Gomen ne.  I was a lot busier than I thought I'd be.  I've finally gotten my school life back together and I think I'm doing okay.  Time's gone by fast today, which kinda sucks, but other than that, I'm good.

And thank you to everyone who's reviewed and also to those who've helped me with my Japanese.  Also I just increased my Japanese vocabulary.  It feels great!

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha!  How many times must I say it?  I'm BROKE!  I really am this time, honestly.  I just blew my last five dollars.  On what, you may ask?  CANDY!  And it was worth it!  Really worth it!

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*There are people who don't believe in fate or destiny.  They believe in uncertainty, but either way you look at it, life is uncertain.  Fate is uncertain and so is destiny.  None of them are constant either.  They act the same way we do.  On impulse.  Maybe fate decides things as they go, only consisting of a few events at first, but building up as they go along.  Because destiny can disrupt fate.  Destiny is one of the few times where we control our lives.  We have to make a decision.  Sometimes the fate of the world rides on that one decision, that one person's destiny.  It isn't a matter of what is suppose to happen.  It's a matter of if they'll choose to accept it.*

Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all ran through the forest, dodging trees that were in their way.  They eventually made it onto a thin trail.  Shippo was riding on Kagome's shoulder.  Her and Sango were in front and Miroku was slowly falling further behind.  Eventually, he had to stop.  He fell to one knee, holding himself up with his staff.  He was breathing hard and his face was twisted in pain.  Sango and Kagome stopped and turned around.

"Houshi-sama!" called Sango.  Her and Kagome ran back to where he was.

"Just go," he said.  "You should just leave me here.  I'll only slow you down."

"Miroku-sama, we're not leaving you."  Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them.  They were loud and seemed to shake the whole forest.  Kagome, Sango, and Shippo all turned towards the forest.

"Something's coming," said Shippo, the fear evident in his voice.  They all remained still, not sure what they should do.  Suddenly, the sound stopped.  The forest was still again.

"Is…is it gone?" asked Sango.

"I think so," said Kagome, still shocked.  Miroku was silent through it all.  He seemed to be listening to something.  He then jerked.

"Get down!" he yelled, shoving both Sango and Kagome to the ground.  He then ducked down as well, just as a huge clawed hand swung towards them.  It swiped over their heads, just barely missing them.  After the pass, they all stood up and turned.  The creature was standing in the trees, only partially shielded now.  It was quite similar to the youkai that they had fought before.  It was a midnight black instead of gray and it had sleek, smooth skin instead of fur.  It bore its teeth and gave a wicked grin, its ruby eyes shining.  It was incredibly tall.

"Is this the same youkai from before?" asked Sango, referring to the one that Inuyasha stopped to battle with.

"I sure hope not," said Kagome, assuming the worst for Inuyasha.

"We need to get out of here," wailed Shippo, his fear getting the best of him.  The youkai's grin just broadened.

"Hai, ikuzo," said Miroku.  He turned and began to run, followed by Kagome and Sango.  The youkai began to chase after them, roaring as it ran.  Miroku ignored the pain his wounds were giving him.  'Just a little further,' he thought to himself.  Kagome and Sango eventually made it past him.  Miroku just smiled.  He stopped and turned around, now facing the youkai.  Kagome and Sango stopped as well, turning to face him.

"Miroku-sama!" shouted Kagome.

"What are you doing?" asked Sango.  Miroku glanced over at them.

"Stay behind me!" he warned.  He turned his attention back to the youkai.  He extended his right hand and quickly removed the rosary, releasing the kazaana.  The youkai was being pulled in.  It gave out an ear-shattering cry.  It then smiled and extended its arm beyond the range of the kazaana.  "Nani?!"  It swung its arm towards Miroku.  There was no time to dodge the attack.  Miroku quickly closed the kazaan, for fear of losing control.  Just as he closed it, the youkai struck him, sending him flying back.  His face twisted in pain as he hit the ground and rolled a short distance.

"Miroku!" shouted Shippo.  They all just stood there.  Miroku pushed himself up with his elbows and then used his staff to stand up the rest of the way.  He still seemed to be in pain, but he wanted to try again.  He made a move for his prayer beads again, but the youkai saw it coming.  It swung its arm again, knocking Miroku even further away.  He landed near Kagome and Sango.  He tried to get up, but it was no use.  He fell back onto his side.  He was breathing hard and it was beginning to be more difficult to keep his eyes open.  His vision then blurred and soon disappeared all together.  He then blacked out, his last memory of the youkai moving closer to them.

"Miroku-sama!" yelled Kagome.  They three of them went over to him.  He was out cold.

"It's coming!" said Shippo, motioning towards the youkai.  Sango then stood up and unhooked the Hiraikotsu.  She then threw it towards the youkai, which simply knocked it away with its large hands.  She backed up and stood near Kagome.  It looked like this was the end for them.  The youkai laughed as they all cowered in fear around Miroku.  They all had their eyes closed now, awaiting the inevitable.  The youkai suddenly stopped advancing and looked up.  Standing on a very high tree branch to its left was Siria.  She had her sword drawn and held out to her side.  The youkai just stared at her.

"If you want to live, I suggest you leave," she said, holding her sword up in front of her.  "I'll kill you right now if you don't."  The youkai seemed to contemplate this.  It looked her up and down.  A twisted smile then formed on Siria's face.  It was a smirk that would send fear into the heart of even the strongest of youkai.  The creature turned around and began to walk away, disappearing into the forest.  Siria glanced down at the people she had just saved and then turned her head away in annoyance.

"I don't see what's so important about them.  Danna should have just let them die."  Siria then turned around and jumped away, disappearing into the night.  Kagome and Sango both opened their eyes, realizing that nothing was there.

"Wha-what happened to the youkai?" asked Shippo, looking around for the giant creature.

"I don't know," said Kagome.  She was just as confused.

"Kagome!"

Kagome looked towards the beginning of the trail and watched as Inuyasha jumped through the trees, followed by Kirara, who quickly transformed back to her chibi form and ran to Sango.  Inuyasha went over to Kagome.  "Nande koto wa?" he asked.

"A youkai followed us, but then it left."

"It left?"

"Strange, I know, but that's what happened."

"Doushite?"

"I'm not sure.  I wasn't watching…"

"Are all of you alright, at least?"

"Ano…Miroku-sama was…"  Kagome turned her attention back to the houshi, who was still unconscious and showed no sign of waking up anytime soon.

"We should find a village," suggested Sango, looking over Miroku.  He had already reopened his wounds once and some were already partially pulled back open.  'Shinu na, Houshi-sama'

******

"Good job, Siria," said Yume.

"Yeah, yeah," responded Siria, slightly annoyed.  "If I may ask, just why did you want me to save them?"

"I already told you.  I don't want them to die."

"Demo…"

"Have you found Cycil yet?"  Siria frowned at the attempt to change the subject, but went along with it anyway.  She shook her head.

"Not yet.  I don't know where she ended up at.  She probably got hungry, or something."

"That's always your excuse for not looking for her.  I want you to find her and bring her back here, ima."  Siria just stared at Yume, trying to decipher the emotions displayed on her face, but she saw nothing.  Yume kept the same, emotionless look on her face.  Her mouth was a thin line, no smile and no frown, just a line.  Her eyes were straight and emotionless, as if she was in a trance of some kind.  Siria sighed and then nodded.

"Whatever you say, danna."  She turned around and walked off into the darkness again, becoming nothing more than one of the far off shadows.  Yume leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

"Time to watch this play out."

******

A pair of midnight blue eyes slowly opened and tried to adjust to the surroundings.  Everything was just a blur of browns and grays.  Nothing seemed to be solid.  After blinking a few times, the blurriness went away, leaving the inside of a house in its place.  The boards were all brown, but the foundation looked sturdy.  A few rays of light managed to get through the spaces between the boards, but they were welcoming and warm.  It was very quiet, until a door opened, making a shuffling sound.

"It's about time," said Inuyasha, his voice slightly irritated but slightly relieved as he looked over the houshi.

"Where am I?  Nande koto wa?" asked Miroku.  Suddenly, his mind snapped.  He remembered what happened right before he blacked out.  "Where's the youkai?!" he asked, sitting up, but instantly wishing he hadn't.  He grimaced and fell back down.  He landed on something soft.  He looked around a little more and found that he was lying on many blankets.  He had bandages on his left hand and around his forehead.  He probably had more, but he couldn't see them, thanks to his robes.

"Relax, it left."

"What left?"

"The youkai."

"What for?"  Inuyasha just shrugged.

"Who knows, or cares.  It's gone and that's all that matters.  Neither of them had a shikon no kakkera."  Miroku relaxed a little and then sighed.

"So, how long have I been out?"

"Five."

"Five hours?"

"Days."

"Days?!"

"Sou na."  Miroku was silent.  He had never gotten injured to the point where he'd sleep for days, especially five.  He was usually very careful.  He pushed himself up onto his elbows and faced Inuyasha.

"Where are we?" he asked again.

"In a village."

"I know that."

"The one you wanted to head to before."

"Oh."

"Anyway, you should get some more rest.  We'll be leaving tomorrow, hopefully.  Kagome and Sango left a while ago to go get some supplies."  Inuyasha turned around and began to head towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know.  Somewhere other than this village."  And with that, Inuyasha left the house.  Miroku fell back against the blankets and closed his eyes.  He didn't plan on going to sleep, but it just felt good to lie there with his eyes closed.  He wasn't sure how long it had been before he heard someone running towards the house he was in.  The door opened, making the same shuffling sound, only more forceful.  Miroku opened his eyes in time to see Sango run towards him and then embrace him while he was lying there.

"Houshi-sama," she said happily and with relief.

"Sango?" he questioned.  Sango suddenly tensed and sat up, a small blush on her cheeks.  She was slightly embarrassed.

"Sumimasen," she said quietly.  Miroku just smiled.

Shimpai Janai," he responded.

"I was worried, we all were.  We weren't sure if you would wake up."

"I'm just fine, I assure you."  Miroku kept his eyes on Sango, but his hand began to move elsewhere, slowly sneaking up on the unsuspecting girl.

"Gomen ne, Houshi-sama."  Miroku's smile slipped into a look of confusion.

"Nani?"

"I…I should have…"  Upon closer inspection, Miroku could see that tears were building up, but refused to fall.  He withdrew his hand.  She was hurting and he didn't feel like hurting her any more, so he would leave her alone…for now, anyways.

"Nanda?"

"I wasn't able to help you."

"Don't you remember, Sango?  I told you and Kagome to stay behind me.  It wasn't your fault."

"You could have died."

"I'm fine now, see?"  Miroku pushed himself up, surprised that it didn't hurt anymore.  Maybe he just needed to stretch out his muscles.  He had been sleeping for five days now.  He was soon on his feet, a smile back on his face.  Sango just watched him.  "Mou, how about we take a look at this village, okay?"  Sango stood up as well, the tears disappearing from her eyes.  She smiled and began to walk towards the door, followed by Miroku.  They were soon out the door and they began to wander around the small, yet comfortable, village.

******

Inuyasha returned from his stroll in the forest, only to find that Kagome was standing at the entrance, waiting for him.  She had a huge smile on her face.

"Did you have a nice walk?" she asked, her voice cheerful.

"Sou na," he responded, as if uninterested. 

"That's good."  Inuyasha walked into the village, followed by Kagome.

"Just to let you know, we'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Nani?  Why so soon?"

"We've been here for 4 days!"  It had taken them a day to get there.  "Miroku is already awake, so we'll leave tomorrow.  It's fine by him, so there's no objections, right?"  Kagome just sighed.  She couldn't argue with that.

"Alright, we can leave tomorrow."  Inuyasha was now confused.  Usually Kagome would put up more of an argument when it came to staying somewhere.  Kagome noticed this shock.

"Nanda?" she asked.

"Nandemo."  They just walked a little more and then arrived at the house in which they were staying at.

"Where are Sango-chan and Miroku-sama?"

"I don't know."

"HENTAI!!" screamed a familiar girl.  The shout was followed by a slapping sound.  Kagome and Inuyasha turned around to see an angry Sango coming towards them.  She walked right passed them and into the house.  Their eyes followed her every move until she disappeared.  They then turned their attention to Miroku, who was standing a little ways away from them with a confused look on his face, along with a red handprint.  Inuyasha and Kagome both sighed.

"He'll never learn," said Kagome, walking into the house.

"Baka," said Inuyasha, following her.  Miroku was left standing outside.  He sighed and turned around.  He was going to go for another walk.  He wasn't sure if he wanted to face Sango right now.

******

In the forest, Siria was standing behind a tree, looking out at the village where Inuyasha and his friends were currently staying at.

"What am I doing here?" she asked herself.

"Didn't Yume send you?"

Siria turned to face the shadows of the forest, her face in a scowl.

"So this is where you've been hiding," said Siria, her voice expressing her scowl.  The person she was speaking to was covered by the shadows.

"I take it you came here looking for me."

"You got that right.  Danna has been asking me for a while now.  Where were you?"

"Just out."

"Doing what?"

"Nothing much.  I am, however, much stronger now."

"That's what I thought.  I knew you went out to get something to eat."  The shadowed person laughed.

"You know me well, Siria."

"Whatever.  It's your turn.  I'm tired of having to do everything.  You should go back and see danna.  She wanted you to do something for her."

"I know.  I'm going."  The shadowed figure disappeared into the darkness of the forest.  Siria soon followed after taking one last glance at the village.  She had finally found her, after five days of looking.  She had finally found Cycil.  'I wonder what danna wants her to do.'

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Finally!  I finally finished it!  Not only that, but fanfiction wouldn't let me update.  I wasn't able to upload anything.  It really sucked.  Anyways, I've been listening to "Key of Twilight" from Hack//Sign.  I love that song.  I listened to it while writing this, cause it was too quiet.  I have it when it's quiet.

Ikuzo –let's go.  It can also be said as ikisho.  There are others as well.

Hiraikotsu –the name of Sango's boomerang.

Nande koto wa –what happened.

Chibi –come on people.  Who doesn't know this?  It means little.

Doushite –why.  It can also be spelled as doush'te.

Shinu na –Don't die.

Ima –Now.

Shikon no kakkera –shikon shard.  I may have added an extra 'k', but that's okay.

Sou na –yeah.  It can also be said as sou da.

Sumimasen –sorry about that.

Shimpai Janai –Don't worry about it.

Nanda –What is it?

Mou –well.  It can also be said as Maa.

Hentai –pervert

Baka –stupid, idiot, moron.

Okay, here's the thing.  I learned something interesting about the Japanese language, so listen.  The spelling isn't always consistent because Japanese language has its own writing system, and nobody can agree on how things are supposed to be spelled in Roman alphabet letters ("romaji"). Also, the translations are not always literal except where noted as such. The English terms are meant to convey a social impact similar to the Japanese words and phrases.  Therefore, don't complain about how I spell these words listed here, cause I got them from someplace that knows what they mean.  Correct me on some things, like if I got something completely wrong, okay?

Sorry, I don't mean to sound mean or anything, but I just thought that this was interesting.

That's all.

Until next time!

Audi^.^