Two weeks after Kagome's departure. 

Izayoi's POV 

Two weeks have passed since Mama went back to the future to stay safe from Naraku. Things have been....okay I guess. We haven't found any trace of Naraku though. Every trail we followed led to a dead end. Sometimes Miroku would remark how easier it was to find clues of Naraku when they had sacred jewel shard to follow. Now it felt like a wild goose chase trying to find Naraku. 

One night, as we all laid down to rest, I laid on my back and looked up at the stars. Naraku was out there, waiting to get his hands on me, to take my soul and use it to bring back the sacred jewel. It scared me to think that my life could be used to bring back the instrument of misery that had killed so many. I shook my head after I had let those thoughts consume me for a while. That's not going to happen, I told myself. We're gonna get to Naraku before he can do that. 

I was more concerned with anything happening to the people I cared for, not the fact that Naraku would essentially kill me. I mean, don't get me wrong I was very concerned about that, but my family and friends mean the world to me and if anything happened to them because of me....I shook my head again and tried to fall asleep, only to be plagued by a nightmare. 

Izayoi's Dream

I was alone in a dark forest  with no one around me. Where was everyone? "Papa? Miroku? Sango? Ayuma? Kayuma? Mochigo? Shippo? Arrosa? Anyone?!" I called out. "Guys, where are you?" 

That's when a horrid scent filled my nose. I looked down at my feet after I felt something wet starting to lap at them and gasped at what I saw; on the ground was a pool of blood. I yelped in surprise and tried to jump out of it, only to land it again. It was slowly getting bigger and bigger until it seemed to stretch on forever. "Where is all of this blood coming from?" I questioned, terrified beyond belief. I waded through this blood for a while until I came to a hill where the blood seemed to be pouring down from. "What the-?" I went up the hill and found a sight so horrible; Papa, Miroku, Sango, Ayuma, Kayuma, Mochigo, Shippo, Arrosa, Mama, and Tsuyo all on the ground, dead as doornails. 

I dropped to my knees and wailed in agony. "No, no, no!" I repeated before running over to Papa's body. He was so cold. "How did this happen?" 

"Don't you know, Izayoi?" A voice from behind said. 

I quickly turned around and found Naraku behind me. I went to draw out Tensoga but found it gone from my hip. "What'd you do to them?!" I growled at Naraku, receiving a sly smirk. 

"This was your doing, Izayoi," Naraku stated. "Because of you, I got the sacred jewel and was finally able to kill all those standing in my way. This is your fault." 

I felt frozen with terror. This was all....because of me? "No....NO! You did this to them! You killed them!" I argued. 

"Ah, but your existence made the jewel come back to this realm, giving me the ability to effortlessly do this." 

This isn't happening. This isn't happening! I repeated to myself over and over again. 

"Izayoi." Someone from behind said. 

I quickly turned around and found Tsuyo behind me, up on his feet. A huge smile of relief spread across my face. "Tsuyo, you're-" 

"I'm dead because of you." He interrupted. 

My heart dropped into my stomach. "T-Tsuyo, I-" 

"You're the reason the sacred jewel even made it back," Tsuyo growled. "You're the reason I'm dead!" 

"Tsuyo, it's not like that!" 

"Isn't it?" Another voice added. 

I turned to my left to see Ayuma and Kayuma up, both looking at me with cold eyes. "You killed us, Izayoi!" The twins said at the same time. "You're the cause of all this!" 

"Guys, no! I-I didn't-" 

"You weren't strong enough," Mochigo's voice said from my right, making turn to see him standing there with the same cold eyes as his sisters. "You weren't strong enough to end Naraku, and we're dead because of  your weakness." 

"Mochigo, that's not true!" 

"Then what is the truth, Izayoi?" Arrosa's voice questioned from behind me. I turned and she stood right in front of Naraku. "I should have taken my Father's offer instead of trusting in you. At least then I would still be alive." 

"Arrosa, please, you know it's not like that!" 

"You know it is, Izzy," Shippo said, making me turn to look at him. "You're weak." 

"Stop!" I was covering my ears at this point. "It's not true! It's not true!" 

"It is Izayoi," Sango spoke now. "Our fates were sealed because of you!" 

"No!" 

"You allowed Naraku to become powerful!" Miroku said. 

"NO!"

"This is all your fault!" My Father's voice said, making me look up at him and my Mother. "You failed, Izayoi. You couldn't fight." 

"How could you, Izzy?" Mama asked. "How could you?" 

"M-Mama, Papa, I-" 

That's when I noticed a small figure at Mama's side. I squinted to see that it was a little boy, maybe two or three, and he had Papa's white hair that reached to his chin and Mama's eyes. "Why Izzy?" He asked me. "Why couldn't you protect me?" 

Tears ran down my cheeks as I looked at him. I let my sibling down. "I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I cried as I dropped to my knees. 

"We're dead because of you!" They all stated at the same time. 

I was on my knees sobbing my eyes out. I was weak. I failed them all. 

3rd Person's POV 

Meanwhile, outside of Izayoi's dream, Arrosa was sitting at the fire and burning an incense. She had found it hard to sleep and found that Izayoi was having a nightmare. She burned the Cardamom incense to help and clear not only her mind but to also, hopefully, give Izayoi mental clarity. "Think, Izayoi," Arrosa whispered to Izayoi. "Think clearly." 

Izayoi's Dream (Izayoi's POV)

As I sat there wallowing, a smell entered me. Was it....Cardamom? I slowly stood up and realized that this wasn't real. That it was just a dream. "Think Izayoi," Arrosa told me. "Think clearly." 

"This isn't real," I said to myself. "This isn't real. And it never will be! I'll never let this happen to any of you! I won't let Naraku kill you! I won't let him get the jewel!" 

The people I thought were my family and friends all vanished in front of me, as did the blood and Naraku. I closed my eyes tight and repeated my promise, my vow to protect those I cared for.

End of Dream 

I woke-up to find Arrosa finishing up burning the incense. She didn't say a word to me. "Thank you." I thanked. 

"You've helped me to see hope, Izayoi," Arrosa told me. "And I am not going to let you lose sight of it either." 

I smiled. Arrosa was a true friend.