Kagome turned at the sound of her name, the clatter of a sword soon following, but she wasn't given time to reach his side, Naraku materializing in front of her. "Now," he said, "where were we?"

She leapt out of the way, managing to avoid being captured, but his aura was everywhere, and Sesshoumaru's light had gone out. Mist covered the ground, muting the clash of weapons inside her barrier, and she slowly backed up toward the arch of a balcony. "What did you do to him?" she demanded, hands raised.

Naraku smirked. "I have done nothing. It's he who has failed." The arrogance in his eyes should've had her trembling, but she knew people like him. They relied too much on their own skills, assuming it would be enough to guarantee victory, much like Kouga or the woman vying for the part of prima ballerina in her company.

But Kagome knew better. Fighting for yourself never worked. There had to be a reason you kept going regardless of what was placed in your way.

Naraku had none of that. He aimed to conquer, to annihilate anything that opposed him until he reached supreme power. She could feel it in his very core. She continued to back up. Let him assume she was some powerless girl waiting for her knight in shining armour to come and save her. Never mind that she was terrified at what she would find when she reached Sesshoumaru.

He was fine.

He was fine.

And if he wasn't, she would heal him. He'd fought so hard to return to his home. Even if it took everything within her, she would make sure his sacrifice wasn't in vain.

Breathing deeply, she grounded herself. Power flowed through her, illuminating her aura as she moulded it into a sabre. He was too close for long-range attacks, but she didn't want him closer than he needed to be. Just the thought of him touching her send shudders of revulsion up her spine.

"You're just as stubborn as he was," Naraku said, tentacles retracting to replenish his armour. "Such a proud prince, yet he still fell." He smiled, but it was more akin to that of a shark. "As will you."

Kagome blasted him, singeing off a section of his hair and clothes. "He'd never succumb to the likes of you," she spat. "His honour knows no bounds, unlike your cowardice. You couldn't beat him as yourself, so you begged what remained of your followers for help. You're pathetic."

The mask of arrogance finally cracked, crimson eyes narrowing as his body language changed. "I was right about cutting out your tongue. You whine too much." She didn't wait for him to attack, her sabre slicing through everything she could get close to. Emotions ran high, her need to check on Sesshoumaru overpowering, but she refused to turn her back on the vile slug.

She would finish this.

Metal continued to clash from inside as they danced around each other, leaping through rays of sunlight as ominous clouds blocked out the sun. The balcony was larger than most, giving her room to weave between his attacks. Her lungs heaved with the force of her power, but she kept going.

He'd now realized that she wasn't going to be an easy capture, pieces of himself littering on the floor, but he was also relying on the strength of others while hers was beginning to wane. Sucking in a deep breath, she spun to avoid another blow, the move putting her dangerously close to the edge of the balcony.

"Give up?" he sneered, tentacles swaying behind him.

"Never!" she snapped, reiki shifting back into her twin daggers. She just needed one hit, one opening, so her power could irradicate him, but his armour remained frustratingly intact. He'd kept himself out of arm's reach and, therefore, harm's reach. She had to get closer.

Gagging at the thought but knowing it was the only way, she lifted her chin, daring him to make the next move. His smirk returned, and he flipped his hair over his shoulder. "No one would ever know you were human," he said, edging closer. Tentacles surrounded them, slinking through the noxious mist rising from their pores.

Kagome erected a barrier around her feet, purifying the fumes but leaving herself open. "It doesn't matter what runs through my veins," she replied. "You've worn out your welcome."

"And you've exhausted your power." Smoke rose, burning her throat, and the coughing fit that ensued was all it took for him to strike. Tentacles wrapped around her waist like vines, squeezing what air remained from her lungs, and she was thrown to the floor. Her blades sizzled out of existence, and Naraku's laughter echoed from around her as she struggled to right herself.

Something wrapped around her neck, completely cutting off her airflow, and his face appeared in front of her. Her bun had come loose, her dress torn, and she whimpered at the loss. He pulled her closer, crimson eyes roaming her body a moment before his hand did. She tried to shove him away, but her vision had begun to swim from the lack of air, tears pricking her eyes.

"If you admit defeat, I will spare you," he said, tearing one of the layers of gossamer away. "Though we'll have to do something about your appearance. No one will take you seriously like this." Kagome nodded, shoulders slumping, and Naraku grinned in victory. "Good girl."

He released her neck enough for her to draw air, and she grabbed a fistful of his shirt, using it as leverage as her blade rematerialized, shoving it through the eye in his chest.

He blinked, staring down at her arm in surprise. "You will regret that."

"You won't live long enough to follow through on that," she croaked. Even as he reached to silence her again, reiki started to eat through flesh and bone, his chest now sporting a gaping hole. His grip slackened, and she slumped to the floor, scooting backwards to avoid getting caught again.

Naraku's gaze hardened, more tentacles sprouting from his back, but they lay limp on the floor, shrivelling up like slugs in salt. He dragged in a ragged breath. "I survived you once. I'll do it again."

Kagome's hands clenched into fists, and she propped herself up against the railing. "Not this time. This time, I'll get all of you." Before he could retort, the balcony was enveloped in pink light, snuffing out what remained of his toxic mist before surging into the ballroom. His followers cried out, both in pain and for guidance, but Naraku would be no help.

She reached toward him, hand twisting as a barrier formed around him, and she made a fist, closing off his escape. His mouth moved, but no sound came out as the rest of his body disintegrated. The ash left behind caught fire when the bubble collapsed.

Kagome waited, the layer of reiki remaining until she felt the final beat of his power. Dragging in a ragged breath, she pulled herself to her feet. Using the railing for support, she made her way back to the ballroom, hoping whatever damage Naraku had caused was reversible.

The floor was still covered in mist, but it had turned pale pink from the interference of her power and was far less foreboding. "Sesshoumaru?" she called. She couldn't sense him anywhere and feared the worst. It wasn't until she reached the middle of the room that she noticed the deafening silence.

She was alone.

"Sesshoumaru!" she called again, spinning around. She assumed the courtiers had found shelter before the worst of the fight, but the soldiers should've been there—the queen should've been there. She hadn't struck her as the type to run from anything, and the last Kagome had seen of her, her confidence had remained intact, fangs and claws bared.

Kagome tried to retract her power, but the mist only rose, now covering her knees. The only sound was her breathing, blood pounding in her ears, and her throat seized as she screamed his name, trying to locate him.

There was nothing. Not even the tables remained, and the mist continued to rise, seeping into her lungs and blinding her to everything around her.

It wasn't true. She'd won. They'd won. Her nutcracker was in one piece, arm and kingdom restored. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to run, feeling around for something that would stop the panic from setting in, but there was nothing but darkness.

The magic was gone.

Kagome woke up with a start, a scream lodged in her throat.

Her face was wet, her vision blurry, and she nearly landed face-first on the floor as she tried to untangle herself from her blankets.

No.

No, no, no.

She'd always known it was a dream, but it should've been her choice to leave, not forced from a refuge after a short-lived victory.

Scrambling to her feet, she threw her door open, feet barely touching the ground as she flew down the stairs. Kouga looked up from the couch, his call ignored as she ran to the spare room. A parting glance told her the tree was in one piece, a few ribbons scattered beneath its lowest branches, but she paid it no mind, the next door banging against the wall.

She stared at the clock in the corner of the room, willing her uncle to appear, but it remained unchanged, hands ticking as if to taunt her. Emotions choked her, and she ran to the cabinet, leaving his shelf for last on the odd chance he'd moved since she last saw him, but each second that passed by caused her hands to shake more.

He wasn't there.

None of them were there.

Kagura stood alone, ruby eyes blank and uncaring, her single earring swaying from Kagome's rushed inspection. Kouga appeared in the doorway, chewing loudly. "Lose something?"

Kagome shoved him out of the way, his cry of outrage lost as she ran into the kitchen. Her mother stood over the stove, alternating between pulling leftovers out of the oven and plating breakfast. "Mama," she said, voice still raw, "did you move my nutcracker?"

Emiko didn't turn around, waving some of the steam away with her hands. "Of course not, dear. I wouldn't think to touch something so precious to you." She moved a tray out of the way, then finally turned around, noticing her daughter's dishevelled state. "What happened?"

Kagome shook her head, panic gripping her. She didn't know where to go, didn't know what to say. She felt so lost, but Sesshoumaru was lost, and she didn't know where to start looking.

She had to find him.

"Sit down," her mother said firmly, pulling out a chair from the table. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I can't—Mama, he's not—I have to find him! He's in trouble!" Mama grabbed her shoulder, forcing her into the chair. Her entire body was shaking now, the edges of her vision going white.

"You're not going to be any help to anyone if you don't calm down," she said softly. "If your nutcracker is gone, I'm sure he's just been misplaced." She put a pot of tea on the stove, then returned to her daughter. "Have you asked your brother?"

Kagome vehemently shook her head. She hadn't, but she didn't need to. Kouga wouldn't have taken him. The image of the empty clock resurfaced as her mother fussed, and she gripped her nightgown. "Where's Uncle Touga?" He'd stayed the night, so he had to still be in the house, right? He'd clear this right up.

"He left early this morning," Mama answered, forced away from her daughter by the ringing of her timer. "He had some urgent business to attend to." She turned to find Kagome paler than before. "But I'm sure he'll be back soon. He said he'd be staying for the day."

Kagome's knuckles turned white, fabric twisting between her fingers. She'd been so certain it was a dream, but the fact that the nutcracker was now missing, along with Sango and Miroku, had disbelief clawing at her insides, begging for the vivid images to be true. "I need to talk to him," she whispered.

Emiko knelt down in front of her, concern etched into her face. "Dear, you don't look well. Maybe you should go lie down."

She shook her head. She wasn't moving until her uncle showed up. He'd have the answers she sought—good or bad. He'd been there, atop the clock, showering the room in his magic to help them on their journey. Kagome pressed the heel of her palm into her head, pain pulsing between her temples. The roaring of her blood was so loud that she almost didn't hear the kitchen door open.

She heard voices, her mother's being the most predominant, and she forced her eyes open, trying to focus on who else was in the room with them. "You have to stop this," Mama hissed. "She can't handle whatever you've done to her!"

"I haven't done anything," someone argued. Kagome swallowed thickly, stopping herself from rocking back and forth as she blinked several times. The kitchen slowly came back into focus, her mother's finger an inch away from Touga's face. Kagome gripped the edge of the table, steadying herself as she got to her feet.

"She's barely been up five minutes, and she's already a wreck!" Mama countered. "If you were going to interfere, you should've been here when she woke!"

Her uncle finally looked repentant, arms crossing as he let out a sigh. "There were others that took priority." Mama scowled at him, but he stepped aside, motioning to someone in the doorway. "I think she'll understand."

Mama gasped, hands covering her mouth. Kagome latched onto the familiar sight, heart stopping before she flung herself at him. "Sesshoumaru!" No one moved, the man staggering backward as he kept them both from ending up a tangled mess on the floor. Her arms tightened around his waist, finally able to drag air into her lungs.

He was here. She was awake, and he was here.

He smelled the same.

"I thought I'd lost you," she wailed, reaching up to cup his face. "I beat him, but then you were gone. You were all gone! But you're here! Are you alright?" Golden eyes stared down at her, and she suddenly realized he wasn't hugging her back.

She tried to pull him down, to inspect him further, but he grabbed her wrists, prying her hands away from his face as he scowled. "I do not recall allowing you to be so familiar with me."

Kagome didn't move, hands still up in the air, dread washing over her like ice water. "Sesshoumaru, that's not funny. I was so worried. You all disappeared, and then I woke up here. You weren't in the display case, so I thought—"

He deposited her in the direction of Uncle Touga, expression closed off. "It appears she has been drinking. You said we would be in pleasant company." Kagome's chest started to heave again as she gave her uncle a helpless look, but his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

There had been a spark of hope when he'd entered the room, but the nightmare had returned full force.

He didn't know who she was.