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A/N: Yes, I updated. Now, breathe deep. Concentrate. Do NOT faint.

Important notice to everyone: There will be NO UPDATES OF ANY KIND IN NOVEMBER from me. Regardless of length, popularity, fandom, or any other factors, I will not be updating anything during November.

Prayer to the Winds

San

Lost and Found

"It's no use," Kouga said gruffly. "We've already looked everywhere."

"But he has to be here somewhere!" Ginta protested, looking around as though expecting the object of their search to show up at his feet. However, this did not happen.

"Well, he isn't!" Kouga said. He didn't really want to cease the search, he was upset too, but he knew it was useless. There was no way they'd find Hakkaku anymore. Youkais could bear more damage than humans, true enough, but such a fall from a cliff right into a rocky river would kill even them. The only thing they'd been able to find of their companion was blood.

Well, at least they'd had revenge. The demons they had been battling against had been killed to the last one. It didn't quite make up for the loss of yet another pack mate, but it did make it a bit easier to bear.

Ginta didn't say anything. Instead, he transformed into a wolf, obviously not in the mood for talking. Well, he'd come around. They'd have to talk sooner or later.

Now, there were only the two of them.

Miroku was somewhere nearby.

Although he couldn't explain this feeling, Inuyasha couldn't ignore it, either. Miroku was somewhere not far from him, perhaps waiting, or needing him there, and he couldn't find him. It was, to say the least, quite frustrating.

Suddenly, however, he felt something else that caught his attention. There was a youkai somewhere nearby, too. Raising his sword, he glared at the direction of the now hidden creature.

"Show yourself, youkai," Inuyasha growled. Usually he would have attacked right away, but now something didn't feel quite right. He stared as a figure stepped slowly out of the shadows and into the clearing. As he finally saw it clearly, his breath caught in his chest.

"What is this, Inuyasha? Why so hostile? And why are you travelling alone, anyway? Surely you haven't abandoned our dear lady friends?" asked Miroku. Or, at least it was a creature that looked like Miroku and sounded like him. Its scent, however, made Inuyasha grimace. While it did remind him of Miroku, it was the scent of youkai, not human. And Miroku was no youkai, that much he knew for sure.

"You bastard," he snarled, gripping Tessaiga's handle, his knuckles white. "How dare you try to pass yourself as -- as him!" A drift of wind made the rings on the monk's staff jangle, only serving to fuel the hanyou's anger. No filthy youkai was allowed to touch the last thing remaining of his friend. "I don't know if you're just another bloody scheme of Naraku, and I don't fucking care, either. And I don't know just how you managed to take Miroku's staff -- but I'll make bloody sure you fucking regret ever touching it! KAZE NO KIZU!"

To his great surprise, however, the creature managed to block his attack by merely raising his staff, doubtlessly using the remains of Miroku's powers closed within it. With a scream of rage the hanyou rushed forward, Tessaiga raised to kill the offending youkai. Then, he struck.

Inuyasha stared in shock at the blade of his katana. It had been rather effectively blocked by the staff in the youkai's hands. Regardless of its powers, the staff shouldn't have been able to simply stop Tessaiga like that, unless... A bit stunned, he stepped back. "...Miroku?"

"So you did notice at last," the monk said dryly, only the tiniest of smiles tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Really, Inuyasha, I am shocked. Not even you usually go as far as actually attacking me with the intent to kill. What have I done now to earn your rage directed at me?"

"You reek of youkai," Inuyasha ground out. Although he had stepped back, he did not put Tessaiga away. Here Miroku was, alive and well like he'd known he would be, but suddenly he couldn't be trustful. He'd proven that he was right and Kagome wrong, but now he started to doubt his own beliefs. "Explain."

"Well, what can I say?" Miroku spread his hands in an open gesture of trust and innocence. It seemed that he had no fear for Inuyasha. "The last thing I knew I was dying in your arms. Then I woke up, being carried through the air by some youkai. I wished I could do something about them, when suddenly we were thrown to the ground by a strong gust of wind. The next moment the youkai were torn apart by something that looked like some rather powerful blades of air. For a moment I thought you were there, or that Kagura had somehow returned from dead -- it looked like something between Kaze no Kizu and Fuujin no Mai. At last I was able to get up and staggered into the forest. How long I wandered around, I do not know. Finally I found the battlefield and got back my staff. Along with finding it, I noticed that I now have some interesting... powers." At this, his grasp on the staff tightened momentarily.

Inuyasha's hold on Tessaiga tightened as well. "But how the Hell are you alive?" he demanded. "You fucking died there, I know you did; your ki disappeared completely. Why do you reek of youkai? And what new powers?" A hint of hidden excitement showed up in his eyes at the last question.

"Well, I don't know for sure," sighed the monk. "But I do have a theory. You do know that whenever I sucked in youkai I absorbed their youki, right? That's why I couldn't suck in too many demons at a time. Anyway, all that youkai energy was probably imprisoned in my kazaana. When I died, the kazaana disappeared, releasing the energy within it. That mass of youki then revived me. That's also why you sense a youkai in me -- my human ki has been replaced with demonic, which also explains my added powers. And as for what those powers are, well, I don't have a very clear image yet, but basically I'm like Kagura with a staff instead of a fan. That's because of the winds of the kazaana, I'd guess."

"That sounds reasonable," Inuyasha admitted warily. "But can you prove that you really are Miroku?"

"You transform into a human every new moon," the monk replied calmy. "No enemy knows that."

For a moment Inuyasha still hesitated. Then he sheathed Tessaiga and let out a sigh of relief. "Miroku," he said, almost choking on the name, "it really is you." Before the darkhaired man could react he found himself drawn into a fierce hug. "I knew you weren't dead," the hanyou muttered. "Kagome said that you were, but I knew it wasn't true. That's why I came to look for you..." He now pulled back, smiling weakly.

"Is that why you left the others?" asked Miroku curiously. "Just to look for me?"

"Yes," Inuyasha admitted, a bit embarrassed. "Like I said, Kagome kept saying you were dead and fucking sat me every time I told her otherwise. Sango kept mourning, so... I left." He shrugged a bit.

Miroku smiled a bit sadly. "So it's just the two of us now, then?" he asked.

"So it would seem."

Sesshoumaru stopped on the edge of a clearing. "I am unimpressed," he said coolly. "The leader of the ookami has been slain, eh?"¨

"I'm not dead yet," growled Kouga. However, as it looked like, he wasn't far from that. Covered with wounds from head to toe, he lay on the ground barely alive. Especially bad the wounds seemed to be on his legs. Guarding his side was a large demonic wolf, eyeing suspiciously the intruders.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and stepped closer. The wolf took a step forward as well, baring its teeth in an attempt to scare away the strangers threatening his pack leader. Rin flinched and whimpered, hiding herself behind Sesshoumaru's legs.

The inu taiyoukai's expression didn't waver, but his hand got nearer to the handle of his katana. "If that wolf as much as growls at the girl, I will not hesitate to send him straight to the next world," he said coldly. "Actually, I think I will kill him anyway. Your wolves have already killed her once."

"Then kill me as well," replied the badly injured ookami. "He is the last survivor of my tribe. If he is killed, there isn't any reason for me to live on." His blue eyes watched the intruder in perfect seriousness.

For a moment Sesshoumaru seemed to consider this. Then he again raised a questioning eyebrow. "You'd give up on getting revenge for your companions?" he asked. "Now, that is nothing like the ookami lord this Sesshoumaru has heard so much about."

The darkhaired man gave a bitter chuckle. "This is not about giving up," he said. "It's about the fact that, should I be left alone, in my current condition I would be an easy game for any stronger youkai passing by."

"Why so?" Again Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "You are, after all, a taiyoukai as well, even though not as strong one as this Sesshoumaru. Few youkai in this area should offer you more than a temporary annoyance, no matter how bad your condition is."

At that, Kouga gave him a dry smile. "It seems that you don't really understand the extent of my injuries. Had my legs been simply torn I would have healed them already. However, the Shikon shards were also taken, and I got some of Naraku's miasma in exchange. My body's doing its best to keep the miasma at bay, but I have hardly enough strength left to even lift my hand." To demonstrate this he weakly raised his hand from the ground. It immediately fell back down, the long, sharp claws useless now.

For a second the inu taiyoukai was silent. Then he snorted a bit. "You will not die by any youkai's hand," he said. "This Sesshoumaru can't even be bothered to slay your little minion, for he undoubtedly will waste away when the last remains of his tribe disappear through your death of your injuries. You hardly can win Naraku's miasma when even his daughter lost the fight to it."

Now, Kouga was silent. Then he said quietly, "If this is to be my fate, so be it." Glancing at the wolf that now just stood by his side, he added, "Ginta here hasn't returned to his human form ever since we lost Hakkaku. If you wanted to destroy my tribe, it would be easy... But you don't want that, do you?"

"What makes you think I would care one way or another about whether you and your ruined tribe live or die?" asked Sesshoumaru. His face stayed just as expressionless as ever.

"If you did not care," Kouga replied, sounding a bit strained -- quite understandable, considering his current condition --, "you would not be here anymore. You would have already left -- most probably after slaying Ginta for scaring the child, leaving me alone to die."

For a moment the silverhaired youkai just watched him, silent and unmoving. Then both thin eyebrows were raised, and a tiny smirk curled the inu's lips. "Clever," he said smoothly. "Quite clever, Kouga of wolves. Might your logic be enough to decipher just why have I deemed your fate worth my time and attention?"

Now, however, the ookami shook his head. "That I don't know. Like you said, I'm indeed dying, so I'm not worth much as an ally. As fighting Naraku is the only thing we have in common, I can't think of anything else that might make you interested in whatever happens to me. Care to enlighten me?"

Again, Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment. Then he said, "No, I don't. However, if you are still alive as this Sesshoumaru returns tomorrow, you shall be told." And, after saying this, he turned around and left, taking the still slightly fearful Rin with him.

Night had fallen, the last rays of daylight taking Kouga's consciousness with them. Ginta still lay next to him, guarding his leader. When he smelled a youkai approaching, he growled threateningly, baring his teeth.

The threat went almost unnoticed, however. For a moment Sesshoumaru stood on the edge of the clearing, watching silently. Then, he turned around and left again.

In the morning Sesshoumaru returned, Rin in tow. The sight that greeted them was that of a worried, almost fearful Ginta trying to nudge Kouga awake. Just as Sesshoumaru approached, the ookami's eyes were opened.

"So I am alive," he growled. "So what is it that you want?"

For a moment, Sesshoumaru was silent. Then, however, he set a hand on the handle of his katana. "My sword, Tenseiga, is well capable of killing," he said. "However, it can also heal. You are a mighty youkai to even have survived this long under the effect of Naraku's miasma. If you and your underling join us on our quest to destroy Naraku, this Sesshoumaru shall heal your injuries."

Kouga gave him a hollow laugh. "You really have to ask?" he asked gruffly. "I don't particularly want to die. And after what Naraku did to me, I definitely want to have part in his death. If you really can heal me, do so – my tribe has to be avenged."

"As expected, we have come to an agreement," Sesshoumaru said calmly. "I have to warn you, though – if Rin comes to harm by either you or your wolf, there will be no mercy given."

"Neither given nor expected," Kouga replied. "Now use that sword so that I can get back to my feet!"

The village head glanced disbelievingly at the two women in front of him. "Are you travelling all by yourself?" he asked. "There are several strong youkai in the forests surrounding our village. All the men are having a hard time keeping them away. It is very unwise for two women to travel alone."

The small kitsune on the shoulder of one of the women jumped to the ground. "And just what do you think I am, eh?" he asked, sounding annoyed. "Some kind of a pet, eh? Hey! Don't you ignore me!"

However, the village head paid no attention to the tiny creature's yells. "Please do remain here at least until you can safely leave. We have heard that a taijiya is travelling around here. Once he comes around, he'd probably be willing to escort you safely through the forest."

The women glanced at each other. Then one of them, dressed in a kimono, said, "We are taijiya." As she saw the disbelieving gaze the man gave her, she sighed. "Look, we did get here unharmed, didn't we? If you could offer us shelter for the night, we'd be grateful. However, tomorrow we shall continue on our way... without escorts." Her companion nodded in agreement.

Now, the village head just sighed, shaking his head. "Do as you will," he said. "However, I fear the worst."

Their conversation never got any further. Just then one of the village men came running to them. "Danna-sama," he panted. "The youkai leader has come out... The taijiya is battling it, but he's in need of help!"

"Gather the men of the village!" the village head barked. "We shall go to aid him. Take the women and children inside! You too, guests," he said, turning towards his guests. "I won't allow you to be hurt."

Now, the one of the women with the most unusual attire, a strange shirt and a skirt too short to be decent, stepped forwards. "No," she said. "You shall go to safety, and we will go to aid the taijiya."

"But I can't allow that!" he protested. "If I allowed two weak women to be hurt, my honour would --"

Some time later, he sighed deep as he watched the two women flying towards the battle, seated on a large beast that a moment earlier had been a mere strange-looking kitten. His cheek still stung from the strike he had received. "Well," he said, thinking about the attire the kimono-clad woman had changed to, one that much resembled the one the wandering taijiya was rumoured to wear, "I guess they were taijiya after all."

"Woah, it's huge!" exclaimed Kagome. Her eyes widened as she watched the indeed enormous demon roaring ahead. "I understand why it's the leader of the youkai. And is that the taijiya?" She pointed at a man's form near the youkai. He was rather tall but seemed pitifully small compared with his opponent. What interested Kagome most, though, was the demon exterminator clothing he was wearing, rather similar to that of Sango and Kohaku, only blue instead of pink or green. "Is he from your village, Sango?"

"I don't know," Sango replied. "It seems probable, with that clothing. Many of us did go around exterminating youkai; some might have been far enough to not even know of the destruction of the village. I can't see him well enough to be sure, though," she then added, glancing at the man.

"Well, we are now close enough," Kagome said. "Drop me here, Kirara! You two can then go to help the man out. Then you'll see whether you know him already or not," she added.

The firecat flew lower, allowing kagome to jump off with her bow and arrows. Then she rushed towards the large youkai with her mistress. Sango threw her boomerang, yelling, "HIRAIKOTSU!"

At the sound of her shout, the man turned around, looking surprised. "Sango?" he asked. "Sango, is that you?" While shouting, he struck the now staggering youkai with his own weapon, a long halberd. Light erupted from the halberd, injuring the youkai. This did not stop it, but the monster certainly slowed down.

"Kureta?" shouted Sango back. "Kami-sama, I haven't see you in ages!" She now got near enough to draw her sword and strike the monster with it. However, the demon's skin was hardly even scratched.

Just then, an arrow came soaring through the air. Sango caught Hiraikotsu and then turned to see the arrow hitting the monster right on the chest. The youkai cried out, one monsterly paw drawn closer to its chest. Seeing this, Sango again threw her boomerang, aiming at the injury caused by Kagome's arrow. She was lucky; the boomerang flew right through the enormous creature, tearing it.

"Accurate as ever, eh, Sango?" shoted the man. "And with a quite powerful friend, too, I see. Well, let's now finish this thing! YUKIRYUU!" He threw his halberd, which went through the hole left by Hiraikotsu and inside the youkai. There it hit exactly what he had aimed for -- the youkai's heart, now unguarded by the thick armour of flesh. The youkai roared in pain.

Kagome ran nearer just in time to see the youkai collapsing with a mighty roar. As she watched in fascination, the man extended his hand and the halberd rematerialized there with a yet another flash of light.

"You got it!" she exclaimed, finally reaching the two taijiya. "So... is he from your village, Sango?"

"Oh, yes," Sango replied. "Kagome, this is Kureta. He is... was one of the best warriors in out village. His halberd, Yukiryuu, is magical; it's been carved from a youkai's bones, like Hiraikotsu. Kureta left the village some time before... well, before it."

Kagome nodded seriously, knowing what her friend was talking about. Kureta, however, looked confused. "What are you talking about? And what do you mean, I was one of the best? Have I been surpassed?"

"No, you haven't," Sango replied quietly. "The reason why you are no more among the top warriors of the village is that there is no village." Seeing her childhood friend's shock, she sighed. "The best warriors were all lured into a trap," she told. "I was the only one to escape. Meanwhile, a herd of youkai attacked the village... not one life was spared. I fear that you and I may be the only survivors of your people."

Now, Kureta's expression darkened. "What?" he asked. "What evil being is behind this monstrosity?"

"A youkai by the name of Naraku," Kagome told him, eyes downcast. "He has caused us... other losses as well." As he gave her a questioning glance, she explained, "A while ago some youkai of his caused the death of a dear friend, Miroku -- Sango's fiancé." She glanced at her friend, who looked very sad, biting her lip. "The loss of Miroku caused Inuyasha, another friend of ours, to part ways with us as well. Now Sango and I are travelling by ourselves."

"Hey!" yelled just then a little voice from behind her. "Why are you ignoring me as well? I am here, too, you know!" Shippou ran to the place, stopping beside Kagome. "Who are you?" he asked curiously.

Kureta's reaction to the little youkai's appeareance was shocking. He immediately raised his halberd as if to strike Shippou. "A kitsune," he snarled. "What is that filthy creature doing here?"

"Hey!" exclaimed Kagome in shock, snatching Shippou into her arms. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, you'll have to forgive Kureta," Sango said, seemingly once again over the worst grief over Miroku. "When he was just a child he saw a large kitsune murdering his parents. Ever since he has loathed all kitsunes. But Kureta, Shippou is definitely harmless," she added then.

Shippou shivered, glancing fearfully at the tall man from the safety of Kagome's arms. "Most kitsunes aren't e-evil," he stammered in his defence. "Cunning and de-deceiving, yes, but not e-evil or mu-murderous!"

For a moment the man simply glared at Shippou, not saying a word. Then, he turned his eyes away from the kitsune, seemingly no more interested in him. "Whatever," he said briefly, not sounding like he actually believed the youkai child. "My dear ladies," he then said to Kagome and Sango, "would you oppose if I travelled with you from now on? We appear to have a common enemy now, after all, and surely it would be better to combine our efforts than for each of us to strike out alone."

Needless to say, the women both agreed.

Chapter 4:

Inuyasha and Miroku run into two humans in need of help, but for one of them the help comes too late. This shocks Miroku -- as well as the mere existence of the surviving human. Meanwhile, Rin learns not to fear Ginta. Shippou, on the other hand, learns to fear Kureta.