Uncle Yoshio walked Ann back to her home in silence. They were both deep in thought about the Lord Kagewaki. As they approached her home, Ann couldn't help but smile at the sight of Ichiro standing next to the door like an anxious parent waiting for their overdue teen to come home.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice tight with concern. "What did the lord want?"

"He wanted Ann to defeat a demon with a Shikon Jewel," Yoshio responded, his tone grave.

"You didn't agree?" Ichiro exclaimed, looking between the two of them with wide eyes. "She can't handle that alone."

"Of course I did not agree," Yoshio said sternly, waving his hand dismissively. "Even if Ann was prepared for a task like this, there was something off about the lord. I did not trust him."

Ann stood next to the pair, listening to their arguments, feeling touched by their concern. It made her feel precious, but her heart was also heavy. She knew what she needed to do. They hadn't seen what she had seen, and she was so afraid to be honest about it. Naraku had spoken in her head. What if he could hear her thoughts? What were his limits? Ann could only guess, but she knew she had to leave. She had to get out of the village before Naraku destroyed everything she loved.

A hand suddenly descended on her shoulder, making her jump. Ichiro drew his hand back from her quickly, like he'd been burned. His brow furrowed.

"Ann?" he again laid his hand on her shoulder, more gently this time. This time she didn't flinch. "What's the matter? You were very far away just now."

"I'm sorry," she averted her eyes, feeling horrible that she had acted that way with her husband. "This situation really bothers me. I don't trust the lord either, but I wonder if I should go to the nearby village to meet this priestess. Maybe she could shed some light on what is really happening."

Ichiro immediately began to shake his head, but Yoshio interrupted.

"That's a thought," he said, nodding slowly. "Ichiro could go with you to keep you safe."

"Actually," Ann hesitated for a moment, but then, with a deep sigh, dived in. "I want to go alone."

Ichiro looked both hurt and confused, but didn't say anything. Ann guessed he might be processing the way she was acting.

"Why would you want to go alone?" asked Yoshio, his brow furrowed in confusion. "We wouldn't be able to protect you." Ann bit her bottom lip. She was about to really hurt their feelings, although what she had to say was the truth.

"You can't protect me. Naraku is beyond everybody here. I think that's why Grandma Yoko led him away. She knew she had to protect you and that's what I plan to do."

Yoshio pursed his lips and looked skyward. He definitely wanted to say something, but was holding his tongue. Ichiro on the other hand didn't hold back.

"I do not want you to do this," he said. Ann had never seen him so serious. His soft brown eyes were troubled and he was so tense that he looked ready to come out of his skin. He was trying so hard to be patient though. "If I can not go with you, I do not want you to go at all. I am supposed to be by your side. I am supposed to protect you."

Ann's heart felt only heavier. She was hurting Ichiro and beside that, she wanted this journey to be taken with him. If something happened though, she would feel terrible. He needed to stay in the village. She needed Naraku to put his focus entirely on her, so he'd forget about them.

"I won't be gone long and besides, haven't you already protected me by teaching me to fight?" she reassured him, giving him a winning smile. He needed to believe her. "Uncle Yoshio said that village is only a couple of days away from here. I'll be gone for a couple of weeks at most."

Ichiro suddenly stepped forward and engulfed her in a huge bear hug. He squeezed her tight, his face buried in her neck. She could feel him trembling. Gently she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I am afraid I will never see you again," he whispered. "I fear something bad will happen." For a moment, panic filled Ann. She knew what he meant. In this moment she felt powerless, that she had no other options. There was only one decision in front of her. She suddenly wanted to take the easy way out. Hide away in the village, let others fight her battles and when Naraku comes for her in the end, just give up and die. It would be so easy to just let everybody make the decisions and do the scary stuff, but it was also wrong.

She gave Ichiro one more big squeeze and then let him go. It was one of the hardest things she had ever done.

"Help me pack?" she asked, trying to stay cheerful. All Ichiro could do was nod his head. He already looked lost. Ann gave him a grateful smile, but inside she was dying.


Ann and Ichiro walked in silence through the forest surrounding their village. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long, eerie shadows through the trees. Ichiro carried Ann's pack, his posture rigid and tense. She followed him, her heart heavy with unspoken words and looming dread. He hadn't spoken a word to her since they left, he wouldn't even look at her. The silence between them was suffocating, thick with unexpressed emotions.

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to contain the heartache. A few tears rolled down her cheeks, while the pain in her chest grew, spreading through her limbs like a poison. Leaving Ichiro felt like tearing out a piece of her soul. The thought of never seeing him again was unbearable. Naraku's plan was a dark shadow over her, one she was reluctantly following to protect those she loved. But what if Naraku won? The thought was a knife to her heart.

Her hands moved instinctively to her abdomen. She still wasn't sure if she was pregnant, but her body felt different. Nausea, aching breasts, and sore joints suggested new life within her. This child, if it existed, was also at risk. If she survived but lost the baby, how could she face Ichiro? Would he blame her for risking their child to protect him? The thought gnawed at her, amplifying her anguish.

More tears fell as despair overwhelmed her. There seemed to be no path that led back to normalcy. The future was a dark, uncertain void, filled with pain and loss.

Ichiro suddenly stopped. Ann stopped too, glancing around to find they stood next to one of the stone markers marking the village boundary. She reached out, touching the smooth, waist-high stone with its pretty red hue that swirled across its surface.

Ichiro stepped up next to her, placing his hand on top of hers. He gently squeezed her fingers, the touch both comforting and heartbreaking.

"I do not fully understand why you feel you need to do this," he said, his voice hoarse. Ann looked at him, stunned to see his eyes were red and swollen. He continued, "I think you believe you are protecting us, although I can't imagine why you are suddenly making this rash decision."

His eyes widened as he focused intently on her.

"It was the lord," he said, realization dawning in his eyes. "Who was he? Did you know him?" Ann started to step away, but Ichiro pulled her closer.

"The lord was Naraku," he said, his gaze piercing. "You do not have to say. I can tell by the look on your face." Panic surged in Ann.

"Please stop, Ichiro," she begged. "I don't know what he'll do to you. Just let me leave, so he'll follow me."

Ichiro's nostrils flared, and he clung to her tighter.

"Absolutely not," he said, his voice resolute. "I have no intention of allowing him to hunt you down."

"What choice do I have?" Ann cried out, desperation in her voice. "If I stay, he will bring destruction down on everybody. I have to go."

"And sacrifice yourself?" Ichiro growled. "No."

"Yes, Ichiro, because that is my purpose." She sobbed hopelessly, the weight of her situation crashing down on her. "Remember who I am. I am supposed to protect the Soul of the Shikon, and if this is how I must defend it, then this is what I'll do."

"No," Ichiro said, his defiance waning. "No." Slowly, he drew her tightly into his arms, burying his head in her hair. A sob broke from him, shattering Ann's heart. She stroked his back, tears streaming down her face. She felt his strength ebb away until he sank to his knees, arms wrapped around her waist, face pressed against her stomach. She ran her fingers through his smooth, black hair, trying desperately to comfort him.

Eventually he stilled and tilted his face up to her. His eyes were red, but a new determination shone in them.

"You will survive," he said softly, his brown eyes serious and filled with a fierce resolve. "And you will return to this village, back to your family." She couldn't help but smile at his optimism.

"Of course I'll return back to you," she said soothingly, her heart aching. "We still have so much life to live together."

As they stood there, bathed in the twilight, the forest seemed to hold its breath, sharing in their sorrow and hope.


After saying goodbye to Ichiro, Ann hefted her pack and began walking. She didn't dare stop to make camp, not with Naraku's presense looming over her like a dark cloud. She had a feeling he could find her anywhere, so staying in one spot seemed like an invitation for trouble.

Even when it became so dark that she could barely see, Ann continued on. She had been told the village was a couple of days to the west. She hoped it would be safe once she made it there.

The moon was high in the sky when she heard a sharp rustling sound in some nearby brush. Her heart leapt into her throat as she threw herself up against a nearby tree, pulling up the hood of her cloak and holding her breath. She watched intently, the moonlight casting eerie, shifting shadows that played tricks on her eyes, making her believe there was movement all around her. The creaks and cracks of the forest sounded amplified, and a wolf's distant howl sent a shiver down her spine.

Ann remained motionless, her mind flashing back to a memory of practicing stealth with Ichiro. It had been like a game of hide-and-seek, and when she bolted, he had pinned her to the ground effortlessly.

"You shouldn't have moved," he teased while he held her in place. "I didn't know where you were."

"I got nervous," she mumbled, turning red. "I thought you were closer." Ichiro's face took on a serious cast.

"You are a human, not an animal. Animals bolt when scared. We have common sense. As long as we stay calm, we can think through a situation."

"I understand," Ann said, giving him a mischievous smile before wiggling her hips against his. Ichiro chuckled, his pupils dilating with desire.

"Good," he said, leaning down to kiss her.

A branch cracked nearby, snapping Ann back to the present. Something moved to her right, a dark shape barely visible through the gloom. She pulled her cloak tighter, trying to hide the luminescence of her skin. Another figure moved to her left, fluid and silent. They didn't seem to notice her and continued deeper into the woods. She bit her lip, waiting for them to move further away.

Suddenly, someone dropped from the tree she hid next to and landed right in front of her, a hand striking out at her. Ann reacted instinctively, her hands flying up as she released a quick burst of purple energy. The energy illuminated a young man's face for a brief moment before he flew backwards with a yell. She didn't wait to see him land. She turned and ran as fast as her legs would carry her, trees streaking past her in a blur.

A strange sound, like helicopter blades, caught her attention. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw a giant boomerang hurtling towards her. She gasped and dove to the ground just as the massive weapon whirled mere inches over her. As it passed, she readied herself to sprint again, but was suddenly shoved to the ground and pinned.

"Stay right there," a male voice snapped in her ear.

"Get off of me right this second," Ann panicked. This male was incredibly strong, and she felt claws digging into her skin. "I'll fight you if I have to."

"What a terrible bluff," the male said. Ann could hear footsteps approaching, the rest of his companions catching up. She struggled frantically, trying to turn over under his weight.

"Stop moving," he snapped. "Seeing as you're with Naraku, I won't feel bad if I hurt you." Ann froze.

"Wait. What?" she said, breathless with confusion.

"You're with Naraku. Don't lie. I can smell him on you," the male stated. Ann was stunned into silence, her mind racing to the mark on her chest.

"Inuyasha! Where are you?" a female voice called through the darkness.

"I'm here," he called back. Multiple footsteps hurried towards them, and soon a group emerged from the brush. Three of them were human - two girls and a young man - but they were accompanied by demons: a large, saber-toothed cat-like creature and a small child with a fox tail. Ann shivered. Ichiro and Uncle Yoshio had always warned her about demons.

One of the girls kneeled next to her, pointing something towards her face. There was a click, and suddenly Ann was blinded by a sudden light.

"A flashlight?" she thought. "Why does this girl have a flashlight?"

"I don't know, Inuyasha," the girl said hesitantly. "She doesn't look bad."

"Oh, come on, Kagome," he burst out. "When does any of Naraku's lackeys ever look bad. They're wolves in sheep's clothing almost every time."

"I know that," she argued back, "but she doesn't feel like one of them."

"Kagome," the other young man spoke up. "Do you sense the Shikon Jewel?"

"Yes and no," she said. She lowered the flashlight, allowing Ann to see her face. She was in her teens and looked to be Japanese, with long black hair cascading around her shoulders. What stood out most was her attire. Ann lifted her head slightly and asked in shock,

"Is that a school uniform?" Kagome looked down at her sailor-style top and green skirt, then back at Ann.

"How did you know about my outfit?" she asked. "You're the first one here who hasn't commented on how strangely I'm dressed."

"I don't belong to this time," Ann explained, feeling a glimmer of hope. "I was brought here by my grandmother when a demon attacked me. How about you?"

"I fell into a well at my family shrine that was linked to this time period," Kagome responded. She nudged the young man holding Ann down. "Let her up, Inuyasha. I want to talk to her." Inuyasha grumbled, but gently released her. Ann rose to her knees and glanced at him, gasping and shifting away.

"You're a demon too," she exclaimed. Kagome giggled, stepping next to him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"He's more bark than bite," she explained as he harrumphed. "Now tell us who you are and why do you feel like the Shikon, but not quite?" Ann chuckled.

"My name is Ann, and I protect the Soul of the Shikon." Kagome released Inuyasha and came forward, taking Ann's hands.

"We were coming to look for you," she exclaimed. "I am Kagome, and I am the protector of the Shikon Jewel."