Disclaimer: If you don't know this by now, you have an IQ lower than that of a tomato.

Someone: what is it?

Everyone else: *sweatdrop*

Well, thanks to Kitai Matsuru, Kaylana, Crystal17, and buffytara for reviewing!

I'm so sorry it took so long, what with school and swimming it was hard to finish my homework let alone update a story.

I have been smote, Kaylana, very sorry. ^^;;;;;

I shall try to keep Inuyasha and Kagome from being too mushy, as this is a M/S centered story.

… lalalalaaaa!

Well, onwards and upwards to the center of the earth!- or rather, to the next chapter!

Glass House

"Our Savior said to love each other, why must we go on hurting one another?"

Nori was walking among the reeds alongside of a large lake when her Lord came and stood before her. She smiled up at the human-like youkai before her, and in a bright, childish voice chirped out:

"Ohayo!"

"Konnichi wa, Nori-chan," spoke the youkai on the banks of the lake. "What news have you for me?"

"You tell me first! Onegai?" Nori pouted, looking up at the white cloaked demon.

"Nori…" he began warningly, and Nori sighed and snapped her fingers lifelessly. Her band of followers flew about her.

"Hey! Lemme go!" The small, high pitched voice struck a discordant note in the pale youkai's mind, and he turned with ungodly speed to face the offender.

Shippou struggled helplessly against the arms of Miki and Tora, crying like a wounded cat. Nori's guardian's eyes rounded at the sight of the kitsune youkai in the spirit's arms.

"Nori-chan," her guardian said very slowly and pointedly, trying to keep his anger in check. "what is that, any why did you take it?"

"It's a fox demon. They called if Shippou-chan," Nori remarked placidly.

"…it reeks of human influence. That and the smell of a half-human."

"Well, d'oh, what did you expect? You can't run around with a bunch of humans and a hanyou and not start smelling like them! I took it because they wanted it," she motioned over her shoulder at the crowd of demon-people.

"Kill it," the Lord's voice said, a snarl forming over his lips. "Or abandon it, we have no need of it. It reminds me of that pathetic mutt, Inuyasha. I won't travel with it near me."

Shippou moaned fearfully, Miki let out a strangled sob, and Nori-chan bowed her head.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama," she said obediently, her tearful eyes trained on the muddy ground that gathered about her sandals.

~*~

It's not every day your undead sister comes to you and tells you that she's going to die… again. Kaede was in so much shock she hardly was able to register her sister's words. Were it not for her pity of her sister's state, Kaede would have banished her sister to a hot and fiery place, as that was the only location the vengeful spirit would gain peace.

"I'm sorry if I intruded," Kikyou said, sitting down gracefully before her much older younger sister.

Sure, of course. Feel free to come ruin my life whenever you feel like it.

"It's no trouble. What do ye want?" Kaede asked instead.

"I want your help, sister. I want to know where Inuyasha-kun and the others are," Kikyou said.

Never one to dawdle on pleasantries, that's my sister.

"Why do ye want to know?" Kaede questioned against her initial reaction.

"Because," Kikyou said, making no effort to mask her impatience, I need to speak to the wench Inuyasha is protecting so foolishly."

First you try to kill her, then you want her help. What a wonderful thought process the undead have, eh dear sister Kikyou?

"I know not where they are," spoke Kaede firmly. "They left some time ago into the woods and I have not yet seen them."

"You are of no help to me then," Kikyou rose to go, but before she exited she turned around abruptly and stood before her sister. "Dear little Kaede," Kikyou said softly. "Make sure Inuyasha doesn't act to stupid, once I'm gone. I'll miss you."

Before Kaede could open her mouth to speak, Kikyou was gone. Tears filled her eyes, and one escaped against all her efforts, to fall down a wizened cheek. Deep within her heart, she knew she would never see her sister again.

~*~

"Kagura?" the voice of Naraku broke the stillness of the maze.

"Yes, my lord?" Asked the wind demon, alighting on her large feather before her creator. She had come to think of him like that, though he was more of her brother than her creator, and more a creator than a sibling. Kagura sighed irritably. As of right now she was a stupid incarnation. Naraku was slightly pretty, but in a not-so-demonic enough way to be cool, and an angelic, girly kind of beauty that no one could ever love. She liked to think of herself of being at least slightly prettier than Naraku was. Most certainly not a mere incarnation.

"Is the test ready?" the not-quite-a-bishounen asked of her placidly.

"Hai," she replied, allowing a demonic smile to curve about her lips. "There's no way they'll survive."

"Good, good," stated Naraku distractedly.

"Daijoubu?" Kagura asked. The plan was quite capable of failure, and it most certainly would die out if Naraku wasn't paying attention to the proceedings.

"I'm fine," Naraku snapped. A whirling of air and the part-time baboon was gone.

"Nice talking to you too," Kagura muttered angrily, wishing, perhaps, for a moment that she would get a little attention. Maybe everything would be different if she thought, even slightly, that she mattered. Her head felt heavy and her eyes began to fill with tears. She brushed them away as quickly as she could, flying off to find somewhere else to divulge in her self-pity.

~*~

Miroku was thinking along the same lines of Kagura's train of thought at the moment. He was wondering whether or not his old friends were trying to find him or not. The fact that he didn't know sent waves of hopelessness through his heart, and tears filled his already swollen eyes.

"…I wonder if you'll find me, Sango-heart," Miroku managed to say through lips that were parched and dry. "I wonder if you'll care enough."

The words barely made an imprint on the air around him.

"Will you find me, Sango? I'm so lost…" the sound of his own voice was no reassurance, for it was weak.

Too weak. It had been to long since he'd seen anyone, too long since he'd received any food or water, too long since he'd been given the will to even stand up.

"Sango, I can't live too much longer, you realize," he whispered to the air, as if hoping his words would find their way into his beloved's mind. "Eventually I won't have the strength to call myself back."

His eyes closed, and two diamond tears snaked down his dirt stained cheeks.

"I did this… for you, you… must realize… I just wanted you to be safe… I want…you to hear me…know I am here…" he broke off to wipe the tears with his hand. "now that you can't see me, maybe… you can hear me… now?"

There was no sound, and only the stillness of the cell he lay in told him he truly was alive.

"Can you… speak to me… now?" he called. "I fear that I am going slightly mad… talking to myself… when the Gods… they will send me an answer… send me an answer!" he prayed weakly, hoping with all the strain in his heart that his Gods would pity him.

There was no reply, not even the echo of his own voice.

To be Continued….

Wasn't that horribly angst-y?

Well… please review? Aye?

~*~DSoD~*~