CHAPTER 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Have fun ^^

CHAPTER 20 A new ally

WITH SANGO, KIRARA AND MIROKU

The hair dragged them over roots and stones away from the rest of their group. Right through the forest. The humans grunted whenever they hit something hard with their knees, dragged over it on their stomachs while trying to prevent their faces from getting injured. Kirara wriggled more in an attempt to free herself.

Finally, Sango rolled onto her back, holding her chin as close to her chest as possible to avoid wounding her head. I can't see the hair… Great. The demon slayer let the blades hidden on her forearm snap out, tearing at the places she thought the hair was with a grim smile. Good. Now on to Miroku and Kirara... After they are free, we can go back and help the rest to fight this filthy, flirting demoness!

Sango stood, running after her friends, who were still wrapped up in hair. Just as she was getting close however, Kirara clawed the hair off of her. Miroku was not so lucky. He struggled without any chance of freeing. And to think, he's the only one, who can actually see the hair.

"Need a little help?" Sango asked, while jogging alongside her friend.

Violet eyes snapped open to stare up at her in wonder. "Sango? How did you," Miroku trailed off, as he caught sight of the glistening blades on her wrists. Without another word the demon slayer cut him free. Miroku covered his face to protect himself from further injury.

"Finally," Miroku groaned, as he came to a halt as the last strand of hair fell away. "Now, we need to find the source of that stuff. It is still moving around. If we don't finish it off for good we'll be tied down within a matter of minutes. Or even worse, some innocent stranger will be drawn into this mess."

Sango nodded. "Tell me, where I need to cut." She pulled her dagger from the sheath next to her sword, letting the blades on her arms disappear again. She tried to ignore Miroku's admiring stare. Until it wandered over her figure to places she did not approve of and were unnecessary to the situation. Why does he have to be like that all the time? I like him, but this is getting so annoying.

"My eyes are up here," Sango growled lowly. "Now show me that leading strand you talked of. I want to go back to the others and help them with this demon." Her brown eyes were lit with fire.

"Of course my dearest Sango." Miroku captured one of her hands in his, turning it to press a quick kiss into her palm. "No wasting time for you to eliminate the reason of your jealousy."

"Who said I was jealous? I simply can't stand the fact, that you are going around, wooing every women that can't run away quick enough from…" A hand snaked up to her behind. Patting it.

"Pervert!" The slap resounded around the trees. Mirkou rubbed at his reddened cheek. His expression said 'Worth it', which didn't help to calm Sango down. "We have more urgent matters at hand than this," she hissed, "Kirara, where are you?"

With a soft meowing sound the Nekomata emerged from the underbrush. She hopped onto Sango's shoulder, rubbing her face against her cheek. "Now, lecher, where is the leading strand?" She turned towards Miroku, who struggled to hold onto something. Nodding, more to herself than him, Sango cut through what she assumed was a hair of Yura. "There. Did that help?"

"Yes, the rest of the hair has fallen silent. No movement anymore. Although you might want to severe your boot from the ground before we go on or else you'll fall, my dearest Sango."

Sango dropped her head with a sigh. "Here." She gave him her dagger. "Do your worst. At least you can see where you need to cut."

Miroku didn't comment, but crouched down beside the demon slayer and separated the hair. "There. All done." He handed the dagger back to Sango without standing up from his position.

"Huh." Sango looked away from the crouching man beside her, as she heard rustling leaves near to her. Instantly she got into a fighting stance. Miroku slowly stood, his staff pulled from somewhere Sango didn't know where. Kirara jumped down onto the ground and transformed into her huge form, giving whoever was coming towards them a warning growl.

"Come out, whoever you are," Sango called out.

To her utter surprise, the intruder came out of the shadows. It was a boy the demon slayer knew all too well. His shaggy brown hair stood on end, not held down by the hair band he had tried to pull it down with. His brown eyes stared at her with the innocence of youth. He wore an outfit similar to Sango's demon slayer suit; only his was black and green instead of black and pink.

Sango nearly tumbled backwards in shock. No… It can't be… After all those weeks and months of searching for him without any sign that he is even alive… That Naraku didn't kill him. It can't be! It cannot be-

"Sango?" Miroku broke through her thoughts. Concern was written all over his face. Even Kirara had come closer, pressing her flank against her slayer's side.

Sango turned back towards the boy. He still stood there. No illusion, as she had subconsciously feared. "Kohaku?"

The boy didn't show any sign of recognition for his older sister, as she carefully drew closer to him. "Is that really you Kohaku?" Small tears brimmed her eyes. Tears of joy, that she had finally found her brother save and sound. "Mom and Dad were so worried about your well being Kohaku." Sango gave him a soft smile. "They'll be glad to know you're back. Come back with me?"

She stood in front of her brother, whom Naraku had taken from her with his mind control and who now seemed to be fine, even smiling slightly at her. Kohaku's soft brown eyes caught Sango in them. "Sister", he mumbled, stepping forward with outstretched arms. Without thinking further, Sango pulled him into a tight embrace. I have him back. I finally have my little brother back with me. Now everything will be okay, she promised herself.

Miroku watched her, as the demon slayer pressed her little brother against herself. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for only a second. But as Miroku opened them again, something changed. One of Kohaku's hands slowly reached for Sango's dagger. The intention was clear. The boy intended to stab his sister in the back. Literally. Miroku's eyes widened in shock.

"Sango! Get away from him," he called out, running to get to his love interest in time.

WITH KOGA, AYAME AND SHIPPO

Shippo yelped, as the hair around his waist started to pull him away from the rest of his group into the depths of the forest. He was so entangled in it, he couldn't really tell, where was and where wasn't hair tightening its hold on him.

"Don't be scared Shippo," Ayame called out to him, as she was dragged along over the ground by her own shackles. "We will get free of this stuff and return to the others, I promise."

Koga snorted. "Stop trying to comfort the kit. He is big enough to know all this stuff on his own. He should have no reason to be scared."

"Oh yeah? Then tell me that you aren't frightened by those spider demons up ahead." Ayame would have loved to cross her arms over her chest but was still tied down, so she could only give Koga a pointed look. The wolf craned his neck to look in the direction she had pointed out, seeing the striped spiders with human heads crawl towards them in a crowd of uncountable numbers.

Koga gritted his teeth. He officially hated this Yura now. "What do you want us to do, oh wise one?" the wolf demon turned his head to stare Ayame down – but she wasn't beside him any longer. A soft chuckle followed his attempts to find her in the semi darkness of the forest.

"We are here, stupid." Ayame waved a hand at him from some steps behind with a grinning Shippo perched up on her shoulder.

"Don't just stand there," Koga yelled. "Set me free!"

"Did you hear anything?" Shippo turned to face Ayame. "I think the leaves rustled quite loudly. Maybe we should get going before the spider heads arrive?"

"What do you want to hear," Koga growled. "Do you want to hear me beg? Fine: Please free me, oh great, lovely ones! I'll do anything you want, if you wish for it."

Ayame laughed in Koga's face. "A simple 'please' would have done it as well. But if you ask us so nicely… How could we turn you down, oh begging one?" With a swing of one of her katanas and some foxfire from Shippo, Koga's restrains fell away.

Instantly, the wolf demon jumped to his feet. "Now let's go!" But Koga hadn't come far, when the first spider heads appeared in front of him. Damn it! How did they come here so quickly? This has to be some kind of trap from Naraku. That demon really enjoys seeing us suffer, wherever he is watching right now. Ayame and Shippo simply took too long for their teasing; basically it's their fault.

"They are closing in from all sides, Koga." Ayame ran back towards the middle of the circle of demons, Shippo clinging to her shoulder with an expression of barely controlled panic on his face. Koga would have teased him, hadn't they been in this situation.

Instead, he stood back to back with Ayame, who had drawn forth her katanas. "There is no use in changing to our true forms. There is no space left and they would have easier access to our flanks," she briefly analysed.

That is what I love about this woman. She has the spirit of a warrior just like me. Never backing down from challenges. Koga grinned grimly at the crawling demons around him, lowering his chin slightly to give them a challenging look. "All right. Let's get the party started."

"If we weren't in this I would probably start singing," Ayame retorted dryly.

"Then it's good we are fighting, because you can't sing," Koga shot back with a dangerous gleam in his eye. He knew Ayame well enough, to have figured out, the she-wolf was fighting better when she was enraged. And if it was by him, well, it couldn't be helped, as they needed both of them at their full strength to finish this bunch of spiders off.

"Have you ever heard her singing?" Shippo wanted to know, while already throwing the first wave of foxfire around them, killing the foremost wave of spider heads.

The wolf demon grinned, as his plan to infuriate his friend unravelled in front of his eyes. "Mainly under the shower… It sounds like a cat thrown into cold water against her will."

"That's it," Ayame snarled. "Shippo, get off my shoulder before you have to see me killing this bastard."

The kitsune complied by changing onto Koga's shoulder. The redhead meanwhile threw herself into battle with the spiders. She didn't miss any of them, as her blades sang through the air. She probably imagines cutting my throat open every time a spider falls dead off her katanas. If only she didn't let that distract her.

"Ayame focus," Koga growled, slaying a spider demon that came flying directly at the female's face. "Or do you want to die?" He whirled around again, kicking off spiders that had started to climb up his legs, killing some of them in mid air while being at it. These demons are getting on my nerves. I wish, I could change into my wolf form to show them not to mess with me, but Ayame is right. Unfortunately. The spider demons would crawl onto us and inject us whatever poison they had and we couldn't do anything about it.

Koga bared his fangs in a menacing growl. Shippo was already panting. The effort to extinguish demons with his kitsunebi and other magical tricks slowly wearing the child down.

"We need to end this soon," Shippo told them. "I really am trying to keep them at bay for you to slaughter them one by one, but-" The sentence remained unfinished.

Shippo tumbled to the ground and didn't get up. The last flames of blue fire immediately died down, leaving the two wolf demons facing the spider demons without additional aid.

"Curse it," Ayame snarled, baring her fangs at the approaching horde.

"I hate to admit it, but the kit really did a great job." Koga flung Shippo over his shoulder.

"Then treat him with more kindness," Ayame hissed back. Her inner wolf was close to the surface now, glaring at her surroundings. She wanted to protect her cub and pack.

"Ayame I can smell your demon escaping. Put her leash back on or I'll put it on myself," Koga barked at her in wolf tongue. Ayame gave a sharp reply for him to do something anatomically impossible. "The she-wolf is getting out of control," Koga's inner wolf stated, still relatively at ease. "Put her back into her place behind alpha male."Koga ground his teeth together, as he felt the elongation of his fangs. Now is not the time to establish dominance over Ayame. She is freaking out because Shippo got hurt. We need to get all of us to safety. Fast.

A sharp pain from his right shin brought Koga out of his daze. One of the spider demons had been successful and bit deep down into his flesh. Koga screamed, as he pulled the thing off him and threw it behind the lines of the next spider heads. "Damn it!" he howled, as blood dribbled from the bite mark and he felt poison spreading through his body. "I hate this!"

"Koga, are you okay?" Ayame demanded to know. Her voice sounded irritated, almost more wolf-like than human, her demon now even closer to the surface with another pack member hurt. Damn it! She is close to transforming!

"I am fine, just keep going and don't turn," Koga commanded through gritted teeth. "Keep control over your beast."

Ayame whined in the back of her throat and Koga cursed. The keen nose of the she-wolf had caught the stench of blood and poison in the air. With one final roar, Ayame shred her human skin, morphing into a huge white wolf with blazing emerald eyes.

"Shit."

The she-wolf went into a rampage, tearing apart every last spider head that came in front of her muzzle. She didn't even seem to care about the other demons climbing up her hind legs and biting until blood stained her white fur. Koga fought off whichever spider demons remained around him before jumping onto Ayame's back and pulling off the spider demons biting her.

"Stop this nonsense," he growled at no one in particular. "This is getting us nowhere."

But the spiders kept coming and Ayame kept attacking them, forcing Koga to grab onto her long fur to not fall off her. "Stop this wild hopping or do you want me and Shippo to fall into this mess?" Koga pointed down below, where spiders were gathering, even though Ayame didn't even share a glance back at him. No, the she-wolf was concentrating on crushing the spiders ahead of her and ignoring the pain the bites inflicted to her every movement.

Soon, Koga felt himself getting drowsy; his movements got slower and slower in picking and throwing the spider heads. Even his sight got limited and blurred with black spots dancing in front of his eyes. Damn it! We were so close… There aren't many left. Shippo held them off and Ayame fought so viciously. We were so close…The ocean blue eyes slowly fell close, as the brown wolf demon tumbled to the ground with the fox kit still safely slung over his shoulder. The last thing Koga noticed was a giant white dog demon descending from the sky – and then everything was black.

Ayame howled as soon as she realised Koga had lost consciousness. Her will to fight increased temporarily, but even in her demonic form she sensed the venom running through her veins, slowly but steadily shutting her body down. I can't keep this up any longer. I need to lie down to prevent the poison to reach my heart before help, however it might find us, is here.

With this thought in mind the white wolf demon curled herself protectively around the kit and her fellow wolf demon. The spider heads kept coming at her, but Ayame had to strength left to fight them – she simply laid her head down next to Koga's unconscious body and allowed her eyes to drift shut.

A bark from far up in the sky caught her attention, before Ayame could drift off to sleep. She lifted her massive head, only to see a beautiful white dog demon descending down to earth. It had shimmering fur, just a bit more white than Sesshomaru's. Right on her forehead was a crescent moon and under her eyes was one magenta wave on each cheekbone. Her long fur was tousled by the wind, as the Inu landed on the ground. Immediately, the spider heads turned partly around to charge at the new enemy, but with one quick breath of her toxin and most of the demons were out cold.

A satisfied growl escaped her lips, as red eyes with blue pupils zoned in on the white wolf and the two figures lying in her middle. The Inu yokai lowered her muzzle only slightly to sniff at the younger demon and listen with her long ears for any sound, that shouldn't be. "You're hurt," she barked.

For once Ayame thanked her lucky stars to be born into the canine class. Otherwise she would have been unable to communicate with the demon in front of her. "My friends fought but lost. The spiders bit me and my comrade while protecting the kit," she explained weakly. "We are far away from the rest of our pack, which is fighting against another foe."

"Transform into your human form. This one will bring you to them," the Inu told her.

Although Ayame was not entirely sure this was a good idea, she obeyed. The poison ran through her veins, her limbs felt heavy. Without this yokai's help she, Koga and Shippo would probably be dying here tonight. With all her strength left Ayame forced her demon to slide back into the shadows of her soul. The last thing she felt before her human body lost to the poison were the soft paws of the demon touching her sides to flip her onto her stomach in order to lay her onto the back along with Koga and Shippo.

WITH SANGO, KIRARA AND MIROKU

"Sango, get away from him," Miroku screamed in horror, as he saw the little brother of his beloved girl lifting her own dagger to stab her in the back – and most likely kill her. Both Miroku and Kirara were running to prevent Kohaku from fulfilling his gruesome task. "Sango," Miroku called out again, unintentionally at the same time as Kirara roared at her owner.

But it was already too late. Kohaku send them both a forlorn look – ramming the dagger into his own sister's back. Sango arched her back as sudden pain erupted right between her shoulder blades. Hadn't she half turned around to the noise Miroku and demon cat were making, the dagger might have actually stricken her heart. The boy stumbled away from her, the dagger falling down beside him, as he stared at her with wide eyes.

"Why did you do this Kohaku?" Sango wanted to know. "You are not like this. You are a lovely, smart boy. This isn't you, can't you see this?"

Miroku reached her side, dropping to his knees. For once the monk chose to ignore the enemy in front of him, leaving the observing to Kirara, while he tended to his friend's wound. Thank goodness it isn't as deep as I feared it might be. She will have to rest, maybe go to a hospital just to be sure no vitals were hit, maybe some disinfectant. The hard part will be keeping her still as long as her wound heals, but that cannot be helped.

"Miroku get your hands off me, I need to go to my brother." Sango, despite her obvious pain, pushed him away from her back and tried to stand. Gritting her teeth, the woman stumbled towards Kohaku with one hand outstretched. "Come home, please."

Miroku shook his head: This will not go well. I can sense something holding down the spirit of this child. If he came with us now, there will be more blood shed in the near future.

"Get away from him, Sango. This is not the brother you know. Naraku has him under his control." Miroku tried his best to get her to listen to him, but the demon slayer had always been a stubborn one.

"Don't say things like that so easily Miroku. This is my little brother." Sango shot him a glare. "Or do you think, I wouldn't recognize one of my own?"

"I was not trying to imply any such thing. However I sense, that his mind is not quite his own."

"Sister," Kohaku mumbled.

Sango spun around to stare at him. The boy had drawn his weapon, a scythe like blade on a chain consisting of metal rings. "Kohaku, what are you doing?" Sango questioned, suddenly very aware that Miroku might be right with his accusations towards her brother's sanity.

Kohaku threw the scythe – and hit Kirara right across the flank.

"No," Sango cried out, as the nekomata transformed back into the small cat form of hers and stopped moving. "Kirara!" Sango lunged forward to her dear friend. Carefully, she held the demon to her chest, felt the faint heart beat which made her unspeakably happy.

While Sango was still focused on Kirara, Kohaku lifted his weapon once again to finish what the demon had foiled. However, this time Miroku was prepared and closer to his beloved Sango. Without saying a single word he kneeled down beside her and pulled a barrier up around them. The scythe reflected off of it and went straight for Kohaku, who caught it in mid air with apparent ease. That was a close call.

Sango got furious at this sight. "How could you do this? He could have hurt himself with that weapon!"

"Would you have preferred it, had he killed you?"

"Of course not!"

"Then don't fuss about my barrier."

Sango huffed in annoyance. "You could have taken his weapon away from him. No chance to hurt either us or himself that way."

Mirkou sighed. She is being irrational at the mere thought of her little brother… I can't blame her though, but it still hurts to be chastised for protecting her.

Kohaku did not back down. On the contrary: The boy kept attacking the barrier with his kusarigama with so much force in every stroke, that Miroku had to concentrate and put all his energy into holding up the barrier.

"Kohaku, why are you doing this?" Sango screamed at her brother through the barrier. The demon slayer still had difficulties with putting her darling brother from home and this killer in front of her together as two sides of the same coin.

He is being controlled by Naraku! Don't try to ask him for the why, he won't answer you, unless Naraku wants us to know the reason for all this. Sango, snap out of it already!All these words Miroku wanted to shout at her, but Kohaku battled against his barrier, so only grunts of exhaustion came from him as the minutes ticked by. Dear Kami, I can't hold it up much longer…

"S-Sango," he gritted out. "Get ready to fight. I-"

And his barrier broke away just as Kohaku lashed out once again. Sango cried out in shock, merely able to let them all dodge the blade by pulling Miroku forcibly with her. He had little to no energy left and was swaying whenever she willed him to stand on his own. Damnation, how could I not notice how much the barrier weakened him?She cursed herself for being so inattentive.

"Miroku, stay here and don't move one inch. Except of course Kohaku is closing in on you." Sango pressed Kirara into his arms. "And watch over her for me. I'll be right back." Miroku only nodded in response, as sweat gathered on his forehead from the effort to keep himself standing straight.

Sango whirled around, drawing her sword at the same time and parried Kohaku's kusarigama. "Why are you doing this?" she questioned between the clashing of their blades.

"Master Naraku wishes you dead," Kohaku told her without showing any sign of emotion.

Sango's eyes widened in shock: Miroku was right after all. Naraku has him under control. He will only obey this wicked demon… No! Not my brother you bastard!

With newfound energy the demon slayer stormed forward against her brother in an attempt to disarm him.

Eventually, the kusarigama flew away from the boy's hands, nearly out of his reach. But only nearly. With a quick turn, Kohaku had it back in hand and the blade came flying towards Sango's back. The demon slayer could almost feel the cold metal pierce her skin, as a howl echoed through the air. Kohaku in response drew his weapon back and jumped out of reach, just as a white paw grazed through the air where he had been just a heart beat ago. Without waiting for the next move, the boy turned around and fled into the forest.

Sango sank to her knees, staring at the huge dog in front of her. It had magenta waves on each cheekbone and a crescent moon on the forehead. To the demon slayer's utter surprise Ayame, Koga and Shippo lay unconscious on the Inu's back. A low growl seemed to tell her to get her friends and get on as well. Sango walked back to Miroku and Kirara. For the first time since Kohaku had cut her, Sango felt the pain in her back searing though her muscles. It was only by sheer luck she got Miroku onto the yokai's back before her legs gave out and she was lifted by her collar to lie on the back of the beast as well.

WITH INUYASHA, SESSHOMARU AND KIKYO

The flames shot along the hair towards the unsuspecting priestess. Quickly, she was completely engulfed in the red inferno. Only her horrified screams could be heard until there was nothing left but silence. Inuyasha stared at the place his Miko had been.

"No! Kikyo," he screamed at the top of his lungs.

Yura bowed forward slightly, presenting her comb. "How do you like my Oni's comb, hm? It'll burn you to your bone marrow."

Sesshomaru landed soundlessly on the ground, observing the burning Miko from far away. The robe of the fire rat – His thoughts were interrupted, as something on the wind caught his attention. This scent… It is familiar, but this Sesshomaru cannot pinpoint when or where he has last noticed it.

"No." Inuyasha growled menacingly at the demoness, who still kept on smiling with a devilish glint in her eyes.

"What? Do you miss her? Poor puppy…"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes to mere slits, staring her down with all his anger showing in his body language. He is going to attack her, Sesshomaru almost roled his eyes. If only the hanyo would observe and not rush in head first.

Yura shrugged her shoulders, giving Inuyasha a pitying smile. "Well," she drew her sword, "You'll be joining her soon enough."

The hanyo gave her an evil grin. "That's funny. Because I thought I am the one who's going to do the killing!"

Sesshomaru fought the urge to roll his eyes. Subtlety and tactic are beyond your comprehension, Inuyasha. Or using your senses. His eyes darted around for the opportune angle to strike from. There. Sesshomaru's gaze flickered back to the fight, almost bored.

Inuyasha swung the demoness with his claws ready to strike. Yura, dodged him with seemingly no trouble at all. Instead of using her sword to injure him, she waved her comb, shooting strands of hair towards the half demon. But Inuyasha's keen ears caught the sound, so he grabbed a hold of the new string, which propelled him nearer towards Yura.

"What? Do you think this hair will slow or even kill me?"

"I hoped it would." for a brief second Yura faked disappointment. "Apparently I was wrong." She pulled her sword back and lashed out quicker than any mortal's eye could follow. Even Inuyasha had problems seeing the blow come and therefore miscalculated, resulting in a direct hit across his chest. However it wasn't deep enough to be lethal. It only burned with the fire of severed muscles and flesh.

Despite the ache in his chest, Inuyasha was able to maintain his cocky attitude, giving Yura a toothy smile. "Nice blade."

Seeing the pain written in his golden eyes, the demoness gave him a smile of her own, lifting the blade to her lips, the blood glistening in competition with her lips and eyes. "Why thank you. This is my favourite sword. It's called 'Crimson Mist'. I didn't know, what I would have done, if this couldn't hurt you." She chuckled to herself in delight. "Now all this wonderful silver hair belongs to me. Finally!"

"Didn't I tell you, he is mine?" another voice said. Both Yura and Inuyasha whirled to see Kikyo standing on her own two feet with Inyuasha's robe of the fire rat wrapped around her body and yet another arrow at the ready. "Now, leave him be."

"Or else?" Yura wanted to know with a look on her pretty face, that told them she didn't feel threatened at all – that is, until a sacred arrow shot past her cheek.

"Or else the next one won't miss. Am I understood?" Kikyo glared at the other woman.

"Or else there will be one enemy too much for you," Sesshomaru calmly added in.

Yura turned around to look at him. Her eyes gleamed in the darkness of the forest. "As far as I know, you weren't too keen on fighting me. In fact, I think you enjoyed adoring my body more than fighting me." She swayed her hips seductively.

The demon narrowed his eyes at her. "Do not get the wrong impression. This one could kill you with one strike of his sword. However you have more value as a prisoner to us."

By now Inuyasha had caught on to what Sesshomaru was referring to. He gave Yura an arrogant smirk. "Yes, please stay and wait with us until our new ally is here."

The demoness followed their gaze into the sky.

A giant white dog demon with at least six riders on its back descended down onto earth.

Yura's red eyes widened in shock. "There is no way in hell I am going to wait until this thing has arrived! No thank you, I'm not dumb." With that, Yura retracted all her hair until only one strand was left to swing her swiftly away from the group.

Inuyasha hit the ground with a loud thud. Growling the half demon rubbed his behind. So he didn't even notice them moment Kikyo drew back into the shadows of the trees, disappearing from sight.

Only the landing Inu yokai caught his attention. All the people on its back were passed out in the one or other state. Koga and Ayame had wounds all over their legs and arms; Sango's shirt was drenched with her own blood, Kirara's flank still bled slightly. Only Miroku and Shippo seemed to have no visible wound.

"What happened to them?" he wondered.

"I'll tell you, but take them down first," the Inu barked.

Surprisingly, not only Inuyasha but also Sesshomaru grabbed their friends to lay them down on the ground. "Now. How did you find them?" Inuyasha wanted to know. The white Inu yokai in front of him shook and shrank down to its humanoid form.

It turned out to be a woman with silvery white hair. She had styled it into a part ponytail with the rest of her long hair falling freely down her back to her hips. Two strands framed her face with high cheekbones, which were each crowned with one magenta wave. On her forehead she proudly showed off a violet crescent moon. Innocent looking, doe-like golden eyes took in the two half brothers in front of her. The woman gave a soft smile, as she lovingly said: "Hello, son."