The forest was filled with the sounds of birds, chirping, calling, singing. The clearing in the middle was empty, soft grass doing it's best to return to a healthy green. A few flowers were bravely trying to bloom, but the ground was already starting to dry out.
A faint, soft, golden glow formed in the center of the clearing, and within seconds, a woman could be seen standing there. Brilliant colors graced the gown she wore, and she was tall.
The golden glow subsided, and faded out entirely, and the woman turned, looking around her.
Izumi blinked at all the birds gathered in the small clearing. They seemed upset over something, all trying to talk at once.
"Now now, calm yourselves," she said gently, "Why are you all here? You're all bunched up, this is not like you."
Birds sang, called, chirped.
Izumi frowned. They were certainly stirred up, upset.
Birds were chatty creatures, and talked non-stop. Unfortunately they tended to ramble and repeat themselves over and over, so it could be quite hard to get one to actually concetrate on a single thing and talk about it.
Izumi herself was feeling very distracted. Lately she seemed to have trouble concentrating. There were so many different things she had to attend to, all of them equally important. She had been giving Mikado more and more responsibilities as time went on, and hoped the other Handmaiden didn't notice it was due to exhaustion, thinking it was just more training.
Izumi believed in Mikado. She knew the young woman could handle this herself just fine. She was strong, and smart, and up to the challenge. However, Mikado didn't have the...decorum...that was often needed for this job. Mikado wanted to wade into the middle of things, do it all herself, and end it. She had no time to coddle or nurse along people, letting them learn things on their own. She had no time for showing respect that was deserved, or the political wrangling it oftentimes took to get something done.
She smiled. If it had been Mikado who was chosen to approach Lord Sesshomaru, the demon lord would probably still be hunting the Senmin down for a hundred small slights she had unknowingly given.
Once Mikado learns the ins and outs of dealing with many different people, many different personalities, she will do just fine.
She sighed, It would be nice, though, if the third Handmaiden revealed herself. There are supposed to be three of us. Mother Amaterasu has been saying for over two centuries now that the third will arrive soon, but I see no signs of it. I was certain, at first, that Sango was destined for that, but she chose to remain with Miroku and the others.
For which I am glad. InuYasha and his friends love her so dearly. Knowing she was a powerful, near immortal Senmin would have been a comfort, but they still would have missed her, terribly. I'm not sure how Miroku would have handled her continued loss without eventually being unable to take back the robes, and I am sure that will play a part in the final battle. Besides, Sango is a Fate Breaker. I don't know if they are capable of becoming Senmin.
Izumi thought to several days ago, when she had met Kagome under that tree in the downpour, and they had talked of InuYasha. Izumi had shown Kagome a parallel world where InuYasha had grown up with both parents, in a castle with wealth and power and prestige. He had always had family around him, had always been accepted.
In that world, the hanyou hadn't fallen in love with Kikyo. But he had fallen in love with Kagome.
She had hoped that Kagome would understand what that meant. She had tried to explain that InuYasha had fallen in love with Kikyo because she had been the only woman who had ever shown him any kindness and affection. Considering the hanyou's lonely childhood and young adult life, it was not surprising he felt that way about Kikyo. But there hadn't been any reason for him to fall in love with Kagome. Especially after Kikyo had returned. But he had. What that implied was obvious.
"It doesn't matter though", Kagome had told her, "Because in this world, my world, he still loves Kikyo. So it makes no difference."
InuYasha had come to talk to her, too, about the Tetsusaiga. But he had obviously been very distracted by his thoughts, glancing often out into the rain, where he had last seen Kagome.
Izumi sighed once more. Those two were so bound together, if they could only see it, put aside all this other nonsense, and stop colliding all the time.
She was brought back to reality when as especially bold little bird perched on her shoulder, trilling loudly, demanding her attention.
"Yes, yes, I'm listening. What is it?"
As the little bird twittered and chirped, Izumi listened. Apparently, the little bird was upset because it had been forced to leave it's nest. It liked it's nest, it could look out over the ocean at the waves. But now there was a very unpleasant feeling in that area, and so it had left. And couldn't Izumi please do something about it, because it was certain another bird would soon take it's nest.
"Yes, very well, I'll go and see what this is all about, I'm sure it's nothing," she said softly, and the little bird flew back to a tree, ruffling it's feathers, feeling very put out.
Izumi turned, and started walking towards where this little bird had explained it lived. Normally she wouldn't get involved in something like this - birds were very easily spooked, and would forget all about this nest within days if forced to move. But the fact that so many birds were all complaining about the same thing seemed odd.
It wouldn't hurt to look.
Izumi lifted the hem of her robe as she walked through some damp grass. She envied the little bird it's nest. She too loved looking out over the ocean. It reminded her very much of her little village home, so far in the past now.
Her people, now, rested at the bottom of the sea, their bodies committed to the deep when their time had come. Time had erased her village, but not her memories.
Izumi wondered what would happen to her, when her Goddess' promise came true. Amaterasu had promised her sleep when this war was finally ended. Izumi felt so weary at times, she looked forward to just closing her eyes, and drifting off...and sleeping. Forever.
She hoped her Goddess wouldn't put her in state. She felt...awkward...thinking about a whole line of people looking at her once she was gone. True, it wouldn't be her, but her body...and she had a very bad feeling that as the oldest of the Senmin, that is what would happen to her...but she still didn't like the thought. All her people were down in the depths, sleeping. She would like that herself. She had almost said as much to Lord Sesshomaru.
The two brothers came to her, and she smiled. She couldn't leave before all this was finished, though. She still needed to guide InuYasha...and she wanted to be sure he came through it all ok. Izayoi and InuTashio's child, the hanyou was so dear to her. In another time and place, he might have even called her "Oba", Aunt. That would have made her so happy.
And Lord Sesshomaru...
Izumi shook her head as she walked. She wasn't sure what to make of the demon lord anymore. When first they met, she had him pegged quite well. Izumi knew exactly what he was going to say or do in any given situation. He was so like, and yet unlike, his father. Standoffish, cold, rigid...and yet there were glimpses of his father's humor in him, a wry, sarcastic, almost acidic wit that came to the surface from time to time.
Sometimes he had such an odd look on his face, like he had been handed a completely unexpected item and had no idea what to do with it. Emotions came to his face unguarded for mere seconds, as if something had slipped through without notice before the demon lord could clamp down iron bands.
She suddenly remembered Kagome mentioning that Lord Sesshomaru called her "my lady". It was something he had started after telling her he offered his blade to her if she needed it...to her, not Amaterasu. And the odd emphasis he had put on the "My" at first had startled her. What was his game?
As she walked, Izumi was struck by the sudden memory of grieving for Ichi, or Muzan, as she had been called. How it had torn her heart apart when the woman had been burned to dust before her eyes for abandoning Kiemetsu. For a brief moment, Izumi had thought she was going to have her sweet student returned, and then all had been torn from her in a gout of flame.
She had wept, and Lord Sesshomaru had...
Izumi paused, stopping in the middle of the path, eyes distance as she tried to remember.
He had touched her hand, and she...she had wept against him. In her blind grief, she had clung to the Demon Lord of the Western Reaches, and he...
He had touched her hair, hadn't he? Ever so light, she hadn't really even noticed it until her sobs had tapered, and she had regained some control.
His voice..."Izumi. I do not understand why you weep for one who was so recently your enemy, but...I am sorry you grieve."
Izumi shook her head. Perhaps there was more of his father in him than even Lord Sesshomaru knew, to feel sorrow at a friend's grief.
She started walking again, pushing her way through some brush, and stepped out into a clearing atop a cliff, over looking the ocean. The water seemed unbelievably bright, glinting off the waves like diamonds.
She was startled to see InuYasha's group standing there, looking out over the water.
Izumi spoke, "Kagome?"
Six faces turned to her; three human, a Kageri, a Kitsune, and a feline demon, startled, but it was Kagome who stepped forward, "Lady Izumi! InuYasha's gone!"
Izumi paused, not quite sure what she had heard, "I...what, dear?"
"He's gone, he vanished in front of us inside a big blue ball!"
"We couldn't touch him!" Shippo cried, "We couldn't reach him, he couldn't get out! Then it flashed and dissapeared!"
Izumi studied them in silence for a moment, then spoke directly to Miroku, "Miroku, dear, can you tell me what happened?"
The monk looked uneasy and worried, "It's as they said, Lady. We were walking back to Kaede's village when we saw that island out there. There seemed to be a strange aura about it, it was glowing in a faint blue light. We came out here to take a closer look. A bright light suddenly shot up, straight up into the air, and then vanished. Before we were able to do much more than mention it, the same kind of light enveloped InuYasha. It was like he was inside a barrier of some sort. None of us could break it. Then...it grew brilliant, too bright to look at, and vanished."
"It took InuYasha!" Shippo cried.
Izumi frowned, "Were none of you covered in this same light at all? Only InuYasha?"
"No, Lady, only InuYasha."
Izumi frowned. That didn't sound good. Something had sought out InuYasha personally and separated him from his friends.
The tall woman lifted her head, looking around. Kagome saw that her eyes were unfocused, as if she were listening more than looking. She knew the woman was casting out with her powers, trying to home in on the hanyou's location.
She turned her head, looking towards the island, and frowned, "He's out there?"
Miroku and the others all turned towards the island in the distance, worried.
"Why was he taken out there?" Sango asked.
"And why just InuYasha?" Kagome asked.
Izumi shook her head, confused, "I'm not sure, and I know I don't like it at all. Stay here. I'm going to go see what is going on."
Kagome looked at Izumi, "We can come with you! Kirara can carry us, and-"
"No," Izumi shook her head firmly, "I don't know what's going on out there, none of you are to follow."
Izumi turned towards the island, and closed her eyes. She seemed to flicker for a second, and then she vanished in front of them. Shippo blinked, "I'll never get used to that!"
Kagome turned towards the island, eyes scanning, hopeful, Be careful, InuYasha, please.

InuYasha had experienced that horrible wrenching sensation he had experienced the last time he had been translocated to another place, and found himself hovering in midair. Startled, he hadn't even had time to hollar in surprise before he landed roughly on his butt on compact dirt.
He grabbed his middle, hunched over, commanding his breakfast not to make an appearance. His stomach roiled and churned. Just like the last time, when him and Kagome had been yanked to that castle. His stomach had turned then too. The bodies of demons, or at least hanyou, apparently didn't appreciate being shifted in space like that.
Muttering under his breath, he stood up, looking around for his friends.
He was alone.
"Kagome! Miroku? Sango? Anyone? Hey!"
Silence.
He turned in place, looking around.
Where the hell am I?
He seemed to be standing on the edge of a clearing. The trees that lined the clearing were scraggly and stunted, evident of growing in wind. The ground was mostly a thin grass, but mostly brown dirt that was slowly giving way to dust and sand.
In the far distance, he could see land. He frowned, squinting at the landmass. What was that?
InuYasha blinked. Was that...was he now on the island?
"What the hell am I doing over here?" he asked, and suddenly grew alarmed. Had he been taken from them because they were going to come under attack? Were they in danger?
Damnit, was he going to have to swim all the way back?
A sudden ringing started up in his head, and he turned, looking this way and that, his ears turning on his head as he sought to identify the source.
But he couldn't seem to find it. It seemed to be coming out of the air all around him.
It continued to grow in intensity, changing from a ringing to a vibration he could feel in his bones.
Ears flattened, he took a hold of the hilt of Tetsusaiga. He now recognised that ringing, vibrating, shivery sensation. It was what he had felt when they had encountered that portal, the gateway to that other realm.
In front of him the very air suddenly seemed to bulge, as if something was trying to force it's way through.
Hackles raised, InuYasha pulled his weapon. The Tetsusaiga roared into form, and the hanyou backed up a step, waiting. Whatever was going to force it's way into his world, he would be ready to face it.
The air in front of him continued to bulge and stretch, warping everything around it, like waterdrops on the surface of a pond. Now the ringing grew more powerful, and it started to border on pain.
"Damnit!" he cursed, his eyes watering. Taking the Tetsusaiga in one hand, he raised his other to his face, using the heel of of palm to wipe away the tears that fouled his vision.
There was a sudden, horrible tearing sound, a ripping noise, and a huge gaping hole appeared before him, black and cold.
InuYasha leapt backwards, putting some distance between him and it. He blinked rapidly, trying to keep his vision clear.
The hole in the air before him was blacker than black, a terrible void hanging in space. Even from where he was, he could feel the cold seeping out into the air around him.
InuYasha grinned. Here was something he could do.
Everything that was going wrong, everything...now, now he could do something. Losing Kagome's affection, DarkWind showing up, suffering at the hands of the Shadelings, Sango dying and being used as a pawn before being returned to her friends, the people in Kagome's world hunting him, putting her family in danger over him, having to run from those people...
His SolarWind would take care of this, easily.
InuYasha remembered Izumi's voice, telling him he wasn't ready for this, that it was too powerful for him.
Yet.
Something about the portal taking your power and throwing it back at you...
But not the SolarFlare. It was a blessing from Amaterasu. It would be powerful enough to stop this thing.
He took the hilt of the Tetsusaiga in both his hands, taking up his stance. Closing this portal would show Izumi he was ready for anything that was coming. He'd surprise her, her and Kagome both. He could almost see them looking at him in pleasant surprise.
He started to gather up his power, feeling the power starting to grow inside Tetsusaiga. He let it fill him, and planting his feet, he released his attack.
The Windscar left the Tetsusaiga, rippling outward towards the portal, tearing into the ground as it went.
He watched, grinning, waiting for it to take the shape of the SolarWind.
The SolarFlare blazed into form, striking the portal with a blinding flash.
It separated, encircling the portal, burning in place like a frame encircling a blank photo.
InuYasha blinked, startled. What had happened?
To his shock, the SolarFlare rippled, and bubbling outward, blasted out from the portal, heading backwards. Heading for InuYasha. And it had been magnified several times. This SolarFlare was different. Almost corrupted. Tainted somehow.
InuYasha stepped back a step, shocked. What had happened?
The SolarFlare tore back towards him.
Panicking, InuYasha swung out his Tetsusaiga again.
"Backlash Wave!"
The Backlash stormed out, and struck the incoming SolarFlare with a deafening crash. The two attacks roared as they struggled against each other, like savage animals fighting for dominance. Trees around him swayed, caught up in the massive winds that formed, his hair and clothing streaming out behind him as he stood, pushing everything he had into the Backlash.
He suddenly felt his powers start to falter, flowing out of him like water in a leaky bucket. His legs started to tremble as not only his hanyou powers, but his physical strength leeched out of him as well.
Tetsusaiga was draining him.
Shocked, he looked down at the blade. The solar symbol that appeared whenever he used the SolarFlare was there, flashing and rippling, but differently than normal. Usually the symbol was whole, complete. Now it seemed to flicker and ripple in pieces and bits, almost as if the symbol itself was under attack.
InuYasha tightened his grip on the hilt, staring at his blade in shock. Why was Tetsusaiga draining him? Was it having trouble fighting back?
His golden eyes widened when he suddenly realized Tetsusaiga was pulling power and energy from him, to replace what it itself was losing. The portal was sucking power from him and the Tetsusaiga the way a child might drink water.
Tetsusaiga was failing. It was losing the struggle in the Backlash Wave, against this powered-up SolarFlare.
"Tetsusaiga!"
The SolarFlare pulsed, and enveloped the Backlash, turning it around, and blending it with itself, powered up, absorbing it, strengthing it, and returning it.
There was a sudden ringing chime from the blade, a non-harmonic sound, like breaking glass, and suddenly InuYasha was left holding the small, rusted, notched form of his blade.
Tetsusaiga had lost.
He only had time to be utterly shocked, speechless, disbelief on his face, when the SolarFlare and the Backlash Wave both struck him.
He was lifted off his feet, blade flying from his hand, sent crashing backwards through the trees, tearing them out as he went, before cashing hard into the ground, tearing up a huge gouge that ran a length along the ground.
InuYasha felt none of it, not the trees, not hitting the ground, not even tearing so deep a hole in the ground.
He had been killed, instantly, the moment his stolen attacks had struck him, dead before his feet left the ground.