Sesshoumaru observed his blade from tip to end before sheathing it. He turned away from them and began walking away. Ember nodded at Inu Yasha and followed Sesshoumaru. She didn't really want to, but she knew he would just follow her anyway. Besides, she wasn't done yelling. "WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!"

Ember jumped and turned. She swore as Suki, dragging Andronin behind her. Following curiously were their sons. Once again Inu Yasha and his group backed up. No one wanted to get in the way of Suki, even if they didn't know her. She was a very imposing person, despite being one of the weakest and smallest types of demons in the country. Even Shippou, a fox pup, could defeat Suki in a one on one battle. But when it came to demands, Suki was a force to contend with. Ember took a hesitant step back but Suki got right up to her and slapped her across the face. Ember stumbled and Sesshoumaru reached out an arm to steady her.

Suki was red in the face and holding the scroll that Ember had given Andronin. "What the hell is this?!" she screamed. She held it up to read in a loud, mocking tone. "Dear Suki, I knew you would be the one to read this because of your current hatred towards me...Ember, hating you isn't recent. I've hated you for over a hundred years... I hope this letter will explain everything. By the time you find me I will no longer be a part of this world and this will be all I can give to you. I am pregnant with Sesshoumaru's child. Given my last attempt in giving Sesshoumaru a child, I am not taking any risks this time. I took the forbidden scroll from you because of the ancient spell that trades a life of one and soul of another for one single life and soul. I am sacrificing my soul for my child. I will become a simple vessel for the baby. The life I will end to ensure its birth is Naraku. I am hoping that you and your family have been out of reach to his tyranny, but believe me when I say, that this half demon will destroy the entire angel city." Suki looked up for a moment. "Did you really think I wasn't going to follow you after you left this?! I knew you were up to something. But I wouldn't believe that you would be so fucking selfish." She looked back down at the scroll and continued reading. "While I know this will thoroughly end my life, it will also end the pain I have endured for the last two hundred years. I will no longer be haunted by the memories, the angel's will be safe and Sesshoumaru will have his heir. I have arranged, in a scroll much like this one, that I will give birth in the north, under Yuki's protection." Suki threw the scroll in the mud and slapped Ember again. "You weren't going to do this for the angels, or for Sesshoumaru, you just wanted to off yourself and this gave you a 'noble' way out."

"Suki," Ember started, rubbing her now very red cheek. "You don't understand..."

"Enlighten me!" Suki screamed with the same condescending, snarling tone Sesshoumaru used when he'd said the same thing. "What don't I understand, Ember, because from what I see all I read is a selfish act from a fucking bitch!"

"Suki..." Andronin sighed. "That's going too far."

"Do you have an answer for her?" she hissed back at him.

"Put yourself in her spot, just for a minute." He said softly.

"Father," their oldest son snapped. "Mother knows plenty about what that woman has been through."

"No, she doesn't." Andronin continued patiently. "Do not get me wrong, I believe what Ember has done was not the brightest idea. However, Ember has a particular situation. She went from a human servant, to a political target, to angel, to lady of the west, a depressed mother who lost her child, neglected wife (my apologies me lord), unexpected mother twice and now she's here. I'm sorry, my love and child, but none of you understand what she going through."

"It's been two hundred years," Suki hissed.

"Which brings up my next point." Andronin nodded. "Ember, you carry a grudge like a human. You need to remember that you're not anymore. You are still the lady of the western lands. Despite your history together you should be able to come together and run your lands together instead of avoiding and sniping at each other. What I think the two of you need to do is battle it out. Whatever you have to do. Personally I don't expect that anything will be as good as it was, but you two need to get over this human like attitude."

Andronin looked between the two of them. He looked slightly concerned that someone, may it be his wife, Ember or even Sesshoumaru to hit him. His sons were also looking nervous. Ember stepped forward, touched his arm gently and smiled. "Andronin," she said softly. "You are so whipped."

There was a moment of silence before Suki burst out laughing. She doubled over and coughed, laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. With the mood lightened Ember glanced over at Sesshoumaru. He looked calmer, in his own way. He nodded towards the trees, indicating that she should follow. She picked up her dress and followed him. Andronin was right. Whatever they had before would never be the same. The two of them had to hash this out until they got everything out in the open. Then they needed to accept, forgive and forget.

She and Sesshoumaru walked until they reached the river. Ember got dressed and sat down on a rock, dipping her feet in the cool water. They sat in silence for a long moment. It was awkward. You could cut through the tension with a sharp blade. Ember finally took a deep breath. "You start." She whispered. "I feel like I've said a lot but never listened."

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath. He didn't say anything for a while. Finally he smiled just the slightest. "Do you remember the time your mother stood up to my father? The time you splashed soup on him."

Ember chuckled. "I was five. It was my first time serving him."

"Exactly," he nodded. "I've never seen your mother so bold. She had the strongest will of all of the servants but she always knew her place. Until it came to you."

"I'm not sure who was more surprised with her outburst, Inu Taisho or herself." Ember laughed.

"Your mother was so dedicated." Sesshoumaru smiled and his golden eyes met her red ones. "I know you were going to be that dedicated to Keruko and I know you're going to be that dedicated to the one growing in your belly now." Instinctively Ember wrapped her arms around her stomach. "But that dedication you have and I know you can put toward those you love... What I'm trying to say, Ember, is that I travelled for a short time with Ash. She has the same fire in her that I fell in love with when it came to you."

"Ash wasn't a part of the plan..."

"Neither was losing Keru." Silence fell between them for a moment before Sesshoumaru continued. "Face it, Ember, when we lost him... both our worlds have been turned upside down."

Ember looked away from him. She was shivering slightly. Sesshoumaru stood up to sit behind her and wrap his own arms around her. It was the closest they'd been since that night a month ago when they shared that passion. Only this time it wasn't tense. It wasn't awkward. It was comfortable. Sesshoumaru rested his chin on top of her head. "In a way Ash was destined to be a part of this world." He said softly.

"How do you mean?" she asked.

"Had you not found out you were an angel you still would have had a child of the line. You could have gotten married, but Ash still would have been yours and only yours. The only difference is that had it been the other way you would have taken an interest in her life."

"Why do you keep telling me this?" she looked up at him.

"Ember..." he sighed. "There is a lot of time before this child is born. In that time I want you to try to fix things with Ash."

"Why does it matter if I'm a mother to her?" she grumbled, stiffening in his arms.

"Did I say 'be a mother to her'?" he snapped lightly. "Just make things... better."

"How? I've banished her to the city. Took away her inheritance. The one thing she had to live for. I had it burned into her skin, made it law. There's no undoing it."

"When have you ever followed angel law?"

"This is different."

"You'll find a way. You always do."

Ember shook her head and sighed. "This isn't like bending the rules to make someone feel better or ignoring it to fix your relationship. This is... I don't know how to explain it."

"All I can ask is for you to try."

He looked down at her and kissed her. Ember stiffened for a moment before melting into his arms and kissing back. "You know nothing will ever be the same?" she said softly. "And things... they can't just go back to the way they were... not just like that."

"I don't expect it to."

A moment of silence passed between them before Ember stood up stiffly, looking at the sky. Dark clouds were rolling in. "We should get back." she sighed. "But we should do this again. Until... until things are better."

Sesshoumaru nodded and turned away. They walked, side by side, until they reached the clearing. It had started to rain by then. Hard enough that they were both soaked by the time they reached the others. The cool water felt good now that she calmer. Suki was arguing with one of her sons and the others were standing well back. Rin was looking up at the clouds and didn't even notice Sesshoumaru's reappearance. "Master Jaken," she called out. "There are people falling out of the sky!"

Ember looked up into the clouds and rain and soon enough she saw it too. A person was falling out of the sky. When she looked closer she saw that they had dark blue wings. "Sesshoumaru, that's an angel." She said quickly.

"Let's go." Sesshoumaru nodded.

Ember's own wings blasted from her back and she took off with Sesshoumaru at her heels. She reached the angel in time to help him stabilize his flight. By then more angels were falling from the clouds. Ember recognized the blue angel as one of Twilla's soldiers. She gripped his arm. "Soldier," she shouted over the thunder and wind. "What happened? What's going on?"

"We were attacked!" he cried. "The city... We were ambushed. The Queen told us to evacuate the city. I got the hell out of there."

"Where's Arailia?" Ember felt her heart go into overdrive. "Where's the Queen. Where's Shadow and Twilla?"

"I don't know!" he called back. "I was in the temple. The first person I ran into was the queen."

"We have to get these people out of here, Ember." Sesshoumaru shouted.

Ember whipped around in the air, looking for anywhere safe. She saw the castle of the west. She grabbed the soldier's arm again. "Gather everyone. Head west to that castle," she pointed at the barely visible towers. "Get everyone out of here. Head inside, we'll meet you there."

"Thank you, my lady."

The soldier started flying around the others, barking out orders. Blood was beginning to fall with the rain now and so were injured angels. Sesshoumaru transformed into his enormous true form and began catching them on his back. Ember was looking desperately around for any sign of golden wings. It seemed that the entire population of the city had fallen out of the sky, half of them were injured. The sky was empty and there was no sign of Arailia. Uninjured angels, or those who could still fly, had taken the unconscious and barely alive ones off of Sesshoumaru and were now heading over to the castle. Ember looked around wildly, praying that she had just missed Arailia.

Suddenly there was a flash of light and a scream. Sesshoumaru had just transformed back into his human form when Arailia literally fell into his arms. Ember breathed a sigh of relief and flew over to the Queen. She had a deep cut along her collar, the bone showing through the blood. She was writing in pain and Ember saw that her arm was broken as well. "Arailia," she called.

Arailia opened her golden eyes in fear and pain and looked at Ember. "It was Naraku." She said in desperation. "He's in the city. He started capturing the heads of the lines. He got Shadow and Nikko. I saw him take Trident too. I don't know if he got the others. He would have gotten me too if Twilla hadn't pushed me out of the way."

"What about Ash?" Ember said suddenly. "Where's Ash and Karu?"

"She was in the library." Arailia winced in pain. "I didn't see her."

Ember's hand shot to her throat so she could transport to the city but Arailia grabbed her wrist. "Don't!" she cried. "He's after you too."

"I can't just..."

There was another flash of light and two figures appeared and began to fall. One of them was unmistakeably Ash. The other, the smaller of the two, was Karu. Both were bleeding. Ember dove after them, grabbing their wrists in before they hit the ground. Arailia was supporting herself in the air now and Sesshoumaru then took Ash in his arms. "We need to get you some help, Arailia," Ember said. "Head to the castle with Sesshoumaru. I need to ask Suki something."

"And then you will come, correct?" Sesshoumaru said sternly.

Ember nodded and lowered herself to Suki. "Do you still have connections with the Mistress and the nurse?"

"Of course. They don't live too far from us, actually."

"If they are willing to come, please have them come to the castle. And anyone else you can find. It's going to be a shit show and half of them are hurt."

"What happened?"

"I'll explain later. But there are so many injured, I have to be there."

"We'll bring everyone we can." Andronin said quickly. "Go."

"Thanks Andronin. Jaken, bring the children to the castle, but please keep them out of the way."

Jaken nodded and spread her wings and took off, heading west as fast as she could with Karu in her arms. It wasn't long before she was running into the castle. The angels of the fourteenth line who weren't hurt had worked quickly. The youngest of them seemed to have set up a sort of triage center, determining who needed help immediately versus who could wait. Ember took Karu up to one of them and the young angel quickly looked him over. "He needs to go upstairs." He said quickly. "I was studying under Nikko with this boy. He has a serious infection. He's been in and out of consciousness. He needs Nikko or someone with equal healing abilities."

Ember nodded and took the stairs two at a time and slid into the infirmary. Arailia was in the corner shouting in pain as an angel tended to her deep wound. Ember laid Karu in a bed and he was swarmed by healers. Knowing she wasn't needed she took a step back and walked over the Arailia who was white and looked feverish. "Stop struggling, your majesty." A green haired angel snapped. "If this gets infected you could die."

She looked up at Sesshoumaru who was holding Arailia down. "How's it going?"

"We need more help." He said quickly. "Someone with more experience."

"I'm do my best, my lord," the angel snapped. "But without Nikko our powers are somewhat... diminished. It's like the connection to the rest of the line is lost..."

"What can I do?" Ember asked the angel.

"Hold this here." The angels said, handing her the cloth he was using to stop the bleeding. "I have to put her arm back into place. My lord, can you hold her down?"

Sesshoumaru gripped her shoulders tightly and the angel snapped Arailia's arm back into place. She screamed in pain before slumping against Sesshoumaru's chest. The angel bound her arm tightly and lowered her down onto the bed. "Once I stitch up that wound she'll only need some rest."

Ember handed the cloth to the angel and backed off with Sesshoumaru. "Where's Ash?"

"Her injuries weren't serious. I took her to a room to rest."

Ember nodded and took a deep breath. "I've sent Suki and the others to find the Mistress and the nurse. They can help."

"Until then you should get some rest, Ember." Sesshoumaru said.

"No. I have to do something to help."

"You brought these people here. You gave them safety."

Ember sighed and sat down on the stairs. "How could this have happened?" she said in an exhausted tone. "How could Naraku have made it into the city?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Rest here, if you must, Ember. I will be right back."

Ember nodded and leaned against the wall. It was then that she realized how tired she really was. She closed her eyes, only meaning to stand up again in a few seconds. She jerked awake when someone pressed a cold cloth to her head. She jumped and turned. The old nurse was sitting beside her, wiping her face. "How are ya, sweetheart?" she asked gruffly.

"How long have I been out?"

"Couple hours," she said. "Had to take care of yer people first."

"How are they?" Ember asked, sitting up stiffly.

"Most of them are spooked. But I think they're thankful that you were there."

"How is Karu?"

"The little blonde boy?" the nurse asked. "He'll be fine. Took some time getting that infection out of that stump of his, but it's cleared now. Fever's gone down and he's sleeping well."

"And Ash?"

The Nurse paused. "Yer daughter's fine." Ember looked away. She couldn't help but feel disgust at the thought. "No need to explain, darlin', the lord told me everything. She's up stairs with him now."

Ember sighed and leaned her head against the wall. "How did I get here, Nurse?" she asked softly. "How did everything go so wrong?"

"Nothing is as bad as it seems."

"I've pushed away the man I love, alienated my only daughter, and lost almost every friend I've ever made. How are things not as bad as they seem?"

"Because you two still love each other. You have a daughter. Your friends aren't gone... they're just out of sight. And best of all, you're expecting again."

"Sesshoumaru has a big mouth."

"He's concerned. As we all are. You didn't come out very well the last time."

"Thank you for that, nurse." She snapped.

"Don't get snippy with me." the nurse snapped back. "I did everything I could to save Keruko."

Ember groaned and ran her hands through her hair. "I'm sorry... this whole thing..."

"It's alright, girlie."

"Hey, did Suki find the mistress?"

"Yes. But I'm afraid the mistress is too old to continue working here. She's named Suki to continue as the Mistress. Much like my son will continue in my place after we have this situation dealt with."

"Is Arailia awake yet?"

"The queen? No. But while you wait you should get some sleep."

"I'm fine." Ember shook her head. "I've slept. I need to help out."

"We're fine. Things are under control. Let's get you to bed."

Grudgingly Ember let the nurse help her upstairs to the room she once shared with Sesshoumaru. She glanced at the door on the other side of the room. On the other side of that door Ash was talking with Sesshoumaru. She turned to the nurse. "Please, come get me if you need me, nurse." She yawned. "These people are without a ruler right now."

"Of course, girlie. Now, into bed with you."