AN: The first part of this chapter has already been shown in the teaser. If you have already read the teaser you can skip ahead (I promise I didn't upload the same chapter twice). The new part of the chapter will have its first sentence in bold. Enjoy and thanks for the wait!

"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
― Plato

Nagasaki in early morning August was a lot colder than Kagome had remembered.

The sun had just started to rise to the east, kissing the city in fresh shades of reds and oranges. Birds chirped happily through the sky, desperate to begin their day. The city-dwellers had yet to stir from bed, though a few who undoubtedly worked farther away or out of the city came to and from the train station.

Despite all this, the air seemed heavy. Perhaps it was her nerves, or perhaps it was the chest plate that Inuyasha had tied way too tight around her ribs that simply restricted her breathing.

Adjacent to her was said hanyou, watching the sky half heartily. They had made their way to a flat roof top. The concrete was cold and hard, causing Kagome to squirm as different parts of her body fell asleep. Inuyasha, however, didn't seem too bothered by this as he laid down without moving a muscle for hours.

He was clearly trying to stay awake as his eyes occasionally drifted closed, allowing his eyelashes to kiss his cheeks for just a moment until they sprang back to attention. They had been there for hours; from the dead of night until the break of dawn. It was still early morning and still nothing had happened.

Inuyasha had fought for permission from InuTaisho to leave for Nagasaki as soon as Kagome had asked. At some points the confrontation seemed like it would devolve into a fist fight (or worse). Kagome stood at the sidelines just outside, struggling to breathe through the intense air as the family argued and her crippling anxiety.

Eventually, through Izayoi's help and the agreement that they would be escorted by the wolf tribe they were given permission to head out.

"Man, you made it sound like it was urgent." Inuyasha whined as he turned around to face her. He had abandoned his own armor long ago and it layed haphazardly beside him. His hair blew over his face as he closed his golden eyes once more, his head balanced on the palm of his hand.

All around them the messengers of the underworld teetered impatiently. One would occasionally break off from the group, it's sickly thin limbs extenuated by the rising sun as it chased after a soul, quickly capturing it and returning to the crowd. Kagome watched them in uneasy fascination. They all really do come in different shapes and sizes.

"It's coming... I know it is." Kagome still felt anxious, it tugged at her, nipped at her mind and breathed down her neck in sickening waves. It really didn't help that the stupid chest plate was digging into her sides either.

She tried to adjust the cold metal, struggling from the restriction of her heavy garb along with the constant tugging of the plate itself.

Inuyasha noticed her struggling, deftly raising to his knees, assisting Kagome by untying the plate all together. Kagome kept her eyes glued on her fists which were gripping tightly onto her kimono, her knuckles white. How long had she been doing that?

She released a breath she hadn't even noticed she was holding, her head spinning slightly at the need for fresh oxygen. It still amazed her how she was dead, yet she still needed to breathe, could still bleed, could still feel the cold.

There were so many things she still didn't understand. How she died, why she found herself as a kami, why she had her dream. She had asked herself these questions numerous times over the past three days, but now she found a new one pricking at her mind.

Why Inuyasha even bothered with her.

He had no reason to be with her, no reason to trust her. He could've been cold like his brother - he certainly seemed the type - but he wasn't. He had shown her the souls departing for heaven right when she needed it, had intervened when she was threatened by Sesshomaru and the servants; he was even with her now.

"Why..." She didn't mean to say it out loud, but she also didn't regret that she had.

Inuyasha was poised behind her. She couldn't see him, but she could feel him strain closer at her sudden question. "Huh?"

"Why." She said again, louder this time. "Why do you bother with me?"

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha shot back, his tone far from comforting.

"You don't know me, everyone else around that place hates me, why do you keep sticking up for me!" She spat back, spinning around to face him. His gaze was intense, his eyebrows twitching in annoyance. He was angry and wasn't making any effort to try to hide it.

"You don't make any fucking sense Kagome." He averted the question.

"Maybe I'm not," She said, cold venom seeping from her tongue, "but you're no better!"

Inuyasha's eyes grew fierce, his eyes dilating as he moved them sporadically over her figure. His jaw clenched as if he was about to retaliate, but it the words never came.

Kagome figured she had done it now, her sour mood at ruined her chances of having even one person on her side through this.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was searching her face, reading her expression. The salty scent of her tears stung him deep, causing him to bit his tongue.

He could never understand women; his mother was solid as a stone, always wistful and cheery, Rin had always been optimistic and bright, Kikyou cold and distant

But Kagome was a storm, dangerous and beautiful all at the same time. One moment she was calm and the next a torrent. She chose who could traverse her waters and who would be cast out to sea, and he found himself alone in her unfamiliar waters.

It conflicted with everything Inuyasha knew, everything he had tried to forget over the past couple centuries. He was only beginning to come to terms with it now. How could she possibly hope to understand his reasoning's when he hardly understood them himself?

She had awoken something deep inside him, something instinctual and primal he had never experienced before; not even with Kikyou. Every cell of his body craved to protect her, to reach out and hold her, to never let her feel any strife or pain.

Everything about the kami was invading his senses. He could hear her heart pounding in her chest, smell the salt of her tears mixed with her creamy scent, felt the fabric of her thick kimono against his clawed fingers...

His golden eyes fell onto hers and he was left swimming again, lost in the world only he found himself in. It pissed him off and excited him all at once. Keep it together Inuyasha! He mentally scolded himself as he swallowed hard.

He felt himself moving closer, his body closing the space between them without being told. All of his senses were filled with her - all but one.

He wanted to taste her.

"... Just leave." Her voice broke through his thoughts, freezing him in place. He could barely hear her over the beating in his ears.

"Huh?" He blinked away his daze, noticing he was only mere inches away from her face. He could feel her breath against his lips.

"If this is all just a sick joke to you then just leave." Kagome repeated herself as she lowered her head, covering her eyes with her thick bangs. Warm wetness cascaded down her cheeks, lingering on her chin before dropping to the hard stone of the roof, staining it with the evidence of her emotions.

Inuyasha's throat clamped shut. Each breath of air cut into his dry organ. He had to fight to get the air into his lungs as he watched the tears fall. Guilt and anger danced together in his heart, both fighting for control. His usually sharp tongue was failing him as his mind raced to try to find something to fill the silence. Fuck this girl for doing this to me.

Whatever Inuyasha would have said back would be lost to Kagome, however. Just as the inugami looked like he was about to speak, his eyes flitted upwards, his attention caught by the long insect floating through the sky.

In its wake something else, a familiar scent tainting the air as the creature chased after a stray soul.

Kikyou.

Inuyasha rose to his feet in an instant, deftly re-equipping his gear and sword before re strapping Kagome in her own chest-plate.

"Wait here." He ordered sternly before leaping off the roof in one powerful movement.

"And don't you even think for one fucking second that I'm leaving because of that!"

Jagged bark of a tree Kikyou had been leaning against dug into her shoulder, stirring only slightly awake from her shallow sleep. She moved slightly, readjusting herself to get more comfortable before allowing her consciousness to drift back to black...

Onigumo stirred at her feet, bringing her back to full attention.

It had been a long, hectic night. She had been feeding him a constant supply of souls in an attempt to heal him, but it only seemed to allow him to walk the thin line between life and death only marginally.

She leaned down gingerly at his side, allowing her spiritual power to spark to life at her fingers. Onigumo's sunken eyes reflected the soft pink glow as he watched her move her small, delicate hand over his form. She could feel his pain as if it were happening to herself. Her skin was lit on fire, burning with every minor movement. Her mouth suddenly tasted metallic, her throat dry and cracking.

Finishing her examination, she allowed her power to fizzle out, instantly relieving herself from his pain. Her eyes fell on his, silently pleading with the kami to end his suffering - whether that be by death or miraculous intervention it didn't matter.

For the first time in a long time Kikyou was slowly losing interest in his suffering; her pleasure replaced with a pity that only grew by the hour.

He had been a beautiful man at one time, the kind that women would line up just for a chance with him. Now he lay before her, broken and decaying, a mess of rotten flesh and blood.

His body had not been able to heal, his skin and muscle dying out as quickly as she could repair it. The souls were only repairing his own soul, just barely keeping him alive. He would need physical attention - and soon.

She was near the city, she would see if any hospital had medicine and bandages. She would be on the look out for medicinal herbs on the way as well.

She rose to her feet in one fluid motion, the red of her hakama pants glowing in the early morning sun. Onigumo watched her still, swallowing hard frantically as he opened his mouth as if he was trying to speak but his voice wouldn't cooperate.

A few soul collectors swarmed around Kikyou, wrapping her loosely in their tails as she walked away. They nudged her cheek playfully as she went as if asking her what she was doing. She pushed them away, disappearing through the trees.

Stupid Inuyasha. what's his problem! Kagome huffed as she carefully descended the steel stairwell of the building she inhabited the roof of moments ago. Like hell I'll wait for him.. Running off without warning. Sheesh! What does he mean he didn't leave because of what I said? Of course he did...

The uneven steel of the steps dug into her thin shoes, making her stumble slightly from the sudden discomfort. She gripped onto the railing, steadying herself. She bit her lip, forcing back the new tears that burned in her eyes. She was done with crying. He wasn't worth it.

She would take things into her own hands from now on... If only she could even figure out where to start.

Kagome followed the hushed whispers and flickering lights of stray souls, wandering the streets with no discernable destination. It just felt like the right move to make. She couldn't explain it, but it almost felt like someone, a voice not her own, was directing her to do so.

Kagome's flowing kimono swished behind her, the heavy fabric picking up leafs and debris as she went. She felt entirely out of place amongst the modern street fashions, business suits and school uniforms, even though she knew no one else could see her, she still found herself trying to appear as small as possible.

A pack of school girls walked passed her, giggling amongst themselves as they went. From what Kagome would pick up they were gossiping about some boy whom two of the girls insisted had a crush on the third.

"No way, gross!" the third girl gasped as she shoved her friend playfully.

"Totally Karen! I bet my lunch on it!"

Kagome looked after them with a solemn gaze as she went. It wasn't long until they were out of sight, leaving her alone to envy after that simple life again.

It's funny, really. She always used to play castle as a child, and now that she was living the life of royalty she wanted nothing more than to return to the mundane. Perhaps the whole being dead but not really dead thing had a role to play it in.

Kagome quickly righted herself once more. She was here for a reason, she couldn't go back to that life anymore. This was her life now, a life many would dream to live and yet she couldn't help but feel like it was a cruel curse.

What would her mother do if she was in her shoes? Most likely grab the bull by the horns and grit her teeth through the discomfort. Kagome had always admired her mother for that, especially after her father had passed away.

Lost in thought, before long Kagome found herself in the center of morning commuters. The sick feeling in her stomach came back full force, like she had just been punched square in the gut. Kagome swallowed hard, a hitch in her breath as she tried to hold down her anxious nausea.

Everything around her felt sickeningly wrong. It was a warm, clear morning; yet not a single song bird had graced the skies with its cheerful (or annoying, depending who you asked) songs. Cicada's wails didn't vibrate through the streets despite it being mid brood. All of it sent a shiver down Kagome's spine and a second wave of nausea to run up her throat.

The worst part of all was how familiar it all was.

Kagome frantically searched around her, desperate for something to stand out to her – anything that would spark an answer in her.

"Please…" She pleaded to herself, hoping someone, anyone would hear her, knowing full well she was but a gust of wind to the lives around her.

"Please… get out of here… can't you tell something is wrong? Please! Anyone! You have to get out of here!"

Inuyasha leap a top buildings effortlessly as he followed the insect, searching the growing crowds for Kikyou as he went.

Inuyasha scoffed to himself, memories of the witch that he had struggled to keep in the deepest recesses of his mind came flooding back to him.

Kikyou, a woman who had tormented him, left him with countless nightmares and constant physical reminders of her days with him in paper white marks that danced across his otherwise tanned skin.

Kikyou, the woman who had managed to elude not only him, but countless search efforts across Japan for her treason against not only the Kami but God himself.

Kikyou, a witch in every sense and definition of the word. A woman who was surely smart enough to set all of this up as a trap just to lure her favourite toy back into her cold, thin fingers.

Inuyasha shook his head. Trap or not, the opportunity was not to be wasted. Centuries had gone by without a single trace. If she was to be caught, it would have to be now.

Kagome's face danced across his vision for no more than a split second, breaking him out of his anger induced trance.

Kagome. Her kind, gentle nature and beautiful features that resembled his demon so perfectly.

Kagome, the girl he had chosen to trust, to allow into his life despite his past.

Kagome, the girl whom he had left crying on some god forsaken rooftop as he chased after a ghost.

Was it Kikyou that had set her off? Was she the reason she insisted on coming? Was Kikyou behind the threat?

Surely, it would be safest to capture her before she caught whiff of either of them, wouldn't it?

All of these doubts races through Inuyasha's mind as he flew through the skies chasing after the sickly spirit.

"Yo!" a sudden call broke through the low mumble of the streets below. Suddenly, his nose was assaulted by the familiar reek of wolf.

Without taking his eyes off the sickly worm flowing through the sky Inuyasha slowed his pace, ignoring the wolf youkai while still giving him enough time to chase after him.

Soon after the foul stench came close enough for the inugami to know Kouga was tailing him without having to look.

"The hell man?!" Kouga chastised, the annoyance clear in his tone. "Could have at least replied. I'm offended."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Open your fucking eyes wolf brain, can't you see I'm busy." Inuyasha tilted his head towards the spirit in question. Without missing a beat Kouga caught on, his brows furrowed as he pieced two and two together.

"Fuck," Kouga cursed "You mean you weren't just having PMS and pulling all of our legs?"

Inuyasha didn't feel the need to answer that. Why the fuck else would I be out here from sunrise to near noon?! To have a fucking tea party with all the damn soul collectors?

"So, Kikyou eh… after all these years for her scent to show up now…" He pressed on, filling the silence. "Are you ready for this?"

"As I'll ever be," Inuyasha spat back in irritation. He had been waiting centuries for this. He wasn't about to pass this up.

It wasn't long until the two were at the edge of the city. The forest was beginning to thicken, leading the two to follow their noses more than their eyesight as they continued pursuit.

Soon after entering the wooded area the spirit released a small soul it had been carrying before flying back off towards the city.

"The fuck?" Inuyasha scoffed annoyed, turning on his heel to chase after the spirit once again.

"Hold it dog breath," Inuyasha was stopped by a firm grip on his shoulder from his wolf companion, "Look."

The inugami spun around once more, following the line of sight his wolf friend until it fell upon the outline on the messy forest floor.

"The fuck is that?"

Several worm like spirits hovered around the body, some releasing spirits and flying off, others seemed to be swarming free souls above the body.

Just then, the body groaned, a sound that sent a shiver down both the demon's spines.

The air was heavy with malicious, sickening aura. Kikyous scent permeated through in nauseating waves.

"Well, my friend," Kouga swallowed hard, "I think we found her."

Kikyou moved effortlessly through the busy streets surrounding the hospital. It wasn't hard to slip in and take a few bandages, medicine and other supplies she felt she may have needed.

Leaving the hospital, arms effortlessly holding onto her supplies, a call from her left caught her off guard.

That doesn't happen very often Kikyou thought. Very rarely had anything caught her attention or caught her off guard these days. She was a master of deception and disguise after all, having hidden herself from the spiritual workings of the world for centuries.

Her intuition was rarely wrong.

She stopped in her tracks to see a girl who stuck out like a sore thumb against the modern city folk of Nagasaki. Where girls walked by in sailor uniforms and western style suits, she was garbed in traditional royal attire of an era long forgotten.

The girl was looking around frantically trying to get the attention of those around her.

"Please," she pleaded, "Listen to my voice, it isn't safe here!"

A soft pink glow radiated off of her. She was trying to communicate with the souls of the living – and clearly not having much success with it.

What's more, she clearly had signature energies from some other certain kami's Kikyou knew…

Abandoning her better sense to satisfy her curiosity, Kikyou approached the girl.

The closer she got, the more her curiosity was piqued. She had flowing, black hair that fell in a slight curl. As she moved her hair bounced behind her hypnotically. It was only when she turned to show her face that Kikyou was completely enthralled.

It was like staring in a mirror. She was a near exact copy of Kikyou herself.

"You're wasting your time." Kikyou said, not really attempting to hide the interest in her voice. From this close she could really sense the energies of Rin, Izayoi and their inugami servants, although they were faint.

Another energy rippled off of her stronger than the others, one that sent excitement and mania through Kikyou. Her old inugami – Inuyasha.

The girl turned around, shock clear on her face.

"Y-you can see me?" She asked, bewildered.

She looked like she was taken off guard. The sudden response clearly making her jump.

Kagome a voice in Kikyou's head whispered, similarly to how she could see into the lives and identities of souls. She was there to help her, right? The whisper continued, the thought not belonging to Kikyou but the girl, Kagome.

"It's not going to work," Kikyou said in a calm voice, her eyes narrowing slightly as she sized up the girl in front of her. "Trying to call out to living souls like that," Kikyou continued, "It'll only work on those who are spiritually sensitive or those who willingly allow it."

"Calling… out to living souls?" Kagome gave her a puzzled look, "I wasn't doing anything like that."

Kikyou held back a grimace. Kagome certainly looked like her, but she was clearly clueless. A hopeless girl just waiting for someone with less than pure intentions to come and take advantage of her.

The type of kami that was just what Kikyou was looking for.

"You're new at this, aren't you?" Kikyou gave her warmest smile.

Kagome cast her gaze down. "Is it that obvious?" She said shyly, her bangs falling to cover her eyes.

"It's alright, we all begin somewhere." Kikyou tried to reassure her, moving in to grab her doppelganger's shoulder.

Kikyou felt a slight shock at her touch though Kagome made no move to show she felt it too. It was strange. Normally Kikyou could gage a person's soul at a glance - learning their name, their history, their emotions - but with Kagome all she could see was darkness as if nothing was there.

She was an enigma. Her looks, her powers, the thick fog that seemed to hang around her memories. Kikyou had never encountered something like this before. She was a mystery, her powers unknown.

Exactly what I need.

"H-how long have you been..." Kagome began and trailed off as if she were trying not to offend her.

"Dead." Kikyou finished for her. "A number of centuries. Time flows differently in the land that borders between heaven and Earth. It's easy to lose track."

"You live in the land between the two realms?" Kagome asked, her eyes sparkling with... excitement, hope? Kikyou couldn't exactly tell.

"I come and go. My work mostly has me here though."

A soul collector flew lazily above the two, silently signaling Kikyou it was time to return. She had long found what she needed and then some.

"Say, if you're looking to help the humans I have someone who needs it desperately." Kikyou turned stern. She had no intentions of drawing out a mundane conversation. She had no interest in the girl before her save what she could do and who she could lead her to.

"I'll try my best!" Kagome sprang forward, her eyes sparkling once more, this time with determination. It was miraculous how quickly this girl could have forgotten about her previous endeavors at the simple mention of a task.

She really was an idiot, trusting a stranger and being led off towards the forested area alone.

Kikyou did not make more conversation on their way, instead her mind swirling with ideas of how she could manipulate the girl behind her.

When the thicket gave way to the clearing Kagome was instantly struck by the sight of multiple eel-like insects floating around various fire-fly souls. The sight was straight out of a fairy tale, the souls illuminating the surrounding shaded woods in a cool green glow. The floating insects seemed to be dancing, ushering the souls to gather them around one central point.

The green glow surrounded Kikyou's form making her seem even more ethereal than should have been physically possible. She was like a goddess straight out of one of the paintings in the Inu-gami's grand mansion.

That was what it was, the feeling Kagome couldn't just put a word to until now to describe the kami before her. Ethereal, like a fairy that managed to fly it's way straight out of a painting. Every step she took she seemed to glide, every strand of hair fell straight and framed her thin body perfectly. Her lips were pert and slightly pink.

Kikyou stepped to the side revealing the full beauty of the clearing. A moan broke through the serenity of it all, instantly bringing Kagome back to reality. Dread pierced her heart like a stake. Images of fire and pain flooded into her head.

Kagome fell to her knee's, holding her body against the searing pain she could feel in each and every cell of her being. Images of a life unfamiliar to her flashed before her eyes. Stealing, murdering, fire, pain, hatred.

Kagome tired to scream but her throat closed in. She was aware she was panting, each ragged breath invading her lungs like hot knifes.

Then she was back. Kikyou looked over her, her eyes hazed over like storm clouds. Without a word Kikyou turned around, pulling bandages and vials from her person and kneeling over a decrepit form.

"W-what was that...?" Kagome panted out, struggling to catch her breath.

"The memories of the life of this man." Kikyou's voice held no emotion as she drenched some gauze in antibiotic cream. "I found him three days ago around the border of Hiroshima."

"What happened to him?" Kagome stood up slowly, testing her balance before slowly staggering over to the kami and man. When she saw him she had almost wished she hadn't.

"The humans are at war." Kikyou drawled out, "This is the aftermath of greed and total disregard of human life. I have been keeping him alive with leftover energy from these souls."

At the mention of it each firefly orb seemed to jump. On queue a soul collector gently swept a soul towards the man. It's glow quickly fading as disappearing as it was absorbed into his body.

"But that doesn't mean his physical condition is any good." Kikyou continued, plastering the gauze over some of the worst affected areas of his body.

"Kagome!" The male voice boomed through the forest. A flash of red and white descended from the trees, landing across from where the kami stood.

"Ah. Inuyasha. Nice of you to join us." Kikyou gazed down on the inugami as if snubbing him. Her eyes piercing and cruel. "Nice of you to join us."

AN: wow I haven't updated this in over a year. I suck. I wish I could promise a quick update, but I'm taking some time to write ahead and storyboard. This fic has not been abandoned, simply... it's progressing very slowly. Thank you all for your long term support and I'm sorry for the delay. Right now the story is just about past the half-way point. I will be finishing it, even if it kills me!

Thank you again and leave a review! Love you all!