Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kagome are nearing the end of their journey. The last few remaining jewel shards lay in the hands of Naraku, Kouga and Kohaku. Their impending struggle with Naraku will decide the fates of themselves and others. But battles more treacherous than they one they will face with Naraku lay at hand where the lines between good and evil will meet in cataclysmic clash to the death, and what Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kagome don't realize is that their adventure has only just begun.

Welcome to The (Untitled) Trilogy (title subject to change)

Shards of Life

Episode 1
Kikyou's Warning

Silence encompassed them as they walked down the dirt road, the tension weighing down on them like a heavy rain cloud. Inuyasha and Kagome had been arguing earlier and even now they were still mad at each other. Even though they were the only ones actually fighting, an awkward silence still stood between the group of companions. No matter how hard they tried to keep the peace it seemed like anything could set the two against each other these days. The conflicts always seemed to escalate from a trivial easy-to-solve situation to them shouting insults at each other.

Naraku had once again gone into hiding. After their last encounter with him Kagome helped Inuyasha defeat the demon that threatened to consume his humanity once again. Inuyasha thought maybe those few minutes of intimacy would perhaps strengthen their bond. Instead it only increased the rift between them. Something had changed and Inuyasha couldn't quite put his finger on it but he knew something about Kagome had changed. She was lost some place in her mind where he couldn't reach her, couldn't comfort her, and worst of all couldn't protect her. Kagome knew she was upsetting him, but she had become so wrapped up in herself she sometimes forgot how much it affected him. That was how this particular argument had started. She said something slightly irritating, so he got mad, and then she became mad because she thought he had no reason to be mad, which made him even madder, and everything just went downhill from there.

They continued down the trail with clouded minds and heavy hearts. Even Shippou felt the tension between them compelling him to do something to end it. Sango and Miroku on the other hand had ceased all attempts at conversation. Despite all the turmoil within their group the surroundings seemed to lighten the mood a little. The grass was so green and life sprung forth from the earth, the trees, and the bushes. Inside the tightly wound buds lay the young flowers, almost ready to blossom into the world and initiate the birth of the new years spring. A light breeze danced around them teasing them, enticing them to sprout further and bask in the rays of the sun.

It didn't brighten Shippou's mood though; determined to break the negativity between them all he made one last attempt at conversation.

"It sure is nice outside, huh Kagome?" rather cliché but effective.

"Hm? Oh yes Shippou you're right, it is really nice outside." It seemed Shippou's quiet remark had brought them all out of their troubled stupor. Even Inuyasha paused for a moment to look at the wonders that spring had brought.

"C'mon, let's go! We don't have time to stand around and look at the daises all day." Inuyasha huffed.

"That's just like him! Always wanting to rush ahead so we can go do what he wants!" Kagome knew those thoughts were petty and immature, but for some reason she wanted to get back at him for earlier that day. She knew she was partly to blame for it but she still felt angry and somehow needed to let out her frustrations even if only in her thoughts.

Shippou was also becoming fed-up with Inuyasha's blatant attempts to destroy any remaining relationship he had with Kagome (at least Shippou thought he was). He hopped out of Kagome's basket and walked over to his side.

He let out a long sigh to get Inuyasha's attention. "You know you could've let us stay a bit longer. It is really nice outside, after all." Inuyasha ignored him as usual.

"Why do you always have to be so impatient?" Inuyasha finally losing his patience was just about to unleash his temper when suddenly he went rigid. All his senses became alert, anodd feeling overtook him.

'Something's not right.' He looked in the distance, towards the shrubs and trees. Nothing seemed out of order and yet he still felt like something was wrong.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku called in the distance. "It's a youkai." Inuyasha sensed it too, the aura of a demon and one that was very close. In fact it seemed to be right under them.

'Damn, how did he figure that out before I did?' Inuyasha thought.

Every one stood rigid and ready to fight. Kirara had transformed with Shippou sitting between the tuffs of fur behind her neck. She began to growl menacingly at their unseen foe.

"Ahhhh!" Kagome's scream came out of nowhere as a huge brown root shot up from the ground, grabbed a hold of her ankle and began to drag her away. Inuyasha jumped in, just in time to cut the branch from around her foot. The earth began to shake violently and a large crack formed in the center of the field growing wider and wider.

"It's an earthquake!" yelled Shippou. Something shot up from the ground beneath them, sending Sango and Miroku flying up into the air, Kirara just barely breaking their fall. A giant man eating plant youkai had shot straight from beneath their feet, the giant arm like vines clearly visible from where they were standing. They were wide enough to fit three of Kirara's larger forms around them, and long enough to stretch across half the expanse of the little clearing they were in. They whipped through the air violently, knocking down anything that crossed their path. Kirara pivoted around the its swinging arms with Sango, and Miroku on her back; Shippou having jumped off at the last minute, was safely on the ground.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango was the first one to launch an attack at the demon. The arm like vine she cut off fell to ground squirming and writhing before it finally fell still. Inuyasha jumped from limb to limb trying to reach the top of the plant youkai. Its head was a massive flower similar to the infamous Venous Fly Trap plant. The wide oval shaped head opened its jaws, allowing Inuyasha to see the inside of it's mouth covered in teeth.

Inuyasha cut off arm after arm on the plant youkai which truthfully accomplished nothing except to tire Inuyasha out. He never seemed to run out of things to chop off. After a while he began hearing faint voices in the back of his head. At first he just ignored them but soon they became louder and stronger and more persistent. It wasn't until he looked for Kagome and Shippou again that he realized the voices were that of Sango and Miroku. They flew up to where he could hear them clearly.

"Inuyasha, you have to stop cutting the off its arms." Yelled Miroku

"What for?"

"I'll explain in a moment, just stop."

Inuyasha thought about it for a few minutes before he finally deciding that Miroku must have some plan.

"Well it's not like it's doing me any goo' Inuyasha thought to himself.

He jumped to the ground as the giant plant continued to flail its arms in a mad frenzy, knocking down tress, and destroying the once peaceful landscape.

He landed next to Kagome. "Inuyasha the branches just keep growing back, bigger and stronger."

"What do we do!" asked a panicking Shippou

"Keh, I'll just use the Wind Scar." Said Inuyasha. He charged directly at it, making him vulnerable to attack but giving him room to use the Wind Scar to its fullest.

"Kaze no Kizu!" The Wind Scar sparked and crackled as it sliced through the demonic aura. The plant youkai was destroyed in a matter of moments. There was a large dark spot on the ground where the plant youkai once stood and the cracked earth where the Wind Scar had slashed through it.

The group waited a few moments before deciding it was finally dead.

"Phew." Shippou let out a sigh of relief. As soon as Kagome gathered her things they could be on there way again. Just as they were about to leave the earth began to shake again, and the huge plant demon sprouted from the earth, twice as big and fierce. The large green vine like arms, were now a darker forest green, sporting thorns big enough to impale a human. The vines also grew twice as long, and snapped like a whip at the ground making marks in the earth. The flytrap mouth now had a huge brown tongue that looked like a root coming from the back of its throat. Its head moved around in every direction, trying to seek out fresh meat for its next meal. Sango tried to block the vines with her hiraikotsu, and Miroku did also with his shakujou trying not to chop them off for fear they would grow back again even stronger.

"Why didn't the Wind Scar work?" Kagome thought to herself. 'It should have been powerful enough to-' She paused for a moment 'Wait a second, if this is a plant youkai then it probably has roots and that means-'

"Inuyasha!" she called, he landed next to her a few moments later. "Inuyasha, I know why the Wind Scar didn't work. Since it's a plant youkai, then it has roots buried underground."

"So?"

She gave him an exasperated look "So, that's why the Wind Scar didn't work. It just kept regenerating and getting stronger from the roots. You have to destroy the whole thing."

Inuyasha paused in surprise for a moment. "Right!" At that instant, he jumped up to the tallest tree he could find and then to the head of the plant youkai, trying to avoid the thorny arms that lunged at him. He had a little trouble standing on the it's head since it was constantly moving around trying to attack him, making him lose his footing.

"Sango, Miroku, get out of the way!"

Kirara flew down near Kagome with Miroku and Sango on her back. During a second long pause Inuyasha jumped high above the youkai's head and unleashed the Wind Scar at a downward angle. Every one shielded themselves from the dust, wind, and light, created by it. Once it was it finally over, Inuyasha landed lightly next to the huge crater he created from the blast. All traces of the plant youkai were gone.

"Is it over?" asked Sango.

"I think so. The Wind Scar should have destroyed all of it this time." Answered Miroku.

"Let's check around just to make sure." Added Inuyasha.

"Good idea." They wandered around searching for any remaining parts, making sure to look hard just in case small pieces of it remained. In the midst of the searching something strange began to float out of the exact spot on the ground where the Wind Scar hit. It was long and slender and looked similar to Kikyou's shinidamachuu. The only exception was that the features of its head weren't nearly as detailed. It slithered out of the ground like a worm through mud and once its entire body was free from the ground it glided through the air towards the forest. Its body seemed so hollow and it's presence so weak that it floated through the air like a ghost or the air itself.

'What is that?' Inuyasha wondered.

It continued to head towards the forest at an alarming speed.

"Hey Inuyasha, look!" Shippou called

"It sort of looks like one of Kikyou's shinidamachuu." remarked Sango.

Before anyone had a chance to get a closer look Inuyasha had already chased after it into the forest. Kagome gazed after him as he ran further and further away. Sango although confused by Kagome's distressed look offered comfort.

"Don't worry, he'll come back soon."

"I know." But as she turned around there was still a hint of doubt that clouded her mind. The others made their way back to the village. Kagome followed slowly behind.

'Inuyasha…'

&

"It didn't' work." The first stated. His deep malicious voice filled the room. It suffocated any who heard it with thoughts of hatred and vengeance.

"On the contrary, it worked just as I had planned." The second spoke out, his voice much smoother and composed.

&

The stars slept peacefully on a blanket of darkness covering the sky shielding any light from reaching the somber, lonely ground. Crickets chirped and all the animals of night came out to experience the pleasures of life.

In a small village within Musashi's province a small group sat in the house of an old priestess thinking about the day' s events.

Miroku sipped the tea quietly, Sango sat in the corner stroking Kirara to sleep, and Shippou gulped down his food near the fire.

"Here you are child." Kaede handed Kagome a cup of tea. She said thank you and took it quietly without drinking it.

"Is there something wrong Kagome? You seem troubled." Kagome looked up in surprise.

"No, I'm fine Kaede-obaachan." Kaede stared at her for a little while, as if wondering whether or not she was telling the truth. She finally decided to sit down between Sango and Miroku. They all sat there in silence, enjoying the comfort of one another's company. Shippou had finished his dinner and promptly fell asleep next to Kagome's sleeping bag. Kagome, herself was also beginning to feel sleepy and started to rub her eyes. On the other side of the room, Sango noticed Kagome's still forlorn manner. She naturally assumed it was because several hours had gone by and Inuyasha still had not returned. She thought about saying something, but did not want to make the situation worse by badgering her, although now she was having second thoughts.

"Kagome-chan I-"

She yawned in the middle of Sango's sentence "I'm getting really tired. I think I'm going to go to sleep now. Goodnight everyone." She fell back onto her sleeping bag before Sango could finish. She looked towards Miroku who just shrugged his shoulders. Kaede had also already fallen asleep near the wall of the hut. The rest of them also fell into a restless sleep, thoughts of the day's events clouding their minds.

Rays of sun broke through the quiet of night, tearing through the blanket of darkness and scattering the stars into some foreign distance, giving the earth a chance to soak up the light of day.

Inuyasha walked through weeded door of the hut, expecting to find everyone there, but instead he only saw Miroku, and Shippou. He came over and sat by the fire next to Shippou.

"Where were you all night?" asked Miroku

"Hmph. None of your business." Inuyasha wasn't in the mood to talk about the events of last night.

"Kagome's not here if you're wondering." Said Shippou, he just shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't care. "She went back to her time early this morning."

"And Sango went off to help Kaede." added Miroku. Shippou sat in the corner wondering to himself.

"I hope she brings me something back." Inuyasha and Miroku both looked at him puzzlingly. He hadn't realized he was speaking out loud.

Miroku looked at Inuyasha wondering why he wouldn't mention anything that happened. He assumed it must have been pretty serious if Inuyasha wouldn't at least say 'nothing' had happened.

"Come along Shippou. Let's go help Kaede and Sango." Shippou looked at Miroku puzzlingly. It wasn't like him to offer to do things like this. He assumed Miroku just wanted to go look at the village girls. As a matter of fact though it was nothing of the sort. He simply decided Inuyasha might need some time alone to gather his thoughts. So Inuyasha sat in the hut alone for about five minutes going over the last night's scene in his head.

"Damn it, I've been chasing this thing for hours and just keep's on flying in the same direction. It doesn't even look like it's going anywhere."

The strange creature soared just high enough above the trees so Inuyasha could see it. For something so small and lifeless it traveled at an amazing speed. Even Inuyasha was having trouble trying to stay on its trail. He was just beginning to catch up with it when a certain smell crashed into his senses. He tried his best to overlook it but the scent lingered on. In his own attempt to ignore it he had unknowingly lost track of the strange creature. Cursing his own foolishness he jumped through the canvas of trees overhead hoping to spot it from below. It was nowhere in sight.

Finally giving into his body's desires he trailed off in the direction of her scent.

He jumped through a thicket of dead trees and broken branches, beginning to feel her aura. The cold and uninviting presence was unmistakable, but he knew it well and did not hesitate. He slowed his running to a halt and searched his surroundings. Walking a little further he could clearly see her in the distance, even though the forest was pitch black. The radiance of her ghostly aura illuminated the tress highlighting everything around her with strange unearthly glow. The scent of clay, and bones assaulted his nostrils. She was walking down a steep hill near an old dead tree.

He didn't approach her immediately, but instead studied her for a moment. An odd feeling of déjà vu overtook him. He remembered when they had first met and he tried to steal the Shikon no Tama. He was sure when she released her arrow he would be killed. Instead her arrow missed his chest and pinned his sleeve to a tree. As she walked away he screamed at her to come back and finish him.

She turned around, a look of calm wonder upon her face and said, 'Why would I want to kill you Inuyasha? You're not worth my time.'

The smart retort got on his nerves and yet somewhere in a part of his mind which he would have never had admitted even existed at that time, he had wanted her to come back. That was nearly fifty years ago and he still yearned for her presence. Even now as the woman who walked the earth as a hollow corpse trapped between the realms of life and death the need to protect her was still there, to make up for what he had lost or had failed to do fifty years ago. They both knew it wasn't his fault, nor hers, yet he also knew that just as her soul could never rest until her assassin was dead, he could not rest in peace knowing her situation and not grant it even a fragment of his attention. He wasn't sure if there was still in any love left in him for her but he would have had an easier time ignoring an infected wound.

"At least flesh wounds always heal."

"I know you're there Inuyasha."

He paused for a few moments, unsure of what to say.

"Kikyou…Earlier today…"

"Damn it just come right out and say it!"

"Look I know it sounds crazy but did you send one of your shinidamachuu after us. After I killed that youkai…I could have sworn it was one of yours."

She didn't spare him a glance. The aura surrounding her glowed brighter. Another shinidamachuu came and dropped a soul into her as she turned around. She stroked its back as it flew away again.

"Isn't life strange Inuyasha. One minute it's there in all its radiance and yet it can be so easily taken away. Like blowing out a small flame."

The scent of earth and herbs flooded his nose, as he stared down at her.

"What does that mean? Is she talking about herself?"

"Even stranger is, how if one gives life should that life be forever in debt to its creator? Should it not have a soul of its own?"

Her riddled speech was confusing and exasperating all at the same time.

"Or is it not technically a life at all. But merely a will to be nothing more than a slave to its owner and perhaps itself." She stopped just as she was about the walk away from him and said:

"You should be wary Inuyasha; there are others who seek your life whose ambitions are far less 'kindly' than mine." And with that last thought she vanished from his sight.

What Inuyasha was supposed to do with this information he wasn't sure but better to think it over somewhere in a less uninviting atmosphere.

For the rest of his night, he sat on the top branches of a lone tree near a lake, reflecting on what she had said to him. He had returned to the village close to sunrise, and left again before everyone awoke. It of course gave the illusion that he was gone all night though. He could have told Miroku that and saved himself a lot of trouble and heartache, but he hated talking about his meetings with Kikyou, and after his all-night rendezvous he just wasn't feeling up to it.

Ten minutes past and feeling bored Inuyasha left the hut to sit at the well and wait for Kagome to return. In the mean time he hassled himself on whether or not he should bring her back himself.

&

Kagome lay on her bed stroking Buyo's fur. The smell of her mother's cooking wafted up to her room enticing her to see what she was making. She was too tired to move though so figuring her mother would call her when dinner was ready, she stayed in her room. Somehow thoughts of Inuyasha drifted into her head. Was he okay? Had he followed that strange creature into a trap? Was he lying somewhere injured or hurt with no one to help him?

"No." she accidentally said it out loud.

"That's ridiculous. Inuyasha wouldn't get himself into that much trouble." But doubt still lingered. As much faith as she had in him sometimes she wondered. For each time he left every nerve in her body screamed to tell him to stay, to beg, to plead, anything just so he wouldn't leave her. Leave her to wonder whether or not he would come back unharmed, or at all. But she couldn't do that to him. To ask him that would betray her feelings for him, and that would mean putting her heart at risk once more. She didn't think she could take the pain of having it broken by him. Whenever she thought of him injured or worse possible…dead. The tears threatened to fall while worry and anxiety took over.

"He didn't come back last night" She had left early that morning hoping he wouldn't be there, only because she didn't want to have to explain why she was leaving so soon. But mainly because she didn't want to face him, since that kind of encounter would only lead to them fighting again.

"I would ask him where he had been all night, and he probably wouldn't give me a straight answer. Then I would get mad just like I always do." She sighed and sat up from her bed. "and storm off somewhere leaving him to sulk"

"Oh, what I am I worrying about him for. Inuyasha can take care of himself!"

"He's not a baby and he's done it plenty of times before. This time is no different."

"I finally get to come home and here I am crying over nothing." And then it hit her. She had been crying. "Why?" she asked herself. Because continuing to tell herself that he was fine wasn't enough anymore. She needed to see him, needed physical evidence that he truly was unharmed.

"When did this start?" she wondered. "When did I start agonizing over the silliest things? I know Inuyasha is fine, I know it. So why am still so scared for him?" She knew the answer.

"Because I…I…lo-like him. As a friend. As a very close friend, whose there for me when I need him. It's normal to worry about a friend's safety, even if it is a hanyou who's practically invincible. That must be the reason."

The reason was, unspeakable. Because to speak it even in her own thoughts would be to admit to its truth. Earlier in the stage admitting it would have been all right. She had accepted it, known it, and lived with its costs. But now the price was too high and the connection was too strong. Too strong to feel it, to know with all your heart that it was there and not be able to act on it. She wanted to be able to keep the balance between them as stable as possible. If that meant pushing her feelings away, even pushing him away (to an extent) then that's what she would do.

'Our friendship is more important than just my feelings.'

So she left her room in a determined huff, leaving Buyo on her bed meowing for more attention. Souta met her at the door just as she neared the last step.

"Hey sis, when did you get back?"

"Just a little while ago." She walked away, leaving Souta in the hallway. The smell of her mother's cooking, once again drew her into the kitchen. Her mother was in there, stirring a large pot.

"Wow, that smells really good mama."

"Dinner will be ready in a little while dear." That still left her with a little while longer with nothing to do. Being so used to the outdoors by now, she decided maybe a short walk would cure her of her boredom. Being away so often and for so long gave her a new appreciation for the little things here at home. The quiet serenity of the shrine was defiantly a huge break from the wilds of Sengoku Jidai. Fighting youkai can really take it out of a person, physically and mentally (and emotionally).

Walking around the shrine eventually led her to the spot, which started all of this. The Goshinboku brought back some old memories.

'I wonder if he misses me?' but she shook these thoughts out of her mind and continued on her walk.

At the same time Inuyasha still sat at the well contemplating whether or not he should go after her. He made a pattern of pacing around the well, then sitting on the side for a while, staring down into it, and then repeating the whole process all over again. He did this all night long.

Kagome awoke early that morning, so she would have more time to pack and leave before it became too late. She said goodbye to her mother on the way out and ran over to the well house. With her backpack being so big and bulky it made the task much more difficult. She jumped into the well and landed softly on the other side. Looking up at the tall stonewalls she began to dread the long climb ahead of her and briefly wondered why Inuyasha wasn't there to help her. Her answer came in the form of a loud snore. A pair of small dog-ears covered in white tuffs of hair greeted her as she pulled herself out. Inuyasha was sound asleep on the side of the well.

She sat on the edge staring at him. 'And to think I was worried he wouldn't miss me'. Knowing his ego had probably stopped him from coming to see her. 'Oh well, at least he got some rest'. She sat there for a while wondering if he would wake up and notice her.

'He doesn't normally sleep this late. But then again, if I had stayed up two nights in a row I'd be tired too'. She waited a little while longer before she decided to climb back into the well. She knew being caught waiting for her would embarrass him so she decided it was better if he never knew she saw him. She climbed down just before she reached the top of the well and made a small noise to get his attention. He was up almost instantly.

"Kagome!" He looked grabbed her backpack and hauled her out of the well.

"Hey."

"Hey…um when did you get back?"

"Just now." Inuyasha noticed the cheerfulness in her voice and wondered if she was upset with him for yesterday.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

"Oh, uh, sure, let's go." He carried her backpack and they walked back to the village together in silence.

'I guess not'

End of Episode 1

&


Episode 2
The Family Legend

After destroying the plant demon Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Kagome, and Shippou take a short rest at Kaede's house and are once again on their way. Once they leave Kaede's village and have traveled a while since, they find an old abandoned shack and take refuge in it from the rain. But they awake the next morning to find some strange things going on around the hut…