I just want to thank all those who have been on the constant look out to see if there has been any update or progress. I'm sorry that my writer's block has kept you waiting for so long and I hope this chapter meets your expectations.

Hikaridragonstail, Thanks for the heads up that I was taking too long with this chapter. It was all the motivation I needed to sit down and restarted the oily and rusted motor.

aeryn, I hope I have kept with the right amount of Darkness for you. Wouldn't want to disappoint, especially when I LOVE your extraordinarily helpful and encouraging reviews.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from Inu Yasha. All other characters with similar names or personalities are purely coincidence.

Chp 6 - Death, Destruction and Darkness

"Kanna… I think Kagura is being too efficient," the Dark Lord murmured as he stroked Kanna's pure white strands as she leant against his leg, her head tilted towards his hands.

"Do you want me to kill her for you, my Lord?"

"No… That would mean she would be free. We'll just leave her to defy us; she isn't doing much harm anyway. If I cannot find the Dragon, why should anyone else?" the Dark Lord said as he continued stroking Kanna and with a sinister grin, "After all, it's time to implement the next move."

-

"Your Majesty, Kanroku, Meicha and Makenta have reported sightings of large demon hordes at its borders," reported an emissary from the Western quadrant.

Already, the Dark Lord was on the move. Kenji had ordered every person with the slightest magical ability to add their powers to the barrier.

The Threshold as the barrier is called had been put up once Kenji had made the connection between the horrible plague that had swept through Silvana and the Dark Lord. As soon as the barrier had come up, no more had been infected although they could not find a cure for those who had already been infected.

Although hundreds of lives were lost, thousands more were saved and all were grateful.

But now, a new reign of terror was beginning, The War of Darkness. The Dark Lord had unleashed his demon horde onto the lands and slowly, reports were constantly filing in on the names of the countries they had conquered.

As Kenji sat and listened to more names being added to the casualty list, deep within the recesses of his mind, he worried about the safety of his children.

-

The War of Darkness as it had become aptly known was escalating terribly. Fights had broken out all along the border of Silvana, where it was no longer in Silvana's jurisdiction or they did not want Silvana's protection.

The number of lives lost was phenomenal and even as they recognised the cost of their mistake, the other smaller countries saddling Silvana's borders were being conquered one by one by the demon horde that had been raised by the Dark Lord.

-

Stroking Sango's hair, her head resting on his lap as she slept stretched out by his side. Her small warm body was a comfort on lonely nights like these whenever he felt Mizuna's absence keenly and she always came looking for him as if she somehow knew.

Her dark tresses were so similar to her mother's in texture and length, long, silky and thick, dark like his where her mother's were as golden as sunshine.

He missed Mizuna terribly; her quick wit made him laugh and her beauty always stole his breath. With her, nothing was ever dull or boring. She was the light and colour of their lives, compassionate and yet firm.

The Del were known to be a beautiful people with unearthly powers. But he had not expected to fall for her and he had even prepared himself for her beauty, thinking that their beauty was a form of enchantment.

The moment Mizuna had lifted her veil; he had been spellbound despite the many charms that hung heavy and thick around his neck. Just thinking about his foolish superstitions … Ah! What a foolish man he had been.

Indeed, the Del were blessed with gorgeous bone structure, delicate skin and fine features, but their beauty glowed from beneath their skin with an quiet inner radiance as if the Moon had gifted them with her essence.

Moonkissed was a favourite nickname used to refer to the Del, in fact, Moonkissed was used so often, 'Del' was soon forgotten and thought to be the parent race of the Moonkissed.

Sango was at the age when the Del received their powers, he could only wonder if she had inherited her mother's water ability.

The palace gardens had prospered the moment Mizuna had arrived and he had wondered how until he had seen Mizuna sing water out of the skies. He had been enthralled by her voice and stunned by what she could do.

As the light drizzle fell from the clouds, he had felt refreshed and cleansed. She had been shocked and appalled at the sight of him and had almost turned to flee when he reached out to her.

The Del Elders had warned her to keep her abilities secret as some Passives, a term they used to describe powerless humans, could kill her for possessing such abilities, witches they would be called.

Mizuna later explained to him, the water was imbued with her essence and feelings and what he had felt was her desire to cure to plants that were dying. This applied to all the Del and their special abilities. She had emphasised that their abilities were not passed down by bloodline, but depended on their character or desires when they chose their individual abilities.

But Mizuna had told him that Sango and Kaito may not gain abilities as they were half Del and according to the Del historical records, in the many centuries, those that were less than a full blooded Del had never gained abilities.

If only Sango and Kaito were full blooded Dels, they could still retain a part of their heritage that would constantly remind them of Mizuna.

"Otou-san… It's getting cold…" Sango murmured, still asleep as she burrowed closer to her father's warm body.

Reaching out to grab the blanket he had placed at the end of the chaise, Kenji almost missed it.

Brow furrowed in concentration even as she slept, Sango reached out a hand towards the fireplace and a small fireball shot from her open palm into the fireplace to cause a new blaze. Seemingly satisfied, Sango relaxed and fell back into deep sleep, her hand falling to hang over the edge of the chaise.

Time stood still for Kenji as he felt like he was transported to the time when he had first witnessed Mizuna's care for the flowers and more resolute than ever, he knew what he had to do.

-

"Chichiue! I don't want to! Don't send me away! I'll be a good girl! I promise!" Sango cried, tears streaming down her face as she clutched frantically at her father's leg. The servants around stood motionless, unsure of what to do, although they were ready to drag her into the awaiting carriage at a single command.

With a deep sigh, Kenji knelt down to pick his daughter up.

"I'm not sending you away. I'm just sending you to visit Kei-ojiichan and Meihou-obaasan. They miss you and Kaito. It's been some time since you last visited," Kenji said, hugging his daughter tightly to him.

"But we can go together…" Sango sniffled, slightly mollified.

"Otou-san has got work to do so I cannot go with you, but I promise that I'll go with you the next time, ok?" Kenji asked, teasing strands of her hair that had come loose in her struggle back into her ponytail, "Are you going to be a good girl?"

"Hai, Otou-san," Sango said with a sigh and with prompting from Kenji, gave him a kiss on the cheek before he let her slide down.

Kaito seeing that his sister was no longer upset ran towards them with childish giggles and leapt into his father's awaiting arms.

-

"Sango…"

Those were the last words to leave his lips as he was felled by a sword.

He knew that this day would come when he had engaged in battle with the Dark Lord's army. He had felt grateful that Mizuna's parents had taken his children in and kept them safe. At least, he had seen to their safety, his last duty to them as their father.

-

Sango sighed as she stared out the window, bored since it was raining heavily and Meihou-obaasan had forbidden them from playing in the rain. Kaito was off somewhere with their nanny, not that she needed one.

She had been practicing her fire-ball trick since forever. Rather, it hadn't been forever, it was a little over six months but it still felt like forever and she could now create one whenever she liked and she wanted to show it to Otou-san.

In his last letter, which arrived a month ago, he said that he would visit them last week. But Otou-san was late.

Otou-san was never late and now that he was, she was beginning to worry. The last time Otou-san had been late, he had come back sad looking and crying. Then he had told her and Kaito that Mama had gone to heaven to be with the angels.

She wasn't stupid, but she understood that Kaito was young and telling him outright that Mama had died… Well, let's say that the sight wouldn't be pretty. Kaito was the closest to Mama just as she was the closest to Otou-san.

Worried, Sango started to fiddle with the pendant that she guessed Inuyasha had given her. Having examined it closely a while back, she deduced that the pendant was probably one of Kagome's scales and the string had been made from Inuyasha's hair.

She wondered if they had understood the power they had given her and Kaito when they had imparted such precious gifts. Probably not, she thought. No one would have willingly parted with bits of themselves knowing that they had given away a boon to the person.

A Boon charm was made of either hair or nails contributed by the giver. And it signified any wish that the recipient could make and the giver would obligated to complete. Of course, the good thing was that such personal bits would have to be given willingly to make the spell effective. Castaways contained no magic at all.

The crudest and simplest magic of all had been unknowingly cast and with her recent magic training, she knew the feelings that came with her present were strong and somehow, it also functioned as a protective charm. She would have to ask Inuyasha how he had done it as soon as she met him again. Since there were no records of Boon charms doubling up as protective charms. But then again, probably no one had tried before.

Still deep in thoughts, she did not spot the courier messenger until he was racing through the lower arches. A dreadful feeling burned within her chest as she saw Meihou-obaasan read the message and then collapse crying into Kei-ojiisan's arms.

Racing along the corridors, ignoring all the protocol she had drummed into her since she could talk and walk, she burst out into the outer courtyard, the bright light momentarily stunning her.

Slowly, she approached the messenger and held out her tiny hand. Her bearing as regal as she could make it with every amount of royal training she had received.

"May I have the missive?" she asked, her tone was colder and more formal than anyone had heard her use in all the time they had known her.

"I… Certainly, your Highness," the messenger said, placing the parchment in her very tiny hand after he had looked to her grandparents for approval and finding none as they comforted each other.

Opening it, Sango read its contents, paling as she understood its implications, disbelief and sorrow warring over her tiny face.

Suddenly uncertain about his previous action, the messenger tried to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Sango straightened her shoulders with every bit of resolve she had inside her little body and shook off the messenger's hand with a cold glare. Spinning around on her heel, she stalked back into her grandparents' home, her grandmother's muffled sobs seemed to haunt her as she headed to her room, seeing nothing and hearing no one despite the multitude of servants milling about in the corridor going about their daily tasks.

Upon reaching her room and shutting the door, Sango felt her bottom lip immediately quiver and hot tears sting her eyes as they rolled down her face. Wailing, she sank to her knees.

"OTOU-SAN!"

-

"At last, the Great King Kenji has fallen… Who would have thought he would have fallen so easily? And not by my hand, but by the sword of my lowly minion! The DISGRACE!" the Dark Lord cackled, delighted and tickled by the strange turn of events.

As his horrid laughter rippled through his dimly lit court room and he could see those who had heard it visibly flinched at the grating sound. Their discomfort and fear, a delicious mix of ecstasy for him, especially on this momentous occasion; the death of his Royal Majesty, King Kenji Kohaku Wincott, reigning monarch of Silvana and Steward of the Dragon Keep.

Kenji, that mangy little mutt had spent his entire existence being a thorn in the Dark Lord's side, stopping his perfectly calculated advances with just one move! Moves that had taken him years to plan so that when he made his final move, victory would have been swift!

By far, of all his predecessors, he had been the most annoying, conniving and the smartest to rule Silvana. Now, if Kenji had been on his side, he would probably have full control of the world already, so great was Kenji's genius and prowess on the battlefield and in court.

He had even offered Kenji the opportunity to join him.

But the prissy little stuck up had spurned his advances, vowing that he, the Dark Lord, would not get a foothold into Silvana so long as the Great King Kenji lived. And oh so true to his vow he had kept. Not once during his reign did the Dark Lord manage to breach Silvana's gates, with the recent exception of Kanna spreading her malice.

But where was the great King Kenji now? DEAD! Dead by a blunt sword from a lowly minion that had managed to pierce his armour by chance.

But that was hardly what he wanted. No! The Dark Lord desired death, destruction and darkness. Sickness was just the beginning; death would be what the lowly mortals would desire with their every breath once he ruled them.

They would gladly kill who he asked in exchange for eternal respite. Not that he would grant them peace, he thought evilly.

He would torture their souls and make them watch their loved ones die and even at their very end, he would devour their souls and force them to destroy the lands they love with the new forms he would transform them into. Bloodshed, grief, gluttony, rage, disease, hate and oh! There were so many more forms they could take; just thinking about it gave him such a rush of excitement.

And Kenji's death was the key to it all.

"Now, Silvana is leaderless and weak! Now, Silvana will fall and bow to me. Now, I, the Darkest Lord of all history, Naraku, will rule the DRAGON KEEP!" Naraku said, his triumphant voice echoed through his castle, causing even the slaves in the dungeons to moan with despair and lose that tiny spark of hope and freedom they had been harbouring. King Kenji was dead and therefore, freedom was no longer a viable option.

As Naraku, Darkest of all Dark Lords relished in his victory, a tiny little waif was determined to prevent the conquering of Silvana, the last place of freedom the people of the Wastelands had envisioned as the place of their salvation as he snuck past the guards to warn whoever wanted to listen and were willing to fight.

Writer's Note:

Hey you guys! I'm REALLY sorry that this chapter took so long and if Hikari didn't give me a kick in the butt with that review, I probably would not have gotten around this chapter at all.

I need motivation and inspiration, so please read, review and even critique or question it. I need to know how to improve and to answer any questions you have if you do not think that I have explained something clearly or properly.

So for all those loyal reviewers! A toast to you! Thanks for your support! I really could not have done it without your strong support and encouraging words.