Hey! The chapter is up, the story is coming along, and the world is happy! Or, you know, at least the people in the world who get this review:-D So if this chapter seems too lovey-dovey…you'll have to deal. I got myself some man meat recently and I'll try not to reflect my happy love life into the story! Lol!

To Flamers note/s:Flame, have fun. Let's all point and laugh at the illiterates!

And by the way, whatever crawled up your but has died, you may want some chill pills to help with that:)

Disclaimer:All ownership of Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, the song lyrics below belong to the writers and artists only. And might I add, both of the songs for this chapter work perfectly. :) Thank you!

Genera:Romance/Angst—Angst in first chapter. Possible angst late, I'm not giving away any hints. :-p

Song listening to that do not effect the story:"Next Contestant"-Nickelback
"The Sailor Song"-Toybox

"Courage"-Superchick

"It's the Fear"-Within Temptation

Song/s listening to that effect the story:"Beauty From Pain"-Superchick

Line/s portraying to this chapter from song/s above:"The lights go out all around me, one last candle to keep out the night. And then the darkness surrounds me, I know I'm alive but I feel like I've died. And all that's left is to accept that it's over. My dreams ran like sand through the fists that I made. I try to keep warm but I just grow colder. I feel like I'm slipping away."-Beauty from Pain

"After all this has passed, I still will remain. After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain. Though it won't be today, someday I'll hope again. And there'll be beauty from pain. You will bring beauty from my pain."-Beauty from Pain

"My whole world is the pain inside me. The best I can do is just get through the day. When life before is only a memory, I'll wonder why God lets me walk through this place. And though I can't understand why this happened, I know that I will when I look back someday, and see how you've brought beauty from ashes, and made me as gold purified through these flames."-Beauty from Pain


"Here I am, at the end of me, trying to hold to what I can't see. I forgot how to hope. This night's been so long. I cling to your promise; there will be a dawn."-Beauty from Pain

Chapter 4-Beauty From Pain

Golden orbs stared down unto the bruised and battered figure of a soul the gods loved to toy with. His fingers twitched as he looked over the black, swollen cheek; it was seemingly out of place with her fragile body, though the true layers of pain were hidden behind her pale skin.

He turned his gaze to the unconscious form beside the miko with a slight hint of a sneer. Dishonorable bastard. He resisted the urge to kick him as her reached over and picked the frail woman below him up, flipping her onto his shoulder. While the miko lay slumbering upon his neck-side, his hand cradled the small kit he had come to know was Shippo.

With an elegant flick of his heels he was out the animal skin clad door and past the two, also unconscious, follower wolf kiba on the floor.

My whole world is the pain inside me,

The best I can do is just get through the day…

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The scent of pain was as thick as blood floating through the air as he watched silently, the sleeping woman on the in the grass beside the makeshift fire he had made shortly after their arrival in a nearby forest. He had presumed her body would have a negative effect to the high velocity of his demonic speed, but he hadn't expected her to turn purple. He had decided it best to take a rest for the night, lest his ward's mentor fall ill…or apart.

The lights go out all around me…

Kagome tossed in her sleep, a thin layer of sweat running down her brow as vivid memories flashed across spinning eyelids. A thin flush of red was plaguing her ever-glowing cheekbones, the sign of a heat wave piercing through her skin. Not truly willing to touch the woman, for within her sleep her miko powers would spike from moment to moment, her holy ryoku giving him an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. A feat he would have rather not admitted to in his head, let alone aloud to herself.

Molten gold momentarily scanned her body. Her chest moved in rhythm with the writhing spasms of pain she let loose from her finger in a twitching movement every so often. Her ankle looked puffy and swollen; the damn wolf probably caused her to twist it when he knocked her from her feet. A sudden slur of words brought loose from the pert mouth of a sad little miko brought the youkai lord from his thoughts.

Though his ears were in excellent shape yes, he still found himself struggling to find what she was saying. Finding that her human mind was probably just figuring out the process of how it was to cope, without full-blown blasting everything within a five miles radius with miko ryoku. He lifted his elegant fingers to flip back a lone strand of hair that had fallen before his shoulder. He mentally sighed, taking note to the condition she was in, and what he was educated with experience of humans, he may be stranded with her out for her a while.

After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain…

Looking to the dull fire before him shadows dancing across his face. In a moment the cards flipped and the fire began to die slowly, the universal signal to find more firewood before all hope is lost. He stood, strong legs threatening to crack from the exertion of standing after sitting for so long, and turned on his elegant heel. Stopping only momentarily to pull his youkino from his shoulder and placing it beside the flustering, sleeping form of a tired time traveler. He then turned once more, leaving the area in search of the blasted fire's energy source; his gracefully, magenta-striped hand flicking back more strands of soft, smooth silk.

The fire burning in her brain was intense, though she could feel no sting. She could see the flames, licking and nipping at her being, trying desperately to trap her within the void that was her subconscious. Blood pumping furiously to her brain, sending the all too alert signals that she needed to wake before her body, literally, spontaneously combusted. She could feel herself wince on the outside world, strange warmth emitting from to side as she wretched out in frustration of being lost within her own body!

Then…it was gone, as though someone had taken a smooth blanket of relaxation and caressed her swollen wounds that ate at her from the inside out. She could feel light picking at her eyes, beckoning them to open and see the world once more. But she couldn't force them open.

And then the darkness surrounds me,

I know I'm alive but I feel like I've died…

It wasn't par say that her body wouldn't allow it; no it was the fear of what would greet her on the outside once she'd fully awaken. Had her silk haired angel been an illusion; a momentary strike of hope had rushed to her brain, giving her a false sense of security while Koga has his way with her? Would she awake to fine herself chained to a wall somewhere? Or would she not even truly awake at all, only open her eyes to find herself in the afterlife, to realize she'd hit her head harder in that fall then she'd thought?

Correction, that Koga'd hit her much harder then she'd thought.

Wishing to resist the urge, but finding it would probably be best to just take a chance, she twisted around trying to flip into a sitting position without opening her eyes. A stupid feat, yes she would admit, but she still feared what lay behind the sweet sanctuaries that were her eyelids. Though within a swift notion of finding that, yes her body had moved but, her ankle decided to take a side trip beneath her instead of flipping around her like she would have preferred. The all too familiar feeling of mini explosion in her ankle, marking the territory of a sprained appendage, stopped her internal debating and in truth, convinced her she was still alive.

And though I can't understand why this happened…

"Oww…" Her proclamation sounded pathetic to her own ears as she looked around her, finally forcing herself to see before her eyes. She felt the warmth of the fire licking at her toes and sighed. How had she gotten here?

"Move not much Miko, the kiba has done damage to your lower leg," a booming voice behind her made her nearly jump into said fire from prior, she winced, scolding herself for landing on her ankle in the process. He silently sauntered over to her after depositing his stack of wood beside her seated place. "Let in my way," his deep baritone that had once scared her careless, or angered her to a point where any normal person would have impaled him with a chainsaw, now seemed to sooth her, giving her a false hope of peace.

Feeling a simply impulse to turn away from his touch, she slightly flitted as his rough hand made contact with her purpled ankle. She jittered back, his face remaining impassive. "Lest you wish for your ankle to rot from your mortal leg, I suggest you let this Sesshomaru see."

Kagome huffed a tad, feeling more unusual then she would have liked. Close contact was something she had come to try and avoid in the past few years, and this was…definitely close contact. Where he'd once stood bent at the waist, he was now in a stance of bent at the knees, his body crouching to inspect the thin muscle that was her ankle. She whimpered, hating the feeling of vulnerable, and tossed her head a little as he applied minimum pressure.

"Hn…" His only reaction was short and not really a reaction of face. He ran his callused fingers over popped out veins with a slightly distant look in his eyes, as if trying to decipher something. "Your leg is near fracture, just close to the break. If luck proceeds ahead, I can heal but a fraction of it. The rest will go abide to rest, and travel in timed due." He turned his head to look into her eyes, his face remaining impassive. "Make no sudden move." The urge to get on with the travels to his kingdom was beginning to lick at the back of his neck.

I know that I will when I look back someday…

Kagome looked to him with confused eyes. He could fix a break that fast? With what, his sword? She could have sworn it only brought back the dead, not heal as well. He pulled up his other hand, while the inspecting one held onto her leg tight. She tilted her head; suddenly not so sure she was ready for his 'remedies'. He momentarily looked to her ankle once more, analyzing, searching; then he looked back up, staring deep into her own eyes…distracting her, but from what? Within a moment her question was answered.

She screamed as she felt a burning in her leg, his nail imbedded deep into a small purple vein in the side of her sore ankle. She whimpered and squirmed, only stopping at a growl from his throat. She closed her eyes tight and bit her lip, moment tears escaping her eyes. Drops of blood exited her lips as her teeth clamped down deep into her lower lip.
Acid dripped from his fingers, slipping into the new flesh wound. The smell of sweet blood met his nostrils as he still watched the tossing miko before him. They had not much time to travel before the wolf was undoubtedly to awaken and come after her. He pulled his hand back and flicked his wrist, brushing off the remainder of the acid on his fingers. He stood and backed up, letting her breath.

"Moments will pass of pain, but soon you should be able to move with minor damage," he returned to the fire and placed logs here and there on the dimming embers. Kagome though stayed behind and fought off the winning urge to scream once more.

And see how you've brought beauty from ashes…

And then all was calm. The swell of her leg puffed down within minutes, while her hands stopped shaking in racked pain. She nearly choked on air as she realized that in her fit of trying to stop the pain, she had forgotten to breathe. She grasped her neck and leaned forward, finally being able to apply a small amount of pressure to her ankle. She spaced back in and breathed out and turned slowly to the fire, wiping strands of sweat from her face.

"Thank…you…" The words were weak, but the feeling of gratitude was still there.

"Hn." Again his reply was short sweet and to the point.

The night was cold and lonely as she found herself alone by the fireside. After the episode of immense pain of her flesh melting before her, Kagome had wanted to do nothing but sleep afterwards. It took every last morsel she had to keep from letting her aura go, and completely disintegrating anything within a 4 miles radius that was weak enough to her power.

Here I am, at the end of me,

Trying to hold to what I can't see…

She rubbed her hands together and stared around at the night surrounding her body. She shivered in a sense of being watched. She'd awoken to the missing body of Sesshomaru, but only to conclude to herself that he was merely hunting or patrolling.

Her tired expression turned to the small ball of fur slumbering to her right. It was amazing the thought that Sesshomaru had actually taken to take him along. She pet his thick tail only once, smiling lightly to the calm grip her pulled to it, softly whispering 'mommy' to no one.

She turned and stretched, bringing herself to stand on cold legs. She squeaked as she pulled her arms around her. Taking a few wobbly steps, she coughed out the cold air deepening in her lungs. She shifted her eyes around, but found nothing. Pushing out her aura, a trick she'd learned from dear old Keade, she moved along, desperately in searched of a water source.

Thorns bit at her arms as she waded through the thick under brush. Feeling slightly stupid for simply running ahead at the sound of rushing water, she forced her way through. Finally the sweet redemption of the sight before her calmed her nerves and she sprung into the clearing. She took in a deep breath, inhaling the fresh night air. She sat down at the stream and relaxed her feet. The more days she spent moving in leather bound moccasins, the more cramps she seemed to develop as opposed to her school flat bottoms.
She smiled and leaned back to lay down as she soaked her aching feet, the previous wound feeling oh-so-much better. She began to hum, quietly, but it was there. A sensation she missed for so long. A moment of peace was all she wanted, just peace.

I cling to your promise,

There will be a dawn…

She moved to the water and looked into it. She ran a hand through her hair, pulling it from her face. Looking around her suspiciously, she removed her obi, revealing herself to only her under-bindings, she waded in. Gasping she smiled and leaned back, sinking into the ecstasy that was comfort.

---------------------------------------------------

Molten orbs watched. It was unlike him yes, but the sight had been unexpected. How was he to know that just as he was to wash his hands of blood from the kill he'd made, he'd find his ward's mentor bathing? He turned his eyes down cast and spun on his heel. How dishonorable that had been…

He stopped mid-stride and stood still, a melodious sound reaching his delicately slanted ears. He closed his ears as a memory of long ago embraced his hearing. He knew the song…sadly very well.

"Moshi ima kanashimi afureru nara, watashi ni motarete naite ii kara."

Mother…the word wished to slip his lips as he opened his eyes once more. His back lay to the clad woman behind him as he listen to her sing, his own memories residing back.

"Come my way, mou hitomi tojite. Come close to me, mou nemureba ii. I'll be with you; I'll be with you. Tada koko ni iru kara. So come my way."

He let out a mental sigh of relief and forced his legs to move onward. His memories of his mother were memories for the weak. He need not be reminded of them. His slick black boots trudged on, breaking branches, and pushing thoughts as he left his angel of music to her peace.

You will bring beauty from my pain…

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Well there's your chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Basketball has finally ended for me so I should have more time to update. Then again play is just starting so you never know with me! Lol!

Ja ne!