InuYasha Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Prismatic ❯ Refluence ( Chapter 16 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

It was dark outside when Kagome woke.

She didn't want to, at first. The blankets were warm and soft and her bed was more comfortable than she could recall it ever being. But even as she burrowed her face into the pillow -which was also much more comfortable than she remembered- the niggling instinct to get up persisted. As she cracked her eyes open, she wondered what had even woken her. The only light that filtered in through the window came from the moon and the twinkling stars of the night sky.

'Night?' Kagome furrowed her brows, the haze of sleep slowly fading. It hadn't been that late. The fireworks weren't held that long after sunset. The moon was much higher in the sky than that. 'The festival!'

Rapidly recalling her last few moments of consciousness, Kagome sucked in a breath and sat upright. "Where…?"

It was no wonder she'd thought the bed was so oddly comfortable. It very clearly wasn't hers.

In fact, whoever it did belong to was obviously a person of wealth. Her eyes roved over the rest of the room, dimly lit by ornate accent lighting, from the large balcony window to the grand canopy that hung above the bed. The bed itself -king-sized if she were to guess- was just as lavish, decorated with satin bedding and far too many pillows than could possibly be necessary.

Idly, Kagome thought even Sesshomaru might deem these accommodations adequate. They were practically fit for royalty.

Then her eyes landed on Usagi's familiar figure, nodding off in a chair beside her, and Kagome blinked. Her signature buns were in disarray, pigtails draped over her shoulders in a haphazard mess of blonde hair and half tied ribbons; she looked a complete mess. Her yukata, previously a bright combination of pink and yellow just as bubbly in personality as its owner, was ruined. The once vibrant colors were dulled with smatterings of dirt and blood, and her obi had been hastily tied together, clearly ripped at some point.

There was a flicker of memory then, flashes of demonic energy and the smell of smoke and fire. Kagome's throat tightened. "Usagi?"

Usagi jerked upright at her name, suddenly wide awake.

"Kago-chan!" Usagi dove towards her and Kagome found herself quite suddenly wrapped up in the other girl's arms. "You're okay…"

While exceptionally confused on how that could be true, Kagome couldn't say that it wasn't. Instead, she gingerly returned the hug, and Usagi held tight for a long moment before finally letting her go.

Kagome righted herself and crinkled her nose with a wince when Usagi rose to turn the lights up. "Where…are we?"

A grin split Usagi's face as she plopped back down into her seat beside the bed, looking perfectly giddy despite her war-torn appearance. "Your boyfriend's house."

Kagome dragged a hand over her face with a groan. "He's not my boyfriend, Usagi!"

After a beat, she blinked, finally processing exactly what it was that Usagi had just said.

"Wait, who do you even- Sanjouin-san?" Usagi's impish grin was answer enough and Kagome, though she should probably have been worried over the mischievous look, only slumped her shoulders in relief. "He's okay?"

"Yeah, he brought you to us." Usagi leaned forward with a grin, her eyes glistening with girlish delight. "Carried you just like a knight with a princess, you know. It was so romantic!"

"Usagi!" Kagome smacked her forehead, though she could not help the little smile that tugged at her lips. It only lasted a moment longer once she looked back at the other girl. Despite the lingering twinkle of mischief and impish glee, there was something more sedate in her friend's expression. Kagome frowned. "Usagi…what else happened?"

Usagi glanced down and shifted uneasily. "Well…"

---

It was the best night ever.

There were performances, professional and amateur alike, with music and dancing that even Rei seemed to appreciate. There was a large selection of games, several of which Usagi readily attempted and promptly failed. Makoto was nice enough that, while she'd giggled a little at the pouting, she stepped up to win the large plush that Usagi had been eyeing. Even Ami tried her hand at a few games and was nice enough to split a stick of fairy floss with her. Rei looked exasperated by it all but still readily chatted about the festivals her own shrine hosted when Usagi queried.

Makoto noticed Kagome's absence first.

When she initially realized that they'd lost Kagome, Usagi was worried. She clutched her plush to her chest and pursed her lips as she scanned the crowd. There was no sign of her friend. Makoto set a comforting hand on her shoulder with the suggestion to retrace their steps and Usagi could only bob her head in agreement.

It wasn't until they'd circled back around to the other end of the game booths that Usagi caught sight of her friend. She perked up and lifted a hand to wave, Kagome's name on her lips, before she saw the man at her side. He was holding the little blue knapsack that she remembered Kagome carrying and watching as she aimed a bow at the archery booth.

Usagi blinked for a moment before a grin slowly curled her lips. She could have danced with excitement and it took every bit of her very minimal restraint not to rush over to her friend to cheer that she had been right. This was clearly the handsome stranger from the train station that Kagome had told them about. He had clearly been flirting with her and this, as far as Usagi was concerned, was proof.

Never mind that Usagi hadn't actually witnessed the first exchange.

When the others caught up, Usagi very quickly pretended not to see the pair and only hustled the group off in a different direction with an excited 'let's look this way!' that none of them thought to question. She'd been excited all day after all.

Kagome could have her date. Usagi would have plenty of opportunities later to celebrate that she was right. She grinned and practically skipped along with the others as they slowly gave up the search to keep track of her instead. 'Am I the champion of love and justice or what?'

Usagi caught several more glimpses of Kagome with her handsome date as they meandered through the festival grounds. If Usagi hadn't been so giddy at the notion of a budding romance, she might have been jealous. The guy was a  dreamboat. He was tall, with broad shoulders, long hair, and a face that would have fit in on one of those magazines she and Naru often gushed over during lunch.

Eventually, the sun began to set and they could no longer wander if they wanted to keep the spot that they'd found to watch the fireworks. Usagi stuffed a bun into her mouth and hummed happily as the first of the displays began. Kagome was off on a date, they had another new friend in Makoto, and Usagi was surrounded by more tasty-looking foods than even she could ever hope to eat - though that wasn't to say that she wouldn't try. It was the best start to summer break she could have hoped for.

Then the fireworks ended.

Usagi was on the ground before she had even realized what happened. Ready to pout over the loss of her dumplings, she froze instead when the screaming began. As she staggered back to her feet, Usagi could only stare out at the chaos that suddenly surrounded them.

This wasn't right. This wasn't how the night was supposed to go. This wasn't fair.

Just like the knight in shining armor that Usagi had said she was, Makoto swung a stolen baseball bat at a monster, knocking it back as it lunged for them. "What are these things?!"

"We have to get away, somehow…" Ami's voice filtered in through the chaos despite her low tone.

Usagi knew that. She knew. They had to transform, to protect people. But even without the lack of a hiding spot to change, she couldn't think beyond the worry of what was happening and where her friend could be. Someone grabbed her shoulder but Usagi couldn't hear the sound of her name over her frantic attempt to scan the panicking masses.

"Ah, look!" Usagi shoved her way through the crowd, rushing to meet the pair she'd spotted in the midst of the pandemonium. "Luna! Souta! Did you see Kagome anywhere?!"

There was a flicker of alarm on Souta's face that even Usagi understood. He didn't know. Her heart dropped and her bottom lip quivered.

While she was straining not to cry, Rei narrowly managed to freeze another monster and turned to her with a hiss. "We have bigger problems right now!"

As if to confirm the declaration, there was a familiar cry just behind her and Usagi turned with a jerk. 'Mako-chan!'

One of the monsters had snuck up behind them, its eyes wild and feral as it held their newest friend off the ground. Makoto pulled fruitlessly at the claw around her throat and Usagi's eyes widened at the little trickle of blood that seeped from beneath the creature's claws.

About to throw caution to the wind, Usagi froze mid-step just as the first glimmer of energy appeared on Makoto's forehead. Luna landed on her shoulder just as Usagi pointed at the other girl with a stammer. "Wha- that mark!"

Something exploded behind them but, even as Usagi dove out of range with a frightened wail, the resulting smoke screen was exactly what they'd needed. Usagi barely processed the sound of their shared incantations as the transformation washed over her.

When the smoke cleared and Sailor Moon rose from the ground, she found her fellow soldiers already poised to fight.

Beside Mercury and Mars stood a confused looking Makoto in a uniform of green and pink. Luna was perched on her shoulder, giving what was probably a harried explanation as she waved a paw at the transformation pen still clutched in Makoto's now gloved hand and then to the chaos that surrounded them.

"These monsters…they're different from the others." Sailor Mars furrowed her brow and knelt to hover a hand over one of the fallen creatures. The air around her seemed to shift and Usagi felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle uneasily. After a moment, Sailor Mars frowned and withdrew her hand as she stood. "I can sense human energy within them."

Usagi felt her heart skip a beat. 'These are people? These are…'

Sailor Mercury hastily tapped a few keys on the Mercury computer before murmuring the confirmation Usagi had hoped she wouldn't. "Oh…oh dear, she's right."

Usagi's heart skipped several more beats. 'These are people!'

"Luna!" Usagi turned to the cat, the first drops of frustrated tears budding in her eyes. "I can't dust innocent people!"

"They're killing people, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars hissed as she halted another one with an ofuda, but even her glare seemed to have less heat than usual.

Luna only eyed her somberly. After a moment, instead of scolding her, the cat lowered her head with a weary sigh. "I knew it would eventually come to this…"

Luna launched herself from Makoto's shoulder and twisted herself in a familiar flip through the air. Usagi felt her heart flutter with an emotion that she could not place at the sight of the wand that was left floating before her. The weight of it as it suddenly dropped into her hands was somehow both lighter and heavier than she'd been expecting.

A sense of warmth spread through her hands as Sailor Moon wrapped her fingers around the length of the wand. It felt familiar. It was comforting. Her eyes fluttered shut as her hands moved on their own to lift the wand over her head, proudly displaying the ornate crescent moon as it rose above the destruction that surrounded them.

Sailor Moon did not know where the knowledge came from, even as the incantation left her lips. "Moon Healing…Escalation!"

She came back to herself with a gasp, just as the glittering light burst from her wand. Everything around them seemed to still at once. There was a chorus of demonic shrieks around them before the screams and sounds of battle were gone.

As she opened her eyes, the body of the monster Sailor Mars had inspected earlier shifted beside her. Sailor Moon tensed but, when she looked down to find the form only human once more, her heart fluttered with hope. Tears sprung to her eyes as she looked out to the crowd with a jerk.

A woman that had been sobbing over her fallen partner only moments before finally broke the silence with a cry of joy when the man sat up, his expression confused, but alive once more. One by one, people slowly rose from the ground, revived by the fading magic that drifted through the air.

Usagi choked back her own sob as she sank to her knees, clutching her wand. "It's over…"

Sailor Mercury nudged her back to her feet, ushering her to move just as the crowd began to notice them. Usagi wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry when the cheers started. Being a superhero wasn't quite what she had thought it would be. She didn't want to talk to the news or face questions she didn't understand and couldn't answer even if she did. She wanted to find her friend. She wanted to go home and curl up under the warmth of her comforter and not come out. Luckily, the others moved quickly enough for them to slip away before they could be cornered.

Under the cover of a collapsed tent that once stood over the music stage, they changed back.

Souta was waiting for them when they snuck back out. A halfhearted grin tugged at his lips as he inclined his head towards the masses, now rushing off in the opposite direction. "Don't worry…all I had to do was point this time."

Ami and Luna were having a hushed exchange with Makoto, with the occasional interjection from Rei, as the others rejoined them.

Usagi swallowed and nibbled her lip as she scanned the ruined festival ground once more. "I still don't see Kago-chan anywhe-"

"Excuse me."

The baritone voice made her jump and the others rushed to her side as a startled Usagi stumbled in her rush to face the man. She sucked in a breath when she saw exactly who it was. She had only seen him at a distance, but she recognized him. He was even more of a dreamboat up close.

His gaze raked over them before meeting Usagi's. "You are Kagome's friends?"

Usagi's eyes widened and her stomach churned with an odd mix of relief and fear when she recognized the unconscious figure he was holding. "Kago-chan!"

---

"He brought us back here so Ami-chan could check on you. They left a little while ago but Mama is used to me being late," Usagi shrugged.

Kagome wasn't sure what to make of it all. Whatever she'd thought she understood about the Dark Kingdom and their forces had just been turned on its head. 'Are they morphing humans into demons, or is it just possession? Like when Naraku uses the shards to corrupt someone…'

"Sure you don't want Sanjouin-san for a boyfriend?" Usagi interrupted her musing as she leaned forward, setting her elbows against her knees with a grin. "He's got a really nice car, you know. I think Mako-chan is in love."

"Usagi!" Kagome couldn't help her exasperation, nor the color that suddenly burned her cheeks.

Usagi practically cackled and waved a dismissive hand, eyes twinkling. "With the car!"

Eventually, Usagi stopped laughing enough to lead her back downstairs, and Kagome could not help but gawk at their surroundings. She had already been fairly certain that Sanjouin came from an upper-class background, but this house -though it didn't quite qualify for a label that humble- told her she'd undershot by quite a lot. This place wasn't a house, it was a mansion.

When Sanjouin politely led them to his car, the elegance of the exterior made Kagome realize she had been wrong yet again. It was practically a palace. The building alone was just as large as the entirety of her family shrine. The grounds seemed dull and unkempt in a way that suggested no one had lived there for some time, but there was a certain beauty beneath the neglect.

Sanjouin did not help Usagi's assumption of a budding fairytale romance at all. The man was a perfect gentleman.

More than that, he was a good sport about Usagi's bubbly nature. The blonde practically bounced into the back seat of his car while he'd held the door to the passenger side open for Kagome and, despite being clearly surprised by the behavior, only offered a look of amusement before taking his own seat. Usagi fired off questions ranging from the man's favorite foods to his current relationship status while they drove, to Kagome's mortification and Sanjouin's continued amusement.

Luckily for Kagome's blood pressure, they dropped Usagi off first. Kagome sank into her seat with a flush and a shake of the head as Usagi's reflection waving in the side mirrors grew smaller. "Sanjouin-san? I'm sorry about Usagi's um… excitement."

"Oh, no need," he chuckled. "Your friend is a rather…adorable sort."

His gaze seemed distant in that moment. There was something far away and soft to his expression. It was a look that spoke of fondness. A little smile tugged at her lips. 'Well…Usagi does seem to do that to people.'

There was a slight sense of déjà vu to the remainder of the trip, from the passing street lights, right up to the spot in the courtyard where he'd left her the last time. This time, however, when he turned to leave her beneath the torii, he hesitated. He paused just at the top of the steps to glance over his shoulder at her, his expression thoughtful. Kagome straightened when he turned back towards her, worried by the solemn glint in his eyes.

Kagome didn't get the chance to question what was wrong before he caught her hand in his. His fingers wrapped around hers as he looked down at her, appearing not to notice the widening of her eyes. 'He can't be…'

As if to prove her wrong, he lifted her hand and his lips brushed the back of her knuckles. "I do hope the next we meet will be on a more pleasant outing."

'Oh… oh my god. He is.' Kagome thought she felt her heart stop and could only muster a wordless nod in response. When he offered her a pleasant smile and bid her goodnight yet again, it was all she could do to stammer out a quiet 'get home safe' as he descended the stairs to the street below. Her cheeks were still obnoxiously pink when she finally wandered into the house.

Her mother was waiting in the living room, looking unsurprised by her late entry but clearly worried enough to wait up for her.

Kagome let the woman fuss without complaint, and could not help the little twist of guilt that churned her stomach at the mention of Souta having to explain what he knew of the event. It was one thing for her or even Usagi to run off fighting demons, but Souta was a kid. Of course, he'd be angry with her if she ever said as much out loud. So far, he'd been absolutely invaluable to their mix-matched little team and that was what worried her most; a valuable asset was also a valuable target.

This weekend was supposed to be spent enjoying a festival. This day was supposed to be one in which they could just be normal.

Feeling robbed of what their outing should have been, Kagome took comfort in her mother's gentle fussing for a bit longer before feeling too guilty for the bags under the other woman's eyes to let her continue. She feigned a yawn and bid her mother a good night, but she didn't achieve much sleep by the time the sun began to peek in through her window. Deciding sleep was a lost cause, she opted to simply get up instead.

Cooking breakfast for the family was a welcome distraction. Her grandfather peeked in at one point, usually the first of them to rise in the morning, but only offered her an appraising once over and a gruff 'morning' before he shuffled off to his own morning routine. When her mother slept until mid-morning, Kagome knew she had made the right call. Her mother only ever slept in when she was ill or particularly troubled by something.

She distinctly remembered the many late starts that followed the loss of her father.

Those days with her grandfather were probably some of her earliest and fondest memories with the man. She and grandpa traded off on breakfast duty during that time. If she thought about it, that was when she could recall that he had really begun to delve into his storytelling and she wondered how much of it was an attempt to distract her from her grief and how much was to cope with his own.

She procrastinated a bit longer, waiting until her mother and grandfather were sat with breakfast, before quietly announcing that she intended to visit the other side of the well. As always, her mother only offered an understanding smile and bade her be safe.

---

There was something both simultaneously refreshing and unnerving about being in the feudal era once more. The fresh air around the well, still out in the open and at one with the surrounding elements in this time, washed over her as she climbed over the edge. The smell of fresh grass wafted up to her nose, telling her it had rained recently. Kagome relished in the cleanliness of the air and the quiet sounds of wildlife for a moment before taking her time meandering towards the Goshinboku.

She found Sango working on Hiraikotsu beneath the shade of the great tree, but none of the others save for Kirara were in sight. The slayer paused in her work to look up and greet her with a smile. Kagome offered her own but, despite how long it had been since they'd really spent quality girl time together, Sango still knew her well enough to realize something was wrong.

Sango set her tools to the side to look her over. "Are you alright, Kagome-chan?"

Sango was versed well enough on demons, but she was trained in the physical arts of a slayer, not the spiritual aspects that Kaede or Miroku specialized in. Kagome had really been hoping that Miroku or Kaede would be around when she went over what she knew of the attack. When she asked after them it was only to find that they had left that morning to assist a neighboring village with an exorcism. But Sango looked worried now, so Kagome relented and told her what had taken place.

Sango looked perturbed by the description and Kagome didn't have to wonder very hard why. The tactics were eerily similar to their shared enemy in Naraku.

"What about this side?" Kagome questioned hesitantly. It felt so long since she'd been on this side for any real amount of time. "Are there any new rumors?"

"Well," Sango hesitated, her gaze drifting to the mountains in the distance. "There has been some talk of unrest among the villages to the Northeast."

"More attacks?" Kagome nibbled her bottom lip guiltily, not really needing Sango's confirmation given the solemn look in her eyes. "Well…classes are out for summer break now."

"They all recovered then?"

"Oh, Inuyasha." Kagome looked up at his approach, her expression softening at the nonchalance he tried to hide his concern with. A nervous smile tugged at her lips. He wasn't going to like this. "Well, about that…"

She didn't miss the way his ear twitched, nor the way his jaw clenched as she once more explained the events of the festival.

"Nobody was hurt in the end from what I understand," Kagome added when she saw the flicker of worry that he would never admit to. "Usagi's gotten much better at this, you know."

Inuyasha snorted at that and Kagome rolled her eyes while Sango looked on, amused.

After a moment of silence, Inuyasha's gaze slid back towards her. "You know how I went to see Totosai?"

"Oh, right," recalling his trouble with Tessaiga, Kagome sat up more attentively. "Was he able to help?"

"Need to kill the dragon that the old man sealed away to control Tessaiga again," his fingers clenched around the hilt. "Said I shouldn't even need to fight it. Keh, bit of a letdown, actually."

Kagome hid an amused smile behind her hand.

"I was going to head right over to stab the scaly bastard but…" he trailed off, his gaze sliding over to her before looking away. "Well, whatever, I'm ready to go get this over with now."

Recognizing the implication, Kagome softened a little and set a hand on his arm.

"Let me go back and give the others a heads up." He glanced at her and she gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before turning back towards the well. "Just to call Usagi and get my things. I didn't even bring my bag this- ow!"

Inuyasha tensed and Sango straightened, both pivoting in her direction. When they only saw her leaning against the well rubbing her ankle and looking just as confused, Sango frowned. "Kagome? What happened?"

"It felt like something bit me," Kagome furrowed her brows. "But I don't see anything."

Inuyasha frowned as he looked towards the forest. "Something stinks..."

He jumped off into the brush to investigate while Sango looked her over. Satisfied -albeit confused- that there were no marks to be found, Sango declared her uninjured just as he reappeared. She wasn't sure whether he was confused or annoyed when he held up a crinkled piece of paper.

"There was something strange, but I got it. No idea what the damn thing was though."

Sango furrowed her brows as he passed it over to her. "Perhaps you should wait for Kaede and Miroku to return. They shouldn't be much longer."

As it stood, Sango was right. By the time the three of them had made it back to the village, Miroku and Kaede, along with an excitable Shippo, were approaching from the opposite direction. The sun was just beginning to dip toward the horizon as they all converged in the familiar warmth of Kaede's hut.

There was a sense of rightness, of family and camaraderie, as they all settled in. For a moment, Kagome forgot why she'd stayed, distracted with fussing over Shippo when the kit dove into her arms to enthusiastically regale her with stories about the ongoings of the village and the jobs he'd been going out with the others on. He sulked when he realized that she had not brought her bag nor the treats that she had promised on her last trip, but brightened easily enough when she announced that she planned to collect both and return that night.

The comfortable atmosphere wasn't to last, derailed by the reality of why Kagome had stayed back to wait when Sango offered the crumpled paper to Miroku. "Oh, Miroku, do you know what this might be?"

The hope that the encounter with the strange creature was only another near miss was promptly dashed when Kaede shuffled over to look and her expression turned ashen. "This is… shikigami."

Not for the first time since she'd begun this adventure, Kagome wished she had paid more attention to her grandfather's stories. The question of what exactly that was barely left her lips when a sudden sense of what Kagome could only describe as dread washed over her. The fragments, dormant and forgotten in the safety of her pocket, came to life with such an intensity that it made her jerk.

'The jewel shards-?!' The others noticed her sudden tension, but the concerned calls of her name seemed distant as she fumbled to recover the jar. Her heart rolled with a sense of alarm that she did not fully understand as another swell of dread tightened her throat. "The shards have turned black…"

It wasn't the haunting luminescent violet that usually colored a tainted jewel shard. This was a darkness beyond that. This wasn't the violet of tainted power, but a blackness that resonated hatred. Kagome didn't get the chance to think much further on the matter. The jar shattered in her hand but the little pieces of glass that pricked her palm didn't register over the surge of fear that rushed through her.

'The shards are… entering my body?!' It felt as if she had suddenly been submerged. That sensation of dread enveloped her all at once, cold and unforgiving as it coiled around her. The edges of her vision began to fade as a burning pain settled in her throat, the sensation of dark magic choking the air from her lungs as it steadily began to envelop her. "Inu…yasha…"

"Wh-Kagome!" Kagome saw the way his eyes widened as he rushed over to catch her, but his voice sounded far away. She didn't really hear the others as they crowded around her; they sounded further away still, their voices muffled as if she were underwater.

"Lady Kaede, what…"

"That evil…"

"...a curse…"

"Dark priestess?!"

Slowly, her limbs grew heavy as she heard the first whisper of an unfamiliar voice. Fear rolled through her as the whispers grew louder and, with a rapidly fading control of her limbs, Kagome shakily caught Inuyasha by the front of his robes. The chatter halted as his gaze, wide and panicked, darted down to her.

"Usa…gi…get..Us..a…"

The last thing she knew was the burst of pain around her throat and Inuyasha's shout of her name before she sunk into darkness.

If there was one thing that could be said of Tsukino Usagi it was that, despite her tendency to be dramatic or cry at the drop of a hat, she was still an optimist. For all that had happened to start off their summer break this weekend, there were still things to be happy about. She'd much rather think about those than what the absolute jerks of the Dark Kingdom had tried to pull.

They won the fight? Check.

Everyone was healed? Check.

Kagome had acquired a dreamboat of boyfriend potential? Check.

Usagi somehow avoided a grounding and was allowed to sleep in the following morning? Double check.

It had surprised her, really. She had expected her mother to scold her for getting in so late, but the woman had only gathered her into a hug. For the first time since she'd been much younger, Ikuko fussed and doted on her, worried that she'd been hurt instead of urging her not to be so dramatic. When the doting only continued once Usagi rolled out of bed late the next morning, she shamelessly took full advantage of the offer to cook whatever she liked.

Her mother didn't even scold her for taking an extra plate up to her room and by that time Usagi was in far too good a mood to be bothered by the surprise Luna looked at her with when she set it down in front of the cat. And Luna thought she was dramatic. Usagi didn't think she'd forgotten to feed her that often.

When Luna announced that she was heading out for a bit to do research, Usagi didn't even pester her to explain what that meant the way she usually would have. Instead, she took the night off for what it was and happily plopped onto her bed with the newest comic that Souta had given her.

She was halfway through when her window burst open.

"Gah!" Usagi threw her comic with a shout of surprise and promptly toppled off the opposite side of her bed in a mess of limbs and upturned bedding. She scrambled back up over the edge with a glare, one hand clutching her broach before she paused to blink at the intruder. "What the- Inuyasha?"

Suddenly more annoyed than afraid, Usagi stood with a huff. "You scared me! What are you doing here?"

"No time, Pigtail." Inuyasha strode over to her, impatiently grabbing her by the elbow to yank her off the bed. "C'mon, we gotta move."

"Hey!" Usagi let out an indignant yell as she stumbled to her feet. "Hey, wait a-"

Inuyasha cut her off with a hard look. "Kagome needs your help."

Usagi froze. "Kago-chan?"

Inuyasha clenched his jaw and she swallowed nervously at the look in his eyes. Something had happened. Now that she really looked at him, that much was obvious. There was a thin line on his cheek, still red and raw, where something had clearly sliced him. For him to not only come get her but to openly admit to needing her, it had to have been something bad.

Usagi thinned her lips.

"Okay," she nodded and slid onto his back without further complaint. "Let's go."

Usagi waited until they crested over the tops of the trees to transform. She waited another minute before finally looking down at Inuyasha. "So, um…what happened?"

"Naraku most likely. Found someone to curse Kagome," she felt the growl that escaped him more than she heard it. "But she said you had some purifying spell or somethin' now."

Usagi wasn't quite sure if that was exactly true, but if she could heal people from being turned into monsters it very well could be. If Kagome needed her help badly enough for Inuyasha to come to get her, Usagi was certainly going to try.

As they landed, Inuyasha muttered something about the jewel shards and a dark priestess that she didn't really understand and Usagi furrowed her brows. She had seen the shards before. In Kagome's care they had never seemed terribly impressive, despite the stories. When they entered the well house and an arrow nearly took off Inuyasha's head, she screamed of course but then promptly realized why the shards had always seemed so mundane before. Despite seeing the fragments, she had never truly felt their power before.

They had always been pure in Kagome's hold each time she'd seen them previously.

Kagome had told her about the way they could be tainted, the way they could corrupt a person who tried to use them, and the way they could be used to control a person. While Usagi might never meet those on the other side of the well, when she had heard the story that Sango and Kohaku shared, she'd still felt the urge to cry for them.

She never imagined that she would see Kagome under their control.

Kagome was strong. Kagome didn't run from a fight the way Usagi had wanted to. Kagome had resisted every Dark Kingdom attempt so far, even ones that Usagi had succumbed to. She'd always seemed so infallible before. Even when Usagi had rushed in to find her trapped at Shapely, the eyes that had looked at her were still Kagome.

Those eyes that looked at her now were not Kagome.

Seeing such an eerie blankness in her friend's eyes, the stiffness of her body as she aimed her weapon at them with movements not her own, drew a whimper of distress from Usagi's lips. "Kago-chan…"

Suddenly, something in her gaze changed. There was a flicker of light, a consciousness that hadn't been there only seconds ago, and Usagi's eyes widened when Kagome dropped her bow with a jerk. It fell with a clatter and Usagi held her breath as Kagome stumbled backward, landing against the well.

"You're right," Kagome rasped, "I'm not Kikyo…"

Inuyasha tensed beside her, and Usagi frowned when she saw the way his ears pressed back against his head.

Kagome's fingers were trembling as she lifted a hand to her throat, grasping at the spot where the tainted shards glowed eerily beneath her skin, "I…am not…Kikyo!"

Something in the well changed and the part of her that was more Sailor Moon than Usagi called the wand to her hand without thinking.

"I won't be ruled by…a past life!" Kagome's eyes flickered and Usagi felt her breath catch at the declaration.

The air of the well house shifted as the familiar glint of Kagome's energy flickered to life, pushing back against the darkness that Usagi could now see coiled around her. Usagi watched as it started at her fingertips before the little wisps of her friend's familiar purity slithered over her hand and spread over her skin.

"I…am…Kagome," Kagome turned suddenly, the energy around her flaring to life as she slammed a hand against the edge of the well. "And no one else! "

When the translucent form of a large serpentine creature burst from the depths of the well, it was instinct that moved Usagi once more. "Moon Healing Escalation!"

Even Usagi was blinded by the pure white light that burst from her wand. When the magic finally faded and she saw Kagome looking at her again, she nearly sank to her knees in relief.

"Usagi-chan…" A little smile tugged at the corners of Kagome's lips as she wavered. Inuyasha rushed forward to catch her as she crumpled.

It wasn't until they'd settled her in bed and Inuyasha had gone to explain what had happened to a worried Kunloon, drawn from the house by the burst of magic that had washed over the shrine grounds, that Usagi finally let herself cry.

---

When Kagome woke up to Usagi perched on a chair beside her, the first thing she processed was the uncanny sense of déjà vu. As consciousness came back to her, she realized that her friend was crying. When the events of the evening rapidly rushed back to her she sat up with a gasp. "Usa-"

Usagi dove into her chest with a wail and Kagome opted to simply stay there for a moment, comforted by the warmth of the friend that had saved her from more than she could know. When Usagi calmed enough to sit back up and rub the tears from her eyes, Kagome attempted to smile for her. Neither one of them spoke for a stretch of time.

It was Usagi who finally broke the silence.

"That was a demon from the other side, wasn't it? You're going back to fight those things, aren't you?" Usagi fired off the questions without waiting for an answer before she paused, her posture deflating as a look of realization crossed her face. "You'll be staying more than just the weekends now…"

"I'm sorry, Bun." Kagome's stomach twisted guiltily, the sensation swiftly becoming an uncomfortably familiar one. She had never wanted Usagi to have to really see the horrors that came from the feudal era. "Naraku's gaining too much ground over there, and tonight proves it."

Usagi drew back to frown and Kagome did not miss the way her eyes glanced down to the spot at her collar where the shards -pure once more and in a new little jar atop her desk- had been. As if reading her thoughts, Usagi turned to scowl at the fragments, her lips pursed and eyes narrowed accusingly at them.

"Whoever did this is still out there," Kagome tapped her throat, grimacing at the phantom twinge of pain that came with the gesture. "I have to."

Usagi didn't look terribly convinced. If anything, she only seemed to deflate further. Kagome pursed her lips.

"Don't look so worried. You're getting pretty good, you know." Kagome nudged Usagi's shoulder with her own and grinned reassuringly at the pout she got in return. "Besides, you've got Ami, Luna, Souta, Rei, and now even Mako on your side!"

Usagi seemed even less convinced than before with her brows furrowed and her nose crinkled in disbelief.

Kagome rolled her eyes, though a grin tugged at her lips. "Okay, fine, you've got Ami, Mako, and the dynamic duo."

"You will come back though," Usagi paused to sniffle. "Right?"

Kagome softened and leaned over to hook an arm around Usagi's shoulders reassuringly. "Of course I will, Bun."

Usagi inched a little closer, her bottom lip quivering. "Promise?"

Kagome hooked a pinky around Usagi's. "Promise."

---

If there was one thing that Naraku prided himself on -and there were many, admittedly- it was his ability to predict and manipulate his enemies.

Inuyasha was simple enough. He was a rash boy with a temper easily goaded in just the directions that suited his needs. The monk had an amusing determination but, so long as he carried the curse of his ancestors, would never truly be a threat. Dear little Sango might have been a concern if she weren't so easily kept under his thumb; he had but to whisper her darling little brother's name to bring her to heel.

Sesshomaru was a conundrum. The demon lord was an asset and a threat in equal measure. The man's biggest weakness was, not terribly unlike the half-brother he so detested, his confidence. However, Sesshomaru was tactical, astute in a way that his brasher kin was not, and held far more power at his disposable. The killing perfection indeed.

Then there was Kagome.

That girl proved worrisome in a way that even Kikyo never had. She wasn't a particularly threatening adversary, at least not in the traditional sense. She was laughably untrained in both her own power and the dark forces she was expected to combat. For all the camaraderie of Inuyasha's little group, it had taken them a foolishly long time to begin educating the little thing.

But she had a ferocity and a strength of will that had proven troublesome. That little slip of a girl, a priestess only by right of power, had come the closest of them to defeating him.

Naraku hadn't thought much of her in the beginning. She was an oddity, but ultimately inconsequential at the time. Her powers were interesting, an intrigue he found himself pondering on often enough, but she was no Kikyo. She was a useful little pawn in finding the jewel fragments and manipulating Inuyasha, but she was no Kikyo.

Then, he'd drawn the slayers into the fold. They had been amusing, if almost disappointingly simple to dispose of. It was only once he'd attempted to corrupt the jewel by forcing Sango's hand on her brother, that he was forced to face just how right he'd actually been about the little reincarnation.

This girl was not Kikyo. This girl, this Kagome, was something more and something less all at once.

Kikyo certainly never would have earned the allegiance of the wolf prince of the eastern tribes. He'd even thought to absorb her soul, to claim her power for himself. That mistake nearly cost him Kanna. Kagome had been an entertaining pawn against Inuyasha, but the time had come to begrudgingly admit that she was also a threat.

Of course, he wasn't fool enough to test the water by acting against her directly. Catching wind of the rumors that spoke of a dark priestess was almost serendipitous. When he realized exactly who the old witch was, it was almost too good to be true.

Not unlike the Shikon that he offered her as payment.

Luckily for him, the promise of revenge against a rival reborn was enough to override any cynicism over the proposal. Whatever he did or did not think of her, however, the woman was skilled at her craft. The magic she wielded, born of blood and darkness, was precise, practiced and artful. It struck him as beautiful much in the same way the shimmering violet of the corrupted shards did.

Naraku wasn't terribly surprised when she struggled to contain Kagome, but she had the spell well enough in hand for him to be content observing. When she mumbled something about losing Kagome's eyes, he narrowed his own. Then her expression shifted, and he drew a little closer when her shikigami suddenly writhed in discomfort.

"Oh?" The blood on the jewel vanished and the connection broke with a hiss of magic. The dark priestess looked surprised for a moment before chuckling quietly. "Oh. My, how interesting."

The hood of his cloak concealed the brief narrowing of his eyes. "I did warn you not to underestimate-"

"Oh, it wasn't Kikyo's little copy."

Naraku glanced at her, interest piqued. "No?"

"No," her lips curled into a smile. "That was lunar magic."