I do not own Inuyasha. That happens when I take over the world.
Kagome: Something that you haven't done yet.
A1969: You're right. I'm too busy torturing Inuyasha.
Inuyasha: I thought you said you were gonna let me down!

A1969: At the end of the chapter!
Inuyasha: Crap! My vision has gone all red!

SoSoSoSoSoSo

Kohaku stirred quietly in his sleep. Sango was sitting right beside him, looking at her brother. "Aren't you going to bed yet?" Kagome asked. She was sitting up and staring at Sango. Miroku and Inuyasha were leaning against a wall opposite them, while Kaede was dozing peacefully next to Kagome.

"No, Kagome-chan, you should sleep on," Sango said. Kagome extracted herself from the blanket, careful not to wake Shippou.

"Nah, I'm a hanyou, I don't need that much sleep anymore."

Sango smiled at her. Kagome took out a match and relit the now dead fire. A small fire crackled merrily while Kagome took out two packets of cocoa from her backpack.

"Want some?" Kagome offered. Sango nodded. Kagome took out a thermos of hot water and two cups from her yellow backpack and began brewing the cocoa. She handed Sango a mug of steaming cocoa; the taijiya murmured a word of thanks as she sipped the drink.

Kagome lowered her cup and looked at Kohaku. "I wonder how he got here," the miko mused aloud.

"That's what I've been thinking about too," Sango said. "Did Naraku free him, or did he escape?"

"We'll find out when he wakes up tomorrow," Kagome said. They continued drinking their cocoa as the fire continued chewing up its logs.

Miles from where they slept, Kagura flew. She landed neatly in the courtyard of Naraku's palace. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing. She knew perfectly well that Naraku now knew about her little excursion and she dreaded her punishment.

She hesitantly stepped over the threshold, listening for anything that might come her way. As she rounded a corner, Kanna appeared out of nowhere, frightening Kagura out of her wits.

"Don't scare me like that!" Kagura snapped. Kanna only stared at her.

"Naraku orders you to come to him," Kanna said in her blank voice.

Kagura went cold. What was Naraku going to do to her? She followed Kanna into Naraku's quarters. As soon as they stepped in, the door slid close behind them.

"Kagura," Naraku said, emerging from the shadows. He faced Kagura, who inwardly trembled. "Where have you been?"

Kagura bit her lip. "I was…Proving something for you."

"Oh? And that would be…?"

Kagura stood straight, looking determined. "I have proven that Sesshoumaru cannot kill you!"

"Liar," Naraku hissed. "You were trying to get Sesshoumaru to kill Akago and Mizuki."

"No! I was testing your little theory."

Naraku took a step closer and Kagura didn't dare step away. She knew Kanna was no longer in the room and knowing that her sister had abandoned her was…Depressing.

"You lie, Kagura," Naraku said softly. "I already told you that neither Sesshoumaru nor Inuyasha can kill me so as long as the baby was with Mizuki…But you still tried to get Sesshoumaru to kill her and the infant."

Kagura's eyes widened as Naraku's tentacles wrapped themselves around her. She screamed as Naraku pressed her body to his, absorbing her into him. The only thing that was left of the wind witch was her fan, which had fallen to the floor.

"Kanna," he called. The demoness walked in, eyes on her sister's fan. "Pick that up and keep it with you." Naraku instructed. Kanna did as she was told to do and picked up the fan.

"Finally." Hakudoshi stepped out of the shadows, looking as if the world were his. "I see you've gotten rid of Kagura."

"Where did you hide the infant?" Naraku asked, turning to Hakudoshi.

"Inside a volcano; no one would be foolish enough to go into one," Hakudoshi said confidently.

"A wise choice," Naraku said softly. He walked towards a window and smirked. "The jewel is almost complete; the last shards are with Kohaku and Kouga…"

Hakudoshi looked at Naraku and narrowed his eyes.

SoSoSoSoSoSo

The next morning dawned bright and sunny in feudal Japan. Sango was still watching Kohaku, who remained sleeping, while Kagome was making breakfast. Shippou and Miroku were somewhere with Kaede while Inuyasha sat near Kagome, watching her make their meal.

"Here," Kagome said, handing the hanyou his ramen. Inuyasha instantly grabbed it and began wolfing it down. He coughed and Kagome handed him a bottle of water. "Thanks," the hanyou said as he placed his ramen down.

"Want some, Sango-chan?" Kagome offered Sango a bowl of chocolate cereal, Sango's favorite food from the modern world.

Sango smiled. "No thanks, I'll wait till Kohaku wakes up."

Kagome nodded and set down the bowl. "You know," Inuyasha was saying. "I think we should look for Kouga and take away his jewel shards."

Kagome nodded. "We shouldn't 'take away' his shards, though. We should first explain the situation to him and if he agrees, we'll get his shards."

"Bah!" Inuyasha said.

Miroku and Shippou came over to them and Kagome handed them their food. Meanwhile Kohaku's eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Kohaku," Sango said.

Kohaku looked at her. "Ane-ue?"

Sango hugged him, tears forming rapidly in her eyes. "You remember!" she sobbed.
Kagome looked at Kohaku and felt assured when she saw his shard was purple instead of black.

SoSoSoSoSoSo

After breakfast, Kohaku told them how he had managed to escape from Naraku's clutches, which intrigued everyone. After lunch, they set off on their journey; Kohaku was with them, of course.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said. The inu hanyou turned to her.

"What is it?"

"We're running out of supplies…I'll have to go back home soon and replenish them…"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her. "Lemme guess…You're afraid to go back?"

Kagome nodded. "What if the police are still looking for me?"

"Bah! I'll go with you…I'll protect you from them like I protect you from Naraku."

Kagome blushed and looked at him. Did he say those words? Kagome smiled to herself and she remembered the painting, which she had yet to show Sango.

"Thanks, Inuyasha," Kagome said softly.

Behind them, the rest of the group was looking at them. "Sounds like Inuyasha and Kagome-sama are getting closer," Miroku remarked quietly.

Sango nodded. Kirara was walking beside her, in her larger version, while Kohaku rode the neko.

Miroku came closer to Sango and said in a low voice, "Maybe we should be a little more open with each other."

Sango blushed and stared at him but the magic was gone when she felt his hand on her behind. "Ane, he's…" Kohaku said.

Sango slapped Miroku. "You pervert!"

Kohaku and Shippou chuckled heartily beside them and Sango stared at her brother. It was so good to hear him laughing! It made her heart leap for joy.

As night drew nearer, they found shelter in a town that was situated at the foot of a volcano. The food tasted great there and Kagome remarked that it was probably because of the volcanic soil that the people's crops were so green and lush.

"Has anyone seen Miroku?" Sango asked. They were resting at an inn, which Miroku claimed was haunted by evil omens.

Kagome shrugged her head. "We saw him," Kohaku said as he, Inuyasha and Shippou walked in.

"Where?" Sango asked.

"He was with the inn owner's daughter," Shippou piped up.

"The girl was going to show Miroku a hot spring on the volcano," Inuyasha said, observing Sango's reaction.

Sango was silent as she looked at the floor. Her fists were clenched. "C'mon, Kirara," Sango said icily. "We should go see that Miroku doesn't do anything stupid."

"Does Ane like the monk?" Kohaku asked as Sango and Kirara walked out of the room.

SoSoSoSoSoSo

"It's over here, Houshi," the pretty girl who was with Miroku said. Azra led Miroku higher up the volcano where the promised hot spring would be.

They came to it; it was hidden by the trees.

"Azra!" a voice called out. Miroku and Azra looked above them. One of the women was running toward them, out of breath. "Get down the volcano, quickly," she said, panting.

"Why?" Miroku asked.

"I've just been to the crater to see if there are any herbs. You know the herbs there are very effective. When I went there, the lava was at level with the crater!"

Miroku looked at her. "Then we should hurry; if the volcano explodes, the town will be burned!"

They began running down the slope, running as fast as their legs would carry them. "Miroku!" an angry voice above them shouted. Miroku looked at Sango, who was riding Kirara.

"Sango!" the monk said as the taijiya landed next to him. "Quick, tell the people to leave the town…The lava is rising and it might spill out of the crater! And take these two with you!" He gestured to Azra and the other woman.

What a two timing pervert! Sango thought as she let the women ride behind her. They flew away and Miroku followed them on foot. He stopped running and stared back at the looming image of the volcano. Was he just imagining it or did he feel a dark presence there?

SoSoSoSoSoSo

Mizuki's P.O.V.

Lava swirled around me and the infant as we hovered within the volcano's fiery depths. The barrier that Akago had conjured kept us cool and safe from the lava.

I looked at the infant. He was asleep.

All around me, I saw nothing but the raging lava. It was rising above the volcano and I knew that there was a town at the foot of the volcano. I tried to stop the lava, but if I did, I was afraid that Akago would torment me once more.

When he was awake, he had summoned memories to my head. One that I lingered on was that of a woman who looked like me and who was dying. I had a feeling that I killed that woman and yet I didn't know why I did it.

The infant stirred in my arms. It woke up and looked at me. "Of all the places, why did Hakudoshi have to hide us here? Never mind, I sense that the volcano will erupt soon enough."

Erupt? It was going to erupt? But that meant that the people living at the foot of the volcano would die!

"There's nothing you can do about it, Mizuki," the infant said. I looked at it. I could feel my hate for it rising in my chest.

"Forget about the people and hold me closer, I want to go back to sleep," the infant snuggled against me and in a matter of seconds; it closed its eyes and slept.

SoSoSoSoSoSo

Down at the town, the people were panicking as they gathered their possessions so that they could leave the town. With darkness falling, it was difficult, though.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku called out. He spotted his comrades assisting people.

"What is it, Miroku?" the hanyou asked. Beside him, Kagome and Sango were giving him curious glances.

"Before I came back here, I felt a presence coming from within the volcano itself," Miroku said. "We should see if a demon's behind the awakening of the volcano that has remained dormant for years."

The others nodded their heads in agreement. "Kohaku, stay here with Shippou," Sango said. Her brother nodded.

"C'mon and hurry it up," Inuyasha said in an impatient voice. The others followed the hanyou out of the town and up the volcano.

SoSoSoSoSoSo

"What is it, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin asked as her lord stopped in his tracks. Sesshoumaru gazed to his left, through the trees as if he could see something that lay beyond them. He narrowed his eyes. He had a feeling that Mizuki and his brother were somewhere nearby. "Jaken, set up camp here, I will return later," he said as he walked off into the trees.

Jaken sighed as he looked at his lord's retreating back.

Sesshoumaru walked through the trees as darkness crept behind him like a stalker. From this distance, he could smell his brother. He followed his nose until he came to a town where the people were running around in panic.

No one seemed to notice the daiyoukai, who secretly found the sight of humans running about in pure panic amusing. A young man bumped into him. Sesshoumaru glared at the youth, who stumbled backward in fear.

"Y-youkai!" he shouted. The people around him didn't seem to care as they ran out of the village, carrying their belongings with them.

"Silence," Sesshoumaru hissed. "Why are you filthy humans running about?"

"T-th-the v-vol-volcano i-is about t-to erupt!" the youth stuttered. Sesshoumaru tore his gaze away from the youth. He spotted his brother and his companions running towards the volcano. Certain that something strange was happening; he left the youth and ran through the now empty village after his brother.

SoSoSoSoSoSo

Well I'm done.
Inuyasha: The chapter's done! Now will you let me down?
A1969: Sure (Inuyasha falls to the ground)

Kagome: Inuyasha! You'r eyes are all red!
Inuyasha: I can't see a thing!