InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Desert Rose ❯ Missing ( Chapter 16 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: ji-an
Kagome learns a secret about the enemy, but that's not what's troubling her. Can see find the person she really wants to see?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, it's the sole property of Romiko Takahashi, and I cannot take credit for her genius.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Mystery / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.10.2006 | Updated On: 03.19.2007 | Pages: 11 | Words: 13.4K | Visits: 2.1K | Status: Work In Progress

 
 
 
O_O w-wa-ONE-HUNDRED REVIEWS!! I am so happy I could cry T_T. I freakin' love you people!!! Anyway, thank you sooo much and I'm sorry for the update being so late. Life's gone crazy, you know. Anyway, here you go. Hope you enjoy, cuz if I don't get happy readers, I feel crushed. If you guys are happy, I'm happy. I've been watching an awesome anime called Pretear! ^_^ love it! I highly recommend it!
 
Chapter Sixteen: Missing
 
“Lady Jordan. Do you see there, on the edge of our continent?” A guard called as their princess walked through the small army. She came to a halt when her eyes came in contact with the direction the soldier had indicated.
 
“No…” Her voice came out as empty, but her eyes shined with unhappiness. The vision in front of her wasn't what she had wanted to see on their daily strolls through their land.
 
“What is it, sister?” A worried voice called from her side, and Jordan turned to see her beloved younger brother standing next to her, facing the direction of her voice.
 
“Levion, the sea.”
 
“What is it?” He asked, his blank eyes dull but his face cast showing worry and alertness.
 
“The icebergs, they are melting.” She heard her brother's nervous gasp, and she clasped her hand over her chest.
 
“So the desert spell has reached us. Our land will be reduced to sand. Jordan-”
 
“Do not think I haven't looked into it, brother. We cannot fight the spell on our own. The spell demands sacrifice and we will be it's feed, unless we ask for help.”
 
“If the spell is demon drawn, then our people will be consumed.”
 
`I'm afraid I know all too well.”
 
()()()()()()()
 
“You…” Kagome stuttered. The heat of the desert shinned on her head and she felt like falling, partly from the strain of power she used to get the place she was, and partly from the fire in the air.
 
“ Didn't your mother ever tell you it's rude to stare?”
 
“Is this really Southern Domain?”
 
“Yes. It's all sand now, courtesy of Naraku and his spell.”
 
“Who are you?” Kagome asked, readying her stance in case the girls in front of her were a threat.
 
“Oh calm down. We're not here to hurt you. We have better things to do than start fights when we have an important mission.” One girl stated calmly.
 
Kagome dropped her stance, but eyed the girls alertly. She noticed that they were young. One had her black hair, short, tied high into a small ponytail. She wore a similar host gown. She stood there, an axe tied to her side, watching Kagome intently. Kagome let her stance drop, thinking that the girl was no real threat.
 
“Who are you?” Kagome asked again, this time more calmly to show that she didn't mean any harm.
 
“My name is Suzuna. This is my sister.” The younger girl said quietly.
 
“Sarina.” The other girl said curtly. Kagome took in Sarina's appearance. She stood a little taller than the other girl; her hair was longer, tied at her crown. She wore a simple pink robe, a sword on her hip, a quiver and bow on her back.
 
“You said you were on an important mission. What are you doing in Southern Domain?” Her calm voice didn't hide her skepticism. Should these girls be from Eastern Domain, Kagome didn't want to let her guard down, for the enemies from Eastern Domain had proven themselves quite dexterous on many accounts. Though she was willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, a gift that came with her kind nature, she knew she had to be careful; Eastern Domain did have control of the area she was in after all and it would be unwise of her to let her naiveté get the better of her. If she were to get attacked here…she didn't want to think of the consequences.
 
“I see you're very distrusting. It doesn't matter though; this is a war after all. If you must know, we are here to find out something.” Suzuna studied Kagome for a while, noting that she was a host as well thus coming to her next question.
 
“I told you my name, so it's only fair you tell me yours. Who are you?” Kagome eyed the girl before lifting the jade pendent from inside of her robes.
 
“As you can see I'm a host just like you. My name is Kagome.” She stated before placing the pendent back into her robes. Looking back up at the girl, she noticed that Suzuna was stunned.
 
“You're Kagome? So you're the one that was trained by Lady Jordan.”
“Yeah, what of it?”
 
“We are spies, sent by Jordan to look over Southern Domain. She thinks that Eastern Domain may be after her kingdom next. And since there have been a lot of enemy movements here, she knows that there is something going on. We're here to find out what our enemies are up to.”
 
“You trust me enough to tell me this?” Kagome said, raising an eyebrow.
 
“Why not. You know Jordan and she has an excellent judge of character. I don't sense any harm from you anyway.” Suzuna turned to walk further into the sandy abyss of the desert, her sister following, signaling for Kagome to pursue.
 
“Hard to believe that this land was once a beautiful ocean and a jungle.” Kagome sighed, taking in the dusty wasteland. She wondered if Inuyasha's beautiful home would be reduced to such an empty, barren wilderness.
 
“This will happen to our entire world if it is not stopped soon. I don't understand how the spell got so strong.” Sarina stated.
 
“What do you mean?”
 
“Don't you know? Long ago, there was another war, in that war, Naraku planted the seed that slowly started spreading. Five years ago, the first sign of desert appeared at checkpoint. Where there was once a rich forest was turned into tiny pebbles of sand.”
 
“Checkpoint was a forest?”
 
“Yes. Barely had our world lived through a twenty-year war and another starts sixty years later. Sixty years of peace is not enough, not even close. The periods between wars must be so long, that the mere idea of fighting seems to be a legend. You know what I find unfair, that Naraku, once an ally, actually planned to have our entire world under his control, during that last war.”
 
“What happened in that war?”
 
“Terrible things. Jordan wants to stop history from repeating itself.” Terrible things. One of those terrible things caused Inuyasha to lose his heart. She didn't know what it could've been, and she wasn't willing to guess. She still had no clue as to what it could have been that scared him so. What could have been so frightening to make him feel like he didn't want to live anymore?
 
“EEEK!!” Sand blew into her face and she squinted, wishing she had the cloth to cover her as she whipped the dust from her eyes. Suzuna and Sarina stopped, waiting for her to finish. They watched her, wondering how such an innocent girl had become a host. It was unusual, the norm was having a woman who passionate about fighting, not the passive kind of girl Kagome appeared to be. She must want this war to end, Suzuna silently thought to herself.
 
“May I ask, exactly what you are planning to do here?” Kagome asked, finished with cleaning her face of dust. Suzuna signed for a moment before saying, “Exactly what we have to find, I don't really know. Right now looking around near the castle and the ghost town that was once Southern Domain's capital would be our first course. Basically we are here to gather intelligence, and maybe find out what is making the desert spell so strong.”
 
Something silver caught Kagome's attention. The moment she turned to look at the strand of grey, it vanished. She stared off into the distance, seeing the towers of the castle where Lord Sin once ruled. It was as if that glint of silver was calling her there, asking her to come near and explore the secrets that were hidden by Eastern Domain. She grew apprehensive; whatever was drawing her attention there growing stronger every passing moment.
 
“What is it?” The voice of the two sisters brought her back to the task at hand. Watching their bewildered looks as they turned to face the direction she had been looking at moments ago, Kagome cleared her throat before saying, “I want to know what's going on in Southern Domain as well. Sarina, may I have the bow and quiver on your back?”
 
She watched as Sarina nodded, handing her the bow and quiver. Taking the weapon in hand and drawing in a deep breath, Kagome headed in the direction of the towers. She could hear the sounds of footsteps and knew that Sarina and Suzuna were following. The walk was so long, Kagome thought she would never reach the town she was standing in now. It was as if the once lively, bustling town had crumbled under an immense fire.
 
All the rich trees she had seen, gone. All the people: vanished. It was as if this town was an ancient city, dead for a thousand years. Not one was seen walking through the dusty streets; no voices were heard in the silence, and not a hint on life in the sandy ground. The town was by far a different resemblance to it's once former glory. Kagome was skeptic that this was once the glamorous city she had once walked through with Inuyasha. All there was left were the lonesome buildings. Would the castle at Western Domain be the same?
 
“No one's here. Where are all the people?” Kagome thought out loud.
 
“Dead, most likely. The sand has consumed them. The people here were used to humid weather, not dry. When the water and the food supply in the jungle dried up with the desert, most likely they starved or dehydrated, whichever came first.” Sarina answered, her eyes downcast in a sympathetic way.
 
“Or, the people here could've just vanished. When the first signs desert appeared in Western Domain, most of the people left in the spell's wake disappeared as if they never were.” Suzuna finished.
 
“That's terrible.” Having been here in this warring world for about six months, Kagome hadn't heard of such tragedy. True, the people in Southern Domain were a bit prejudice, something she had seen in Inuyasha's memory, they didn't deserve to be whipped out. It was like a new form of genocide.
 
Another string of silver caught her attention and this time she was fast enough to see that the silver came from a small figure, calling her toward the castle of Southern Domain. She looked into the bastion made of shells, a little afraid to enter like the silver was commanding her to do. If this was what was left of the once powerful city, she shuddered to imagine what would be inside the castle. Something told her that there were indeed enemies lurking inside, but it was like the silver was guiding her, telling her that whatever she wished to know was also there. Intently, she watched the castle for a moment before, again, the voices of Sarina and Suzuna brought her out of her trance.
 
“You see something there?” They asked together, their eyes darting to the castle.
 
“I feel like we're being watched. Something tells me that whatever I want to know is in that castle. I'm going.” Pulling the quiver higher on her shoulder and gripping the bow intently, Kagome watched the silver disappear into the castle before heading after it. She dreaded each step, memories of what had occurred that last time she was here flooding into her mind and she tried to rid the images of Lord Sin and what his soldiers had done to Inuyasha.
 
Suzuna, Sarina, and Kagome came to a halt in front of the large gates of the castle. They looked, eyes casting over the immense gate and Kagome could remember walking through these gates after it opened from the inside. It loomed over them like a guard keeping intruders out from the secrets inside.
 
“Looks like we can't push it open.” Kagome grumbled, wondering how to unlock this door.
 
“Leave this to us.” Kagome turned to see Sarina and Suzuna hold hands. She watched a string of blue energy flow through the sisters' bandaged hands. The closed their eyes, parting their lips for a deep breath before undoing their hands and standing in front of the massive gate, one girl on one side and one girl on another. Placing their hands together, Kagome saw Sarina and Suzuna open their eyes and push at the air with both hands as if they were pushing a large, invisible rock. A gust of wind swept from behind her and Kagome saw the squall circle around Sarina and Suzuna before hitting against the gate, slowly pushing it open with a deep creek.
 
“Wow. Nicely done.” She complemented, waiting for the sorcerer and her host to gather their composure before turning to look at her. “Thank you.” They said together, bowing like one would after achieving applause from an audience.
 
“Shall we?” Sarina gestured as they entered the castle, noticing that all remnants of life were lost, like the city before it. Kagome stopped before the entrance, a series of voices reaching her ears.
 
“I hear voices. There are enemies inside.” She said.
 
“I don't hear anything.” Suzuna said, straining her ears.
 
Kagome didn't understand how her hearing had become more acute but she could defiantly hear the voices of the enemy soldiers on the other side of the entrance to the palace. So this was where the real spying had to begin.
 
“I'm sure they are enemies. I guess we have to be careful we don't get caught. Leave this one to me.”
 
Holding her bow, Kagome reached into herself, tugging a little on her miko aura. Jordan told her that power and skill were about creativity. Perhaps she could conceal her presence as well as the presence of Sarina and Suzuna with a barrier. Bringing her miko out, she wrapped a layer of the pink energy around herself as well as her companions. Sarina and Suzuna watched, bewildered, as the energy concealed their bodies. It was like they had become glass, the outline of their bodies visible, but they were hollow and transparent.
 
Had she been under Jordan's training again, Kagome would've boasted. Seeing that her being was hidden, she reached to enter the castle. The smell of copper and blood was so strong inside that Sarina and Suzuna could smell it. It came to Kagome's nose in the form of a powerful scent that she knew many people where killed in here. Was this how sensitive Inuyasha's nose was? She shook her head, worry seeping into to her every time she thought about him.
 
She noticed a few demon soldiers come in their direction and flinched, but drew in a relieved sigh that they passed as if no one was there. “So they didn't see us.” She whispered, seeing Sarina and Suzuna nod.
 
“I can't believe the progress we have made in such a small amount of time. A month and few weeks and already this place is completely desert. We will have the other two domains in no time.”
 
“Naraku made cleaver work here. Let's go report in.”
 
“`Naraku.' Let's follow them, sister.” Suzuna whispered, going after the two solders and deeper into the rubble of the palace. Slowly they passed through halls, many of them where soldiers and demons were eating or preparing for another strike at their opponents. Still the smell of copper loomed in the air as Kagome treaded behind the two men.
 
“How many do we have to collect until the spell is strong enough?”
 
`Collect ?' Kagome pondered.
 
“Patience, the more of them we have in our grasp, the weaker the resistance to the spell.”
 
“Whatever! So long as it means we get to whip out those bastard scum.”
 
Before she could hear another comment from the two demons in front of her, the silver came into her eyesight again. Completely turning toward it, Kagome's eyes taking in what she saw, her stomach churned. She could feel herself shacking as her mind registered what or who it was she was looking at.
 
It was her, her silver hair and brown eyes unmistakable: the girl from the painting. Kagome trembled, all this time, the girl who would be mistaken for Inuyasha's twin, the girl that haunted her mind with the mystery of who she was, standing a few steps away from her, her small bare feet on the rubble of the marble floor of the large corridor. “You-” Kagome began only stop when she saw the girl smile before turning to head deeper into the palace.
 
“Wait!” She ignored the shocked looks on her companions' faces, heading after her as she led her deftly through the corridors. She disappeared into a room and Kagome found herself in a dead end, looking around. She caught a glimpse of the girl. She stood for a moment before running through another corridor and Kagome struggled to chase her.
 
Kagome emerged into a high balcony, and traces of the silver, gone but in front of her, when she looked down into what used to be a ballroom, thousands of shimmering silvers, reds, greens, pinks, blues and every other color imaginable, all huddled together, glowing in all kinds of stones.
 
“Kagome!” She turned to see the sisters come toward to a halt in front of her. “Why did you take off like that?” They asked, but their question was left unanswered as a new voice entered the hall below.
 
“Foolish girl, she disobeyed my commands.” Kagome leaned against the railing, looking down at the three figures. One was a man who looked like death itself, a ghostly looking woman with grey hair and last, a woman wearing black with her hair reaching her chin. Kagome eyes stayed pinned on the man. He looked familiar, yet she couldn't place where it was she had seen him. His dark presence, even though he was a distance away, sent shivers up her spine.
 
“It seems that girl is beginning to resist my manipulation.” The man began.
 
“Lord Naraku, so it seems you need my aid after all?” The grey haired woman said.
 
Kagome blinked. This was the man who was causing the war and the desert spell. This was the man taking the lives of so many people. She wanted to charge at him and punish him for all that he had done! Kagome almost laughed at herself, thinking that she sounded like Inuyasha for a moment then. She shook her head again, trying to rid to worry that had seeped into her one more time.
 
“Tsubaki, it matters not that she didn't break the heart. Now that he has it back, his ability to slow the spell is diminished. Humans, with their weak hearts, falling into deep confusion and despair will interfere with his concentration.” Naraku spoke, turning to the grey headed woman who was deemed, “Tsubaki.”
 
“Pardon me, why go to the trouble of collecting more of these?” The woman with short hair began, pointing to the thousands of glowing stones splattered around them.
 
“Because, Yura, I don't take it to underestimate my enemies, even when I have the upper hand. The more of those I have in my control, the more power I can put in the desert spell.”
 
Kagome listened leaning against the railing. Who were they talking about? “She didn't break the heart…” The words echoed in her head. It was her they were speaking of. It was Inuyasha's heart they were referring too. It was Naraku that was the voice in her head! They were using her! She felt weak. All this time she had been afraid of the voice that endangers Inuyasha and it turned out to be the most dangerous person that wanted him dead. Her fear was immediately replaced by rage. How could he!
 
She looked down in anger at that man. Toying with other's emotions, and now he was collecting power. She watched as Naraku and his company seemed to leave while fighting the urge to yell at them for all her worth. She was here to gather intelligence, not endanger the lives of Sarina and Suzuna by involving them in a problem that was no theirs.
 
Her eyes darted over the thousands of glowing rocks. What were those glowing stones? Just as the thought came into her head, the silver reappeared. She stood there, her bare feet on the tile floor, waiting for Kagome to turn to her.
 
Kagome locked her eyes on the girl. She showed no hint in her eyes that she cold see Kagome looking at her. Instead, as if she could feel Kagome's attention directed toward her, she smiled and began walking again, this time slowly so Kagome could follow. She chased the girl's silver hair, emerging into the ballroom below. Naraku and his minions were gone, all that stood before her where the thousands of stones.
 
The silver stood in the middle of crystals, she looked at Kagome and smiled before vanishing again.
 
“Kagome?” Sarina and Suzuna came to stand behind her. “What's going on?” They asked together.
 
Kagome looked into the glowing stones. The sound came to her ears; she could hear the faint beating, coming from the thousands of jewels. It came to her, the answer, what the stones were.
 
“Hearts. They're collecting hearts. It can't be, all those people. Everyone in Southern Domain…” She felt a saddened pang of pity in her chest. That despicable man! “ All people, whether human, demon, or hanyou carry unimaginable power in their heart, for it is the one thing that gives them life. Should a sorcerer have hold of another's heart, their powers would no doubt increase, while the heartless person wastes away.” Levion's words came to her mind, and she knew why these stones were here.
 
“People didn't vanish from the spell. Their hearts were stolen from their living bodies to fuel the desert, the make the spell and the one casting it, stronger. All these gems, they are all that's left of them, their bodies have wasted away, and now Naraku holds their power. That's how the spell is gaining its strength.” Kagome mumbled.
 
“That's terrible.” Sarina and Suzuna gasped, covering their mouths with their hands.
 
Kagome looked over the thousands of gems. She reached to pick one up, but a guarding force repelled her hand. She couldn't take any of the hearts, they were weaved into the desert spell and nothing she could've done would undo that. She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut, only to open them and see the silver in front of her again. The little girl looked up at her, her eyes empty, but she knew Kagome was there.
 
“Hey,” Kagome reached to touch her, but the moment her hand was inches away from her, the silver's smile faded. Her eyes reduced to a pained twinkle, becoming glazed. Her face feel, and she brought her face in Kagome's direction. It was then that Kagome could see that the girl was indeed blind. Though her eyes were brown, there was no focus in her irises. The eyes held a blank stare, but twinkled with emotion.
 
“Please help me.” She whispered.
 
“What?”
 
“Please help me.” She sank to her knees, bringing them under her chin and curling into a little ball, shivering.
 
“They have me. I'm all alone. I'm scared. Please help me. Mommy. Daddy.” Another tearful sob, and the silver vanished again. Kagome stared at the empty space, where the silver was moments ago.
 
“We should go sister. It's obvious that we can't accomplish anything else by staying here. We might get caught and everything we have learned will be useless if Jordan does not hear it.” Sarina said, snapping Kagome's attention back to them.
 
“Yeah, let's go.”
 
Kagome watched Sarina and Suzuna walk away. She gave one last look at the spot where the silver had been, before heading out after them.
 
()()()()()()()
 
“Ah, we seem to have a rat in our midst.” Yura began, “Don't they know it's rude to spy on people.”
 
“Did our little spies really believe that they could leave so easily?” Naraku's voice came from across the dark that veiled the room.
 
“I haven't had fun in a while. I'll go take care of them.”
 
“Yura, shouldn't you be returning to your sorcerer.”
 
“Bankotsu doesn't need me right now. Besides, I want to welcome our guests.” With a quick bow, her presence was gone, leaving Naraku and Tsubaki.
 
“Why did you let her live. You could've easily ended that wench, Kagome's, life after she didn't listen when you told her break Inuyasha's heart. So why are you letting her live?” She dark miko asked.
 
“She is my pawn, a valuable tool in this game of chess. She will take down another king. I still have some use for her. Things may seem to have gone astray, but I'll tell you, everything is going exactly as I planned. Tsubaki, add more of the hearts' powers to the spell. Southern Domain is mine. Once I have the north, then we can start calculating Western Domain's downfall.”
 
“Yes, Lord Naraku.” She turned, and faded away from the dark room.
 
()()()()()()()
 
Kagome walked out into the dust, the sun making her eyes squint. It was so hot, yet she was shivering. The desert stole the souls of so many people. Would everyone in Western Domain become the same if the spell should reach them? What if what Naraku said was true: what if Inuyasha's ability to slow the desert spell was getting weaker? No matter how far he was, she would still worry about him. She knew that he was the biggest target for the enemy, he was in even bigger danger now. Wherever he was, she hoped he was healing. Why couldn't she stop worrying? What if his injury got worse, what if he…
 
The silver: the girl from the painting. Should she tell Inuyasha that she saw her? What would he say? Who was she? What did she mean that they had her and that she was alone? Where was she? WHAT was she? She could vanish and reappear in an instant. Maybe she was a sorceress, but why was it that Kagome couldn't feel her presence? So many questions ran through Kagome's head, and she knew that only one person could answer them, but he was far, somewhere she couldn't find him.
 
“Kagome, are you coming with us to Northern Domain?” Sarina asked, noting the lost look on her companion's face.
 
Kagome looked up at her, flashing a false smile and saying, “Yes, I'd like that. I want to talk to Jordan too.” She walked up to where the two sisters where preparing to transport but something stung her check. Bringing her hand up and brushing it, she saw the blood on her finger.
 
“Kagome, your cheek.” Suzuna began, watching as Kagome looked around. “What cut you like that?”
 
Kagome looked around, it was like wires had covered the buildings of the ghost town that they were standing in. The strings were thin and black, covering all the buildings, it was like a black spider-web had descended about the dead capitol of Southern Domain. Was it hair? A giant ball of black tresses floated under the sun, covering the dead town Kagome and her comrades were standing in with an ominous shade.
 
“Suzuna, you don't see the hair?”
 
“What hair?” She looked around.
 
“Oh my, you can see it, can't you? My hair, I mean.”
 
Sarina, Suzuna and Kagome turned to see the woman from before, standing in midair. It was the same woman from before, only now they could gather her features. Her black hair reached her chin. She stood with a sword at her hip, her black outfit not leaving much to the imagination. The top half was shaped like a “V,” barely covering both breasts. Her skirt hardly covered the area where hips met her thighs.
 
“My, how rude of our guests to simply leave without a proper goodbye. Don't you know it's rude to spy on people. Let me introduce myself, I'm Yura of the hair, but you don't need to remember my name, since you'll be dead before you can forget!”
 
Suddenly, a thick wave of hair flew at them, wrapping itself around their wrists and pulling them into the air. “What is this?” The sisters yelled, as their bodies floated above the ground with an invisible force.
 
“Sarina, Suzuna, concentrate there!” Using all her strength, Kagome managed to move her arm from the bindings of the hair to point in the direction of the giant hairball. There was something hidden there, she could feel it.
 
“I don't see anything!” The girls said together.
“Trust me, shoot a spell there!!”
 
Following the direction of her finger, Sarina and Suzuna called forth a gust of wind that slashed through the ball of hair. Kagome watched as the hair stretched out, revealing the thousands of skulls inside. She heard Sarina and Suzuna gasp as the skulls fell to the sand below.
 
“Oh, look what you have don't to my layer! Now I am cross. True, you don't have hair that is salvageable, but I shall enjoy cutting your heads off!”
 
The sword at Yura's hip was pulled from its sheath by a strand of hair, it came hurdling in Kagome's direction, ready to cut off her head. Tugging on her miko abilities, Kagome purified the hair holding her, disintegrating it, and falling to the ground before she would lose her head. She aimed an arrow for the restraints on Sarina and Suzuna, releasing them from their bonds when the arrow sailed through the air and pierced the hair holding them up.
 
“Come at me you demon witch!” Kagome called from the ground.
 
“Now what kind of a host would I be if I didn't fulfill your request!” She charged at Kagome, sword in hand, swiping the blade in front of her and watching as Kagome jumped backward to avoid it. She kept lashing out at Kagome, while the hair under her control captured the two sisters again, surrounding their bodies in wire-like tresses that began constricting and drawing the breaths out its prisoners.
 
“Sarina, Suzuna!” Kagome called, hearing the painful grunts of her friends as the wires squeezed into their bodies.
 
“You should pay attention to the task at hand, little girl!” Yura called, bringing Kagome's attention back to her as the sword was once again flashed in her way. Barely managing to jump to the side and out of harms way, Kagome only had a moment to regain her posture and pull another arrow from her back before Yura gave another violent thrust of her sword. This time, she blocked the blow with the metal handle of her bow, the force causing her to stamp her foot behind her harshly into the ground to keep herself from falling. She aimed a quick arrow at Yura, letting the projectile fly. Too unprepared had Yura been for the strike, that she wasn't fast enough when the arrow pierced her arm and cut off her hand.
 
“My, don't you play dirty.” Yura chirped as she looked at her severed hand.
“You're one to talk.” While she had the chance, Kagome prepared the aim an arrow to free Sarina and Suzuna, but Yura's detached hand, that still carried the sword, came to swipe at her, this time getting a successful cut on Kagome's arm when she couldn't avoid the attack in time.
 
While Kagome was busy recapturing her balance, her hand holding her injured arm, Yura took the chance to trap her in thin wire of hair. She stood giggling and watching as the wires began tearing through Kagome's host gown and crushing the life out of her. The strands wrapped themselves around her neck, threatening to crush her throat.
 
Where was this Yura's weak point? She cut off her hand, but it was like all she had done was scratch her skin. How could she fight someone that didn't seem to be bothered by pain! The hair squeezed harder into her, and Kagome could hear Sarina and Suzuna scream from the pain. Her vision became blurry as the air in her lungs faded and she began gasping for breath! It was difficult to concentrate on her miko abilities to save herself, the wires constricting so painfully around her! She used all her strength to pull her last arrow along the bow's string, moving her hands against the ache of their bonds.
 
“It's futile,” Yura sneered, “be a good girl and hold still, then you could die less painfully.”
 
Kagome wheezed, her ability to breath getting harder by the second, yet still she struggled to draw her arrow. Her vision was getting dark, and she was fighting herself to keep conscious. She could hear Yura laughing. Just as her eyes were about to touch, something shined in the corner of her sight.
 
She turned her head, fighting the pain of her restraints, to see the silver standing in the ground, her gaze empty. Kagome watched as she lifted her small hand to point a tiny finger at something red, a skull hidden in the folds of the giant hairball in the air. Was that it, Yura's weak-point? Using whatever strength she had, Kagome fought against the hair and managed to pull her arrow back. Gritting her teeth, she aimed for the skull that the silver was pointing to.
 
“Stay still, otherwise your blood will stain your hair.”
 
“No. I. Won't. Lose.” Quickly before her strength gave out, Kagome pulled the arrow back, letting it go straight into the for-head of the red skull. Yura screeched and feel back, prepared to slice Kagome with the sword.
 
“AH! You-you wench!” But it was too late, already the hairs were starting to fade, the shade created by the giant hairball going away, as was Yura. Her body was blown away like dust.
 
Kagome fell to the floor, breathing in much needed oxygen and running her hand along her injured arm. She turned to find the silver only to realize that the silver had vanished again. Rejuvenated with air, she quickly turned to Sarina and Suzuna. `
 
“Are you guys all right?” She called.
 
“Yeah, I thought I was a goner!” Suzuna said. “Thank you so much, Kagome.” The sisters said together. They leaned on their knees in the sand, their faces pale, but their smiles and eyes showing nothing but gratitude.
 
“Thank goodness you guys are alright.” Kagome took in a deep sigh, her mind still a bit fuzzy, but her body relaxed. Even though she ached, and her arm stung from the cut it received from Yura's sword, Kagome felt calm.
 
“Let's get out of here before more come on their way. We have valuable information to get to Lady Jordan.” Kagome huffed, rising to her feet.
 
“You're right. Let's be on our way.” Joining bandaged hands, Kagome saw Suzuna give a large amount of energy to her sister. Before long Sarina joined the hands of the three of them. The same sinking, whizzing feeling Kagome gets every time Inuyasha transports came into the pit of her stomach before the castle at Northern Domain appeared ahead of her eyes.
 
()()()()()()()
 
“I see. So, Naraku collects hearts as stimuli for the desert spell. All this time, we were foolish enough to believe that the desert spell was only increased by one man's power.” Jordan sat at the edge of the tower balcony, in the far corner of her room. Having welcomed back her spies, she was rather shocked to see Kagome with them. She invited them to her room, sat them down, and listened to the horrendous news they had to offer about the occurrences in Southern Domain, but not before having their wounds treated. It did not please her that already the land of their entire kingdom had become sand in such a short amount of time, nor did it please her that all the people had become feed for the flame of the desert. She worried about her own people. It was foolish of her to believe that Northern Domain was safe because it was across the glaciers of the ocean on another continent. Even Southern Domain, miles away from the Eastern territory had been taken over. Her people where human; thus, they were unsafe. Only a demon could fight against a demon-drawn spell. She needed Inuyasha's aid.
 
“Thank you for taking on this mission and for informing me of the state of things. I'm afraid I need a moment to gather this information. Please, go rest and heal. You've done well, Sarina, Suzuna…Kagome.” They bowed to Jordan, exiting the room, except for Kagome who was called back by Jordan.
 
“Thank you for aiding them, Kagome.” Jordan remarked, still looking out into the balcony. She heard Kagome come to stand by her side.
 
“I wanted to know what was happening there too.” She said.
 
“Would you please come with me, Kagome? There is something I wish you to see.”
 
Kagome nodded and commenced to follow her former teacher out of the warmth of Crystal Palace. Kagome shivered out in the snow, pulling the fur coat Jordan had given her higher on her shoulder. She followed Jordan's nimble form through the ice, not understand how her former teacher could move so hastily across icy ground. They came to a halt in front of a frozen ocean, thick ice covering the water . Kagome looked out into the frozen tundra of the ocean. A crystal sea separated by a line that set the barriers for the blue ocean and the white clouds that covered the sky above.
 
“Look there, those glaciers at the edge of the ice.” Jordan pointed a far distance toward the ice covered water.
 
“For someone like you, Kagome, who hasn't spent a lifetime in this land such as I have, you would notice no change. However, before a wall of icebergs created a shield for our country, and now that shield is melting. Never in thousands of years has such a fortification failed us. This border of snow that kept our continent safe, is melting. Now we have less control of our ports. Because the ice is melting, our people are having a more challenging time at ports. Going out to sea has become quite a challenge as well. The desert spell has reached us, and our people who only know of cold are going to be burned.”
 
“Is that why you sent Sarina and Suzuna to the South?”
 
“Yes. We cannot fight the spell on our own. Lord Sin tried to fight the spell with his sorcerers, but it has been creeping into his land without his knowledge. Now thanks to his ignorance, their land is taken. Only Lord Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha have been able to keep the spell at bay the longest. The reason Sesshoumaru doesn't leave his land to assist in the fighting is so he could use his power to shield the land from the spell. We need Inuyasha's help. Without those two brothers, we are lost.”
 
“Jordan, Inuyasha is gone.”
 
“What?” Though her voice held no sense of alarm, Jordan's eyes sparkled with anxiety.
 
“He went somewhere, or he ran away. I don't know where he is. He doesn't answer me when I call to him. I've tried so many times to call him, but he doesn't respond. I can't even feel his emotions anymore.”
 
“What happened that made him leave so suddenly?”
 
“I…found his heart.”
 
A gasp escaped from Jordan's lips before she said, “What happened?”
 
“I found his heart at his father's tomb. He had been acting strangely before. It was there that I first saw a terrified look on his face. When I returned his heart, it dug through his chest to get to its rightful place. He was angry with me for `returning the pain that has been tormenting him' for so long. He screamed in pain, remembering the things that caused him to lose his heart. He said he had to face what happened to him. After we returned to Western Domain, he left. I don't know where he is.”
 
“Maybe he willingly severed his ties to you so you won't know where he is. I'm sure he will return, such an injury on his chest must take a while to heal. Perhaps he is trying to come to terms.”
 
“I wish I knew where he is.”
 
“When I was his host, he would often leave without warning too. He'll return.”
 
A short silence crept its way between them before Jordan took a long sigh. She turned to Kagome.
 
“You love him, don't you? Even after I told you not to have feelings for him?”
 
“I don't know what I feel anymore.” Kagome replied automatically. “When he's not here, I worry. When he's in pain, I'm in pain. I've never seen any happy emotions. I want him to laugh a lot. I want him to be happy. I don't know if what I feel for him is love, but I do know that I care and I do have feelings for him.” Kagome covered her mouth, shocked that she had just blurted out her innermost thoughts on a certain someone. She looked up at Jordan, surprised to her smile gently. She had never seen Jordan smile before. When it came to Jordan, Kagome just blurted things out without realizing. There was such a powerful security around this woman that made Kagome feel as though she could deny her nothing. She had a motherly presence and it made Kagome miss her real mother back home.
 
“Are you angry with me?” She asked apprehensively, watching Jordan's kind smile.
 
“No.” Jordan shook her head, closing her eyes and then opening them with her next sentence. “You did what I hoped that you would do. You returned his soul. However, now it will be harder for him control himself. He will have to deal with all the torment that he wanted to escape. I think that's why he left.”
 
“Perhaps we should return before you catch cold, Kagome.” Jordan quickly changed the way of the conversation, sensing that Kagome was growing uneasy thinking about her lost friend. “You are welcome to stay here. That injury on your arm will be well taken care of and I'm sure you need to gather your strength before you can transport home.”
 
“Thank you, Jordan.”
 
 
 
Kagome lay in her room, watching the crystal snow fall outside. Four days. She wished she had Inuyasha to soothe the wound on her arm. It wasn't healing as fast as it would when he was near. She hadn't been able to gather energy as fast either.
 
Spending her days with Jordan, Levion, Sarina and Suzuna, Kagome had begun to realize how much she had missed her family and friends back in the other world. She knew she would have to leave one day, but…she wasn't so sure she wanted to leave anymore. She wanted to stay here, with all her new friends. She didn't want to say goodbye forever to the people she knew here. This was also her home, but she missed the people she knew at her real home too. She had never felt so torn. She wanted to see her mom again, she wanted her friends, but she wanted the people here too, especially…
 
Kagome rose from the bed and walked to the window, pushing it open and placing her hand under the falling snow. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt like she wanted to be outside. She opened a door that led to the roof. Escaping into the snow above the tower that was her room, she looked out into the distance. Even though Northern Domain was nothing but crystal and ice, she didn't want it to become the sandy graveyard she had seen in Southern Domain. It was really beautiful. The mountains and the castle made of crystal snow, it was all very pretty.
 
“Idiot.” She muttered, unable to hide the real things that were going through her mind.
 
“Inuyasha, you idiot.”
 
“Inuyasha, you idiot! Running away like that!” She yelled out into the blizzard. “WHY!! WHAT IF YOU ARE INJURED AGAIN!! WHY DID YOU RUN AWAY WITHOUT TELLING YOU BAKA!! YOU COULD DEPEND ON ME A LITTLE MORE , YOU KNOW!!”
 
She lost the strength after so much screaming, sinking to her knees. Feeling the warmth come out of her eyes.
 
“Inuyasha, where are you? Where did you go?” She sobbed. “Why did you leave?”
 
“Please come back…Inuyasha…”
 
 
 
()()()()()()()
 
 
-Hides-