Disclaimer: No, I don't own it, but I'll trade for all the candy I got from Halloween. Okay?

AN: *pout* No reviews for the last chapter? Oh well, it's only my second Inuyasha fiction… I'm hoping to do better on this next one. And a warning, angst up ahead, Icari's subconscious is taking over. I have no idea what drove me to do this, but it makes for one hell of a twist. Someone, please tell me how I did on this, it was really weird and I want to know how I did! Also, any Sesshomaru/Rin experts out there? I've been trying to write something for them, but I can't get it right. Any pointers would be nice. Thanks! Complete honesty is very commendable right here. So, the usual, R&R please!

Icari

Chapter 8

 They arrived at the hut near the break of dawn, and the wound on Inuyasha's shoulder had healed slightly. After depositing her brother at the hut, Icari had left quickly, followed by Sesshomaru, who still wanted nothing to do with his brother. Yet, Rin stayed, and Jaken sat outside, terribly annoyed that he would still have to baby sit the older girl. Inside, Rin, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kiara rushed around, trying to help out the best they could.

 Even Kagome, with all of her first-aid training in the future, didn't know how to help treat the broken ribs. Though, she had questioned Icari about moving them, but the older woman had assured her that Inuyasha would be handled as carefully as possible.

 Outside, in the midst of the forest, Icari sat by her lonesome, brooding over her mistake. She bit her lip, knowing full well that her fang would draw blood. 'Stupid!' She punched a tree, causing it to fall over. 'I should've smelled her scent, or seen her coming! Why did Father give me this sword? Why did Father make this sword? Why couldn't he of left me out?' She attacked the fallen log, hoping to take her anger out before someone came by.

 'Now, Rin's as old as Kagome, and she's supposed to be half that age! I took away her most treasured years. I took away her innocence, and half her life, and… and…' She screamed with fury as she continued the cut the wood up into small pieces, perfect for firewood.

 "Why Father!?" She yelled, so loud she was sure the humans would hear. "Why the fuck do you have us playing with the laws of nature anyways? This is not a gift! This fucking curse! You… you fucking bastard. Couldn't keep nature alone, could you? Couldn't keep everything as it should be, could you? Everything you do, everything you say, it will always complicate things for us. You said you were planning something, you said it would help us. What were you trying to do?" She screamed and ran. This responsibility, it was tearing her up. She was never normal, she could never be.

 She hated her father for everything that he had done to her and her brothers. She hated how he had made Inuyasha suffer for so long and his mother too. And also for pitting her brothers together, splitting their family up. Memories rose in her mind, memories of her family before he had messed it up. He had set the stage, and died, making them go through everything by themselves.

 A lake crossed her vision, blurry and unfocused. It was then Icari noticed that she was crying. Tears rolled down her eyes and soaked her cape. All of her previous anger was gone, followed by grief and guilt. She hated herself now, for blaming her father. It had not been his fault, it had been hers. She had been the one that let herself get carried away. She had been the one who wasn't being careful. Her father wasn't even alive after her first few birthdays damn it. Still, though, it was nice to blame someone else for her mistakes, even if it was the coward's way out.

 She looked into the pool, watching her pitiful reflection as it stared back at her. She then looked at the little scrape of land in the middle of the lake, and saw some bones of fish and animals strewn across it. In the recesses of her mind, a saying came to her, quietly at first, then growing into a whisper. Her father's voice came, on his dying day, as the physical and mental exhaustion pulled her into a deep sleep.

 Meet me where the sky meets the earth, and life meets death. Just find where the four stages of life meet and the four elements of our family are seen together, as one, like we should be. Remember my little girl, to meet me there, one day, and I will tell you what you cannot comprehend today. I'll be waiting, my baby girl.

*~*~*~*~*

 She awoke in a dark room, or something. But all she could see was black, indicating that no light was in there at all, or else she would've picked it up. She tried to move, but found that she couldn't. But, there seemed to be nothing restraining her; she simply couldn't move. From the way her hands and legs were rubbing against her body, Icari could tell that she was still in the same position she had fallen asleep in.

 "Where am I?" Then, an unusual sound came from behind her. A high pitched, whistling sound and the scenery changed. In front of her, a clearing could be seen. Actually, she was in the clearing, her body curled in a tight ball, and she could see some of her silver hair fanned out in front of her.

 In the bushes, something moved. Terrified, Icari made no sound, but instead laid there quietly, hoping whatever in those bushes was either harmless, or wouldn't come her way, being as defenseless as she was right now. It was deathly silent. All she could hear was the slight rustling of the bushes, the wind, and her shallow breathing.

 A man stepped out, dress in robes similar to Sesshomaru's, and his armour. That silver hair…

 "Father?" Without thinking, Icari stood up, and succeeded. Slowly, and carefully, she stood up on staggering legs, and steadied herself. Then, she turned to the man that resembled her father. "Father!" she called, her heart lifting with joy as he turned, then smiled. It seemed like it had happened, before, but Icari ignored the voice in her head that told her so.

 A trembling foot forward, she took a step. It seemed so much like a dream! Another step, and she began to get used to it. "Papa!" Icari ignored the tears in her eyes, and began to run, eager to be back in her long-lost father's arms. "Papa! It's really you!" Running, she laughed gleefully as her father outstretched his arms, ready to catching her, laughing too.

 As she got close, though, he kneeled down as if to catch her as when she was a small child. Confused, she tried to stop, but ran right through her father instead. Stopping, she turned, and saw him catching her, but as a child. Purple robes clashed with green, and they fell on the ground, laughing as they played.

 "It's… it's just my memory…" Still, though, she had to watch as a three-year-old version of her laughed and giggled as her father tickled her, and nibbled on her ear slightly. Her hair was still shoulder-length, but she was wearing her green kimono, and clutching her little staff. "It's the one I gave to Rin…"

 Her gaze turned to her father, exactly as she remembered him. He had always worn purple robes, and carried a small, weak little sword around. She had never known why until she had learned of her own sword, and how it could transform.

 "Papa…" She looked at the tiny version of her, and vaguely wondered how she had ever been so small. "Can I see Tetsusaiga?" Her father laughed as she gazed at the sword in awe.

 "Sure, baby girl, just be careful." He unsheathed it, but it stayed in its hidden form. Switching with the staff, the smaller version of herself clutched the sword with two hands, stumbling slightly at the odd weight. Icari studied the small sword, and watched in awe as it shined and glazed under the sun's light. 'Of course…' she rolled her eyes. 'It hasn't aged yet, so it's supposed to be new and everything.'

 "Thank you, Mama doesn't let me play with the other one." The child laughed at herself as her grip slipped and the sword fell to the ground. "Oops, I guess I'm not strong enough anyway…" Laughing, she tried to hand the Tetsusaiga back to her father and grabbing her staff.

 "Oh!" She whirled suddenly. "Papa! Come see Inuyasha-kun! He grew a lot since you left." Taking his hand, they laughed as she pulled them into the woods, clearly quite aware of where they were. After they disappeared, the scene turned back to darkness.

 "Wha- what?" Icari stepped forward, surprised at the sudden change. Confusion turned into annoyance as she realized something else. "That didn't answer my question!" Her ears twitched as something sounded behind her. Only, this time, it wasn't that whistle. No, this time, it was footsteps.

 "You never did have much patience." Whirling, Icari came face to face with the same man from the vision. Her eyes widened as his continued to watch her intently. She turned, this time, to make sure he wasn't looking at something behind her. "No, Icari, I am talking to you, not someone else."

 "Are you for real?" Icari took a couple of steps forward, stopping right in front of the man who looked like her father. Slowly, she reached up to touch his face. It was solid. "Papa?"

 He gave her that warm smile that she remembered so clearly, and she fell into his arms, awaiting the long lost feel of his hug. "Papa, it's been so long…" She cried a little into his chest, treasuring the moment.

 "Yes, sixty-five years…" He stroked her hair, as he used to when she was younger. "It's been too long, my dear Icari, but after this, you cannot see me again until it is your time to join me in the after life." She tensed at his words.

 "Inuyasha and Sesshomaru won't be able to see you?" She treasured this moment, but she had wanted to show this to her brothers too. Surely they missed their father as well.

 "No, they cannot, but my spirit dwells in the Forest of Inuyasha, until I am at peace."

 "And why are you not at peace?" He smiled down at her and held her closer, reminding her of how much she missed him, and how hard it will be on her when they had to part.

 "Your brothers and you haven't found your true lives yet. You are still growing up, Icari, and the Fates have much planned for you. I have been allowed to help you, though I must not interfere with the plans of the Fates. If I do, time will turn back to when you and your brothers have not met up yet, and your memories will be erases. But, however, I am allowed to give to assurance."

 "Where the sky meets the earth, and life meets death. Find where the four stages of life meet and the four elements of our family are seen together, as one, like we should be…" Icari whispered as it came back to her. Those whispers, unlike the others, drifted through the air, falling on her ears every now and then.

 "Yes, and I promised you the truth." She looked up at him, slightly stepping away but still gripping his robes. "Icari… I know you and everyone else has discussed this, but there is a fourth sword." She gasped. Yes, she had always considered it, but it still seemed unbelievable now.

 "But… why? There are only three of us."

 "It was not my choice. Toto-sai… after I died, some demons threatened him, with the lives of half of Japan, to make a final sword. They carved it from my bones, and because of that, it held a part of my soul. The sword was never meant to be… but it is, and a spell was cast on it, giving it the power to grant the wielder the power to pull souls from the afterlife, and send souls in, even from live creatures. It is a very powerful sword…"

 "What happened to it?"

 "Toto-sai, after creating it, betrayed those whom had made him do it and used the sword to slaughter then demons. Knowing the full power of the sword, he tried to destroy it, but to no avail. It was much too powerful. He hid it, in a very secret place, and never told anyone of it."

 After considering what he had said, Icari remembered something else. "Lady Kaede said that she suspected our swords to have something to do with the Shikon No Tama. What about that?" She watched as her father's face contorted, then smooth out.

 "This woman must be special, because it is true. I first made the swords not only so that you could help protect yourselves, but the jewel as well. You see, the Fates actually contacted me on night, telling me their need of three swords. So I heeded their commands, and had your three swords made..." He drifted off, but another bit of information came to Icari.

 "Also, she gave us four talismans, Life, Growth, Death and Afterlife. At least, that's what I think they said, we haven't quite deciphered them, but it's a guess." Actually, they hadn't even tried to decipher them… but he probably knew that.

 "This," he sighed. "I don't know of. But, it is possible that everything here is part of the Fates' plans. They have been working rather strangely with your webs… there is much they wish to include."

 "Like what?" Icari asked, curious as she always had been. Her father chuckled.

 "I'm sorry my baby girl, but I cannot tell you that. I have already told more than enough." His face sobered greatly and he looked at her with said eyes. "I'm sorry again, Icari, but our time is over. I shall miss you, but whenever you need assurance…"

 "I'll come here. As will my brothers. Thank you, Papa, for everything. And, all those things I said in the woods, I- I didn't mean it." She hugged him again, gripping her father tightly.

 "I thought so…" all too soon, her father began to disappear, slowly at first. "I'll be waiting for you, in the afterlife." He smiled at her as his body grew clear and her arms went through the folds of his robes. "And don't grieve over that child, Icari, it was a mistake. Besides, this was planned all along…"

*~*~*~*~*

 She awoke in the clearing, and saw the pond in front of her. Icari looked around and sighed sadly at the lonely feeling that overtook her. "Papa…"

 "Icari!" She jolted, looking up at the interference. "Icari!" it came again, and she looked to see Sango running towards her. "Icari…" she stopped to catch her breath, and the youkai smiled. "What are you doing all the way out here? Never mind. Inuyasha's waking up and we thought you wanted to know. Rin is talking to Sesshomaru right now.

 Icari nodded and stood up. She no longer felt the guilt; after all, she had all of the information they needed right now…