The next few days following the man's disappearance were quiet. Kagome would almost call it boring. She had half-expected him to come back and kidnap her or kill her or something. That's normally how it went for her. Yet it was radio silent. She could not even pick up on a hint of his presence, even as she began stalking the nights for a sign of him.

Boo.

Another day came to a close and Kagome switched to a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, holstering her bow and quiver of arrows on her back. She'd informed her family of his departure that day and, while she didn't confirm or deny he was a threat, they were smart enough to understand that they had to be on guard in the case anything happened. She'd been hesitant to leave them alone that first night, but her anxiety over him causing trouble in the city won out her concern for her family. So she'd begun patrolling when it was dark and less people would be out and about and questioning why a teenage girl was prowling the streets with a weapon.

Kagome wasn't used to being the one to do the hunting, at least when it came to people. Her expertise lied in sensing the jewel shards of the Shikon no Tama after all, not humans and demons who were just a little too good at hiding their auras from her.

Every now and then, something would tickle at her senses. The one time she was able to catch the offender, she was met with the familiar sight of the Soul Piper and a small group of children jovially dancing after it, it's eyes barely open and assuring her there was no need to interfere. Mayu was not among the deceased children and, considering it had been months since she had last seen the little girl, Kagome had concluded she must have finally passed on. She only wished she had been there on that day, so she could have given her a proper send off. Though she was sure her mother more than made up for it, as the two had repaired their damaged relationship and were even closer now than when she'd first met them.

Kagome hummed, pulling her jacket closer to herself as the chilly autumn wind blew around her. Winter would approach soon and with it snow. She had not forgotten her original wish to return to the past, but now at least she had the distraction she wanted until the well would once more open itself up to her.

Once more, she felt something tickling at her senses. After the past few days, she had grown familiar with what a ghost felt like. Though this time, she couldn't sense the Soul Piper with it. Curious, she changed direction to where she felt the source coming from. Perhaps one of the children had separated from the demon. Hopefully, it wasn't another case of acting out that would turn into another near-trip to Hell.

It was a few blocks down from where she'd been that she caught sight of the person. She could barely make the figure out through the poorly lit streets and their semi-transparent body. While she was expecting a child, instead she got something bigger.

Huh.

Kagome wondered the last time she'd encountered an adult ghost. Not that she encountered many child ghosts. Still. "Uh, sir? Are you alright?"

A pointless question, she knew. He was dead, after all. She'd only wanted to get his attention.

He didn't turn, however.

Maybe he didn't hear her? Or he was simply ignoring her. She got closer.

"I'm sorry to bother you sir, but could you spare a moment of your time?" she asked.

He stopped, took a long look at her, and then continued on while mumbling something under his breath. She sighed, so he was ignoring her then. She would have thought it unexpected, but then she had no idea what she was expecting in the first place. She reached out to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. An ear-piercing screech split through the otherwise quiet street and Kagome let go of him, covering her ears. The man mimicked her actions.

Behind her, another signature suddenly popped up, startling her. She quickly pulled her bow off her shoulder and readied a shot in the direction of the sound. Like that fateful night she'd first met the strange bat-man, a monster similar to the one she purified appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Unlike that monster though, this one had a body similar to that of a horse but with a tail like that of a platypus. Covering it's face was a mask made of bone and through the center of it's chest, she found a hole.

Like that man's, she thought.

No time to think.

The ghost man behind her screamed in fright and ran from the scene. Kagome didn't bother to call out to him or stop him. Pouring her miko ki into her arrow, she fired. A second later, the monster was reduced to ash. She waited for a moment, just in case she hadn't completely gotten him or another monster suddenly popped up, but there was nothing. Relieved, she hung her bow back over her shoulder and turned to where the ghost man had run off.

Right, now to play chase. She doubted it was a good idea to just let a ghost run around unattended. The Soul Piper only cared for children, after all.

Kagome took a step forward, only to pause. Was it just her, or was there a strangely familiar energy signature nearby? It didn't scream killer-intent, so she decided to let it be for the moment. She'd come back to it once she was done with the current problem.

By the time that Kagome found the ghost man, he had gotten a good number of blocks away. She came to a walk, calling out to him. A drop of water hit her nose and she realized it was beginning to rain.

Great.

He shook violently, sniveling and mumbling to himself behind a street pole. She could barely make out the name of a woman between his choked sobs. "Where are you, my Risa-san...?"

Another tickle at her senses and Kagome knew that earlier signature had followed after her. She would have smiled if not for the situation as she realized who this mystery person was. She'd make sure to talk to him this time. Kagome focused back on the ghost in front of her. "Sir, you're okay now. I got rid of the monster."

He paused in his sobbing to look at her, and she smiled back. "Are... are you talking to me?" he questioned.

She nodded. "That's right. Can you tell me what happened to you? I'd like to help, if I can."

He stared.

Then lunged for her, tears and snot following behind. Out of instinct, she slapped him right before he could hug her, startled.

There was silence.

Then the man wailed, clutching at his sore cheek and crying out for this "Risa" once more.

"I'm sorry," Kagome apologized. He flinched when she tried to step closer, so she decided against it. "You startled me and I slapped you without thinking. I really am sorry. Please believe me. I won't do it again, I promise."

The man continued to wail.

Kagome sighed. Lovely. This was gonna be awhile. She wasn't sure what to do to calm the man down and she doubted anything she said would work. Not until he stopped crying and shaking.

Another signature entered her radar, this one also foreign. She turned behind her to check, only to be met with the bat-man dressed in white. His hands were pocketed and he looked much too stoic for her to read his face.

"Leave him. The Shinigami will take care of it," he said in monotone.

Kagome blinked, confused. What Shinigami?

Before she could ask, she found her vision blurring. When it cleared, she realized she was being carried. She wasn't sure where she was, but she knew he had taken her away. Why, she didn't know. Kagome struggled, pushing against him. "What do you think you're doing? Let me go!" she demanded.

He didn't.

Kagome fought harder. His hold on her stomach didn't waver, despite her efforts. He was much too strong.

"You will fall," he stated.

"I don't care!" she yelled.

He stared at her, as if sizing her up. Then, after a moment, he did as she wished. It was only then that she realized just exactly how far up in the sky they were.

Kagome shrieked.