Ooh! We're getting close now! Finally, they get out of that damn dungeon so we can get to the climactic climaxy part. Ah, but when will Teresa get on with it and hit the climax? This century? We all hope so. But, it seems only time, blackberry cobbler, and the slightly demonic stuffed panda who sucks people's souls and whispers plotlines in my ear will tell. Also, I have found that social contact with my boys causes story writing delays, so I'm putting them on the back burner for now. Like they'll be all that damaged cause I ignore them for a few weeks or so...Oh! And I'm sure you're all wondering what prompted such a speedy update, so I'll tell you. I got a review that was so wonderful and...wow, it just made me soooo happy. Thanks so much, Kaze-chan (by the way, dig your name!) and I understand the fact that you haven't reviewed before. I'm bad like that too a lot of the time...I just...yeah. Well, on with the Great Escape! Ooh, and this chapter, we finally hear from someone other than the kids! Yee...kinda?

*****

Fate's Reversal

Part 16

*****

"He took Kanna, huh? They must be planning something..." Yuki's brow furrowed as they all stood outside Naraku's castle, trying to decide where the damn youkai went. "I wish they'd left a better trail, but this whole damn area smells like his foul ass." He helped Haruka with the old clothing they'd found hidden in Naraku's chambers. She seemed extremely excited to have her old clothes back, and no one could really blame her.

"I know it, that's why Natsu and I came here to see if we could figure out where he'd headed. Don't any of you have any clues? Did he say anything that you can think of?" Fuyu asked the rest of the group. Yuki looked down at Haruka, who had a thoughtful expression on her face.

"You spent the most time with him." Yuki reminded her as she finished pulling on her shoes, the article of clothing she'd seemed most excited to see intact, citing their extravagant cost and the fact that she had worked three weeks to pay for them. "Do you have any clue where they could have gone?"

"Well...he did say something about how they needed to round up more youkai...to make a kind of army. I don't really know why they'd need an army, but it's obvious that it can't be for any reason that we'd like."

"Wait...before...he said something...about...if...if I had...inside me..." Amai seemed extremely upset by the idea she was failing to communicate, and she let Sekatsu wrap his arms around her, holding her close and whispering comfort to her as Nigai nodded his approval to the older boy.

"Oh! I almost forgot! When Amai and I were with him..." Haruka's face went a sickly color as she remembered what had transpired. "He told Amai that it would be just perfect if it worked...and he could take her with him when he went to visit our parents, showing them that their own daughter was...you know..." Haruka didn't seem to want to finish, partly for her own sake and partly for Amai's.

"You mean...he's going after our parents?" Sekatsu's grip tightened on the girl in his arms. "Why would he go after them."

"The only reason Naraku liked torturing us so much is because of who our parents are. In his last life, he was killed thanks to a group of fighters. You might know a few of them." Yuki looked down at Haruka who nodded at him, allowing him to continue. "There were five of them. Their names were Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo."

"My parents! And Haruka's!" Tsuyo gasped. "Oh gods...that old story Kaede-baachan would tell us when we were little...I thought it was just a fairy tale."

"It's true. Yuki and I think that Kanna went after my father's soul to get back the Shikon no Tama so she could bring him back." Haruka told them. "Also, it seems that to bring him back they needed some sort of catalyst in addition to the jewel, and that's why they took his mother's soul. She was originally an extension of Naraku, like Kanna, and so her soul was enough to draw his back."

"Damn, when were you planning on telling all this stuff to us?" Nigai asked.

"We just told you, satisfied?" Yuki's tone was all seriousness, and Nigai dare not argue with his older brother. "But see, my mother might be like Kanna because of how she was made, but I think a few of us here can vouch for the personality difference. She was always rebelling against Naraku, and she turned around and mated one of his enemies after he was gone instead of devoting herself to bringing him back. So you see, Naraku probably thinks my mother's a traitor and wants to punish her as well as the rest of your parents."

"If he's gathering an army, won't he destroy the entire village?" Sekatsu's eyes were wide with fear at the idea of his home being attacked by a youkai army.

"And if he goes to the wolf tribe, he'll want to wipe it out as well." Yuki confirmed.

"Well how can we tell where he went, then? The mountains or the village?" Nigai wanted to know.

"We don't know. We'll just have to split up and go to both places." Fuyu decided. "We'll need to make sure that one person in each group knows how to get to the village and another knows where the mountain tribe is. That way, if one group gets to it's destination and he's not there, they can head to the other place."

"Good idea." Yuki confirmed. "Nigai, Amai, and I are the only ones here who know how to get to the tribe."

"Sekatsu and Tsuyo can find the village, but I'm completely lost. I have no idea where I am right now." Haruka admitted.

"I'd like to head to the mountains." Natsu announced. "I've never met the wolf tribe, but I've seen plenty of human villages."

"That's fine." Fuyu couldn't help but smile at his sister's reasoning. "I'll go with the other group then. I know you can watch out for yourself better when I'm not there nagging you."

"You got that right." Natsu stuck her tongue out at him. "Nigai? Can you show me the way to your home?" she asked the wolf boy.

"Um, as long as Amai can come." he nodded to his sister, who was still clutching at Sekatsu's arm like her life depended on it.

"I'll watch out for her." Sekatsu offered, and Natsu accepted the arrangement with a nod.

"I want to go see my family first." Haruka announced. "This vacation has gone way over schedule and I'm just about ready for all this fun to end."

"I'm with her." Yuki squeezed her hand in his own. "Father will understand. He'd follow his mate anywhere, and so will I." Haruka blushed leaning in for a kiss as Tsuyo groaned loudly.

"Gods, you two. I guess I'm stuck in your group, so can you keep the mushy garbage to a minimum?" Tsuyo asked them, wrinkling his nose before nudging Fuyu with his elbow. "Can you believe those two?"

"Um...okay then, I guess we should head out." Fuyu turned to his sister. "Natsu, do be careful. Don't try to be a hero. The tribe should be full of youkai, and they shouldn't need you to save them all, so don't do anything stupid."

"There he goes again, nag nag nag..." Natsu rolled her golden eyes before giving her twin a powerful hug. "I'll be careful as long as you are, mister future Lord of the Western Lands. Wouldn't want me to be the heir, would we? Can you imagine me being in charge of all that? Boring!"

"It was good to meet you, Natsu." Haruka tapped her shoulder. "I hope we'll see each other again--" she was cut off by a lunging hug from the energetic youkai girl.

"Be careful, cousin Haruka." Natsu told her fervently. "And you better watch out for her, Yuki." Natsu gave him a warning glare before moving away from her cousin.

"Oi, Tsuyo...um, you better not get any stupid plans, okay?" Sekatsu told his brother, looking a bit uncomfortable with the other people around.

"Yeah, well I never go through my stupid plans without your stupid support." Tsuyo patted his shoulder seriously, warmth in his dark eyes. "Don't get yourself hurt. I know I'll be the one to get in trouble for it."

"Same to you." Sekatsu gave up and hugged his brother as Haruka made a soft aww noise at the sight of the two young men hugging.

"Amai, you'll be okay, right? And don't wander off without the rest of the group, okay?" Yuki hugged his little sister, separating her from Sekatsu as he hugged his brother.

"Come back safe, Yuki-niisan." she told him softly as he kissed her forehead and moved on to give Nigai a short hug as well.

"Watch out for her, will you?" Yuki asked his younger brother. "I trust you, you're a good fighter and you're a man now. You'll be safe, Nigai."

"You too." Nigai nodded firmly. "She'll be fine with me."

"Hey, watch out for your new girlfriend." Haruka offered a hug to Sekatsu. "And remember, we've been friends since we were babies, and if something happened to you, I'd kick your ass for upsetting me like that."

"Yeah, yeah, take care of yourself too." Sekatsu dropped a kiss on her forehead before letting her go and turning to Yuki. "You better take care of her or her dad really will kill you. And I'll help."

"No problem, Sekatsu." Yuki winked at him. "Long as you look after Amai for me."

"No problem." Sekatsu offered the younger boy his hand, and the two of them shook.

"We'll see you all later, then." Fuyu waved to his sister and her group. "Good luck."

"You too!" Natsu called as they turned and headed for their separate destinations.

----------

"Hey, Seishin, slow down a bit..." Mottomo grabbed his friend's arm. "I...feel a little weird." he admitted, running his fingers through his short silver hair.

"You look bad, man." Seishin's maroon eyes went wide in surprise at his friend's condition. "Let's go back, okay? It's late anyway and mom and Shippo will get worried."

"Yeah...go back..." Mottomo panted roughly before collapsing to the ground.

"Mo...Mottomo?" Seishin looked around for help before picking the boy up in his own arms, racing back through the field toward his home. As he ran, he saw a familiar figure approaching at a run as well. "Yoru!" he shouted, slowing as he reached the other boy.

"Shit! What's wrong with Mottomo?" Yoru asked. Seishin shook his head as he saw his older sister running toward them as well. Not surprising, as she was usually always at Yoru's side. "Seishin, what the hell happened?"

"We...were just running down there..." Seishin pointed behind him as Keshiki stopped short of running into them, panting for breath and looking at all three of them in worry. "And he got all weak...like he does sometimes...so I said we should go back and he passed out."

"Why isn't he waking up?" Keshiki's voice was faint and breathless, but full of panic.

"Shit...I knew it...I could feel it, something..." Yoru took his brother's prone figure from Seishin, who looked on helplessly. "We gotta get him to Kaede right now!" he turned, taking off at a dead sprint so fast that Seishin and Keshiki were soon left behind.

"Damn...youkai...blood..." Seishin panted as he came in sight of the hut, where he could see the rest of his family as well as Kaede and Shippo crowded around the fallen boy. Keshiki and Seishin continued until they too were within view of the boy, laying on the ground and looking extremely pale.

"What's wrong with him?" Yoru asked. "Why isn't he...waking up?"

"He's still alive, you can see him breathing." Shippo volunteered as Kaede continued to examine him. Finally, she looked up, her face grim and neutral.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Seishin asked.

"Sango...could you please get Kagome. Tell her it's important." Kaede's voice was calm, yet urgent, and it struck fear in all the onlookers.

"What's wrong?" Yoru asked again. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's fading now. It's time." Kaede turned to Miroku. "We must try to hold him here a little longer, though I don't think our powers can touch this."

"I understand." Miroku's hand lifted to his lips as he began muttering spells.

"What are they doing?" Keshiki was obviously on the verge of tears. "Shippo, do you know?"

"Something...something bad..." Shippo looked on, his face pale and worried. Just then, Sango returned with Kagome in tow.

"What is it? I don't understand..." Kagome's eyes went to Mottomo and she gasped. "Mottomo! What's wrong?"

"It's like I warned you." Sango told him. "It's time now. He's going."

"You mean...the wish?" Kagome's voice broke, tears falling down her cheeks. "Already? Are you sure?"

"Time is short, Kagome." Kaede's voice wavered a bit as she helped the woman down beside her son where she could hold him. "Look, how it has begun." Kaede pointed to Mottomo's hand, which seemed to have become completely transparent.

"Oh gods...why?" Kagome sobbed, lifting Mottomo in her arms and squeezing him to her. "Why...does this have to happen?" Kagome buried her face in his chest as Kaede turned to the children, all waiting impatiently for some explanation.

"Because of the jewel stolen from Inuyasha...Mottomo is being erased." Kaede told him. "Yoru, what has happened makes it as though your mother and father never married, and none of you children were ever born."

"So...oh gods...he's...gods!" Yoru flung himself forward on the rapidly disintegrating form of his brother, sobbing right along with his mother as he faded away into nothing.

"I had hoped...we could stop it." Kaede sighed, looking extremely weary and extremely old. "I had hoped, but I was wrong."

*****

The End (Of Part 16, That Is)

Will Teresa ever write a happy chapter, or did her happiness plot device die a sad and lonely death? Is Mottomo really really really gone, or will he like...I don't know, turn out to be pulling some magic trick Miroku taught him? Is Yoru going to use this development to get comfort from his beloved Keshiki? Does anyone else think it's a bad idea for Sekatsu and Amai's chaperones to be the two people who got so preoccupied discussing the imminent Naraku destruction? Is Naraku's destruction really all that imminent? Like maybe, can I kill him next chapter? Man, that'd be sweet, but I'm telling you right now I'm not that far. Not unless the next chapter is like thirty freaking pages...grrr....okay, let's wind this up.

Until next time, always remember that Asaba-land is a place in Jade's heart. No one else's heart, just hers.