Kagura let go a sigh of relief, stepping into the room she had made hers since her birth. 'Now, all I have to do is stay out of sight until he realizes she's gone.' She tensed, suddenly sensing a presence behind her. Turning, she was slammed against the wall, Naraku's hand on her neck pinning her there. She glared in fear at him as he moved towards her, his stretched arm reverting to its normal state as he neared.

Struggling, she tore at the fingers on her with her claws. However, it did little good. Naraku smiled slightly, breathing lightly before whispering in her ear.She froze in shock at the words.

"What a way to waste a second chance." Kagura tried to speak but was stopped by an intense tightening in her chest. Gasping for breath, she stared into his cruel eyes, objects in the room beginning to blur around her. Tears of pain and anger gathered at the corner of her eyes.

A red glow was brought before her face, her life force clenched within his hand. "You… bastard…" She managed to grit out. He chuckled lightly.

"I may be a bastard, but at least I'll be alive. Can't say the same thing for you in a few moments, however." His hands tightened around the orb. *Crack* the feeling of a sword stabbing into her back caused her to cry out. Her life force began to seep out of the fissure, the same for the soul within her flesh.

Body going limp, Kagura's eyes began to slowly close. *Slash* Naraku's arm fell to the ground with a thud, Kagura falling to her knees beside it. Arm upraised in attack, her war-fan folded to a close. Naraku chuckled, arm reattaching.

"Good show, but hardly worth the cost of energy expended." Screaming in rage, Kagura stood, and slashed him once, twice, and many times more. He stood there, letting her chop him to bits, a smug condescending smile on his face. Breathing heavily after she was done, Kagura slumped to the floor, the orb beside her, almost shattered in two.

Naraku began to put himself back together, laughing up until- "You bitch!! I command you to stop!" Kagura eyes fluttered, struggling to open at the sound of enraged panic she heard. But what she saw--

"Kanna…" She whispered, a true smile upon her face, the first and last one in her short life, as her spirit slipped from her body. The orb flashed once, before it's glow faded from view forever.

For what she saw was Kanna, there, in the doorway, eyes white with power, hair floating about her in an invisible wind. Her mirror glowed with intensity as she struggled to steal the soul from Naraku's torn body. His soul seeped slowly from it, he screaming foul words at her at every moment, trying to pull himself together in time to stop her actions.

Bringing it high above her head, she screamed from the drain on her as she increased the power of it with her life. The noise and wind stopped suddenly, as the last of his spirit was absorbed into the mirror. It glowed blood red from his corrupted soul, and that was all Kanna saw before she fell into darkness.

Miles away, Sesshoumaru, Jaken, and Rin traveled their way around his land. As usual, Sesshoumaru was in the lead while Jaken led Ah and Un with Rin on their back. Suddenly, a strong wind blustered around them, knocking Jaken over rolling. Sesshoumaru stopped, smelling something familiar on the on the evening air.

An orb glowing brightly, swerved ahead of them, before touching the blades of grass below it. A form began to materialize, Jaken and Rin watching on in awe at the display. Kagura appeared, but something was different. She did not have the feel of helpless rage as she did before. And she was smiling. The form stepped towards Sesshoumaru, a soft aura present around her.

"Well, I'm finally free of him. Not exactly how I hoped for it to be … I did as you told me and tried to break free." She laughed lightly. "As you can see," she waved at herself, "it didn't quite work out." Her face turned serious.

"You know… You were my type." She neared him, stepped up tipsy toe and kissed him lightly on the lips quickly. She started to fade. Smiling sadly, she turned away.

"My energy's fading. This is the last I shall ever be on this world. And you know what?" She turned back to him, her words sounded muted as her form began to dissipate. "I'll miss it even if it was hell for me…" And she was gone.

A small hand pulled at his sleeve, and Sesshoumaru looked down.

"I remember that pretty lady. She took Rin to that scary boy…" The girl looked up, questions in her eyes.

"Jaken." Said henchmen snapped to attention. "Take Rin and return to the manor."

Jaken's eyes widened in alarm. "But Lord Sesshoumaru! Where will you go?" Jaken got no answer so he turned Ah and Un around and signaled Rin to follow. The girl gave Sesshoumaru one last look before doing as she was told.

Earlier in the day around the time Kagura was freeing Kagome "It's been a week! How much time does she need to think?!" Inu Yasha stormed, pacing the width of Kaede's small hut.

"You must calm yourself, Inu Yasha. She is not from this time, remember. Everything must be strange to her. Let her be in her home, she hardly sees it after all." Miroku said from his place by the fire. However, Sango looked concerned.

"But a week? Every time she has gone to her home, even for tests, it has not been more than three days. Though it never seems to turn out well, perhaps Inu Yasha should go and at least check up on her." Kaede nodded. "It would make me relieved to know that Kagome is well." Inu Yasha threw up his hands.

"Finally! Someone agrees with me. Well," he began as he headed out the door, "see you all later… With Kagome." Miroku sighed, shaking his head.

"Look on the bright side. We'll know if she's alright or not, won't we?" Sango said to the room.

Now on the other side of the well, Inu Yasha walked over to below Kagome's room window. Leaping up easily to the slight ledge, he pushed the windows inwards, breaking the latch. Inu Yasha cringed. 'She'll sit me for breaking that…'

Dropping to the floor, he looked around in the semi-darkness.The lights were off and her bed was made. 'That's strange. She's usually asleep or studying by this time.' Wandering out of the room, he slowly made his way down the stairs, glancing at the family portraits on the wall. Kagome's life-filled eyes peered at him from each one, various stages of her life presented for his approval.

At the base of the stairs, he stepped into the living room, where Souta immediately attacked him.

"Hey, bro! What you doing here? Wanna play video games with me like last time?" Though he was tempted, Inu Yasha shook his head.

"Not today, kid." Souta began dragging him into the kitchen.

"Mom's making supper right now." He said, and Inu Yasha's mouth began to salivate remembering last time's steak. Shaking his head once again to be rid of the visions, he looked down at Kagome's little brother as they entered the kitchen's doorway.

"Where's your sister?" Souta gave him a strange look.

"What do you--"

"Inu Yasha, darling, how are you?" Kagome's mother approached him, a welcoming smile upon her warm face. Slightly afraid of her, Inu Yasha was more respectful towards her than any other.

"I am well. I was wondering how Kagome was." She laughed.

"Why, you would know better than I." Inu Yasha became confused. What was she talking about?

"What do you mean?" A frown creased her features, a feeling of unease prodding at her consciousness. "Kagome's here… Isn't she? She left us a week ago to come here." Waves of fear and worry crept up on Inu Yasha, but he forced them away.

"But… I haven't seen my daughter since she left two weeks ago."

Till I write the next chapter! ^_^
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