Author's Note: I want to apologise for the long gap between this story and my last. As stated in my profile, I had given someone stories to continue my storyline while away working, but that person didn't bother posting them. I will be catching up as fast as I can, as I had hoped to be further in the storyline than this.

The sun beat down mercilessly.
The day was horrifically hot, forcing most people to stay inside if at all possible. The heat wave was continuing, and now even the farmers had given up on their crops. What had once been fields were turning to dustfields. Crops were stunted, dry, withered, scorched by the sun. Water was growing scarce, and community wells often had long line ups now as people who once had their own small springs were forced to walk farther for water.
InuYasha paused, looking up into the sky from where he stood, one hand shading his eyes from the glare. There were no clouds to be seen anywhere. What once would have been a good day, a bright blue sky, was now becoming a thing to hate, to despise.
InuYasha sighed deeply, adjusted the yoke across his shoulders, and started on again. The two large buckets of water sloshed as he walked, casting back sunlight into his face.
His feet were hot and itchy; covered in thick dust from the road. He glanced at the side of the path he was taking; even the once green grass was turning brown.
"Bless you, young man, bless you!"
He looked up, to see the old woman smiling toothlessly at him from her hut. She stood clutching a crutch made of old wood, one leg twisted in at a bad angle.
InuYasha lowered the buckets carefully to the ground, picking one up and stepping inside the small hut, "Yeah. You want it just here, or..?"
"Oh, there is fine, just fine! I don't know what I would have done without you. My spring is dried up, nothing at all anymore." She shook her old head sadly, "When will this drought break?"
InuYasha picked up the other bucket of water, and started heading back towards the small hut where his friends were waiting.
Gazing at his feet as he walked, his thoughts drifted back to the last week.
They had been in a bad way. They had entered this small village in a state of shock, like lost children emerging from a terrible storm. No one had talked, no one had wanted to say much anyway. InuYasha knew the others had felt the same as him, unable to really put together words even if they had been able to talk much.
Even now...InuYasha kept expecting to see her somewhere. Usually somewhere with Kagome. The two women had always been together most of the time.
It was so horrible. And even though he knew Sango was gone...knew she was dead...his heart and his brain kept doing things to slap him in the face with that fact over and over. If they were getting ready to move, he'd turn to his friends, and for a split second, he'd been about to say, "Hang on, where's Sango?" and it would be like a knife to his gut again. Or he would be up in a tree, trying to sleep, and he'd come awake with a jump, heart pounding, knowing something bad had happened but not remembering what, and he'd look down towards his friends, to make sure they were ok...and there would be two bedrolls on the ground, not three, and it would hit him again. Over and over.
My sister.
He remembered her face that night, in the forest. When she had told him both her and Kohaku had wanted to adopt him. To give him a permanent place, a home. A place where no one could ever drive him out, make him leave. A place where he would belong. He remembered how she had blushed, not knowing how to explain herself, not wanting to somehow accidentally offend him.
His stomach twisted, and grief welled up in him again, and he angrilly shoved it back.
He had to be strong. He had to keep his friends going, because...
Because they were having a very hard time with it.
Kagome cried often, trying very hard to keep it hidden from the others, especially the monk. DarkWind tried to comfort her, but she wanted neither him nor InuYasha to be with her when she grieved. Grief was a very personal thing, and sometimes you didn't want even those you cared for more than anything else to be with you when you gave up and surrendered.
And Miroku...
InuYasha sighed, stopping before the small hut where they were staying for now.
The monk was in a bad way. InuYasha had never seen Miroku so pale, and so quiet. Entire days would pass and he would suddenly realize Miroku hadn't said a single word. The monk looked haunted.
He wished he could do something to help, but what did you say to someone grieving like that? Once, InuYasha would have tried to "help" Miroku by getting angry, telling him he was acting weak, letting grief get the better of him. But having lost Kagome to death once, he understood now just what grief did to you. So he remained silent, and watched his friend fade like the grass around his feet.
He would ask Kagome what they should do, but Kagome was grieving too. He didn't want to force anything on her.
InuYasha, too, had shed tears. As before, though, on those rare instances when he couldn't force them back with his anger, they were silent. InuYasha had learned as a child to cry quietly. Crying often brought monsters to where you were hiding. And now, though a no longer a child, old habits die hard. He had bathed in a tub of hot water, head back, eyes closed, hands curled into helpless fists, letting his furious helpless tears mix with sweat on his face until no one would be able to tell them apart.
InuYasha pushed back the door covering, slipping inside with the bucket, placing it on the floor. He glanced around, noting Miroku was no where to be seen. Kagome and DarkWind looked up at him from where they sat on the floor, around the central fire pit. It was too warm for a fire, but they still sat around it. Kagome looked up at him and gave him a tired smile, and he felt a wave of love towards her. She was trying to cheer him up, but her eyes were still dark with sorrow.
InuYasha walked over and sat beside them, "Kagome, do you have any of those little wipe-things?"
"Oh sure, hang on," she started to rummage in her backpack. InuYasha looked at DarkWind, "Where's Miroku?"
"Miroku-Monk went outside for a walk."
"I wanted to go with him, but he said he was going to talk to some other monks that had shown up yesterday. I guess he wants to try and...maybe they can give him the healing he needs."
She handed him several foil-wrapped little wipes, and he nodded his thanks. Opening them, he started cleaning the dust off his feet, not wanting to use any of the precious water.
Kagome watched him, "It's so dry," she murmured, "The crops are failing. There should be snow on the ground now. What's going on, InuYasha? Have you ever seen anything this bad before?"
"No," InuYasha continued cleaning his feet, then crumpling the little wipes, "Not like this. I've seen droughts, but...never a summer that won't leave. It's been dry, but winter still came."
They fell silent again, each lost in their own thoughts.
InuYasha leaned back against a wall, tipping his head back and closing his eyes. Images came to him, unbidden and unwanted, but they came all the same, dancing behind his eyelids.

"I don't feel anything else," Izumi had said to them, as they stood looking for any other portal that might have been opened.
"And I don't smell any demons or...whatever those things were," InuYasha agreed, "Maybe Miroku and Sango will have better luck."
"Be careful, InuYasha," Izumi said, a little firmly, surprising him, "As I told you, you aren't strong enough yet to close a portal, and some of the monsters that come out will be beyond your skills yet."
"Meh."
"Don't "Meh" me!" she suddenly turned to him, eyes bright, face intent, startling him again, "I am not joking, InuYasha. It is very important that you listen to me on this. Attempting to close a portal when you do not have the power or skills can cause great harm, both to you and to the world."
"The world?" Kagome asked.
"If someone tries to close one of those portals, those gates, and can not harness the power, it will turn on them. The portals will draw on whatever energy is nearby to strengthen itself. As hanyou, the portal will try to pull InuYasha's half-demon power out of him. That will weaken him greatly. On top of that, the Tetsusaiga's powers will also be drained, and quiet possibly turned on InuYasha to try and stop him. InuYasha will die, and the portal will become stronger, more difficult to close."
Izumi looked at InuYasha, her face softening. She could never be angry at him for long, "I will teach you to close portals, InuYasha, do not worry. But until then you must not attempt to close them on your own."
InuYasha, a little stung, nodded and shrugged, as if it were of no consequence to him.
Izumi frowned, "InuYasha, you mu-"
She froze in mid sentence, mouth open, blinking. She looked confused. Closing her mouth, she frowned deeper, looking around.
Kagome and InuYasha looked at each other, and Kagome spoke, "Izumi?"
The woman's voice was faint, as if she were talking to herself rather than them.
"Something's happened. Something...wrong. It wasn't supposed to happen, but..."
"What's happened?" InuYasha asked, frowning as well. Izumi almost seemed not to even see them, and he realized she was listening to something they couldn't hear.
It was silent, almost unnaturally so.
Izumi's eyes suddenly widened, and she spun, looking towards the forest, "NO!"
Grabbing at the hem of his robe, Izumi lifted it from her feet and lunged towards the forest, long black hair flying out behind her. She was pale, her dark eyes vivid in her face, her feet flying over the ground.
"Izumi, what's going on? Izumi!" InuYasha and Kagome took off after her, confused and growing alarmed.
She was swift, her robes and hair streaming out behind her, lunging over rocks and fallen trees, tearing her clothing on a gnarled branch as she passed. InuYasha grew more alarmed, "Izumi? What's going on?"
Then they were through the brush, and into a clearing, and InuYasha saw Miroku, sitting on the ground, and Sango collapsed against him. The monk's face was down, pressed against Sango's neck, hidden to them. But neither were moving, and InuYasha got a cold feeling in his gut.
"Miroku!" Kagome's voice was shrill with worry, "What's happened! Is she ok!"
The monk didn't move, and that made InuYasha's heart pound harder.
As they reached the two on the ground, Miroku looked up for the first time, and InuYasha knew it was over. The look on Miroku's face said it all. The look of grief, of despair, the tears. Sango lay against him, her back to the others, resting against the monk. There was a huge blood splotch on her back, and a huge rip in her clothing, that spoke volumes.
"NO! Sango!" Kagome knelt beside her friends, grabbing Sango's shoulders, as if to pull her away from Miroku. But from where she knelt, Kagome saw Sango's face. She saw the life had fled from her eyes.
Kagome screamed; a long wail, burying her face in her hands. The scream cut through InuYasha like a blade; Kagome's grief seemed to be the final point made, that it was real. Sango was gone.
InuYasha moved towards Kagome, not noticing that she instinctively turned towards him, face still in her hands. He wrapped his arms around her tight, one hand against the back of her head. Kagome grabbed him, her two hands grabbing fistfulls of the back of his haori, clinging as if for life, and she sobbed helplessly.
She was talking, sobbing something, but her face was against his chest, and he couldn't make out what she was saying. Not that it mattered. It would just be blind denial, pleading. InuYasha stood, holding Kagome, staring numbly at Miroku and Sango, as if waiting to wake up. None of this could be real, could it? That she was gone? So swiftly?
Izumi slowly knelt beside Miroku, her face pale as well. Izumi looked as shocked as the rest of them, and sorrowed as well. She looked lost. InuYasha remembered her words... "It wasn't supposed to have happened..."
Miroku turned to Izumi, his voice broken, "Lady Izumi...please. Surely you can help her? Bring her back to me?"
Izumi gently reached out, touching Sango's face with her fingertips. She made a soft motion; InuYasha guessed she was closing the demon'slayer's eyes.
Her voice was soft, quiet, "I am so sorry, Miroku. That is beyond my skills."
"But your Lady, Amater-"
"Cannot reach through Death's Veil, Miroku. No. No God can."
Miroku searched Izumi's face, looking for some sign of hope, something he could cling to. But he saw nothing, and he lowered his head and wept.
InuYasha swallowed hard, the scene before him blurring as he fight back his own tears. The monk's sobs were heart rending, and he was taken back to when they had found Miroku in that abandoned building, about to take his own life, thinking they were all lost to him. When he had realized they lived, he had cried. Then, as now, the monk's body was wracked with sobs.
Izumi laid a hand against Miroku's back, speaking gently to him, talking softly. It was too low for even InuYasha to make out, but Miroku lifted his head, looking into her face.
Izumi nodded, and spoke, "She tells me I can do this, if you so desire."
Miroku looked down into Sango's face. He studied her still form in silence for a few minutes, then nodded, "Yes."
Izumi nodded.
Miroku closed his eyes, leaning forward, and gently placing a kiss on Sango's forehead. He stayed that way for a few seconds, before opening his eyes, and looking up at Izumi.
Izumi leaned forward, and slid her arms beneath Sango. She stood, lifting Sango into her arms, cradling her as if a child.
"Where-" InuYasha's voice broke, and he cleared his throat, trying again. Kagome was looking over her shoulder at them.
Izumi looked at InuYasha, speaking softly, "I am taking her to the Celestial Palace. She will lie in state there, as befitting a warrior who fell in battle for Amaterasu. She will not fall to corruption, but will remain as this. Young, pure, beautiful. Few are granted this honour. Sango deserves it more than most. She will..." Izumi stumbled over her words, and InuYasha realized the tall beautiful woman was grieving as well. She paused, and spoke again, "She will remain in rest for eternity."
InuYasha nodded, numbly.
"When all is ready, I will bring you all to pay your respects."
He nodded again.
Izumi turned, long robes flowing about her. Sango's long ponytail trailed down over her arm, swinging gently with Izumi's motions, and InuYasha was suddenly hit with the realization he would never see that ponytail flipping about in battle again. He clenched his teeth against his grief.
Izumi lifted her face to the sky, closing her eyes. She seemed to glow for a second, and then she was gone, both her and Sango, leaving nothing but the faint scent of lotus and Sango's light scent remaining.

Izumi stood on the hilltop, looking down over the field below. A vast army gathered there, miles upon miles of people, as far as the eye could see. Bright pennants and flags hung limp in the still air, no breeze to unfurl them. They stirred up dustclouds as they moved, a dust that settled upon every surface available until everything was a pale, dun colour.
Mikado stood beside Izumi, shading her eyes with her hand as she looked down at the army below.
"I can't believe this. A war? In the middle of a drought? Pure idiocy!"
"Do you recognise the flags, Mikado?" Izumi's voice was quiet.
Mikado looked away from the army, out over the mountains behind her, "Yes. Kitomonu clan."
Izumi turned, regarding Mikado quietly, "The clan that destroyed yours."
Mikado huffed, crossing her arms, "Yes. But you know me better than that, Izumi. I have no interest in revenge. Those idiots down there are the descendants of the idiots that killed my family and destroyed my clan. Even if I wanted revenge, it would be pointless. I doubt any of them would even remember my clan, it was so long ago."
Izumi nodded, speaking softly, "It's the hardest thing a Handmaiden must accept. You can no longer be a part of the doings of the world, not really. You must put aside any need for revenge. Your personal desires are secondary. It was a mistake I made when rescuing The Neutral One. I was punished for that."
Mikado looked back at Izumi, worried, unhappy. "Yes, but Sesshomaru wasn't supposed to have been grabbed like that anyway, so..." She shrugged. Talking about Izumi breaking such an important part of their training, and being punished for it, made her feel ill. Izumi never disobeyed Amaterasu. Never wanted to. Mikado was sure she had just let her anger get control too quickly...Izumi had a bit of temper, once pushed too far.
Mikado looked closer at Izumi, and softened. The other woman's face was still pale, sorrow still about her. She was still upset and saddened by the death of Sango.
Izumi glanced at Mikado, and was able to read her student's face easily.
"I don't understand it, Mikado. Sango's death was not a part of this. To have fallen to such a...well...a lesser creature. I didn't see it coming at all. Perhaps...perhaps I'm failing faster than I expected..."
Mikado clenched her fists, shaking her head angrilly, "No! Don't say that, you just..."
Izumi reached out, and gently laid a hand on Mikado's shoulder, "Dear Heart. You know my time is coming. I have been here too long. A human simply can't face the centuries I have and not be affected."
"I don't want to talk about this!"
Izumi nodded, gently touching Mikado's face, "I understand, but...please. Mikado. You must prepare yourself. And I don't feel saddened. I grow so tired at times. But we were talking about Sango."
Mikado nodded, glad to have the subject changed, "And Amaterasu hasn't said anything about what happened? Not even to you?"
Izumi shook her head, "Mother Amaterasu said simply that things sometimes happen that not even she can see."
The two women turned, and looked down at the amassed army again. Mikado spoke, "Can't we do anything? I mean, can't we just go down there and tell them to go the hell home? That this isn't the time for some stupid war? A drought, and the Twilight Wars taking place..."
"You can tell them all you wish. Man is too determined to own everything. And they know nothing of the Twilight Wars."
Mikado sighed.
Izumi turned, "Come. We need to return to the Celestial Palace."

In the forest, a good day's travel from where Izumi and Mikado stood, and 2 day's travel from where InuYasha's small group slept, there was a rippling in the air. A faint shimmering, like a heatwave, that grew in strength.
A sudden tearing sound. Birds cried out, fleeing the area. Small animals fled or hid in the withering bushes, as another portal opened.
A shadow appeared.