Sesshomaru froze with shock at first. The well was lit from within by an eerie pink light. Miko power.

Sesshomaru recovered himself and leaped into the well after the miko. He alighted at the bottom, and his eyes searched wildly for her in the darkness of the well. He inhaled but the scent of reiki burned his nose and he could not smell her. Where is she? Kagome!

The pink light was gone, and Kagome along with it.

NO. She cannot have disappeared again. The beast inside him roared with frustration, emotional and sexual.

It took Sesshomaru a few moments to compose himself.

I will not sit idly by this time. I want answers. Why must the woman make a habit of vanishing?

He gracefully vaulted out of the well, just in time to be confronted by Inuyasha.

The magic of the well rose up to embrace her, but its usual pink hue was dull and faint. With a sudden sickening feeling, Kagome realized the magic was weak. Something is very wrong. The well feels different. The magic isn't working properly.

Then her mind went blank as she hit water. She floundered, weighed down by her backpack. She gasped for air but icy water poured into her lungs instead. The struggle for survival is pure instinct and Kagome fought with all of her strength to reach the surface.

She shrugged off her backpack and kicked her legs as hard as she could. After what seemed an eternity, her head finally broke the water.

Luckily a bucket with a rope attached floated in the water. Kagome hauled herself out of the well using the rope.

She was numb from both the winter weather and shock. Her brain could hardly process her current situation.

I have no supplies. My backpack is laying at the bottom of the well. Why is there water in the well? It's been dry for 500 years. Should I jump into the well again? But the magic felt like it was fading. Why didn't the well take me home?

She clapped her hands together purposefully. That's enough! Pull yourself together.

I need a plan. My best option is to find the nearest village and seek shelter there.

She started off in the direction she thought Edo was in. Unfortunately, the forest seemed completely different and she never found a familiar landmark. By dusk, she knew for sure that she was lost. Again. This is becoming a habit.

When night fell, she found the best shelter she could in a tree and curled up. Eventually the numbing cold put her to sleep.

The shadowy figure of a man with amber eyes and silvery-white hair approached her. She could see his face clearly. "Inuyasha?", she asked him. He shook his head and beckoned to her urgently. When she did not move, he held his hand out to her. Kagome grasped it and was pulled to her feet.

She awoke suddenly and became quickly aware of the danger she was in. Was the dream a warning?

Not again. A snake yokai had discovered her. He was moderately powerful and in her weakened state she could not fight him. I guess I better run and hope he decides to find easier prey.

Nearby, a curious Sesshomaru, flying through the night skies, smelled something unexpected. The scent of pack.