A/N: Holy shit, you guys have no idea how hard it was to get this chapter out.

Writers block decided to come back and plague me again, and I've been beating my brains out for the last couple of days just trying to get a chapter out! Woosh!

Luckily enough, I have that kind of time now since I'm out of school...

Anyway, got a few reviews to answer, so I guess I'll get right to that

-Punk Rock Miko2 - Lol, well if you had no navel and were at all like Kagome's "clone" then she probably wouldn't notice that you had no navel so much as you never ever moved or spoke or ate or did anything else...

-RamblingPhilosopher - Lol, but what happens when Advil runs out? ... shudders... never mind, I don't want to think about it. -- Lol, well no bellybutton for my clones anyway. It's true though, bellybuttons have no purpose. They're something humans came up with because after they cut the umbilical chord, they seemed to think the best thing to do with the remaining bits was tie them in a knot. However, I don't think having no bellybutton would change you having a scar... you'd still have it, it just wouldn't be on your navel anymore... Hopefully it's not too bad though... -- Lol, yep. I hate Kikyo mostly because she's only got three purposes: 1)To create an unessecary love interest, 2)to point out the obvious and repeat herself over and over just to make sure our simple minds consumed everything she had to say and 3) to annoy the hell out of us. However, at least her voice isn't all high-pitched and squeaky. That's one good thing about her. Seriously though, Kagura, Sango and Kirara are the only females (I actually don't know if Kirara would be considered a woman or a female-neko... probably both) who can defend themselves who aren't annoying as all hell (Kagome, in my opinion, is completely usless-- and only when she opts to fire her arrows that fly off in miraculous directions and don't actually connect with her enemies, but rather blow them to smithereens as their aura brushes past them does anything actually happen with her) and Rin is just plain cute and bubbly and likeable, which probably has a lot to do with the fact that she's so unlikely. Who honestly, when we first met Sess and Jaken, would have pictured a girl with her personality traveling along with either of them for any reason? -- I think I may have heard tangerine dream at one point in time... can't remember though. Sesshomaru's theme is called "Gou"? o.o

-Clouds of the Sky - Lol, well we'll see. You never know what he (or I for that matter) have got planned. And not all his prisoners are gone... just the main gang... there are still who knows how many nameless characters, not to mention a few not-so-nameless characters that everyone seems to have forgotten about... -- Yay! My Ego thanks you! -

- Black Betty - Lol. Guess you guys have been waiting for that for a long time... 55 chapters to be exact... Yeesh, you guys must have the patience of a saint!

-Kuroi - Lol, well I'm glad the pins and needles are leaving you alone again.

-Lord Makura - Well yeah she has a clone... but it's just like the Miroku and Sango one's y'know... Really more of a mirage than anything... I don't think they can move or talk or do anything like that... they're just distractions...

-Wish-full thinker - Lol, that seems to be catching a lot of people's attention. Yep, no navel. The simpsons... erm... no. I think I've seen about eight episodes of it, and I don't want to see any more. -- Lol, maybe I shouldn't... I guess.. -- No, I haven't read to kill a mockingbird. I got a choice between that and three other books. Since my sister had read to kill a mocking bird (and since it didn't sound particularly interesting) I went after the one that sounded the most interesting to me. The Chrysalids. And I really liked it.

-ultimateromantic - Lol, well maybe next chapter... Do you think you can last that long? C'mon, you've made it through 55 chapters already, another couple can't hurt... They can drive you insane, but a little insanity never hurt anyone...

-Black Betty - Lol. I understand. I'm a little ADD myself. As soon as I finish typing out a responce (or even just a sentence) I almost immediately forget what I've just said. Still, somehow I manage to be... vaguely coherent. -- Lol, everybody seems to like the bellybutton part. I was just doing it because... well I don't really know why, but now everybody likes it...

-ladyx12 - Lol, I'm making Sess and Inu act gay? Well I don't know about that, maybe I am... However, I could make them act a lot more gay, and I really don't think that'd be any better either... Maybe they will fight eventually, but you have to remember, Inuyasha is still healing and has been through all hell and back, and now has to look after his injured friend... it's probably a lot of emotional strain for him, and the only one he's got to help him is Sesshomaru who, because I said so, has decided to help him. You can't expect them to just fall back into their old routines so simply. Maybe a bit later on though... if you think you can wait... -- Amaya and Sesshomaru hook up? Huh. Now that is definitely something I hadn't thought of before... Sesshomaru hooking up with a human sorceress. But then again, I suppose he did revive Rin and let her and Jaken trail him around everywhere, and refuse his arm when offered before... why not? Lol, still I don't know if I'll do that though.. definitely keep it in mind though. -- You really are quite the idea person though aren't you? I had thought about Rin and Kohaku, but I figure they'd likely have to wait a couple years since Kohaku's only eleven (or twelve depending on how much time has really passed) and Rin is only 9 (or 10) seems a little young to be dating back then...

-Bluer Sky - Lol, just remember that the next time you call me that!

-Inume-Blue - Lol, a lot of people are saying that lately... Which either means I'm a better writer than I originally thought, or you are all very easy to please lunatics. Either way, I'm not about to complain.

-sourapple10000 - Well you're going to have to wait... just a little bit longer.. think you can handle that?

-wolfygirl13 - Lol! -- There's another saying about duct-tape that I always liked "Duct-tape is like the force-- it has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together." That's very true. Especially if you're Red Green. -- You made rockets. Out of Candy. And tried to launch them. ... Huston, we have a problem... Lol, I imagine that situation is quite out of control by now... But I've got some mops and buckets and anything else that might help clean up that mess... and a club so you can hit whoever came up with that idea over the head. I don't care if I do get rubber duckies thrown at me, c'mon, what were you thinking chibi-Sesshomaru! Hm. Never mind. I'll wait for him to... sober up? What do you call it when someone is getting high and passing out on candy? o.O Good thing he has you around I guess. Wait... swords? Ooookay... Lets try not to panic shall we? But, seriously, how safe can a "high" nearly-passed-out Sesshomaru with swords and the intention to take over neptune in a candy rocket be? -- I should focus on him more? But I don't have a chibi-Sess in my story... Unless of course you mean your anime-counterpart. Hm. Focus on him more. Yeah. I'm sure everybody would love that. Or they'd just kill me. Just when I get so close to Inu and Kag I suddenly start talking about Sess. Lol, still, I probably should see if I can't get something else about him in... he's still one of my fav characters after all. -- And no, you're wrong about rambling. You're not rambling too much. You can never ramble too much, or else there would be some sort of word limit on how much you could ramble.

-Almandine-Azaleea - Oh you weren't imposing. I seriously don't mind-- I like it when people give me their ideas or whatever. It's always interesting, and sometimes even sparks new ideas in me.

-Jtmscola - Wow. I'm surprised that my last little rant didn't completely scare you off. Lol, it has happened before! -- Yep, Kagome's coming out and things are coming together (hopefully) Now we'll just have to see how long that can last... -- Lol, yeah, parents can be a bit out of it. I've been trying to get my mom to understand the idea of Inuyasha, but she still insists on calling him stuff like Inuyashie and I don't know if she even knows how to pronounce Sesshomaru's name. shakes head and sighs I should just face facts-- it's a lost cause. Still, it's nice that she tries... I just hope Inuyasha is the last thing she tries for... -- Hey, television is still really cool! I don't personally know all that much about it, but... I can understand why you got into it. And don't worry-- I don't think very many artists out there can draw a good box. Why would anyone want to draw a box anyway? I've been drawing most of my life, but only recently have I actually gotten good. My specialty is copy-art though (since I don't have an actual name for it). And no I don't mean tracing. Just copying pictures and stuff. Anyway, we're talking about you, not me (am I self-centered or what! ) -- Lol, well that's fine. About your name I mean. You can't be original all the time. If everybody were original all the time it wouldn't be called originality. I don't know what it would be called, but not that. And besides, even if it's not the most original idea, it's still an original name, seeing as nobody else has it (or at least has used it). Not that I've seen anyway. When did I first start getting into anime? Hm. I don't really know. I supposed technically that would be when I used to watch TV shows like Pokemon, but since I ddn't really know there was a difference between them and the other cartoons that doesn't really count. After that I used to play this RPG called Runescape and I had a friend on there who was like obsessed with Inuyasha. I caught a few episodes of it but not very many, so that kinda fell flat after a while. Then a person brought an art book of their to school, talking about how he liked to draw anime, and that's when it first began to really click with me exactly what anime was. Only for the past year or so have I been a serious fan of it though, but basically I guess I've liked it pretty much all my life, I just wasn't aware at the time. I've always kinda preferred anime to the other "cartoon" shows and the like out there. Does that help?

Well I guess that's it for now... Cya guys next chapter!

Miko and Taijiya

Kagome winced slightly in sleep as Amaya raised her up onto the horse's back.

Kazkaen frowned (well, mentally anyway) at the human now sprawled haphazardly across her back and looked over at Amaya in question.

'What is wrong with the ningen?' She questioned, a slight feeling of unease coursing through her at the girl's touch. She didn't know why, but it set off warning bells inside of her, sending her youki into a frenzy and telling her that this being was not safe to be around.

'She has been beaten and badly neglected in Naraku's care. And whatever unease you may feel from her is not her own doing-- there is nothing wrong or dangerous about the girl, but she has a strong spiritual aura.' And, in case the horses missed the point, she added 'She is a priestess.' Almost as an afterthought.

'She's a priestess!' Arron said, stepping forward, his eyes glowing angrily, small huffs of steam issuing forth from his nostrils in his outrage. 'You ask us to carry about a priestess? She will purify us for certain!'

'She is asleep-- how in the world can you expect her to purify you?' Amaya countered, knowing it would be no good to tell them that Kagome wasn't the type of priestess to go around purifying any old demon she came across. All a demon had to hear was the word "priestess" or "purification" to send it into a frenzy of irrationality. The only way to calm them was making them believe the priestess was, essentially, helpless.

'She could wake up!' Arron countered, ignoring his mother's silent gestures to calm and be quiet.

Amaya frowned as she continued weaving the small harness around Kagome's frame to keep her from slipping off. 'No, she could not. The spell I have placed her under will not be lifted until I will it so-- until you arrive. You are safe from her. Besides, she has traveled around with two full-fledged demons and one half-demon ever since she came to the feudal era.'

'"Came to the feudal era?"' Kazkaen, clearly taking the news that she had a priestess sealed to her back much better than her son. 'What do you mean came to the feudal era?'

Amaya didn't bother looking at Kazkaen, eyeing her son instead. There was definitely something slightly off about the boy-- something that didn't quite fit in with the other youkai, and she couldn't help but feel that the horses were keeping something from her. Not that that mattered. They had an alliance going, not a therapy group. If they had secrets to keep from her, that was fine, just as she had secrets to keep from them.

'Kagome isn't from this time. She comes from the future... I don't know how far, something like five thousand years or so.' Amaya frowned at the way that sounded and corrected herself. 'Five Hundred years. She was pulled back here nearly two years ago, and is the reincarnation of another powerful priestess.' She decided to leave out the name of said priestess and the information about the Shikon no Tama, knowing it would not help matters. Besides, what the horses didn't know couldn't possibly hurt her.

She turned away from the horses toward the taijiya, who could clearly sense that something was going on that she wasn't aware of, but had not said anything.

'Are you ready to leave now, Sango?' Amaya asked, gesturing toward Arron, who eyed the slayer angrily, taking in her tattered kimono. Her armour was not currently present, nor was her weapon. Amaya decided she would have to find those later.

Actually, she already knew where they were, the problem was retrieving them.

Well, actually, it was more of an irritation that a problem.

She was brought out of her thoughts as Arron turned fiercely burning eyes upon her.

'What game do you play, majo?' He mentally snarled at her. 'First a miko, and now a wench taijiya? What do you take us for?'

Amaya eyed the horse incredulously. 'You don't really want me to answer that, horse. Because right now the answer is more than a little less than pleasant.'

If horses could growl, she would imagine that's what Arron would be doing right now.

Instead he just reared his head, stopping his foot angrily, until his mother intervened, using a language she couldn't understand to tell her son off, before turning angry eyes on Amaya, though the anger was clearly not directed at her.

'I will gladly carry both the ningens if my son be to lazy to do so. You may ride upon him, ichiko.'

Amaya inclined her head to the horse.

'I thank you for the offer, Kazkaen, but I will not be joining you.' She said out loud, allowing Sango (who was now struggling to try and coax Arron toward her (the stallion looking to be thoroughly enjoying giving her a hard time) to hear her, and causing the human girl to turn toward her.

'You're not coming?' She demanded loudly, as though Amaya were crazy for thinking to simply abandon them like this, and Amaya frowned at her.

'I never had any intentions of accompanying you there, Sango. Sesshomaru will meet you at the other side with Inuyasha and Miroku, and they shall take care of you. But I myself have a matter of more importance that I must deal with.'

Sango frowned at her, too weak to argue as she finally, after a big silent argument between Kazkaen and Arron, managed to mount her horse. 'Who?' She asked, conveniently forgetting that the sorceress had a life outside of what they had developed.

To her there was no other life.

Her entire village had been taken away from her in one day, then her brother repeatedly, then she was locked away like that... the only life she knew anymore was the life between her and Kagome and Miroku and Inuyasha and the others, so it was rather difficult for her to imagine anyone else getting so closely involved with them having a life outside of theirs either.

Amaya cast her a dark look, before her expression suddenly turned to one of exhaustion and a slightly sad glint entered her eyes. 'I have an old friend with whom I must meet.' She said.

Her tone said that she was not only un-inclined to say more, but would not say more, and would likely get angry if pressed, and so Sango let the matter drop as the sorceress turned her attention to Kagome and a strange energy began to pass between them, Kagome giving a small groan in her sleep.

Sango wanted to question, but Amaya held up a hand to silence her until she was done before turning dark eyes upon her. 'That should take care of most of her physical wounds while you get where you're going.' She said simply, before turning back toward the two horses.

Sango again felt things begin to pass between Amaya and the horse-youkai's, just beyond her line of perception, and then Amaya turned slowly back toward her.

'They will take you to Sesshomaru's castle.' She said slowly. 'Please request of him for me that they be allowed to remain and rest there for a time-- I am certain it would be greatly appreciated.'

Sango stared at her, her mind slowly moving to comprehend what she had just said, before she nodded silently, suddenly feeling incredibly reluctant to leave the sorceress behind.

Amaya seemed to sense this for the next second she offered her a small, not-quite smile.

'Do not fear Sango. I shall only be gone for a short time. Besides, Miroku will be waiting for you.'

That in mind, she cast a look to the horse-- the one called Kazkaen-- and the youkai offered her a small nod of sorts, before taking a few steps back slightly, bracing herself firmly against the ground, and pushing off fiercely.

Feeling her horse about to do the same, Sango grasped his neck harshly (his mane hardly being an option to grip) and braced herself as they shot off into the sky, the wind ripping fiercely around them as they left the castle that had been her prison for so long behind... as she soared slowly off toward her old friends... and a new freedom.

Glossary

Ningen - Human

Youki - Yes, like "Shippo" and "Shippou" There is a difference between this and "Youkai." Where Youkai means demon, Youki actually is a demon's energy, or aura. Basically it's what takes over when Sesshomaru or Inuyasha transform (since they seem to be the only ones who ever do so).

Youkai - Demon

Shikon no Tama - The jewel of Four Souls

Taijiya - I'm not entirely certain on the exact definition here, but basically it means "Demon-slayer" or, more closely, "Extermination."

Majo - Witch

Miko - Priestess

Ichiko - Sorceress

(woosh, long one this time)

SPECIAL THANKS TO: PuNk RoCk MiKo2, RaMbLiNgPhIlOsOpHeR, ClOuDs Of ThE sKy, BlAcK bEtTy, KuRoI, LoRd MaKuRa, WiSh-FuLl ThInKeR, UlTiMaTeRoMaNtIc, BoX qUeEn, LaDyX12, BlUeR sKy, InUmE-bLuE, SoUrApPlE10000, WoLfYgIrL13, AlMaNdInE-AzAlEeA, and, JtMsCoLa -- You guys are really awsome, but I've had way too much sugar, and I need to go wear some of it off, so...

CMoC - Grip - Every Little Thing (song I was listening to throughout most of this chapter), So far away - Staind, For you - Staind, For you - Smile Empty Soul, Savin' Me - NickelBack, One Day, One Dream - Tackey and Tsubasa, Yura Yura - Every little thing, Good Riddance (Time of your life) - Greenday

A/N: Oh, and this chapter now has more than 20000 hits and 500 reviews! Is that AWESOME or what!