A Place in Their Hearts

by Prismatic Hearts

Having thought his adventures were a memory of the past, Link finds himself caught in the midst of a terrible and ancient evil sweeping across Termina. But he's not alone in this fight. Brought to this world by a mysterious means, Kagome and her friends work together with the Hero, discovering friendship and love along the way. (AU) (Ao3)

89. A Familiar Face (Fixed)

Near the outskirts of Termina, a two story cabin rested near the sands of a wide outstretched sea, surrounded by an abundant of trees and flowers. It was hidden well from all that inhabited the land and the caretakers of this pleasant and tranquil home were lounging around the house.

Caught up in writing another of her many novels, a young woman with short brown hair, rosy cheeks and a somewhat tan complexion pulled away from her writing desk to scan the furnished house. Though only twenty three, she looked much like a young girl in her 15th year.

"Writer's block?" A voice asked from the living area.

For a moment she only watched as the eldest of the house sharpened one of many swords before shaking her head. "No, it's not that…but, doesn't this feel like De Ja Vu to you? I swear this has happened before…"

Lifting her eyes away from her handy work, the black haired woman looked out the open window curiously. The sky was perfectly red as usual or at least as it had been as of late. "I don't feel anything different."

While the short haired girl drummed her fingers upon the desk where many documents and papers were scattered about, she couldn't help but hum to herself. "I don't know…something doesn't seem right…" Just as she said this, her elbow accidentally pushed one of her tea cups off the desk where it shattered upon the floor, staining the polished wood. In an instant she stood up. "I remember breaking this teacup! At this exact moment!"

There was an ominous chill in the air as it swept through the open window, and because the hairs on her arms stood on end, the older of the two stood up. With her razor sharp blade held tightly in her grasp, she approached the wall with an abundant of many blades leaning against wall. Gathering a much larger weapon, she held it against her shoulder with the tip of the blade high above her head before stepping through the open door.

The younger girl, who was now on her knees cleaning up the shattered mess on the floor, looked up in question. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going out," Was her reply before walking out the door. "Lock the doors until I return." Without another word, the eldest girl was gone.

---

Dark Link.

A shadow creation that had once been crafted by the malicious intent of Link's sworn enemy, Ganondorf, was still alive. This evil entity manifested all of Link's secret desires, sins and everything that was not present upon the young boy but kindness and a duty to protect others. Long ago, the young hero remembered slaying this creation with the Sword of Evil's Bane, yet how he still survived remained a mystery.

Silence fell upon the group, their eyes darting between both Link and the dark entity floating above them. The only difference between the two was their hair, eyes and skin color as well as a distorted and maniacal personality. Yet the group realized Link recognized this dark manifestation of what they supposed was an impersonator.

"How is it possible?" Sango gasped, looking between Link and the one referred to as Dark Link.

Miroku wondered if it was possible Link had a twin brother, but from the expression on their companion's face, it didn't seem likely.

"How are you still alive? I killed you!" Link bit out, but Dark Link only waved a single finger at him while still wearing that cocky smirk upon his face.

At the sight of his flustered and angered expression, Dark Link cackled. "I knew you would make that face, Link!" He smirked. "Let's just say I was never truly defeated. After all …I am a reflection of what you truly are."

Hearing this and not understanding why he resembled Link, Inuyasha stared at his companion beside him but Link wasn't paying attention. He wanted answers and Link obviously knew something about this other Link in front of them. It wouldn't surprise him either if this guy was also conspiring with Armaros.

Now that Inuyasha thought about it, he wasn't sure what to make of all the bad guys they had confronted in this world. First they had dealt with Sakon, a notorious thief that conspired with Armaros, a man with an unlimited lifespan, and then he and his friends had learned of the Happy Mask Salesman who, for some time, had followed them throughout their journey; it was later that he, Link and Kagome found out he was the cause of Termina's curse who now pleaded for their assistance with a promise to help them summon the Goddesses, and now they were against Link's twin!

There was a sudden movement in his arms, and as Link glanced down, though still wary of Dark Link quietly watching them, he saw the three small green leaves of the Deku turning in his sleep, its small orange eyes opening and closing. It seemed the Deku child was waking up and at a terrible time.

The snap of a finger took Link's attention away from the scrub and back to the matter at hand. At the small noise, the Ogres suddenly moved around them, lifting their massive fists before slamming them into the ground near them.

As the group fell back from the sudden attack, they immediately fled under the nearest Ogre's legs to escape further into the woods. Behind them they heard Dark Link cackling and the trees behind them snapping as they were uprooted and tossed aside.

"They're gaining on us!" Shippo cried from Kagome's shoulder as he looked back fearfully.

Eventually, the trees ahead lessened and they realized they were headed directly for a cliff. As they stopped near the edge, they saw that it overlooked a massive, flowing river below. In the distance, there was nothing but trees for miles and no signs of any towns or canyons.

"Where in Termina are we?" Miroku asked.

Link wasn't sure, but as he felt the child in his arms move around suddenly full alert and frightened, he turned to Kagome. "Here, take him."

Blinking, Kagome took the young Deku Scrub into her arms, her eyes widening as she saw it attempt to free itself from her motherly hold. "He's awake!"

Unsheathing his sword, Link followed Inuyasha's stare behind them. The Ogres were approaching and no doubt so was Dark Link as well. "I never thought he had lived through our battle in Hyrule. The light from the Master Sword should have ..."

"You can explain later, Link. For now let's just get rid of these demons!" Inuyasha growled.

Nodding, Link threw his sword to the young man, and he caught it with ease but looked at Link questionably. "Use it. Until we can get your sword back, for now you can use mine."

"They're here!" Shippo shouted, tightening his hold onto Kagome's uniform.

Looking back at Kagome, Link motioned for her to hide. "Go before they see you!"

The priestess blinked at this but refused to leave her spot, even as the trees were forcibly ripped apart and the loud quaking of the earth warned her of the approaching danger. "I can't just let you guys battle those things yourself!"

Link sweat dropped and was about to say something else, but Inuyasha beat him to it.

"You idiot! You don't have your bow and arrows, so how the hell are you going to help us?" He questioned with a roll of his eyes.

Kagome glared at Inuyasha, but when Sango placed a hand upon her shoulder, urging her to do as the boys had said, she understood. "Okay… Just be careful though."

Sango smiled. "We will. Keep Shippo and the little one safe. I'll try to distract them away from the cliff."

The moment the Ogres were upon them and Kagome and the children had hidden themselves behind the trees near the cliff, the others immediately fled in opposite directions around and under the Ogres while Kirara took Sango into the sky where she easily distracted one of the said monsters.

They were up against three Ogres, at least seven to eight times their size. The likely hood of them defeating these creatures was slim.

"Take this!" Inuyasha shouted as he ran at the nearest Ogre trampling around the forest near Kagome's hiding spot. With Link's blade, he swung it at the monster's feet, but the impact had no effect. In fact, there wasn't even a scratch. When it raised its foot to stomp on him, Inuyasha jumped out of the way and sent a glare at Link who was silently calculating the Ogre's movements with his bow and arrow in hand. "Your sword is a piece of crap!"

Link sweat dropped but kept his eyes focused on one of his enemies. "These are giants, Inuyasha… Simple attacks won't be near as effective. We must attack their most sensitive areas, such as the eyes and mouth."

Inuyasha blinked before looking up just in time to see a fist hurtle towards him. He dodged the attack as he rolled away before leading that particular Ogre away from Miroku and Sango. "So we just need to aim there? No problem!" As the Ogre's foot hit the ground behind Inuyasha, the young man awkwardly leapt onto its ankle, though he found it rather difficult to climb the beast, slipping as he was.

Seeing this, Link only sweat dropped. The second Ogre slowly started towards him, and without breaking a sweat, Link notched an arrow and aimed for its eye. In an instant, he released, and the arrow hit its mark, blinding the said Ogre and sending it into an enraged fit.

Miroku saw this and evaded the dangers of its feet while simultaneously avoiding the fist of the other. "So if we blind them, then we can easily force them off the cliff!" After ducking behind a tree in time to avoid another hit, he called out to Sango and Kirara in the sky as she fought against one with her boomerang. "Sango! Their weakness is their eyes!" He shouted, searching through his robes for his sutras just in case.

Understanding, Sango caught her boomerang in midflight and urged Kirara towards the Ogre. As it waved its hands to swat at them, Kirara attempted to use its claws to dig into its eyes, but she only managed to scratch its eye lids instead.

As she and Shippo remained hidden behind the trees near the cliff, Kagome couldn't help but worry for her companions. She saw the destruction of the forest take place in front of her. Those Ogres were uprooting the trees and throwing them at her friends while others used them as weapons. If she was out there with them, she was sure she would be a goner.

"What do we do? There's no way we can beat those things!" Shippo cried.

Kagome wondered if Shippo was right. If the child were to use his Fox Fire, she knew the entire forest would burn down and the likelihood of outrunning those monsters would prove futile. The trees were their main advantage to hide away from those things and any other dangers that could be lurking in these woods.

The priestess swallowed as she cradled the child in her arms. Looking down, she saw that it was attempting to escape from her hold, its little wooden arms reaching out to grab onto the tree in front of her. "Oh no, it's okay. You're safe."

The Deku child tilted its head at her.

She offered a reassuring smile to the child. "My name is Kagome."

Hesitantly, it ceased its struggling. "H-hideki…" It muttered almost timidly.

Pushing aside its leaves atop its head, Kagome held the child closer to her. Hideki? Was that the Deku Scrub's name? "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."

Shippo suddenly gasped, immediately shifting the priestess's attention back to the battle at hand. "One of them fell off the cliff!"

Kagome gasped and shifted her attention back to the battle. She was worried it had been one of her friends that had fallen, but to her relief they were still in battle and safe. "They're doing it! Now there's only two left!" The sight of a tree being thrown towards Kagome caused her and Shippo to immediately duck down out of its path. The tree they had once been hiding under had snapped in half, its trunk and branches lying beside her and Shippo splintered at their feet and the tossed tree laying a small distance away.

Nervously, Kagome fled to another tree, one much sturdier than the other before peeking behind it. "I wonder how long this will go on for…"

There was a slight pause before another voice replied back. "Pretty intense, isn't it?"

The priestess nodded, watching her friends battle against the large Ogres. "I know … I just hope everyone will be okay…"

"Yeah, but Inuyasha is in his human form!" Shippo replied back, watching the young man a distance away attempt to climb onto the Ogre, reaching as far as to its forearm before losing his balancing and stumbling to hold on. "He can't even put a scratch on those things let alone get close enough to stab them…"

"Hmm…I'm pretty sure dog boy will be alright," The voice replied back and it seemed to somewhat reassure the fox child.

Kagome blinked. 'Huh? Who are we talking to?' Ever so slowly, the young girl turned her head to glance behind her, and to her disbelief and surprise, she saw Dark Link lying upon his stomach in midair, kicking his legs behind him rather childishly with both hands on either side of his face as he watched the battle unfold directly ahead. "You!" She gasped, immediately pressing her back against the bark of the tree.

Turning his attention to the priestess, he smirked before blowing her a kiss, much to hers and Shippo's surprise.

Seeing this darker version of his buddy hovering before them caused the small fox child to tremble as he clung onto Kagome's neck. "D-d-d-dark Link?!"

The evil entity mimicked the child. "Sh-sh-sh-shippo?!" He laughed.

Kagome swallowed as she looked at the evil being before her, smirking at both her and Shippo. This was definitely not good! Here she didn't even have her bow and arrows and her friends were caught up in battle a distance away. If he tried something right now, they might not get to them in time. "W-what are you doing? What do you want?"

Raising himself up, he moved his hands behind his head, slowly floating from side to side as if bored. "Oh nothing… Just watching the battle," He replied with a shrug. "Waiting for Link to die…and…" He stopped moving before settling his scarlet gaze upon the priestess who was eyeing him warily. "admiring your beauty," He smirked at her shocked expression.

Blushing, Kagome urged herself to remain focused. What was up with this guy? He was a lot different than their usual enemies and she wondered if he was doing it on purpose just to tease them. Perhaps he was one of those kinds of people that enjoyed playing with their food before digging right in. "Why … do you look like Link?"

Dark Link disappeared and reappeared mere inches from the priestess, and in a suave motion, he took her hand and pressed his lips against the back of it. He watched her with his usual smirk as she stilled and the child upon her neck staring frightfully as he clung to her uniform. "My dear, I am Link. I'm everything Link is."

Frightened, Kagome pulled her hand back and held the child in her arms closer to her as she glared at the being inches away. He had purposefully left a sloppy kiss upon the back of her hand and she had every urge to wipe it clean, but she refrained from doing so at the moment. "Don't touch me! You're not Link!"

Because he saw that coming, he merely laughed at her. "I am Link. I was created from his shadow long ago in order to kill him, if you must also know," He explained. "Still don't believe me?" He leaned in closer to her so much so that she held her breath and as she attempted to move away, he simply trapped her against the tree. "I remember the way you kissed me back in the past. Rather bold of you if I must say. Yet he hasn't shown you much affection after that, but I can."

Kagome gasped as her face reddened. "H-How did you…"

Shippo's mouth fell open. "You kissed Link? For real?" Though realizing he had gotten distracted, the little fox child growled at Dark Link. "Get your hands off her!"

Dark Link nodded to the priestess. "Everything that Link see's I see. Every thought and every word spoken, I hear. We are the same, in some instances…" He replied. "So technically, that makes you my woman. So Kagome, feel free to show me some affection too," He teased, puckering his lips seductively to the young girl, but she only kicked him to which he pulled away chuckling.

"She doesn't belong to you! How do we know you're not an imposter?!" Shippo responded as his tail bristled.

Dark Link only smiled at the child. "Of course she does," He explained with a wave of his hand. "How do you know that nutcase isn't impersonating me? He admitted to killing me long ago, if I recall. Wouldn't that be suspicious?" He questioned but Shippo only pointed at him.

"You're suspicious! I know Link is Link! You're not him!" He growled back, right into Kagome's ear.

He frowned at the child before crossing his arms haughtily. "Yeah huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

He leaned in closer to the child perched on Kagome's shoulder and glared. "Yeah huh!"

Shippo leaned in as well. "Nuh uh!"

Back and forth the two argued with each other while an intense battle took place just beyond the tree she was pressed against. The child in her arms was frightfully looking back and forth between the child and the dark entity in front of her, probably not sure whether to cry or yell at them. Kagome on the other hand felt her ear throb at their childish antics. For crying out loud, this guy who said he was Link's darker self, who was also out for their lives, was arguing with a child!

"YEAH HUH!"

"NUH UH!"

Taking a deep breath, Kagome decided it was time to put an end to this. "That's enough you two!" She reprimanded them, and immediately after they both froze and sweat dropped. "This is no time for any of this!"

Shippo frowned and guiltily pulled his face away from Dark Link's. He didn't mean to upset his surrogate mother; he was only defending her. "I'm sorr—"

"Yeah huh!" Dark Link whispered suddenly, and surprised, Shippo gaped and pointed at him, but Kagome only narrowed her eyes at the child on her shoulder.

"Not another word!" She waved a single finger at both the boys. Here she had thought he would attempt to kill her or something, but he was just acting like a child towards her and Shippo.

Looking back at Dark Link, Shippo was surprised to see him smirking at him with a victorious smile and it ruffled Shippo's tail so much. That guy just had to have the last word! Shippo obviously didn't like him. There was no way this guy could be Link at all.

A vicious growl from one of the Ogres just beyond the tree caught their attention, and as Kagome and Shippo looked beyond the trunk, they witnessed another Ogre fall off the cliff in defeat. Only one remained, but it seemed their companions were beginning to tire.

"If only I had my bow and arrows…" She muttered to herself.

"I can be your bow and you can pull my arrow!" Dark Link joked, but she only ignored him much to his annoyance. A flashing light from behind them caught their attention. They realized it was coming from Dark Link's forehead.

With annoyance, Dark Link merely grumbled to himself. "The old geezer could at least give me a little more time," He said aloud. Sighing, he looked at Kagome before shrugging to himself. "I guess it can't be helped. Play time is over for now." After that, he unexpectedly reached his hand out and grabbed the girl by her wrist, much to her disbelief.

"H-hey what are you doing?! Let go of me!" She screamed, but he didn't listen and despite Shippo's attempts to scratch at the shadowy man, he picked her up by her waist with one arm and lifted her into the sky. "Link! Inuyasha! Help!"

Her voice carried far, and her friends turned at their female companion's scream. They saw her behind the trees being lifted into the air and they immediately ran to her aid. It was left up to Sango and Kirara to distract the final Ogre, but unfortunately it was only blinded in one eye.

"Sango!" Miroku called out to the slayer, but she urged him to go.

"Forget about me! Save Kagome!" She shouted back, steering Kirara in front of the creature's eye.

As soon as Link, Inuyasha and Miroku neared Kagome and Shippo, they saw Dark Link making off with her into the sky above them, but her struggling hindered him somewhat.

Link was tempted to use his bow and arrow but he didn't fearful of accidentally striking her and the children. "Not good…"

"Kagome! Give her back you bastard!" Inuyasha hollered.

The priestess shrieked and kicked her legs. She wasn't too far from the ground, so if she fell, it wouldn't hurt her too bad. Where on earth was this guy planning on taking her? "Let me go! Let go!"

With a playful smirk, Dark Link loosened his grip upon the priestess and at the sight of her frantic gasp, he laughed. "You really thought I was going to drop you?"

"Have you lost your mind?" Kagome whipped her head back and glared at him, but she wasn't prepared for him to put his cheek against hers.

He suddenly wore a thoughtful expression. "Hmm … Is that a trick question?" A beat passed before him once again when he felt the symbol upon his forehead glow bright red. He wanted to roll his eyes. "I'm coming already! Can't a guy have any fun now and then?"

Not sure as to why he was talking to himself, Shippo just about had enough with this creep and all the other creeps that attempted to run off with his mother. In one swift fashion, he leapt onto Dark Link's cloak and raised his hand, scratching at his face repeatedly.

With a pained cry, Dark Link raised his hands to his face and scowled at the child clutching onto his cloak. He seized his tail and held him in front of his face irritably, ignoring the sudden gasp from Kagome. "You know, I was starting to like you bu—"

"Kagome!" Shippo cried suddenly, urging Dark Link's attention downward.

With a widened stare, he mentally cursed as he watched the priestess fall towards the edge of the cliff, the Deku child held protectively in her arms still. Unfortunately they weren't able to catch her and she fell upon her butt. But she looked alright.

"You idiot!" Shippo shouted. "Why'd you drop her?!"

Dark Link narrowed his eyes at the child and scowled. "I wouldn't have let her go if you hadn't of scratched my face!"

Achingly and sore, the priestess sat there, rubbing her behind as her friends quickly neared her. As she went to pick herself up, there was a sudden rumbling below her feet. Curious, she saw the ground beneath her crack but before she could take a few steps away, the entire edge of the cliff had crumbled, and she found herself falling.

Unable to reach for her in time, Link's fingers barely grasped her hand, and he helplessly watched as she fell a great distance and into the river below. From above, he saw Shippo throw himself from Dark Link in an attempt to rescue the young girl who was now below surface and too far to reach. Just as Kagome, he disappeared beneath the coursing river.

The quickened steps of his friends, turned his attention away from the cliff where he saw Inuyasha and Miroku attempt to scale the opposite side of the cliff where a small trail led towards the river. Yet before he could chase after, he heard Dark Link above him.

"Why didn't you save her?!" He chastised arrogantly, but it was expected that his lighter counterpart would ignore him and chase after the others to rescue the fair skinned priestess. There was a definite loss of playfulness upon the dark entity's face; he hadn't meant to let the girl fall into such danger. Part of him wanted to just ignore it and return to Clock Town where he was needed, but the other part wondered about the safety of the young girl; it was a nagging feeling he wasn't used to feeling, one he hadn't felt before.

A few seconds went by as he debated on whether to leave or stay, and as much as it made him cringe at the thought of playing 'hero', he couldn't help but peek over the edge of the cliff where the girl and child had fallen. "This definitely wasn't part of the plan," He murmured before shaking his head. Without another thought, he jumped off the cliff with ease and followed the current downstream.

A few hours had gone by as the sun slowly descended. Unfortunately, the group hadn't found their dear priestess or the children anywhere. They had searched downstream and at the bottom of a horrific waterfall but still there was no evidence to suggest they had been carried that far.

Sango and Kirara had searched the skies, but with little luck, they did not find their friends. The group met up later at a loss. The darkened sky had eventually fallen upon them and there was no other choice but to make camp; they made it near the coursing river, in hopes the light from their fire may somehow help Kagome and the children back to them safely.

"Should of known this would happen…" Inuyasha grumbled. He was standing away from his friends, looking out towards the woods surrounding them. If he had been in his half demon form he would have easily picked up Kagome's scent.

The Demon Slayer sighed from her seated position near the fire and Miroku with Kirara perched upon her lap. She and her friends had managed to catch a few fish from the water and she quietly turned them with the small sticks they had found lying around. Inuyasha had refused to eat any, his eyes fixated upon his surroundings worriedly.

Deep in thought, the monk eyes were fixed upon the young blonde haired youth seated in front of him, his gaze staring sternly into the fire. It didn't make sense to the monk; how could it be that there were two Links? "It seems the longer we stay in this world, the more confusing our encounters become…"

Feeling Miroku's gaze, Link looked at him from across the fire. Of course he knew why. It was obvious his companions were curious about his nemesis Dark Link, and they had every right to be. For the first half hour, Link told his friends of how he had first encountered Dark Link and how he had come into being from Ganondorf's dark magic. Miroku had asked questions but unfortunately Link could not answer them.

"He spoke of finding us through time," Miroku brought up. "Not to mention he seemed to have some knowledge of the Happy Mask Salesman." He mused for a few seconds, rubbing his chin thoughtfully until he turned to Link once more. "Do you think he may be in collaboration with Armaros?"

Link shrugged. "If that is the case, I can only imagine how great Armaros's powers truly are…" The young boy was sure he had killed Dark Link with the light of the Master Sword, and if he can now travel through time with new found powers, then it would make sense that he might have gotten those powers from Armaros. But why then? Why would Armaros and Dark Link team up? How did Dark Link get to Termina?

As the fire crackled and the fish roasted ever so slowly, Sango couldn't stand for any more silence. She stood up, grasping her boomerang and prepared to head out into the woods. "I can't stand sitting here like this. Kagome and Shippo could be in danger!"

But before she could take another step forward, the sound of footsteps urged her and her friends into a defensive position. Someone was walking towards them, their heavy footsteps crushing the brittle leaves and twigs upon the forest floor. From a distance they saw something glint like that of a sword from the moonlight, and they realized a possible enemy had appeared.

And yet, as the person in question neared them, the light from the moon illuminated their face. It was not a man that was approaching them but rather a very feminine and tall female wielding a rather large and intimidating sharp Naginata. Her complexion was fierce, her skin dark and her burgundy hair pulled tightly back into a high ponytail.

"Roshan?" Link and Inuyasha blurted, though the name held no recognition to the woman or she hadn't heard them.

Dressed in a two piece, the open black, tight-fitted long-sleeved blouse showed a fair amount of her ample breasts; they were pushed up by a slimming brown corset. From behind, the black blouse revealed a long flowing dress, but from the front, only her slender legs were revealed with various daggers held at her thighs for easy access. Knee high black boots accentuated the outfit nicely.

Not showing any signs of curiosity or compassion, this woman seemed prepared to fight them and she held her Naginata at the ready.

---

Inuyasha reached for his sword, though realizing quickly it was not there, he scowled at the woman standing a short distance from their camp near the river. "What do you want?"

Honey and green speckled irises glowered at them from beneath the moonlight. "I sensed something strange within these woods. Could it be that you travelers are the source?"

"What's it to you? Who are you?" Inuyasha questioned suspiciously. From the way this woman appeared, she resembled Roshan from Ancient Ikana questionably well. But as he looked closely, he realized she was not the same person from before; the Roshan he had briefly acquainted himself with was a warrior from long ago that served the Royal Family of Ikana, yet this person's face was a tad different. The angle of this woman's face was slightly rounder and her eyes much bigger than that of Roshan. If he was in his half demon form, he had a feeling her scent would be different as well.

Inquisitively, she stared at them, eyeing them from head to toe, but she had her suspicions. After a few moments of quiet scrutinizing, she made a decision that these people were not of any danger to her and thus lowered her Naginata. "I assume you … travelers have lost your way?"

Miroku started at this with a fervent nod. "How did you guess?"

She merely shrugged to the monk. "No other living person has traveled so far from the road as you have. So of course I would assume you've gotten yourselves lost."

"What do you mean by no other living person has traveled here?" Questioned Miroku. "We were told some time back that there were no other areas within Termina but the lands we had crossed, and yet why is this place not marked on the maps?"

There was a moment that passed between them, and the silence baffled the gang. The woman seemed reluctant to say anything and from her leering, they were somewhat hesitant to ask again.

"More importantly," She began. "none of you should be here…"

Miroku frowned at this, as did the rest of his companions. What did she mean by that? What was this other part of Termina that no other living person had stepped upon and why did it feel like there was a secret wavering in the air around them?

"Why shouldn't we be here?" Sango asked, yet the woman merely turned away from them. "Excuse me, we need answers!" If it was one thing to spark some fury within the slayer, it was the repetitive loss for answers in this world and the brazen attitude of others.

Kirara mewed in protest just as her master.

Looking back over her shoulder, she nodded her head in the direction she had arrived from deep within the woods. "As much as I dislike strangers, I'll guide you all back to the road. But do not stray elsewhere lest you fall victim to any danger."

"Listen here, we aren't going anywhere until we find Kagome!" Inuyasha growled.

At this, she stopped and turned back to the travelers. "Your friend is lost in these woods?" Her eyes narrowed at this and she felt the need to sigh. She didn't particularly feel at ease at this time of the night and especially with these people here.

Link only shook his head, his eyes turning towards the river behind their small camp fire. "She was swept away by the river. We have searched these waters but we cannot find any trace of her."

At this, she cocked a brow. Was that so? "I assume there was no corpse at the end of the waterfall then?"

Miroku furrowed his brow. "No … so we can only assume she managed to safely return to land. We were confronted by some terrible giants earlier today and she had fallen from a great height." It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

"How strange…" She replied. "Then she must still be alive then if that is so." Seeing as how they were adamant on staying out in these woods to continue their search, she came to a decision. "Since I have lived here for so many years, I will search for your friend. I know these woods better than many, I'm sure."

Miroku smiled at this. "How kind. Thank you. We don't even know your name…"

"And you don't need to know my name either…" She replied with a glare which caused Miroku to sweat drop. "Since it's so late and you'll only be in the way, I shall take you back to my home; it isn't far. Stay there and rest the night. From the looks of some of you, you seem pretty injured. The smell of blood would attract many towards your measly camp," She eyed the pitiful fire behind the group. "No doubt your lost friend has attracted more."

Though they tried to decline her offer, they realized she wouldn't take no for an answer and thus led them out of the woods safely and towards a rather nicely sized cabin situated near the edge of a sandy beach with an abundant of colorful planted flowers decorating the outside of the home. It was clear to them that this woman lived near Great Bay.

The night air was a lot cooler near the ocean and as they entered inside, they hadn't expected to stand within a warm and comfortable living room. The room was quite spacious with multiple furnishings and sofas. An ornate red rug with many colorful patterns was laid across the floor. There was a staircase directly across the room and to their right was an open archway to what seemed like a kitchen.

As they walked inside, guided by the older woman, they caught the attention of a young girl seated directly across from them at a small desk littered with many parchments and books just beneath the stairs. From where they stood, that small area beneath the staircase looked like a study room complimented with a bookshelf as well as a few shelves and stools.

A young girl no older than themselves was dressed in a beautifully crafted knee-length black and red checkered dress with a long-sleeved white blouse tucked beneath. The dress was tied at the waist with a black ribbon and the ends of the dress flared outwards in a beautiful fashion. Her brunette hair was cut short just above her shoulders with straight bangs resting at her eyebrows. From the sight of her, she had large blue eyes almost the color of the ocean and long lashes; she and her friend were somewhat different from the normal Terminan folks in this world.

From her seated position at the desk with a small ink pen in her hand, she immediately stood up and welcomed the strangers inside. "Oh hello!" Her soft voice called out as she bounded towards them barefooted and with a smile. Though she seemed happy to see them, she turned to her female friend in question. From the silent looks they exchanged with a secret hidden behind those stares, the younger girl greeted them. "Did you get lost on your travels?" She asked, as if already knowing.

Miroku took the initiative and answered her question with a nod before introducing both he and his friends. "We apologize for the intrusion, but we hope we could stay the night, at least until we can find our friend."

"Say no more. Of course you can all stay," She replied with a smile. "My name is Natalie and you've already met Violet."

Inuyasha only crossed his arms. "Yeah whatever. We don't have time to get comfortable. Kagome is out there and we have to find her!"

Natalie held a hand to her chest and wore a look of worry. "Oh dear… how terrible," She replied dismally. "Violet, what happened?" She turned her companion curiously.

Violet only crossed her arms just as Inuyasha. "Their friend fell off a cliff and into the river just north of here. There were no sightings of her body anywhere nor at the falls. I assume she is elsewhere. I brought them here before they attracted any unwanted attention out there in the night."

Natalie nodded at this. "Good thinking. It would be terrible if they had been attacked." Turning back to the gang, Natalie offered them a seat on the sofas in the room, though they were hesitant to move away from the door out of worry. Natalie caught that but assured them everything would be alright. "Fortunately for you, Violet is an expert in tracking. I'm sure Kagome is safe. If she has survived that waterfall, then she must surely be somewhere in the woods."

As Violet watched her friend guide them to a seat, she made her way back to the door, but before stepping out, she called back to her guests. "I shouldn't be too long. Within the next hour or two, I should return with your friend safely. Natalie, tend to their wounds while I'm gone. Make sure all the doors are locked."

"I'll go with you," Link replied, already starting for the door, but Violet only glared at him.

"You can stay here with your friends. You would only prove to distract me. I don't need to bother protecting two of you," Violet replied haughtily.

With that said, Violet left out the door, closing it behind her to search for the young girl lost out in the woods. It would be a long night, she was sure. But why were these people here?

---

She was awoken by a cold wind prickling her skin and the constant cries of a child tugging on her sleeve. Opening her eyes, she saw Shippo beside her attempt to arouse her awake and as she sat up, almost achingly she felt a dull pain in the back of her head which caused her to cringe. Touching the spot, she felt something warm and sticky and only after pulling away, she realized it was blood. The wound didn't seem too bad, but she could vaguely remember how she had acquired it.

"Kagome! You're okay!" The child cried, hugging her closely with renewed tears.

Attempting to adjust her eyes in the darkness of the night, she made out a small fire in front of her and she saw that the small Deku child was still with her and awake as well. She smiled at the child and held her hand out to bring the child close. With both children held close to her, the priestess couldn't help but try to remember what had happened.

---

Kagome shrieked as she fell from the cliff's ledge, her fingers barely brushing against Link's at his feeble attempt to save her from what was supposed to result in an immediate death. The river swept her away and the sight of her friends were gone from her as she struggled to stay afloat with Hideki grasped tightly in her embrace.

There was nothing but water engulfing her senses and she found it difficult to keep from swallowing the water that burned her lungs. Shippo had flown from the cliff to save her and she had barely seen his pink ball form flying above the river, but his efforts proved in vain.

Sharp rocks scratched against her legs as she kicked and turned in an effort to pull away from the fast current. Numbness had spread about her body and she felt no pain, only adrenalin. Something like this had happened once before but this time there wasn't anyone there to save her and her friends were too far away to help.

There was a painful impact dealt to her back suddenly and Kagome choked as she gasped for breath. Realizing her back had hit against a sharp rock, she attempted to brace herself onto the stone in hopes to keep herself and Hideki from being swept further to a dreadful end.

"I can't swim!" The Deku child cried, and Kagome held him closer to her bosom.

As she desperately tried to hold tightly to the rock, she heard someone call her name and when she realized it was Shippo, she turned her gaze every which way until it landed onto a stump lying crookedly from land and into the river; sadly the distance between her and it was too far. Yet she saw Shippo reach out his small hands to save her, but unfortunately it was impossible; Kagome didn't want to endanger him as well and therefore kept a strong hold onto the rock.

She was cold and her hands felt numb as she kept holding on. Where were her friends? Why did it seem like she had been in that same spot for so long?

Something from above had caught Shippo's attention, and when she turned to look up in question towards the source, something had grabbed her and tugged at her underarms to pull her into the air, and she desperately cried out and fought against the captor.

Far too blinded from risking the lives of the children and herself, she didn't realize someone was trying to save her, whoever it was. Kagome hadn't seen his or her face, but she felt a sense of urgency to struggle. Whoever it was who had grabbed her suddenly lost grip of her and she once again found herself being swept under the river, gasping for breath.

With her hand reaching up for some sense of salvation, someone once again grabbed her and this time she allowed it, choking as the water once again burned her lungs. Though from her wild attempt to grab hold of her savior, she found herself and that person fall into the water once more and then she blacked out.

---

Kagome wondered who it could have been that saved her and the children. Whoever it was, she was thankful. Shippo had explained that he and Hideki had only awoken moments before her, but Shippo didn't say who it was that saved them; in fact, Shippo was a little too quiet, but she guessed he got quite a scare today and she didn't blame him.

"I wonder how the others are…" Kagome mumbled, ruffling Shippo's hair and holding Hideki in her lap. If only she had a towel or something to wrap him in; he was soaked and no doubt cold. Looking down at the young one in her arms, she offered him a weak smile. "I'm sorry you went through all that. You must be curious as to who we are and where you're at, right?"

Hideki only nodded, and as Kagome explained in detail from that of her travels in the Feudal Era to their journey as of now, Shippo only silently listened. From time to time, Shippo glanced over at his surrogate mother and back at the fire until both had fallen into a sleep.

Shippo had been awake that entire time and had heard and seen everything. Of course he hadn't expected Dark Link to come to their rescue. Why did he do that?

---

"Kagome! Grab my hand!" The small fox child cried, his hands holding tightly to the log nestled half way into the river onto land. He saw his mother holding onto a large sharp rock within the river, her eyes closed tightly in fear. There was no way he could reach her like this; he knew that.

A shadow flew over the river, and to Shippo's surprise, he saw the very man from before who looked peculiarly similar to his friend Link. Confused, he watched helplessly as this shadowy man reached out from midair to grab the priestess's arm, but she fought back wildly.

At the sight of his mother suddenly submerged below the surface, Shippo fearfully cried out. "Kagome! Kagome!" The child saw that she was sputtering and wildly thrashing within the current sweeping her far out of his reach, but that shadowy guy that called himself Dark Link flew after her as if to save her. But why?

Within a matter of seconds, he had pulled her from the coursing river, but she had accidentally pulled him back into the river with her. After a few heart pounding seconds, Shippo felt a sigh of relief escape him when he saw Dark Link carry her out of the river before flying over to the log he had been perched atop for some time.

"Come here you little fox!" Dark Link growled, and much to Shippo's protest, he unfortunately was whisked away through the air and deep within the woods. All the while, he saw Kagome lying unconscious within Dark Link's arms with the child held within her arm asleep.

Not long after the confusing rescue, Shippo once again found his feet upon the ground, his eyes watching Dark Link closely as he laid the raven haired priestess before him. In an instant, the child stood before Kagome protectively, glaring at Dark Link, daring him to try to make one wrong move, but the dark entity didn't do anything but scornfully glare at him.

---

After that, a strange red symbol had appeared upon the entity's forehead just as before, but he didn't leave just yet. To Shippo's surprise, he had aimed his palm at a tree a distance away and in a matter of seconds; it had been finely sliced into several pieces of lumber.

Shippo still remembered what Dark Link had said after that. "Why don't you make yourself useful kid and build a fire."

After which, the entity had flown off and out of sight, and since he had seen Kagome lying there soaked, he made a small fire for his mother. Dark Link could have just let her drown but he showed a strange sincerity, even if they were enemies.

Looking back at Kagome beside him, cooing the small child in her arms tenderly, Shippo had a feeling she didn't remember any of it. Why had that man saved her and himself? Was he working for that bad guy, Armaros?

An hour had gone by quickly and there hadn't been any signs of danger in the woods around them. Kagome had fallen asleep once more with the child still held tightly in her arms. Shippo had remained some distance away, his eyes watching the Deku child curiously and somewhat enviously.

A branch from behind him snapped immediately pulling his attention away from Kagome and to the person behind him. At the sight of the glowing honey colored green eyes staring at him in the midst of the night, he cried out in fright. Was it Dark Link? No … he had red eyes.

At the sound of Shippo's scream, Kagome awoke and looked up confusedly at the woman standing before their small camp. She was garbed in black attire and held a menacing Naginata in her grasp. Why did she look familiar?

"So this is where you were…Kagome?" A feminine voice replied. "Come. Your friends are waiting for you."

---

That night, Kagome and the two boys were escorted safely through the woods where they were greeted by the faces of their friends within a large cabin situated upon a sandy beach near the ocean. Inuyasha and Sango had rushed over to envelop her into a tight hug, asking if she had gotten hurt, but she assured them she was alright.

Seeing the oddly dressed girl in a sailor uniform, Natalie approached her and took her arm, guiding her to a small sofa in the room. "Please have a seat. You must be exhausted."

Blinking, Kagome couldn't help but eye the short brunette girl wearing the short red and black checkered dress with curiosity. Why did it seem like she was wearing modern day clothing? If she hadn't been so tired, she would have asked, but instead, she sat down and leaned herself against the soft white cushions.

"Who are these people?" Shippo asked aloud, looking from Violet and Natalie curiously. He watched the older lady with long black hair and piercing honey speckled green eyes watch them from across the room before looking back at the other lady pouring small cups of tea for his friends.

Miroku, who had been sitting down resting his back against the pillows of the cozy chair, uttered a soft sigh. His minor injuries, as well as Sango's and Kirara's had been bandaged. "We were fortunate to have been found by these two beautiful ladies," He replied, flashing a smile to Natalie who was busying herself to tidying the comfortable space up.

After returning the teapot back to the small kitchen, Natalie returned and smiled at the fox child, who couldn't help but stare at her. "You don't have to worry about us. We're friendly people," She explained, ruffling the small child's hair to which he protested. "It's not often we get company."

"Why is that?" Kagome asked from her seated position in the chair.

"I have been wondering the same, I must admit," Miroku said aloud though he and his friends were unaware of the looks exchanged from Natalie and Violet. "This small cottage seems to be miles away from any town."

Inuyasha flashed a glare at the amazon woman leaning against the wall of the furthest right room. "If I remember correctly, you said that we shouldn't even be here. What did you mean by that?" He suspiciously asked, though Violet only struck him with the same glare.

Kagome only sighed. "I have headache…" She softly groaned as she rubbed her head. "Can you please not raise your voice, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms.

Noticing how distressed the priestess appeared, Sango and Shippo sauntered over to the chair she presently sat. "Are you alright? You didn't get hurt after the fall, did you?" Sango carefully placed her hand upon the young girl's head, but Kagome only smiled.

"I'm alright." What she wouldn't give for some pain relief medicine. Fortunately she saw her bag lying across the room beside Violet, one of the straps torn and its outer surface dirtied and ripped; it had been through much during her travels and it was about time to get a new one. Kagome was sure there was some medicine in there somewhere.

Because the young girl looked so distressed and exhausted, Natalie disappeared from the room and reappeared a few moments after. In her hand she carried a small tray with a white cup, a mortar and pestle. A few dried green herbs were laid to the side as she knelt down at the table where she began to grind up the herbs.

"Oh, do you practice medicine?" Miroku asked, watching as the herbs were smashed. Looking closely, he saw that a strange liquid had collected at the bottom of the bowl.

Pouring some water from the cup into the mortar, Natalie only nodded. "Oh yes. It goes back generations in my family," She admitted. Curious, she looked upon the group, eyeing their dirtied clothes and disheveled appearance. It had been a first she and Violet had seen travelers in so long. "Can I ask where you have all come from? By the looks of it, you all seem lost." Because they seemed hesitant at first to say anything, Natalie blinked. "Will you be staying the night?"

Before anyone could say a word, Link spoke up. "If it's no trouble, we would like some lodging for the night," Link explained. He had been watching Kagome and his friends silently for a while, and from their apparent exhaustion, perhaps staying the night wasn't such a bad idea. It certainly gave them shelter from the beasts outside and the cold.

Her welcoming and bubbly smile seemed to ease their tensions. "Wonderful! Then please, by all means, stay the night. We have plenty of room!"

"Natalie…" Violet groaned from her place against the wall.

But the young girl only waved her hand at the Gerudo looking woman. "Oh don't worry yourselves. You're much safer inside than you are out there."

After mixing up the herbal mixture, Natalie stood up and offered the small cup to the priestess, who held it in confusion. "Drink this. This herbal remedy is sure to alleviate your migraine. It may not taste very good, but it works wonders," She winked before sauntering past the sofa and towards the kitchen in the other room. "Since it's so late, I better prepare dinner!" She grinned.

Reddish liquid looked back at Kagome as she swiveled the small cup in her hand. It certainly didn't smell pleasant, but after taking a small sip, it wasn't surprising she made a face. Well she drank worse things in her life before, so this wasn't too terrible. After taking another sip, there was a faint taste of peppermint which allowed her to swallow the contents more easily.

The quietness of the room felt relaxing though they felt a little on edge as the woman known as Violet stared at them from across the room; she was still leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Perhaps she did not trust them to stay or she found their unexpected arrival annoying.

"How long has it been since we've rested indoors?" Miroku thought aloud. Thinking back, they had recently stayed at the Stock Pot Inn a couple times during their stay in this world and eventually had stayed at the ranch. Perhaps it had only been a couple days since their stay at Romani Ranch, but it seemed much longer.

Realizing his friends intended to stay in this house, Inuyasha made himself comfortable on the wooden floor next to the sofa Kagome sat in. As he was watching the priestess caress Shippo's hair, he couldn't help but notice a strange black symbol upon Kagome's hand. Standing up, he snatched her hand away from Shippo and it startled Kagome.

"Inuyasha?" She blinked curiously.

"What's this mark?" He asked looking more closely.

When Kagome pulled her hand back, she examined it and an audible gasp escaped her. Where had this come from? Thinking back, she immediately recalled her confrontation with Dark Link and how he had kissed the back of her hand rather forcibly. Did he do that? But why? What did it mean?

"Kagome? Where the hell did that mark come from?!"

"Um…"

Miroku and Sango, as well as Link had surrounded the small sofa, and when they saw the mark upon their fair priestess's hand, they found themselves quite puzzled. It did not appear to be ink, and it did have a faint and sinister glow.

"Did Dark Link do this?" Link asked, and when he caught Kagome's surprised stare, he knew it was so. "How did you acquire the mark? What exactly did he do to you?" He asked, his eyes narrowing at all the possibilities.

Kagome lowered her gaze. "He kissed my hand, all the while acted like a flirtatious child with no sense to stay out of anyone's personal space," She admitted.

Kiss? Why would he do that? As Link thought this, he realized why. Dark Link embodied much of Link's hidden desires, sins and so forth. Could it be possible the entity felt an inclination towards the priestess? If that was so, then Link would be sure to keep a close watch over her.

The silence was shattered the moment a high pitched feminine laugh resonated throughout the house, its source clearly from the kitchen. The laughter sounded crazed and frightening, and it left the two children on the floor huddling close to Kagome's side. The sound of a sharp blade cutting into meat and bone rang loudly in their ears and the faint splattering of what they could only assume was blood, was very much heard. Their faces paled.

However, Kirara merely mewed in response to this, tilting her feline head to the side.

Seeing their reactions go from all seriousness to suspicious fright brought Violet away from her silent musings. She pulled away from the wall and sauntered over to the entrance of the small kitchen where she saw Natalie going all out on a rather large deer that had been killed earlier that day. The older woman watched as the guts poured from the stomach of the deer and the blood pool into the sink. Sure it was disgusting, but Violet merely shook her head. "Natalie, you're scaring the company. Try to tone it down with your laughter."

Surprised, her maniacal laugher abruptly ceased and she felt herself sweat drop embarrassedly. "Oops. My bad. You know how I get carried away," She giggled.

With a roll of her eyes, Violet assured their company there was nothing amiss happening within the house and that they could all relax. She stepped into the next room and reappeared with a large weapon in hand, its blade dull and caked with blood. There was a moment where she looked at Inuyasha and the two had held each other's gaze, but Violet soon looked away and sat in the next room. There, she silently cleaned and sharpened the blade without another word spoken to the group in the living room.

Though nervous about their stay within the house, they felt obligated to do as they were asked. They were worried about Kagome's strange mark upon her hand, and they were worried they might attract danger to these people by resting the night, but they refrained from saying anything more.

That night, Natalie prepared the table with a rather large feast. The main course was deer, and the sides consisted of mashed potatoes, stuffing dried beats, roasted mushrooms served with gravy and vegetables and a few other delicacies that left everyone's mouths watering. The aroma within the room smelled heavenly. Just eating fish or rabbit every night didn't compare to this home cooked meal.

Violet had offered up the small feline a bowl of milk and warm oats to which she mewed and ate ravishingly. As for Hideki, the new companion of the Inuyasha group, he was served a small salad with fruits and vegetables mixed in, compliments of Natalie.

Though he had not said a word once except for his frightful adventure over a cliff and in a river to these people, Hideki couldn't help but blush shyly. "T-thanks."

"Why you are so welcome!" Natalie gushed, awing at the small Deku child.

They had talked during the meal, with each person asking about the other, though there was much that remained a mystery about Violet and Natalie; they hadn't said much about themselves.

All they had determined was that these two young women were sisters who lived out in these woods, far from any civilization. It seemed rather strange.

Though he was not hungry, as most of his food remained untouched upon his plate, Link found himself staring at Natalie and Violet. "I have traveled around Termina for years and never once have I walked upon this unknown land. I don't believe it's charted on a map…"

The two girls shared a knowing look. There seemed to be a silent conversation between them, and Link and the others watched as the oldest nudged the youngest with short brown hair, wearing her red checkered dress.

Flushing with all eyes upon her, the young girl ran a finger through her hair, curling it in a timid fashion. "Oh…well…um…" She was not used to having all the attention on her and from so many people, and it was very obvious the attention made her uncomfortable. "Um…"

Seeing this, Inuyasha looked up from his food and squinted his eyes at the girl. Was there something she didn't want to reveal? "Don't tell me you don't know this area either? Unless you are hiding something," He suspected.

Natalie gasped and quickly shook her head. "Oh no no! Nothing like that!"

"Now Inuyasha, you can tell she is very flustered. Give her a moment. We still have plenty of time to return to Clock Town, after all," Miroku replied with a wave of his fork, and it was true.

Even Sango agreed, and it caused Inuyasha to turn his nose up.

Sighing and fed up with Natalie's delay, Violet pushed her plate aside. "It's not that she doesn't know the area. She has never been outside of this forest."

This was something the gang had no expected to hear. What did this Gerudo girl mean? She never left the forest? But why?

Violet continued on. "There is no map of this area, because no others have stumbled upon it. Where you are now is the farthest border West of Termina, a mountain whose rocky hill surrounds and hides this small location,"

Miroku mused. "Well I did indeed see a rather expanse of mountains beyond the forest."

Kagome frowned. "We really need to get back to Clock Town. We don't have that much time left, I'm afraid," She admitted, and Violet merely nodded though she didn't understand why they were in such a hurry to get back.

Never the less, Violet went on. "There is only one passage way through these woods and mountains and I assure you the road back to town is safe. Tomorrow I will show you the path that will return you back to the main road. All you must do is follow it and within a couple days, you will no doubt find a bustling town."

"How kind, we thank you!" Miroku praised.

Still the fact that these girls had never left this area puzzled young Shippo. "Why haven't you all ever left this place?"

Natalie only blinked, not entirely understanding why. "Why would we? This is our home."

"Yes, but what of the Ogres that dwell within these forests? Don't they bother you?" Sango asked.

Natalie laughed at the slayer's question. "Why would they want to bother us? They've been so kind to us since we built our home here years back," She replied.

"Kind?" Everyone questioned. How was that?

The young girl nodded. "Oh they are very sweet, but I admit sometimes they can be a little annoying. I swear last time I invited them here for a nice conversation…" Natalie shook her head in exasperation. "They lack manners, I can tell you that at least."

"But how?" Shippo placed his hands upon the table, completely standing up upon his chair. "They attacked us earlier today!"

There was a short moment where Natalie mused. She poked her finger upon her chin thoughtfully. "Well…then you must have done something to provoke them. Then again, they are very friendly when among girls. No offense boys." She stuck her tongue out innocently.

"Then it must be the work of Dark Link after all…" Link softly muttered, clenching his hands as he stared hard at the table. His friends heard him and it wouldn't surprise them in the least. If that was so…then they had hurt the innocent Ogres, and for that, there was a sense of pity that washed over him and the others.

Because she had not noticed the awkward silence envelop the entire dinner table, Violet continued on. "One should never judge another by their appearance. But I admit I did find these Ogres a threat at first."

"Ogres are like onions," Natalie suddenly voiced, and it caught everyone off guard and Violet rolled her eyes at the comment. "They may make you cry, but if you peel away those layers, you'll find something very sweet," She grinned.

"Not the onion thing again…" Violet sighed. "How can you bring similarity between those two things?"

Natalie blinked. "Ogres smell and their appearance can become so startling that it could bring tears to others. Onions are the same."

For the rest of the meal, Natalie and Violet had opened up much about themselves. They explained that they were step sisters who had found one another when they were only children and that their father had taken a journey across the land with a vow to return, but he never did.

Since the night was rather late, the two step sisters allowed the group of travelers to rest the night in their living room. From their closet, they offered up enough blankets and pillows to everyone, and Natalie had attempted to offer them some fresh night clothes to sleep in, but they had kindly refused.

The fire from the hearth warmed them as they lay upon the floor. Miroku and Sango had immediately fallen asleep next to each other, and Inuyasha had settled himself behind Miroku with his back to everyone. It was clear from his soft snoring that he was also asleep.

With the children tucked in the same blanket beside one another, Kagome softly patted the small Deku child's head. The small child must have been so confused and curious of her and her friends, though she promised to make it up to him tomorrow on their return back to Clock Town. "Are you comfortable?"

The child nodded, his entire form nearly hidden by the blanket save for his three leaves peeking out. "Y-yes…thank you, Kagome…"

Smiling at Hideki, Kagome placed a small kiss atop his forehead, and the action didn't go unnoticed to Shippo who looked on in slight irritation and jealousy. "Good night Hideki," Looking back over at Shippo, Kagome saw that he had his back turned to her as if he were fast asleep, and with a soft smile, she also kissed his small head. "Good night Shippo."

A good half an hour had gone by and yet Kagome remained awake under the blankets. The fire was slowly dying down and the sounds of snoring beside her told her everyone was fast asleep. Yet as she rested there, staring through the darkness at the ceiling, her thoughts returned to earlier that day.

---

"Cathleen!" Kagome cried out.

Unfortunately, they hadn't made it in time, and they watched as the Princess fell towards the floor in the hallway, with a dagger plunged through her chest.

The moment the priestess was at the fallen Princess's side, Inuyasha struck the Garo with his sword, easily putting an end to Cathleen's attacker, despite his injury to his chest. "Damn it!" He cursed as he turned his attention to the blonde haired girl.

His friends had immediately knelt beside her, and with a pang of sadness hitting him, Inuyasha lowered himself beside the girl, carefully lifting her somewhat to lie in his arms. The sight of her was enough to shift his sadness into pure rage.

Blood had fallen from Cathleen's lip and her once pristine white dressed was stained scarlet and ripped. Tears fell from her eyes, and she was still alive, just barely. Yet as she saw her friends gather around her, and Kagome grasping her hand tearfully, she smiled. "I'm…glad you're all safe," She replied achingly.

Kagome felt the tears stream down her face. It was just like her dream foretold. Cathleen had been struck by the enemy. "Please, don't talk. Everything will be fine," She soothed her before placing both her hands upon the girl's chest where the dagger remained plunged.

But Link stopped her. "Kagome her wound would only heal around the blade. Unless we pull the dagger out and hope it doesn't inflict more harm onto her, then there's nothing we can do…"

The priestess didn't want to believe it was impossible. Kagome shook her head furiously. "No, we can save her…She doesn't deserve this!" She cried, and Inuyasha felt his eyes water slightly.

"Pries…tess Kagom—" Cathleen coughed up blood, and Kagome immediately grasped her hand. "I'll…be fine. I'll be…with father," She replied, but she found it increasingly difficult to breathe.

With shaken hands, she reached up to grasp a chain around her neck, a necklace her friends saw that was hidden under her dress. When Cathleen revealed it to them, having a difficult time taking it off, the three saw that it was the pendant they had been searching for all throughout the Palace.

"T-take it…please…give it…to Rosh—" Cathleen coughed again and her body frighteningly lurched in Inuyasha's arms. Blood continued to spill from the dying Princess's mouth and the wound to her bosom brought about more blood.

Kagome cried. Not only had they lost Serena but now they were going to lose another loved one. "Cathleen…" What could she say to someone who was dying besides 'It's going to be alright or don't talk?'

Cathleen felt the priestess grasp her hand tightly, and she smiled as she turned her head to look at her. "Since yesterday…back at…the cave…when you and swordsman…L-Link saved Inuyasha," She began in small breaths. "I have…always admired you…Priest—priestess Kagome," She suddenly replied and it shocked Kagome who looked up to meet her softened gaze.

As her hands continued to squeeze Cathleen's own, Kagome felt the warmth of her skin become colder. "Cathleen…I'm sorry…I wish…we could have gotten here sooner…" She wept.

"I-if…I had a sister…" Tears spilled from the Princess's eyes. "I wish she could have been…like you…" Cathleen replied.

If there was one thing she regretted it, it was the limited time she had spent with the Priestess. If time hadn't been against her Kingdom, she would have wanted to spend an ordeal time with her and to learn more about her and her home land. She would have wanted to have Kagome learn about the good in her Kingdom that she saw despite the protests that had urged her Kingdom to ruin.

"Even though…it's been a short time…I thank y-you. From the bottom of my heart…thank you for saving me…" Cathleen cried. "Fate had other plans…in store for me…I suppose," She coughed, her eyes fluttering close all of a sudden.

---

As much as Kagome didn't want to remember, it pained her that she wasn't able to do anything to save the Princess. As Link had said before, it was likely impossibly to rewrite history. Losing Cathleen and not knowing what became of Flat pained her deeply; she was tired of losing those important to her.

Much more weighed upon the young priestess's mind that night, and as another hour went by, her thoughts wondered back to her family. How were they doing? Did they think the worst had happened since her absence? What were her mother, Sota and grandpa doing right now?

Sighing, Kagome rolled onto her side and her gaze shifted to the young swordsman beside her some distance away. Back in Ancient Ikana, she and Link had professed their love and as far as she knew, they were now in some form of a relationship, though she and Link had yet to tell everyone else. The priestess wondered how they would react.

As she looked at Link more, she saw a glimmer of light in his eyes and realized he was very much awake; he was staring at the ceiling just as she had previously, and Kagome couldn't help but sit up and crawl closer to him. "Can't sleep?" She whispered.

Turning his head, Link only nodded. "There is much on my mind," He replied softly.

Lying down beside him, at least a foot away, Kagome watched him for a moment. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head, but he turned his blue eyes to stare at her. His eyes shifted downward to her hand and he frowned. "Does it hurt? The mark I mean."

"No. It doesn't."

That was a relief. "Don't worry. We'll find a way to remove it, I promise. I'm sorry you went through all of that today, Kagome…"

A smile appeared upon her face, but she only shook her head. "It's alright. You must know by now that I've been through worst things than this."

Understanding, he rolled onto his back and rested his hands behind his head. "I think what I need to do is get some sleep. You should do so as well, Kagome," Link replied closing his eyes. After all, he knew she must have been feeling exhausted ever since their encounter with Dark Link. As much as he wanted to stay awake and talk more with her, he at least wanted her to feel more rested by morning.

Biting her lip somewhat timidly, Kagome couldn't help but move closer to Link. Sure this was a little forward of her, but she wanted to be near him more. As her heart drummed in her ears, she rested her head against his shoulder with her hand placed softly upon his chest.

Surprised, Link felt his breath hitch in his throat and he felt his cheeks redden at her forwardness. However he didn't push her away, and instead, he wrapped his arm around her. There wasn't really anything to be shy about; after all, they were together.

For the rest of the night, they laid there like that in each other's arms. They were perfectly content with one another, and though they both felt a little breathless, they couldn't help but smile at each other. It didn't seem like anything could ruin the mood.

"Oh…Sango…" The soft voice of the monk resonated within the room suddenly and at the sound, Kagome felt her face grow hot in embarrassment. There was a ruffling of sheets that followed after and an audible gasp that belonged to a certain female.

"You lecherous monk!"

It was not surprising that a slap was heard within the quiet room and the heavy footsteps of the slayer stomping away to sleep at a safer distance. However they did jump a little at the sound, but they did not pull away. Kagome and Link saw Sango step past them and place herself onto the couch, and looking back at the monk sleeping on the other side of the children, they saw him wearing a rather comical smile and the knowing mark of a hand print across his face.

Giggling a little bit, Kagome snuggled closer to Link. "Good night Link."

"Good night, Kagome."

---

He was late, but then again, that was to be expected. Dark Link wasn't the type to return at an appointed time directly on the dot, but from his master's impatience, he really didn't have a choice but to return when summoned.

He arrived back to Clock Town, a town he had known for four years since his unexpected drop into this strange world; the people were as dull and unexciting just as those back in Hyrule. They were a paranoid sort, the type that wallowed in fear and misery with hardly much faith in their neighbors. They disgusted him, and he showed them no pity.

And as he hovered above the buildings, his scarlet eyes searching the area of its citizens lazily, Dark Link felt the aura of his master nearby. Looking above the Clock Tower, he saw the amethyst eyes of Armaros glaring down at him, his pale complexion ghostly and his mere presence almost haunting.

Yet Dark Link never cowered from his intimidating stare and instead he raised himself above the platform of the tower and leaned back lazily with a finger in his ear and his legs crossed. "Listen … this whole deal with "you know," he raised his hands and waved them around in a form of "bunny ears" with a roll of his eyes. "I give you my powers in exchange for your assistance against a certain 'Hero of Time?' Does that ring a bell? Yet, I can't do shit because you need me near you constantly because your body no longer exists in this world."

Armaros didn't deny the young one's words. It was the truth. After all, his body or what remained of his bones was buried deep beneath the Palace of Ikana since his imprisonment a thousand of years ago. Back then his soul had forever been trapped beneath the soils of death, until this dark one stumbled upon his skeletal remains.

It was fortuitous that Armaros had been found, shackled and his powers subdued by the ancient ones long ago. And he never once thought he'd escape with an unlikely help, but he had not escaped entirely. Just as Dark Link said, his body no longer existed, and so he used Dark Link's powers to create a copy of his former self that lived long ago. Without his body, his powers were not whole, and without his flesh he could not manifest all that he was capable of as a true sorcerer. It left him at a great disadvantage.

Yet not all seemed entirely hopeless. With the help of Dark Link, Armaros had managed to leave the decrepit Kingdom of Ikana, yet even so, he could not travel very far from his place of death. Clock Town was the furthest he was allowed. Armaros knew Emmett was out there in Termina, the one that now disguised himself as a petty little mask salesman. Though Armaros promised to aid Dark Link, he wanted his vengeance first. Yet in order to do that, he needed to regain his body, blood and flesh that was lost a thousand years ago; with that, all of his power would return. But right now, he was no match for Emmett just as he was. He needed his power back. He needed his body.

Despite the obvious tension between the two, Dark Link and Armaros, the sorcerer approached him. He already knew the outcome of what had happened after he sent Dark Link after the gang. The mission had failed, and it was not surprising. If Emmett hadn't of intervened when he did yesterday during his confrontation with the group, he was certain he could have gotten rid of Link for Dark Link and the rest of his little friends as well, but that was not the case. Instead, Emmett had used his powers to turn back time; who else could it have been? All of the Great Fairies were gone from this world.

"The mission was unsuccessful, but I knew it would not be easy," Armaros replied. "How many times have our attempts failed against these travelers? Just what were you doing out there?"

Those people were certainly an interesting group, and they did bring some excitement that Armaros had only experienced long ago. He knew their goal was to stop the curse from destroying this land and they had concluded he was the source of Termina's inevitable doom. Armaros wanted to laugh at this. If they wanted the truth, he was sure they would find the answers from Emmett.

Hearing this, Dark Link only scowled at the ghostly form of Armaros standing before him. Was he berating him now? "Well I was obviously carrying out the plan to destroy that brat. Didn't help matters when you kept calling for me to return!" He spat. "Besides, I was starting to enjoy it too." He sighed. He had thought killing Link off would prove much easier with this guy's help, but that was not the case at all. In fact, he felt a little miserable having to always be near this sorcerer; he wondered if he should have never stumbled upon his grave.

"You know, I'm starting to regret killing off that thief Sakon a while back," Dark Link admitted. At least that guy was able to journey far in order to carry out Armaros's orders. As stupid as he was, he did manage to steal that Sacred Jewel from Link and his friends. Yet he never understood why Armaros needed it if he was already so powerful. "Now that I think about it, why did you want Sakon to steal that Jewel?"

Arching a brow, Armaros peered down at the jewel around his neck. No longer was it innocently emitting a pink glow, but its color had changed to black. "This jewel holds great powers. Can you not sense it?" He asked, and when Dark Link silently stared at the jewel, he continued on. "There is reason I have summoned you back so early without completing the mission."

"So it was on purpose?" Dark Link glowered. "What was the reason then?"

"I have found a way to regain all of my power including that of my mortality," Armaros admitted.

Surprised by this information, Dark Link's mouth fell open. There was a way to get his body back? Well it was certainly good news! If that was so, then he could regain his freedom and remove himself from this sorcerer's presence entirely and venture through this world just as he had in the beginning. "How did you find out and how will you get it back?"

It was simple. All he needed was a sacrifice, and one was not too far away. "I am in need of a virgin blessed with spiritual magic. A certain priestess fits the category perfectly," He explained, and at this, Dark Link glared.

"Whoa wait a minute!" He started, and it caught Armaros by surprise. "Why the hell do you need her? How is she going to return you to your former self?"

Armaros found his behavior expected and simply smirked, but it only brought about Dark Link's expected tension. "Why do you seem so surprised? Was this not what you wanted? To be free from me?" He asked, though Dark Link only sneered at him.

"Well that's obvious!" He rolled his eyes at the remark. But still, why that priestess? Why was her virginity a factor in returning him to his original self? "If it's a virgin you want, why not use the blood from a child?" He knew there were many little girls and boys around that had not been tainted. Why did it have to be her specifically? Whatever the reason was, he didn't like it. "Answer me, Armaros! I'm not joking this time."

Well that much was certain. It was not surprising that the dark entity had become smitten by that girl; after all, his other half expressed sincere loyalty and love to her. Of course Armaros had seen it in Dark Link's behavior as well as his recent confrontation with the group. It affected Dark Link, and he felt these pitiable emotions just as all human beings could, even if he denied the truth.

"Virgin blood and a soul from one with spiritual powers are all that my bones acquire. A simple child will not suffice. With that, I shall regain my mortality." Armaros chuckled despite Dark Link's glare. "While you were away, I returned to Ikana to seek answers, and it was there that I stumbled upon some valuable artifacts that scientist had uncovered." Many records belonging to the Royal Family and that of his clan long ago had been found within a chest in that man's home. Though they were old and the pages very much yellowed from age, he found the answer to his problem at hand within a simple scroll written by his rival, Emmett.

Never in his life or death had he ever imagined Emmett would help him. It seemed rather ironic. The writing that had been inscribed onto the scroll had been recorded during their youth, a time before either of them had established a place within the clan. Emmett had written some of what he had learned during his frequent visits to the Royal Library. What Armaros had found within the notes was a way in which he could regain his mortality.

To reclaim life onto the living, a soul belonging to that of a virgin blessed with spirituality must be delivered to the bones of the deceased. The soul brings forth life. Within an altar of one's choosing, during the night of a full moon, the sacrifice should take place. The blood from the virgin must then be soaked onto the bones brought back to life. The blood brings forth flesh and all organs. Only then will that person reawaken whole once more into the world of the living.

Emmett

Despite what Armaros had told him, he couldn't help but find this new information a little disturbing. Why did it have to be her? And just when things were starting to become interesting, now he had to hand her over to be sacrificed. This was one of the reasons why he despised humans; they could die and so easily too. "Okay, so you found a way to become mortal again. So what about your powers? Weren't they sealed away long ago?"

That was true. But Armaros already had a solution for that. He grasped the darkened jewel, and Dark Link stared at it curiously. "From the beginning since I acquired the Jewel, I have sensed tremendous powers from it. Was it not you who overheard that priestess telling her stories from her other world? How the jewel could grant any wish?" He asked, and from Dark Link's nod, Armaros continued. "As I regain my mortality, I shall also regain my powers."

Dark Link only silently watched him. So he needed the girl to give him life and with that jewel he could become powerful once more. But why Kagome? Couldn't they find another girl or guy with spiritual powers elsewhere?

"Your little games with that girl will have to come to an end, Dark Link," He suddenly voiced, interrupting Dark Link's thoughts. "It's time to put those feelings aside, or else it shall get in the way of our task at hand."

Dark Link glowered. "What feelings are you speaking of, Armaros?"

"I am no stranger to the rules of romance, young man," He replied with an arch of a brow and a slight smirk which brought Dark Link blushing.

"Me? You think I'm in love with that human girl?" He questioned before crossing his arms in mid float, his eyebrow twitching. "As if! I am an entity entirely empty of any special feelings," He sarcastically remarked leaning back with his arms behind his head.

Yet this only brought a laugh from Armaros. Looking down at the citizens of Clock Town, the sorcerer replayed the events in his head of all that Dark Link had done to chase that girl around. Then again, it was more like stalking than anything else and invading her own dreams now and again. "Indeed you are an entity, but void of emotions, I think not." Turning around, he watched as the dark shadow being circled him lazily, yet that did not hinder him from continuing. "You have shown interest with this girl for some time, but do not forget that your mission is to serve me until—"

"I know! I know! My mission is to serve you until your vengeance has been accomplished! I get it!" He rolled his eyes. What was with him berating him these days? "But don't forget, you made a deal with me as well, Armaros."

Armaros nodded. "I'm well aware of our deal, and I am a man of my word."

Dark Link's brow twitched and he couldn't help but bite his tongue. Why did he hold back from arguing with this sorcerer? Why did it bother him that he had insinuated that he had a thing for that girl Kagome? Sure she was someone who possessed a great amount of Spiritual Power and a compassionate and motherly side for her companions, but there was something else about her that certainly intrigued his interest.

"Are you sure you want to sacrifice this girl? She's too beautiful to sacrifice," Dark Link shook his head in disappointment.

Yet despite Armaros's plan, Dark Link couldn't help but grin as an image of the woman appeared in the forefront of his thoughts. He imagined her in her normal attire, her short green skirt held up by her small hands revealing a great deal of her slender long legs and thighs. The woman in his thoughts was smiling up at him seductively gliding her hands upon her body and bending herself at the waist before smacking her nicely round behind suggestively.

The scene changed where Dark Link saw Kagome undressing herself, with her skirt falling at her ankles, and she was in nothing but her lacy panties and her bra. Those thick ebony tresses of her hers fell over her shoulders, her skin wet from her arduous travels, and her eyes were entirely on him.

Drool slipped from his mouth as she unclasped her breasts from their bindings where they bounced before his eyes. As if she had fallen under his trance, her hand slipped between her thighs, and from there a moan fell from her lips.

Disturbed by the dark one's inappropriate thoughts of the woman doing such unholy things, Armaros smacked Dark Link upside the head, effectively bringing him back to reality to Armaros's scornful look. However, he could not hide the dark blush from appearing upon his pale skin. "And that exactly proves my point! You cannot stop yourself from those feelings, and it's clear that woman is a distraction towards our goal!"

Dark Link only rolled his eyes as he rubbed the back of his head achingly. "You know you were enjoying it too. Come on, we're men!" Dark Link smirked. A second thought hit him and he only stared at Armaros pitifully. "Well, I am at least."

Rubbing his temples, Armaros turned away from Dark Link. "I tire of our conjoined thoughts…"

Dark Link smirked. "Well if Kagome isn't your type, perhaps her friend is?" He asked, but when he didn't reply back nor look in his direction, Dark Link imagined the slayer dressed in her tight fitted warrior garb, her boobs bouncing at the forefront of his thoughts as she charged into battle atop her saber tooth friend. "It makes me wonder … there are no pantie lines … I wonder if perhaps…"

Armaros felt his face redden and fueled by his temper and Dark Link's immaturity, he turned on the dark entity, who was sliding his hands around in mid-air. "That's enough! I do not wish to see such images …" He felt his hands fist at his sides.

The thought of Sango not wearing any panties under her slayer uniform abruptly ceased. Dark Link frowned at the sorcerer. "Well aren't you a mood killer. Fine. I'll make sure to keep my thoughts in check, but don't count on it. After all, I have needs too, you know."

Armaros released a heavy sigh as Dark Link re-emerged with his ghostly form. Now with the dark energy returned to him, he felt the solidness of skin and bones return and a little something extra below the belt that left him standing atop the clock tower awkwardly. The last thing he didn't want to hear was the cackling laughter of Dark Link in his head.