InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Desert Rose ❯ Loss ( Chapter 17 )

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

By: ji-an

A friend is lost and a resolve is found.

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: 12.23.2006 | Updated On: 03.19.2007 | Pages: 12 | Words: 14.6K | Visits: 2.2K | Status: Work In Progress

I am SO sorry! *rams her head against the desk* I know that you wanted an update as fast as possible, but it's like holiday madness here! This is the chapter that I have been afraid to upload since I first thought of this story. Please don't kill me or get turned off. You know, lately there has been this idea for a new Inuyasha story running through my mind. I keep wondering if I should put it on paper or just forget about it…hmm. Well, back to the point before I ramble on and on! I hope that this chapter gives you a look on Inuyasha's and Kagome's feelings and a also a clue about the secrets of their enemies. Brace yourselves for a long chapter! Lots of drama! Oh, and don't kill me please!

Chapter Seventeen: Loss

Warning: Lots of violence and kick-butt action.

“Yura has failed to deal with our little sneaks.” Tsubaki emotionlessly told Naraku, feeling his anger echo about the room at her news.

“No matter, it seems that my pawn was among those little spies.” He growled viciously.

“Hiten.” Naraku summoned, watching as the demon appeared in the dark room.

“Yes, lord Naraku?”

“It seems that we have to plan our capture of the frost a little ahead of time.” He murmured icily. “Get to it.” He ordered.

“Yes, my Lord.” Hiten vanished into the void to carry out the commands of his dark master. After a moment of menacing silence from his departure, the demon witch turned to Naraku.

“So, we are going to collect the next two souls?” Tsubaki inquired.

“The last two souls will make the spell complete. With the last two, the final piece shall come into play, until then, I trust you will carry out what must be done.”

“Indeed. May I ask, what will become of your two captives? Or, should I say, your slave and your toy?”

“…They will die as soon as they are no longer needed…”

()()()()()()()

She sat shivering in her cold prison, fingers intertwined, and trembling thumbs on her lips. The room had a grave-like creep in the air, so dark, her eyes hurt from the light. She was scared, wishing she were away and free, but she knew she couldn't leave; they wouldn't let her leave and she would be left behind. She could hear nothing but her own shaking heartbeat and her broken sobs. How long she had been in the darkness, she didn't even remember the color of light, all she saw was black. No grey or silver.

A new sound came into the room, reaching her ears instantly and tripling her heartbeat. She didn't need to look up, she couldn't see, but could hear and knew whom it was that stood in front of her when the person spoke.

“You shouldn't have left. It's your own fault you are locked in here now…” The whispering voice rang into her mind and she could feel the reflection of light coming over her eyes. It hurt for a moment, but she ignored it.

“I don't want to stay here.” She sobbed.

“Is that why…you are helping our enemies…”

“They're not our enemy.”

“They are…”

“They're not our enemies! They're not your enemies!” She stood now, feeling the presence of the other girl in the room rise with her anger.

“We have to leave! We have to run away!”

“They would just catch you again…”

“They won't catch me! You'll be with me. We can go. They won't hurt us anymore!” She could feel something warm and wet come down her cheeks, but ignored them, listening to know if the she was able to call out to the other person across the room.

“…You are lying to yourself. You will…only sink into your own despair if you keep hoping…”

The presence of another was fleeting as she heard footsteps walk further away from her. “Wait! Don't go, don't leave me alone! Onee-san!” The other girl left and she was alone again as she sank to her knees, shivering as she had been moments ago. “I'm all alone. I'm scared. Mommy, Daddy…Ayla…”

()()()()()()()

Kagome whipped her face with her sleeve, looking up at the sky and letting the snow that fell on her face cool the warmth from her eyes. Five days ago she'd been right next to him. Why did he up and leave like that? Couldn't she help him get over his pain, didn't he trust her to stay with her and wait it out with her? She leaned back to sit on her bottom, cradling her injured arm. She missed him: his warmth, his presence, his smell, she missed being near him. Hell, she even missed his teasing. She had been separated from him before, for two months, but now even a day seemed to be too much. She stared out into the mountains, where she had directed her anger and confusion moments ago.

Feeling her cheeks become numb, the cut that she had received from Yura beginning to burn, Kagome rose to return to her room. She sighed heavily, hearing a knock on the door and slowly walking to answer it. Lifting her hand took great strength, for she suddenly felt like she wanted to fall, but she managed to get a hold of the door's handle and open it to reveal Sarina and Suzuna on the other side.

“Kagome, we thought you would like to join us for a bath and-hey, what's wrong?” Sarina stopped when she saw the dry trail of water on Kagome's face.

“Oh,” Kagome quickly brought her sleeve up to her cheek to wipe away her signs of sadness, “it's nothing, I get teary when I oversleep.”

“Well, Suzuna and I were going to the baths. You've never been to the baths of Crystal Palace. Trust me, it's like nothing you've ever experienced before.” Sarina insisted and Kagome got the idea that she wouldn't let her go unless some natural disaster drained the baths.

“Okay, I'll come.” Kagome agreed, seeing the sisters' faces brighten. The moment following, she found herself being dragged away by Sarina's hand. They whizzed past the inner walls of the castle with Kagome watching in awe as she saw the inside of the palace. It fascinated her that an entire city could be held within a giant castle. It also amazed her all these plants survived underground. The walls of the city were transparent and depicted the sky outside, but she could still see the crystal that surrounded them. An entire bastion made of ice, she shuddered to wonder what would happen if desert did reach here.

“Here we are!” Sarina and Suzuna said together. Looking up, Kagome gasped as the image invaded her mind. It was a dark area, where only the blue water and the glowing crystals on the stones gave light to the dark abysmal area around them. The sapphire glow illuminated the obsidian stone that trapped the waters in the baths.

“Wow.”

“See, I told you it's like nothing you've ever seen before.” Sarina chirped.

“Oh,” Kagome began, suddenly remembering her injury, “My arm-”

“Don't worry about that.” Suzuna interrupted. “The water here is so pure that it heals open wounds. It's a public bath, but most people don't come here this time of day.”

Finished with her explanation, Suzuna gathered a towel and stripped herself of her clothing before entering the steaming water, holding the towel to her chest. Kagome watched as Sarina did the same and decided it was time for her to test the water. She removed her clothes, placing them on the same stone that the sisters had placed theirs, and wadded into the water.

The small lake rippled as she entered and Kagome let the soothing liquid enter her open wound. She leaned back against the stone, looking upward and watching the glowing gems. It was like she were outside, under a starless, night sky. She felt like closing her eyes and going to sleep.

“I'm glad you came with us, Kagome. We didn't get the chance to properly thank you for helping us in Southern Domain.” Sarina called, taking Kagome's attention back to them.

“Yeah, if it wasn't for you, that hairy girl would've killed us.” Suzuna blinked when Kagome and Sarina suddenly burst into laughter at her description of Yura.

“What did I say?” She asked, clearly baffled at her unintentional joke.

“Oh, it's nothing sister. I'm just happy that Kagome saved us from the hairy girl.” Sarina answered, watching as her sister caught her own comedy and chuckled with the two of them. Their voices echoed in the area.

“I'm glad that you are smiling Kagome.” Sarina began, interrupting their laughter. “These past few days, you've been wandering around with a solemn look. Is something wrong?”

Kagome was silent for a moment, before she quickly regained herself and replied. “I must be tired. I think the strain of finding out what was occurring in Southern Domain had an effect on me.” Kagome turned to see the gentle look shimmering in Sarina and Suzuna's eyes. “I'm fine really.” She said, smiling.

She knew that the bath would be a momentary reprieve from her real problem, what she was really worrying about. She wanted to go back to Western Domain, but her powers had yet to gather to their fullest. Her gathering of energy was a lot slower without Inuyasha and she wanted to go back to see if he had returned. After all that strength she had used to get to the South and fight against Yura, she had to wait a while before she could gather her full vigor again, but she was impatient and wanted to return now!

She sighed again, something that didn't go unnoticed by Sarina and Suzuna when they asked if she was really okay. Kagome laughed weakly and shook her head. “I'd better go before I start looking like a prune. Thank you for inviting me.” Kagome took her leave from the bath, quickly changing into her clothing and leaving before her tears appeared in front of them. She rushed through the inner city, fighting against the swelling in the back of her eyes. She didn't know where she was going, but didn't care as she rushed past all the people. Before long, she lost her stamina and came to halt to catch her breath, whipping the new stain of salt from her eyes as her face remained pinned to the grassy floor.

“I can sense your unhappiness rolling off of you. Care to tell me what's troubling you? Perhaps I could help.” Kagome removed her gaze from the ground to see Levion standing in the middle of the garden she had wandered into. He did not look in her direction, but could hear her sobs and recognized her voice. His hand moved in her direction from beneath his blue robes as if acknowledging her presence.

“Levion?”

“Yes?” His gaze remained in front of him, but she knew he was listening.

“What are you doing here?”

“This is my family's garden that you happened to run into. My guess is that you were too distracted by your dilemma to notice that I was here. What's wrong Kagome-san?”

“I…”

“Forgive me, it's none of my concern. However, if you feel like talking, I'm always here.”

“L-Levion?”

“Hmm?”

“When someone you care about is far away and you know that they are hurting and you want to help, but don't know where they are and worry, what do you do?”

“Well, I suppose that this certain someone must want to solve their problem on their own. If they don't want you involved and left because of it, then all you can do is have faith in them and wish them the best with their troubles. The best thing to do is wait and hope for the best so you can welcome them with an open heart.” He answered, still not looking in her direction, but rather, looking knowingly into the distance.

“But what if you can't help worrying?”

“Worrying is a sigh of caring. It's natural to be concerned for someone you care about. But if you worry too much, you'll cause yourself pain. It's best to trust that everything would be fine.”

He heard Kagome mutter a quick thanks before her distant footsteps told him that she left. “Don't leave her waiting, Inuyasha…” He turned to find his sister.

Kagome ran back to her room where she abruptly flopped down on her bed, starring at the ceiling. Is this what a heartbreak felt like? She wasn't even sure if it was heartbreak. She turned over in bed, her cheek resting against the cushions.

()()()()()()()

The ice in his bones didn't cool the infernal image in front of him. Standing in a sea of blood that was not his own, he could feel something in his mind scream, something in his chest catch fire, but his bones remained chilled. The two bodies, one that belonged to him, and one that mirrored him, lay in the pool of blood that coated his bare feet. He saw himself lying there dead in the ground and felt his strength and hold on sanity fade away before his chest blazed and he felt his soul sink into deep despair…

Inuyasha quickly opened his eyes, his heart beating furiously as he clutched the tree he was in with his claws to steady his shacking. “Another dream.” He jumped down to land on his feet on the ground, trying to control his insistent trembling. Again, the dreams won't stop. He thought that being away from Kagome would make it easier to come to terms with what she reminded him of, but it was inverse effect. His dreams were becoming more repugnant, more realistic and more anguished, closer to the real thing.

“Damn it!” He pounded his fist into the ground wrathfully, making it crack and crumble on collision. “How much longer must this go on?” He growled at himself for being weak, unable to continue his life because of one experience. He had never felt so useless, so feeble. He looked out into the horizon; out across the mountains and the trees, thankful that the rich smell of forest filled the air. The deepest forest he had ever found, farthest away from the desert and deep within the mountains stretched before him. He remembered escaping into this forest when he was little, running away from the men at home that had attacked him because of what he was. He came here, looking through the forest, and found the ancient ruins that he had been staying in for the past week or so.

Inuyasha sighed, turning from the mountain-view to return to the ruins. The broken, ivory colored temples and buildings reminded him of the first time that he found this place. A few days after the death of his mother, after he was bullied, he remember running deep into this place and finding the ruins he was standing in now. In the past, this place had offered him a sole serenity like no other: a place where he could be alone and think for himself. Yet now, even this place couldn't provide the peace of mind that he was seeking.

He'd see it every time he's close his eyes. He'd think about it every moment. Though the painful kicks his heart would give every time his mind would wander to that moment, had decreased in their pain, they were still there, coming to torment him all those times that he thought about it. The mere remembrance made him shudder. It felt as though it had just happened, as if the sixty-year period between then and now never existed. He wished he were dead, joining all those souls that were free from their misery, but his heart kept him from ending his own life, just as it had years before.

Too many things were on his shoulders now. If he were to end, then his people would suffer from the desert. His brother, not that he cared that much, would suffer. Miroku and Sango would suffer. Rin would suffer …and…Kagome would never return home.

Kagome…

He felt guilty. When she came to see him, after she had returned his heart, he wanted to run, and, in the end, he had. Her name rang through his mind and he didn't know why. Having a heart returned things he hadn't known for sixty years, and now he was questioning himself. There was nothing in this world holding him here, like it had been before the war began eighty years ago. A twenty-year war that ended in tragedy for him. He wondered what it would have been like if his life hadn't taken turn it had. Would he be happy now, instead of torn inside? Would he be with whom he cared for, instead of alone?

And…would he have met Kagome?

He hated not being able to sort out his own emotions! It was like there was a mirror in front of him, but it wasn't his reflection that was peering back at him. The mirror was two ways: on one side was his demon half, which held the control for the last sixty years. The other was his human half, which still ached from his past. But the one that was now looking in that mirror and seeing both halves was questioning what he felt for his life now, what he felt for the people he knew now, what he feels for the woman he knows now.

Did he ever really care about Miroku, Sango, Rin, Shippo, and everyone else he met after the twenty-year war? His demon half was unable to care, only remnants of his human heart caught on to things like affection. As he got older, he felt a greater distance between his heart and himself. He thought he would've forgotten forever. He thought he would erase them from his memory, but then he felt Kagome wrap her arms around him before he felt his chest being torn apart and the memory flood his head.

“Fuck!”

He pounded his hand against an unlucky tree when his heart gave another painful kick; the tree fell from its roots. He wheezed, the pain between his lungs burning into his bones as he took deep breaths to soothe himself. Moments later, he calmed down, before sitting down on the ground, covering his eyes with one hand, and mumbling, “Maybe I'll never get over this…”

()()()()()()()

Kagome opened her eyes as she sat up in bed, shivering. She didn't even remember falling asleep, but that felt like a mere importance as she recalled what she had seen in her dreams. She had been walking away from something, from what she didn't know, but she had felt happy for a moment.

Then she felt everything around her slow down, her footsteps didn't seem to be moving forward. In front of her had been three figures, and she remember being terrified when one of those figures ripped through the other two. She remembered standing in a pool of blood and then, after the third figure evaporated, she opened her eyes.

She looked about her room. It was dark, the only light coming from the white snow that was falling outside her window. Holding her injured arm, she rose from the bed, looking about the empty space that was her room. It was a week or so that she found herself in Southern Domain and came here afterward.

She counted twelve days. It was strange, but she could suddenly start feeling Inuyasha's emotions even though she still couldn't reach him when she called to him with her mind. Jordan had told her it was a false alarm, but at this point Kagome didn't quite believe her. She could feel sadness and confusion coming into her mind at the most random moments. At first she had agreed with Jordan, that maybe they were false alarms, but then she began feeling his presence; he felt so near and so far. How she had been able to feel him when he had broken all his ties to her, she didn't know, but it did help to relieve her worrying. Unfortunately, she began to fear for something else as she began having the same nightmare over and over.

“Something's not right.” Kagome muttered to herself as she looked out into the snow. Why did it feel cold inside crystal palace? Something ominous was in the air, a feeling she had when she was at the castle in Southern Domain. She turned to dress herself, pulling her arms into the sleeves of her blue robes. Deciding to tell Jordan of her suspicions, Kagome headed toward the door. Just as she was about to turn the handle, she felt something cold enter the room as a strand of gray caught her attention.

Turning, she couldn't help but gasp when her eyes came upon the silver. She was sitting on Kagome's bed, her blank eyes in Kagome's direction. Before Kagome could address the girl, ask everything she wanted to know, she spoke.

“They are coming. Be careful.” She whispered before she vanished.

Kagome panted, realizing that she had been holding her breath when the silver appeared. She continued to stare at the spot the girl had been in moments ago. She rushed from the room, intent on finding Jordan. Rushing down the steps that led to her room, she immerged into the inner city walls. Something shook beneath her feet, making her fall from the impact of the quake.

“Oww. What was that?”

“Kagome!” Turning her head, Kagome saw Sarina and Suzuna come toward her. It was then that she noticed that the inner walls of the city were empty.

“Where have you been?” Sarina asked desperately when they reached Kagome.

“I just woke up.”

“How could you sleep through a battle?” Suzuna asked disbelievingly.

“What!”

“The ice that protected us has faded. Our enemies came into the snow outside a few minutes ago!” Sarina answered.

“They attacked the wall of the city and now they keep shooting at the palace. Levion and Jordan got all the fighters. They are outside fighting right now!” Suzuna finished.

Instantaneously, Kagome rose from her feet, running toward the gate that led to the outside world from the inner city. “Where are you going!” The sister's called for her but she didn't stop her running.

“I'm going to fight!”

“You can't! You're not completely healed yet!” She ignored the sisters' worries, disappearing through the open gate into the snow.

“Should we chase her, Sarina?”

“No, Jordan told us to protect the people hidden inside. We have to stay.”

Rushing into the snow, Kagome quickly gathered a bow and quiver from fallen soldier. She didn't need time to look over red snow, knowing in an instant as her eyes quickly took in the fighting what the stakes were. She ignored the cold seeping into her skin, running through fallen bodies to where the actual struggle was occurring. Thousands of demons surrounded the small army of fighters from the castle.

Safe from an undetectable distance yet close enough to do some real damage, Kagome let an arrow fly, running right after releasing it and watching as a line of demons were purified from the arrows touch. She came into the battleground, repelling any demon that dared to harm her with her bow.

“Kagome! What are you doing here!” A voice called from her side.

“I'm helping whether you like it or not, Levion!” She answered, sending a group of demons that were unlucky enough to gather around her flying backward. She charged through the fighting, coming to the aid of anyone who was outnumbered or was getting weak.

A creature decided to tackle her from behind, but she sensed it coming. Before the demon could rip through her back, a barrier formed around her and the allies near, causing the monster to fall into the snow. She breathed in a few relieved breaths. Jordan appeared at her side, ordering some of the troops to head back to the palace. Some demons had broken away from their battle and were now attacking the walls of the city.

“Kagome, you are in danger here!” Jordan warned, slashing through enemies with her twin swords.

“What? After all that training you put me through, you say that I can't handle a few demons!” She cried, repelling man and demon alike as they lunched to attack her. Then, all too quickly, a circle of enemies surrounded the two women, and Kagome backed away until her back touched Jordan's. Their enemies halted their movements, as though savoring this moment before an end was put to the two girls' lives.

“Any bright ideas?” Kagome asked.

“Just one, your hand, Kagome.”

Holding her hands with Jordan's, she felt cold as Jordan tied her power with hers. She felt the familiar feeling of this spell coming into her as she saw herself glow blue. Their enemies rushed to destroy before they could be attacked by the spell, but they were too slow as a mix of sorcerer and miko energy slashed through them, engulfing them in ice and freezing them in time, harmless.

“This way!” Jordan ushered Kagome, as the spellbound host followed her to where their allies were losing the fight. Sprinting between the warriors and the demons Kagome received another gust of power from her sorcerer as she readied a frozen arrow.

“Release.” She said in tune with Jordan, watching as the projectile sailed through the air, freezing thousands of demons. Kagome felt Jordan's strength leave, watching as she no longer glowed with power and turning when Jordan fell to her knees behind her.

“Are you alright?” She ran near her but was stopped when Jordan yelled, “Kagome, behind you!”

She was fast enough to put a barrier over herself before the demon could cut off her head, but not fast enough to dodge the sword that had already been swung, nor was she ready for the pain and crimson that came into her already injured arm. She grunted, stumbling backward, holding her arm. Seeing a break in the girl's resistance, the army rushed to tear her apart however they were prevented by blinding force that cured the taint in their blood.

Kagome panted, holding her burning wound as she began to feel the fatigue. She was tired, fighting against the cold, her wounds and the fact that she wasn't at her full strength to battle her hardest. She was beginning to feel faint after using so much of her might.

“Where are they all coming from?” She said, starring out hopelessly at the thousands of unrelenting monsters that began surrounding her and her partners. Her eyes widened as they raced to finish them off. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene, heart beating wildly, as she waited for the attack.

A blue flash made her squeeze her eyes shut. She quickly opened them to see a few demons fall as Levion stood in front of them for a moment before his fell to his knees, clutching the open wound on his shoulder.

“Levion!” Jordan cried, still recovered from the spell she cast with Kagome, as she rushed to her fallen brother. “Are you alright?”

“There are too many! We're trapped!” The men began yelling in fear and Kagome could do nothing but see the truth in their words. She cast her eyes over them, the thousands of dangers that enclosed her as they came to finish the job now that the last of her protectors had fallen from weariness. She closed her eyes, waiting for the blow to come, seeing the images of her past fly through her mind.

The wind about her picked up and Kagome felt what she thought was the last caress of life. Screams filled her ears, but Kagome didn't feel the blow she had been expecting. When no such assault came to her, she slowly opened her eyes, seeing the enemies fall around them before she realized that she was sitting behind someone's shadow. Looking up, her eyes watered as he sheathed the sword at his hip.

“Bastards.” He quickly turned to look at the girl who was shuddering in the snow. He looked down at her, relief seeping into his features when seeing that she was still breathing, but his reprieve vanished when he saw the injury on her arm. He offered his hand to help her stand, but she stayed glued to her spot.

“Kagome?”

In a heartbeat she sprang to life again, knocking him backward a few steps with the force of her embrace as she wrapped her arms around his torso, making him grit his teeth because of the sensitivity around his chest.

“INUYASHA!” She sobbed into his shirt, tightening her arms around him, ignoring the burn in her arm.

“You're really here! It's for real!”

“Kagome…” He returned her embrace, placing his arms around her shoulders and placing his chin over her head.

She cried. All this time she had been worrying, dreaming of him and when he suddenly appeared, she thought she was seeing things again. She leaned all her weight into him, feeling her strength give out; it didn't surprise her that he supported her. She had been wishing for his warm, to be near him again, now she felt like she didn't want to let go. After about a seventeen-day absence, she never wanted to be separated from him again.

She pushed back to look at the gold eyes that she missed. Something was…different about him. His face wasn't the pale color she remembered seeing. It was like he had stepped into the light. His eyes had a more powerful golden gleam, he was warmer, and his heartbeat came stronger to her ears. Was this because he was recovering?

“How did you know I was here?” She asked.

He shrugged. “I went back home to find out that you had disappeared.” He began. “I figured that there was only one person you'd want to see and came here just in time to find you in that fight. On that note, what the hell is your problem! You could've gotten yourself killed! Are you crazy for going up against all those demons by yourself!” He shook her shoulders as he stressed every word.

“HEY!” She opened her mouth to retort but the idea faded from her mind when she found herself back in his hold; he was clutching her to him as though his life depended on it.

“I was terrified. What if you were killed?”

“Inuyasha…”

“Ahem”

The voice of Jordan brought them back to the reality that they were not alone. Kagome was sure her face was as red the blood on her arm, as she buried her face in Inuyasha's chest finding it strange that he didn't let go of her like she thought he would.

“Thank you so much, Inuyasha.” Jordan began, bowing.

“Yeah, I thought we were done for.” One of the soldiers stated quietly before Jordan told them to return to the city to check on the people. After the men left, Kagome found herself still in the arms of Inuyasha, who, surprisingly, refused to let her go. She managed to bring her blushing gaze to Jordan and Levion, a little relieved when she remembered that Levion couldn't see what they were doing.

“Levion, your shoulder. I'm so sorry, you were protecting us and-”

“Don't worry yourself over it, Kagome-san. I'd rather get hurt protecting friends than get hurt any other way.” He stated calmly.

“It was still a risky move, what if-” Jordan began scolding before her brother cut in.

“How, then were we supposed to protect ourselves?” His statement quieted her as she quickly realized his point. Sighing as well as turning, Jordan decided to address the pair that was still holding one another.

“How are you faring Kagome? You have your share of injuries too.” Kagome felt Inuyasha tightened his hold even further at the mention that she was hurt.

“Oh, right, I think-”

“Kagome, Inuyasha, look out!”

Before anyone could get a glimpse of what had occurred, Levion was lying face first in the snow across from the hanyou and miko he had pushed away from the lightening that had almost struck them. Once the shock from that instant faded, Jordan screamed for her brother, rushing to him as Inuyasha and Kagome sprang from where Levion had pushed them to go see their savior.

“Always the hero, aren't you `Lord' Levion. I knew your fast senses would make you take the choice you had.” The voice halted Inuyasha and Kagome's movements, as they turned away from Jordan as she cradled her brother's head in her lap. Hiten had returned, floating above the snow, his thunder staff still sparking from the attack.

“Brother…” She could feel his soul fading as her trembling hands held his face in her lap.

“You did this?” Jordan turned her tear-stained eyes at the demon. “Why?”

“I simply took this.” Hiten answered, holding the object in his hand. A gasp escaped from the three listeners as they saw the shimmering blue diamond the palm of Hiten's hand. “It was easy with that wound on his shoulder.”

“Give that back!” Jordan roared, anger seeping off her but she couldn't leave the side of her injured sibling, watching helplessly as the demon fisted the heart.

“Well done, Hiten.” Kagome gasped upon seeing the eerie woman she had seen in Southern Domain appear: Tsubaki.

“You bastards!” Inuyasha was hold the hilt of his sword.

“One wrong move and Levion dies.” Tsubaki warned as Hiten handed the heart to her, watching as Inuyasha sheathed the sword with a growl. “Now, the third soul had come.” She said, peering at the radiant diamond.

“Good work, Tsubaki, Hiten.” Again Kagome shuddered, having heard that cryptic voice and knowing whom it was that suddenly appeared between the dark woman and the thunder demon.

“Naraku, you bastard!” Before Kagome could stop him, the hanyou had charged a creature known as the kind of the eastern lands, successfully clawing off his arm in his anger, but Naraku had recovered quickly, sending Inuyasha flying backward with the swing of a thorn-like, scaly tentacle.

“Inuyasha!”

“Well, well, my pawn, it seems you are here too?” His voice kept her from getting to Inuyasha, as she turned in fury at him.

“I'm not your pawn! I won't do your bidding!” Kagome answered in rage.

“Ah, but you do not know how much you have helped us.”

Before Kagome could reply, Inuyasha had regained himself and was hacking away unsuccessfully at Naraku. Though he managed to pierce Naraku's shoulder, the demon lord had retaliated with a string of spells that attacked Inuyasha like a thousand needles, covering him in cuts and making him fall to the floor. Kagome ran to kneel beside him, placing her hands on his back as he brought himself on his knees.

“Why the sudden urge to fight me, Inuyasha? Is it because you couldn't protect the people you once knew and cared about, just like you are failing to protect Levion now?” Naraku taunted, an evil glint in his grin.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome asked when he felt his back rumble from the growl that was escaping his throat.

“How weak someone's heart is, how easily you can be deterred by a mere idea as emotion. What would it be like if the people you loved where here, would you be able to fight me?” Naraku continued.

“Shut up, you asshole!” Inuyasha moved to attack him again, but his eyes widened suddenly as he fell to his knees once more, clutching his chest and barely hearing Kagome worried sob when she came beside him.

“Tsubaki, there is still work to be done.” He heard the voice of his enemy, watching as the demon witch fisted Levion's heart. This time Jordan had left her brother's side, but her movements had been too late, for the witch's eyes glowed as a black scar covered one of them.

“With this, the heart of one of the four souls, a heart that holds immense power, this ground will become sand.” She brought the heart over her head, shattering it with a snake that came out of her eye.

Levion screamed in agony, making his sister return to his side. She knelt on all fours next to him, tears welling up in her face when her brother spoke. “I always knew, I'd cross first…don't look at me like that…live on, Jordan, meet me on the other side…when your work here is done…I love you, sister…”

“Levion…brother…” His eyes closed and Jordan could see her brother crossing the rift to the next life when all the warmth was lost from his body. She buried her face in his bleeding chest, not caring that her tears mixed with his blood.

“You…you, monsters!” Kagome yelled, unable to stand the situation anymore as she sprang to her feet.

“HOW COULD YOU!”

A torrent of forgotten energy sprang from the woman's body, engulfing all of her comrades, the white light that emitting from her body blinding her foes as they shrieked and shielded their eyes. The force from the light seeped into their bones, as though repelling them and threatening to crush the very support their bodies stood on.

The three demons stumbled back, trying to escape the blinding light that had emerged from Kagome's body as their bones began to burn. Tsubaki was the first to flee with Hiten following. Naraku, before he left, uttered a frightening warning, “This…will not go un-punished.”

With the last of her strength gone, Kagome could no longer hold herself up and she began to stumble from her loss. She felt someone hold on to her from behind and looked over her shoulder to Inuyasha, leaning into his support, but their brief moment was broken by one of Jordan's cries. Kagome almost ran to her, forgetting her weariness, when Jordan began crying louder in grief and agony as something inside of her broke and her blood mixed into the melting snow. Inuyasha stopped Kagome, holding her tighter and keeping her from going. Kagome shot him an angry glance, but saw the pained look on his face as he looked at Jordan. He could no longer look at the scene as he turned his face away, shaking from the sadness to the situation and hiding the swelling in his own eyes.

Kagome felt her eyes burn with tears as well but overlooked the water as it dripped from her jaw. She watched as Jordan continued crying over her loss. Finally, Jordan stood, wobbling at first, but steadying herself at she stood upright.

“Inuyasha.” She said.

“Yeah?”

“You have my support, in this war.”

“So, you're heart's returned…”

This time, Jordan turned, and, for the first time, her emotions where played on her face, not in her eyes. She wore a determined frown, showing her sadness as well as her resolve to continue. Tears still fell from her cheeks and into the snow that was quickly beginning to melt. The crimson wound on her chest, telling Kagome where she had kept her heart: right next to her brother's.

Somehow, Inuyasha had managed to bring a wounded Jordan and her brother's body back to Crystal palace. Once inside the slowly disintegrating castle, Jordan had told the survivors of her people the horrible news with torment in her eyes. The people had mourned just as strongly as their former princess had over her brother's death. Jordan, now queen, as her first task, had told her people to quickly gather in order to flee from the desert that was pushing its way into the surface from behind the melting ice.

With the help of Inuyasha's sword, she safely took everyone away from what they had known as their home for so long. Before she could join them, she took one last look at the crumbling crystal palace, where Levion had told her he wanted to be buried so many years ago. Respecting his wishes, she had taken him to the deepest part of the city, where the purest form of ice was kept cold. She laid his body there, kissed his forehead, saying “I love you,” and left the world that was taken away from her.

When Inuyasha and Kagome had returned to Western Domain, it had been with heavy hearts. Jordan, ignoring the fatal wound on her heart, went to speak with Sesshoumaru, who had agreed to her joining in the war as allies as well as letting her people stay in his territory. As soon as she was sure everything was set with her people, she went to rest and heal her wounds. Sango and Miroku, having heard the news, were terrified. It was no longer a secret how the desert was so powerful, and how Naraku and his minions where vicious. After that day, a change occurred in all the people. This was one moon ago.

Kagome sat on the edge of the balcony of the golden room. She had now returned to her fullest strength, reflecting on things that had happened since she came to this world only six months ago. So much had happened and now things were not following so smoothly after Levion's death. Jordan was still healing from the wounds of her heart. Her symptoms were similar to Inuyasha's as she often fell to her knees with the kicks her heart gave her.

The people where at a loss, mourning for their ruler. Sesshoumaru began searching for a new tactic to fight against Naraku, now that it was certain that Western Domain was next in their plans. Everyone was nervous now that the real strain of war had fallen upon them.

Kagome stared out over the last green land that was not desert. She didn't know how many times she cried. But now she had her own problems. She kept seeing the same dream, and was now worrying her as a frightening premonition. One night she had awoken sobbing, clutching Inuyasha next to her.

“What's wrong?” She remembered him asking.

“I had a bad dream.”

So she had told him and for a moment he seemed concerned, as if her dream had something in store for him. She wanted to question him, ask if why he looked so worried, but he brushed it off. He was acting strangely since they returned from the north. Was it something Naraku had asked him? So many times his words had rang through her head and it reminded of how Inuyasha had reacted to what that monster had said about him. `Was it true,' She wondered, `that he could not protect the ones he loved?'

She left the balcony, unable to stand being alone in such upsetting thoughts, deciding to go for a walk to clear her head. Climbing down the steps of the red tower, Kagome walked out into the gardens, where she saw the children of Northern Domain playing with some of the native children. Such a small thing, seeing their innocence as they played together, un-plagued by prejudice or war. It brightened her mood to see Shippo ordering around the other children like he was the strongest leader.

She walked deeper into the gardens to notice a familiar face. Jordan was sitting next to Sango, listening as Kohaku tried to tell them a few anecdotes to cheer Jordan's mood. Jordan listened to the boy quietly, a gentle smile on her face. She was slowly adjusting to her sadness, slowly.

“Jordan.” Kagome found herself saying before she could stop.

“Hmm. Oh, Kagome.”

“I think we should leave, Kohaku.” Sango quickly said, taking her leave with her younger brother. Kagome watched them go then took a seat at the table that Jordan had been sitting at, shyly looking at her. “So, how are you?”

“My wounds will take some time to heal. I didn't think having a heart returned would be so painful. As for my other wounds well…”

“So, your heart was next to Levion's. OH! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-” Kagome started at the saddened look on Jordan's face.

“No,” She began, quietly shacking her head, “it's alright. Actually, I think I would feel better if I talked about it. Yes, I had given my heart to Levion. I was eight years old when I found out that I had a baby brother. It was the happiest feeling I ever had, as we grew together, I noticed that Levion was quick to catch sick. My parents never told me that he was born weak, nor that he was blind. I found out when I overheard our doctors speaking of it one night. Levion was born with immense power, so strong, that it took away his eyesight as well as some strength from his body. They said that his abilities were so concentrated, that he was greatly weakened and he could die. When I heard this, I saw the most horrifying image in my head, my little brother, gone. At that moment, when I learned that I could lose the person I cared about most, my heart dropped. It hurt immeasurably. But after it happened, one day when I was playing with my brother, he suddenly fainted. I was so scarred that he would die, so I pushed my heart into him. Afterward, he grew as a healthy boy should. But it looks like, in the end, I wasn't able to protect him like I wanted.”

“Jordan…you know what, I'm sure that Levion forgives you. I don't thing he wants you to beat yourself up for it. He would be happy that you have accepted his death and moved on.” It was tough on Kagome, but she knew that losing a brother was more difficult that Jordan. She kept telling herself that even though, its hard, life goes on, but she didn't know if Jordan was understanding what she meant to say.

Jordan looked up at Kagome, a weak smile on her face. “You're right, Kagome, but it doesn't make acceptance any easier. But, for you, I will try.” Jordan stood, saying that she needed rest and took her leave.

Kagome walked back into the castle, happy to see Jordan slowly getting better and seeing the servants move about as busily as ever. She guessed that this time they had more guests to consider. She walked through the halls, occasionally jumping out of the way of a speeding servant. She kept going absentmindedly until she realized that she was standing in front of Rin's room, the home of the portrait. She was about to pass by when a pair of voices reached her ears.

“She is pretty, huh, Uncle Inuyasha.” Came Rin's voice.

“Yeah, she is.”

At hearing Inuyasha's voice, Kagome stopped to look into the open door. Rin was sitting on her bed, her eyes in the same direction Inuyasha's eyes were, locked on the painting. Kagome's heartbeat sped up at this and, the moment she entered the room to see if he was really looking, Rin jumped from her place to hug her around the waist. “Hi, Kagome! You came to play with me too?”

Kagome smiled at Rin briefly before looking in Inuyasha's direction. He took a brief glance at her, before swiftly getting to his feet and leaving the room. Quickly giving Rin an apology and a promise to play another time, Kagome rushed out of the room chasing after Inuyasha. She tried following him from a distance and noticed that when she increased her pace, he increased his. It wasn't until they had exited the castle and wandered deep into the forests that he finally stopped in front of a large tree. She stood behind him, quietly waiting for him to acknowledge her presence.

“She really does look like me doesn't she?” He said, his back to her.

“Who?”

“The girl in the painting.”

Sniff, sniff!! I cried when I wrote this.