grass was seen in the clear pool of blue.

"Jolietai, I'm here!" I said with a smile. I went down the water's edge and stared into the liquid azure depths.

"Kagome." A female voice whispered beside me as I watched the reflection of the beautiful True Miko Jolietai in the water.

"Hey Jolietai," I responded.

"Anything happen since the last time I saw you?"

"Um… not really,"

"So no boys, friends, or boyfriends?" She asked a corner of her mouth tugging upwards.

"Um…" I blushed changing the subject. "Why did you ask me to meet you here, Jolietai?"

"To warn you of what the future has in store for you."

I looked up in shock, and tensed. "What?"

"Roza is going to die."

Again I was taken aback. "But if she dies…"

"Her mortal-self will die too." She finished for me. "Do you know who her mortal-self is?"

"I-I don't think I do." I stuttered already knowing the answer but not wanting to believe the truth.

"Roza has been in many mortal-selves. None of the… mortals were good enough to contain her wild soul, except for two."

"Me." I stated, already knowing that fact but I was still puzzled over the other person. I had a wild side, but few people saw it and that was mainly why most guys were attracted to me. They thought I was mysterious and different. They knew I was hiding something and so they all tried to open the door to find me out. I never told anyone and that just enticed people even more.

Then suddenly it hit me like a tidal wave and I gasped. She was wild most of the time, she could hide her own secrets but not others, and Kikyou was not pure. "Kikyou."

"Yes, Kikyou was her first choice but Kikyou was impure and so Roza said no to her body." Jolietai muttered with her eyebrows furrowed in thought. "But that was before she met you."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Roza chose you as soon as she saw you." She replied her eyes gleaming now with joy. "And so she took your soul and body and entwined your future and destiny with hers'."

Silence overpowered them again and I started twisting the hem of my shirt with a nervously.

"Roza isn't very young is she?" I asked suddenly.

"She is about… three or four hundred years old, but somehow she is still not mature."

"Oh."

I huffed and touched the water lightly with my fingertip, thinking about the conversation. "You are warning me of her impending death, so you must know of a way I can survive after she passes."

"Yes."

I waited for her to continue, but when she said nothing I started getting a little irritated. "Well?"

"What? Oh wait I remember. You must part your soul of hers and when Roza dies - which will happen - you will not die with her."

"How do you know she'll die?" I asked and added an afterthought. "How do I accomplished separating our souls?"

Jolietai smirked and tapped her temple with her finger. "I just know things. And to part yourself of her all you need to do is go to the Scientists."

Scientists, I found out, were a type of True Miko and True Monks that instead of fighting against youkai, locked themselves away in some place to study the Red Time and other things. They were always in their true forms when the Red Time kicked in, but when Normal Period came into play they were regular everyday workers with slacker jobs. Somehow they always had the most money.

"Why is Roza so important?" I muttered.

Jolietai answered slowly. "Zula."

"What?" I asked utterly confused.

No response.

"The Scientists are were you least expect it, just follow your nose. Now go," Jolietai commanded, disappearing into the breeze.

"Stupid True Miko and their fancy magic stuff." I muttered to myself halfheartedly.

I walked back to the trees that never had really disappeared, and cast a glance once again at the glistening lake.

I was true

She was not

I was living

She was a soul

I loved the world

She wasn't a part of it.

I strolled into woods with my arms behind my head and my eyes closed. My feet recognized the trail and followed it. I opened my eyes and stopped walking once my feet hit the pavement, and turned to see the same road I had come from before going into the timber. I walked slowly , not really caring if I was wasting my Red Time because too many thoughts spun around in my head.

About three things I was absolutely sure of.

One: Roza was going to die. I don't know when or how, but I don't want to be around for it.

Two: I would die with her if I didn't split our souls. I would have to see the Scientists about that.

And three: I had a feeling that one of these wasn't going to happen.

I put my arms down to my sides and slowly turned my head.

Snap.

There it was again.

I faced the treeline and crouched in a defensive position, backing up. Click. I backed up faster, turned, and ran as fast as I could.

"Come and play my little miko!" A crocodile-looking youkai laughed as he came out of the woods protection.

I ran, not even turning back again to see the youkai as I heard it coming after me at a quick pace. I looked in all directions except the youkai's screaming for help from a True Miko, a youkai. Anything.

I knew it would happen before it did. The crocodile whipped his tail at my legs. I fell over and the youkai literally pinned me to the ground by sitting on me. The youkai bit into my neck and didn't let go. I was waiting for the death roll like I'd seen crocodiles do on TV when they were trying to kill there prey. My whole body turned ridged, I closed my eyes tightly and my breathing seemed to stop.

Suddenly I was encased in a blue glow. When it disappeared, I stood up. The pain in my neck where the youkai's jaws had once been was decreasing greatly but still there as I stared the crocodile youkai in the eye. Whatever happened to my body felt foreign and I didn't like it too much.

"Why aren't you dead?" The youkai asked in frustration.

"Because I promised to live." A voice responded that was not my own.

I drew my bow and arrow and readied it aiming right between the crocodiles eyes.

Wait when did I get a bow and arrows?

I released the arrow and since the crocodile was used to being in the water he was slow on land. Thus, the arrow hit him exactly where I wanted it to. The crocodile fell to the ground, let out a choked roar, and disintegrated.

"You are lucky I came Kagome." The voice that wasn't mine said.

"Leave my body Roza. I thank you for saving me, but I wish to be myself." I said firmly.

"Very well, I shall leave your person."

I sighed in relief as the foreign part of me disappeared, but then I felt sort of drained of energy. That didn't stop me. I ran down the road not wanting another run-in with a youkai. When I arrived back at my house, Sesshoumaru was in the same place I left him.

"What happened to you?" He asked concern laced in his voice as as he saw the teeth marks on my neck.

"It's a long story." I muttered.

"I think I can keep up." He replied.

And so I told him the entire story. Not even leaving out the part where Roza was going to die.

"Well, we better get going then." He said after I finished my explanation.

"Problem is, I don't know where the Scientists are." I replied sheepishly.

He tapped his nose and smirked. "Come here."

I tried to think of a reason that would keep me from going over to him, but found none. It wasn't like he was like the class pervert Miroku.

"Fine." I huffed, and walked over to him as slow as I could. He wrapped an arm around my legs, took them out from underneath me and let my body fall backwards until I was dangerously close to hitting my head on the ground. He stopped my descent to the ground and grinned as he held me closer to him.

"Jerk." I muttered, glaring halfheartedly.

He took to the sky on a youkai cloud and sniffed in the breeze lightly before changing course to the southeast.

x.O.x.O.x. Roza a.k.a. Branzy's POV x.O.x.O.x.

After I pulled out of Kagome's body, I decided to visit the 'Scientists'.

A large rundown barn came into view as I ran down an old country road. I stopped in front of it and looked around the courtyard. The old well sat in the front of the yard looking even more crumbly than ever. I strolled over to it and jumped inside. My feet didn't hit ground, but a blast air pushed me into a tunnel dug into a side of the well.

When I could finally see without having to use my night vision, I was in a waiting room with about seven receptionists busily tending to other True Mikos and Monks.

"Hello Branzy, how may I help you?" a male receptionist asked from one of the many desks bowing his head respectfully.

"Umm… I'm going to take a guess and say the head Scientist asked me to come." I muttered. I never really did understand who wanted me to show up.

"Right this way. Mrs. Laurent has been waiting for you for a while now. She figured that you would be here right after Red Time came on." The receptionist said as he got up from his seat.

I was a little shocked that the head scientist was a Mrs. because normally impure True Miko where downgraded. This one seemed higher up. But what the hay, I could always be a nerd if I ever became impure.

Tossing that thought aside, I glanced at his desk to see his name in bold letters on his name tag. Nikko.

Nikko lead me to another room, this one was much larger, had much more people in it and was very noisy. Machines, robot-looking things, and other sorts of technology was in the room. It was so crowded that I had to suck in my gut just to slip around people. A stern looking woman with short red hair came to my attention because she was taking her time harping at a man working one of the screens. He kept typing vigorously on the large pad and touched the screen to different options so fast I could only keep up by using my True Miko eyes to their full extent.

She pointed at me suddenly. "What are you doing standing around? Go do something! Les needs help with the nitch, go help him!"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't work here. I came to speak to Mrs. Laurent."

Nikko gave me a mirrored expression of the woman's and announced. "This is Mrs. Laurent. Mrs. Laurent, this is Branzy."

"What? Oh, come with me. I have something to discuss with you about the Dark Miko force." Mrs. Laurent practically shouted over the noise as it seemed to rise.

"Jaklien, Jaklien! We have done it!" A rather tall True Monk said running through the crowd towards us his, face beaming.

"Has it worked? Do we have the cure?" She asked urgently.

Whatever 'it' was must have been important because Mrs. Laurent grabbed my arm and pulled me into another room.

This one had test tubes and other liquid substances that looked as if they could move.. Along with the many machines to process the liquids, were many cages. The cages held a variety of things from rare Red Time creatures, to humans frozen in the Red Time. I shivered slightly, not wanting to think about what they did to those poor humans.

At the very back of the room,sat an extra strong cage. The heavy metal was thicker than the other cages and had another layer of metal lay below it, along with some kind of protection ward against whatever dangerous creature lurked inside.

"What's in there?" I asked.

"Well, I believe she was a Dark Miko, last time I checked, but let's find out what she is now." Mrs. Laurent muttered busily putting on gloves and picking up a cane.

"Uh… okay?" I willed my sword to appear and I grasped the hilt.

"If anything happens, we don't want to kill her, just knock her out!" She said in surprise as I drew my sword.

"Alright then, I'll just hit her with the hilt." I muttered scornfully,putting my sword into my belt but grasping the handle just in case.

Mrs. Laurent signaled her workers for something and then motioned for me to follow. We walked to the door of the cage which opened immediately, as did the one after it. When I stepped into the cage I sensed a strange presence, one I was not used to.

On further examination of the cage, it seemed more livable for a human or Dark Miko. A bed lay in one corner where someone slept and the floor was carpet. An empty tray was on a desk and a chair was beside it.

"Dark Mikos can be tamed if they are drugged. They still have the urge to destroy and kill, but you'll be safe. Her strength isn't as great as it would be if she was still free." Mrs. Laurent said as she rolled her eyes.

I didn't say anything, but when she went over to the bed I almost thought about throwing her out of the cage and killing whatever was under those blankets with the unusual aura.

She pulled over the covers, and a little girl with brown hair woke up.

"What the heck!" I said shocked. "How the hell did she become a Dark Miko?"

Mrs. Laurent's voice lowered and she solemnly said, "Her father was involved in a gang and they raped her when he didn't give them the money he owed."

"Oh my…" I didn't finish the sentence as the girl sat up and looked at me curiously with her chocolate brown eyes. "Hello?"

"Hi…" the little girl said shyly as she looked around like she had finally woken up from a long nap to find herself in a different place then where she last was. "I'm Rin."

My eyes softened and hatred filled my heart for whoever did this to the poor girl. "I'm Branzy, nice to meet you."

"Yes." She replied getting off the bed slowly and stepping onto the floor, wobbling like a newborn giraffe.

"Ah-ha, it did work!" Mrs. Laurent said looking like she could do the happy dance at any moment.

"What did?" I asked raising my eyebrow.

"Antiloturplun," She said proudly.

"Anti-blah blah de blah? What's that?" I asked annoyed that I couldn't even say the word.

"It's almost like a DNA. We harvest it from True Miko and humans that wished to dedicate their bodies to science before they died. Although it seems simple, the one who hosts Antiloturplun is at a risk at all times. They might not eat or they might over eat, and may get certain diseases that make their digestive tract reject certain foods. They will always have a 104.8 or higher fever, their strength will be depleted and they will be bedridden. Breathing will get harder and they may develop lung disease or severe asthma, and their heart will either fail or work a lot harder."

"The living dead." I muttered a shiver going down my spine from the pictures conjured up in my mine. "Have any of the hosts survived?"

"None so far." She said automatically.

"Isn't there something else you can use instead of killing people to save others?" I asked. "And how many people does it take to make a dosage?"

"Well there is something… but you must get past the gate called the Shi no Shi, the gates that separate the world of the living from the dead of Hell. It is a terrible place and a difficult journey, but if you make it past the gates you must go to the garden of the Flower Maiden. Once you are on your way towards the garden, you will be challenged with three obstacles. The ferocious dragon of Death and Life. The Illusions which are lights that dance and twinkle while they whisper things to you and cause you to have delusions. And last but not least, the Flower Maiden herself along with her husband Shi." She explained. "Thirty-five people were used to make one drop of Antiloturplun and that was enough for this young lady. We keep coming out with different things every time we try. Last time, the Dark Miko looked normal ,but she had a tainted heart still. Opposite of that for the next, and then there was the one who turned into a regular human. And there was also the other one who died because-,"

"As much as I would love to listen to you babbling on about the outcome of stuff all day, I still want to know about Rin, and how could the Flower Maiden still be pure?" I cut into her speech.

"I have no idea but she is still pure. And as for Rin, go ahead." Mrs. Laurent said.

"Rin, are you okay? Do you feel different at all?" I asked turning my attention back to Rin.

"No, Rin feels fine. I just want to know where I am why I am in a cage." The little girl said quietly.

"Because you were a Dark Miko, and we wanted you to turn back into a regular True Miko again because I don't think someone would want to kill a-" I cut myself off snapping a hand onto my mouth so I couldn't continue.

"Kill what, Branzy?" Rin asked, her eyes curious.

"Never mind, it was nothing." I mumbled.

"I know you're busy but I was wondering if you could do me a small favor…" Mrs. Laurent said, sounding almost ashamed.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you could take Rin back to your home and raise her to be a strong True Miko. I know you are already mentoring two newcomers but we really could use her, the True Miko and Monk population is diminishing rapidly." She said so quickly I almost couldn't catch it.

"Uh… sure?" I think I replied, but I wasn't so sure myself.

"Great! So all I need you to do is sign some papers, get a gun, go to your home and bring her with you!" She said happily clapping her hands once.

"Okay – Wait a gun?" I asked bewildered.

"Yeah!" She said smiling way to happily while rubbing the back of her head with her hand. "We don't know what will happen because like I said, we always have different outcomes! She could possibly turn into a Dark Miko again at any moment! Oh, and I want you to keep a log on her. See what you can dig up from when she was a Dark Miko!"

"Why didn't you TELL ME THAT EARLIER?" I demanded my eye dangerously close to twitching.

"Well, we figured that you wouldn't except if you knew first! But now that you've agreed, you can't go back… on Miko's Honor."

"You were just trying to corner me into this deal weren't you?" I asked sighing.

"Well, we wouldn't call it cornering…"

"Whatever, where are the papers?" I said in defeat.

"Right this way." Mrs. Laurent muttered as she left the cage.

I followed after her, but paused at the door. I looked back at the girl who had her head turned away from me, and as she glanced at me again, I saw a glint of red in her eyes.

I smiled at her reassuringly. "See you later."

"Bye…" She muttered staring at my fleeing body.

I followed after Mrs. Laurent as she arrived at a huge desk with papers piled high. She dug through a few stacks and finally found what she was looking for. She made me sign about fifty times it seemed like, but in the end, the upside was that I didn't have to pay.

She handed me a gun while looking at me in the eye as she did. "Take care."

I turned away from her and hid the gun in my pack that wrapped around my waist. Someone brought Rin back and the little girl had handcuffs around her wrist.

"Leave her alone, I can take it from here." I demanded hating the terrified look in Rin's eyes.

The guards took the cuffs off of her, but the men still looked pretty worried. I held out my hand to her. Rin looked at it suspiciously before she placing her hand in mine. I smiled at her warmly and lead her through the crowd and back outside.

She didn't say a word until she knew we were out of earshot. "Why were they staring at me so nervously?"

"They are just not used to people who aren't brain-eating zombies." I teased.

I was rewarded for my efforts with a giggle. "They always used such long words that I didn't understand. It kind of freaked me out."

"Yeah, they can be a little too smart for us normal people." I said.

"Why did they have me in a cage?" Rin inquired.

"What, are we playing Twenty Questions?" I mused using the same excuse as I did for Sesshoumaru.

"Is that a game?" She muttered.

My eyebrows furrowed a moment as I looked at her. "Yeah, for a while now… How long have you been frozen?"

"A thousand years."

My eyes widened. Surely after that long she should have been an adult. I felt terrible for her, she had seen more things than I had and most were not good. "I see."

"THERE SHE IS, GET HER!"

Instantly, hands grabbed onto me. I looked at five men in shock as they put cuffs on my wrist.

I used full force to headbutt whoever was holding me. They let go and crumbled to the ground. I turned towards the other three, glared, and kicked them where the sun doesn't shine.

Rin screamed to whole time, afraid of what she was seeing and what she thought it was.

While they were doubled over in pain, more men came. I could fend most of them off, but when their numbers got up into the thirties, I faltered. I tried to kick one of the men, but he was quicker than I guessed and grabbed my leg. I tried to pull it back but more people grabbed it.

Well, there goes my bad-ass attitude.

I was forced to the ground and when they finally had me cuffed my legs and arms could hardly move. That's right, they hand cuffed a warrior. More like leg cuffed.

They lead me back inside and I cast a glance at Rin as somebody held her back.

"Don't touch her or I will kill you!" I screamed.

Automatically, hands dropped from Rin and she stood frozen.

They dropped me inside the well following after. When I hit the floor my arms were seized once again. I was lead to some big fancy machine and they dropped me in front of it.

Mrs. Laurent stood over in the corner with Kagome.

Once she got done talking she nodded and walked over to me only to widen her eyes. "You're Kagome's True Miko?"

I glared at her and spat. "What are you doing with me?"

"That is certified information." Mrs. Laurent said making her face emotion free.

"I am a warrior; I can know whatever I want." I bit back.

"I still can't tell you." She muttered, motioning for something.

I was picked up and thrown inside the contraption while Kagome stepped in the other side.

I banged against the door as hard as I could and then there was light.

x.O.x.O.x. Kagome's POV x.O.x.O.x.

My door was flung open after the flash of light. Had that been it? I didn't feel any different. I looked at the door expecting to see Roza come out.

"Kagome, I'm sorry." Mrs. Laurent muttered.

"What?" I asked.

Sesshoumaru stepped forward. "Branzy busted out of the machine before the bond could be broken."

"Hold on, why didn't you hit the button as soon as I got in?" I wondered aloud.

"Because some of us saw her and went into shock." Mrs. Laurent countered. "Plus she has somebody to take care of."

"Some…body to take care of?" I questioned shocked.

"Yes, she adopted a little girl today. She is a very special little girl, her name is Rin and she used to be a Dark Miko."

"Wow." I murmured.

Suddenly the same feeling as before took over me, the feeling of being too full of myself.

I glared at Mrs. Laurent, then at everyone else that had forced me into the machine or into the well. "You try to steal my body, and you try to separate myself from the mortal I picked. I took Rin in, and yet you still want to test me."

"I-I'm sorry Branzy." Mrs. Laurent stuttered backing away.

I shook my head. "You are lucky I have a big heart. I shall go, but I will show no mercy if I see any of you trying to recapture me or touch her again."

It was pretty clear who her was. Rin was just a little girl afterall. She didn't deserve to see all of this, even though she had been turned into a Dark Miko the disgusting way at such a young age.

And with that Roza left my body.

"Ouch," I muttered as I got a pounding headache and the edges of my vision began to blur as exhaustion swept over me.

Mrs. Laurent took a few hesitant steps towards me and said. "Don't be surprised if you act different after today. Branzy's moods will affect you too."

"Kami."

"WHAT?"

"She is a Kami." A lady said with a name tag on her shirt; Fran.

I gasped.

"She is the Kami that walks the earth. She is a warrior by heart, and she is unlike any other Kami. If she is killed then she revives as something immortal in a different body. She has been reborn so many times… she doesn't remember, but her soul calls for the slaughter…"

My eyes widened. "Slaughter, warrior, and Kami?"

"Tell me, have you ever heard of Zula?" Fran asked.

"Um-" She didn't even let me finish.

"Zula is a large underground city. Several people live there, and inside are two palaces. The beings residing in the palaces that despise each other. Every year they have a war that will decide who will be pushed into Hell first. If one army fails and withdraws, then the king, queen, prince, or princess is pushed into the door to Hell by the other lord."

The Shi no Shi. I would have said it aloud, but I didn't want to scare these people further. "So what does Zula have to do with this?"

"Zula has everything to do with this. Do you know what type of beings the Lords and Ladies live in both castles? Kami. And two feuding palaces full of them is bound to end up badly."

"That's not what she's asking. She wants to know about Roza." Sesshoumaru muttered for me.

"Roza is the name of the princess in the Hitoshirenu Palace." Said a woman taking a step towards Sesshoumaru. "If that was Roza, which I am very sure it was, then we just danced with a Kami and lost. She could have killed us if she wanted."

Mrs. Laurent stepped in again. "Roza is very powerful. We've always known she was a great warrior. And now we know why she hasn't matured yet into an adult miko."

"What is Roza the Kami of?"

The same woman from before spoke, but this time it seemed like a little venom was laced into her voice. "She is the Stealer."

"Stealer?"

"She steals the power of the Kami she kills."

"What did you mean by slaughter?" I demanded.

Mrs. Laurent seemed to eat her lip she was chewing it so hard. "Roza's past lives… have left a scar on her soul forever. Remember she steals the powers of the Kami she kills? Well, her past lives went on rampages or just wanted to kill Kami. Thus, Roza will always have that little voice in her head that wants Kami blood."

"How do you know?" I asked rage filling me.

Why was I mad? What was happening to me?

And then I realized Roza was watching and listening through my eyes and ears.

"Roza's listening." I whispered. "She knows."

"Tell them I am not evil." Roza's voice whispered in my head.

"She's not evil." I murmured. "I need to go."

I left without a word or a glance but I kept my head high as people stared after me.

I left the well and collapsed onto my knees right beside it. Every time Roza had entered my body, I always felt drained of energy afterward.

"Do you need me to take you home?" Sesshoumaru asked getting out of the well.

I gave him a weak smile. "Do you think I can walk home?"

He shrugged and knelt down so I was looking him in the eye. "You know what we must do right?"

"Yes.

" I sighed. "Why is it that all of a sudden these things are being thrown down on me?"

"That I do not know."

I stood up, using about all the energy I had left. When I was back in Sesshoumaru's arms and in the sky, my face went slack, my breathing even, and I fell asleep.

I was in a cave.

It was dark.

There were youkai waiting at the mouth of the cave.

But I wasn't scared.

Just sad.

Because I was hurting my love.

I struggled to keep my eyes open as the pain overwhelmed me once again. My breathing was labored because of the pierced lung. I knew my time was coming to leave but I couldn't help but try to live.

Sesshoumaru knelt protectively in front of me with his sword drawn. His back was to me, so I couldn't see his face. I knew he was in pain, it radiated off his body like a fire on a cold night.

"Sesshoumaru." I whispered, some blood coming into my mouth as I said this.

He didn't look at me and I didn't want him to. "Kagome."

"I failed."

"You didn't fail."

I shook my head as much as I could. "I told you I wouldn't die because of a youkai or Dark Miko."

"You didn't fail me." He murmured. "Naraku cheats."

Naraku?

"Sesshoumaru, I want you to do me a favor." I whispered as I felt my end near.

"Anything."

"Don't grieve me."

Sesshoumaru shook his head and turned towards me his face a cold mask. "I don't think I couldn't."

"Try."

"Is there anything else that might not be impossible?"

"Roza is probably dead by now… tell Inuyasha that I am sorry for his loss."

A glowing door neared me, and I smiled as Roza came in a misty form. She held out her hand to me, and smiled sadly like she wanted to say something.

"Please don't leave me." Sesshoumaru whispered, his eyes widening and fear breaking through his cold mask.

I smiled at him and caressed his tense hand. "You cured me, you loved me, and I ask this one last favor. Promise me to find love and move on."

"Why does this Sesshoumaru mean so much to you?" He asked.

Roza was looking at me with a more urgent look. "Hurry."

"Because I care, that's why. Goodbye my Sesshoumaru, we shall meet again… someday."

I grasped onto Roza's hand and she helped me out of my body and I watched as I – my physical - went limp. Sesshoumaru reached out and held my lifeless shell, holding me to his heart as a single tear streaked down his face.

"He will be okay." Roza assured me.

I nodded, but my non-beating heart gave a squeeze as Sesshoumaru got out his sword of healing and tried to bid it to work.

The door came closer and I reached out for the handle.

"Are you dead?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Then why are you not on the other side?"

"Because we will be going separate ways and I wanted to see you one last time."

"You didn't kill Shi?"

"No, I knew what you had to do. I was only there for assistance." Roza murmured. "But we never made it there…"

"I have one last question."

"Yes?"

"Are you truly dead?"

There was a pause and then Roza said, "No."

I opened the door and I was consumed in light and I walked in to face the afterlife.

I woke up with a start as Sesshoumaru shook me.

"Hey Kagome we're here." He said.

I looked around. "Oh yeah."

My house was on the same property as a shrine and the Sacred Tree.

Sesshoumaru hovered by my window and I grasped onto the frame as he helped me inside.

"See you tomorrow." I muttered.

"Good night Kagome." He answered and disappeared.

I laid down on my bed and stared at the celling. "I don't think I can get sleep. Why would such a terrible dream like that be in my head?"

I wouldn't know for now but I was okay with that.

Roza had died and so had I. She came to visit me and help me get out of my body. I would miss her.

But that was just a dream.

One that seemed too real for my taste.

A/N- Another awesome Author's note from me lol. Anyways just to make this clear, Roza is DEAD in the dream who was just going to help Kagome out of her body. Any who, review and no flames! :D Oh and before I forget! Shi no Shi means Death of Death, I understand that. But I'm using that as a gateway name. Oh and Thank you CoS for bringing this story to life! And I will work on the POV I know I'm making it confusing.