The fear and worrying for their friends had finally taken its toll on most of them. Nobunaga, Tsuyu and the little monkey Hiyoshimaru had fallen asleep. Miroku and Sango were struggling to stay awake, but they both were finding their eyelids to be too heavy. They went out eventually. Shippou, cuddling up with Kirara, lay on the couch; it was definitely too much for him. It was too much for the other youngest kids too: Hakudoushi and Rin were laying in their sleeping bags on the floor. Kanna and Kohaku on the other hand had not yet succumbed to sleep. But they both knew it was lingering just a few metaphorical feet away.

(Don't worry, Kagura... You've got someone watching out for you...)

Jaken had fallen asleep behind the couch, but Sesshoumaru, Kageroumaru and Akizuki were still watching the big screen television. Watching the fight raging on. A bright white mist had covered the room of the ice queen. It was hard to see the goings on in there, but they knew. They knew.

(Juuroumaru... Hang in there...)

"Lady Kikyou," Hamaya's voice cracked, "Mr. Suikotsu...?"

Kikyou opened her eyes. She was still kneeling in front of the two fresh graves; Ginta and Hakkaku had joined her, but were completely silent. She turned and looked directly into Hamaya's eyes. He looked so different compared to when she first saw him. When Suikotsu had first brought him home, he was beaten up really badly, but his eyes were filled with hope and life. Now it was almost completely inversed. He had been letting his hair grow longer, and all the cuts and scraps had long since disappeared. But his eyes were dark and full of fear. She guessed that her own probably looked similar. A tear trickled down her face.

(Jakotsu... You'll come back... Right?)

Myouga had joined the scene a few moments prior to the succumbing of sleep. He sat on Kagome's shoulder; both of them were staring into that idiot box. The mist had gotten thicker. It was now a lot more difficult to see the battle. She then realized that she was holding a piece of paper. It was the seven-and-a-half month old 'Battle of the Bands' announcement that Kikyou had given to them. She pried her eyes away from the TV and looked at it. Memories of the concert and other good times came rushing back to her. She prayed that there would be more to come in the future. She prayed...

(Please... InuYasha... All of you... Come home safely... You have to... You...)

Renkotsu, Ginkotsu and Kyoukotsu had been given the official task of watching, guarding if you will, the ice wolf leader Fuyuka. He was still wrapped up in the man-tank's wires and could not move. He could still speak though. "Your friends aren't gonna make it, you know," he sneered. But the three watchmen weren't even listening. They were more concerned about something else.

(Bankotsu... Is he...?)

Another flock of ice bats had joined in the fight. A blast from a Toukaibutsu a few moments ago had rendered Sekka's dragon, Gentoumaru, flightless. Kooriookami and Yukikyuu had gathered in mass amounts, despite the fact that their respective masters, Fuyuka and Frostbyte, were disposed of. These ice demon wanted vengeance on their enemies for the death of their masters. They wanted blood.

Yura sent down a wave of hair at the attackers and managed to scoop up a few Toukaibutsu from the ground. She flung them onto the thinning snow that revealed a patch of grass beneath it, rendering the ice monsters useless. However, the Hyoukoumori had a common solution: blast a jet of ice onto the ground. The Toukaibutsu were not able to maneuver on the grass, but with fresh ice as their trail, they could perform a counter attack.

Kouryuu, the little red dragon, poked his head over the side of Manten's storm cloud and watched as a pack of ice wolves ran beneath them. He pulled back onto the cloud and looked up at Souten. "What's gonna happen?" he asked. She didn't know.

Yura and Manten continued to hold back the pursuers as Gentoumaru and his passengers traveled on foot. His wings had been torn up by the previous attack, so this was the best he could do now. Bankotsu turned his head to see the fight behind him. The Yukikyuu had gathered together and formed a sort of hand shape. It swung at the dragon, trying to knock it over. But Bankotsu wouldn't let them. He stood on the dragon's back, holding his arms out for balance. Once he achieved it, he let fly his Banryuusen attack and ripped all the Yukikyuu snowball demons to shreds.

"You're pretty good at this," Sekka sniggered as she blasted a ball of ice at the flock of Hyoukoumori.

"You're not so bad yourself," he answered back with a smirk. They continued holding back the demons as they tried to reach InuYasha and his party.

The room was cold. Of course it was cold, it was her room. The ice queen. The lady of cold. She stared them down, standing at the far end of the room. She had incased herself in a semitransparent ice shield. Both she and the Shikon Jewel were safe from her enemies' attacks. Ice formed on the walls and pillars. On the roof and floor too. They were in her domain now. She had all the upper hands. However, they did have one important factor going for them.

"The cat demon," she whispered out loud, but so low that InuYasha's ears could not hear. "I have to destroy that cat demon." So that was her first priority. She extender her hand out in front of her and powered up an ice blast. She sent it forth.

"Fuck!" InuYasha exclaimed, "Move out of the way!" The five of them leapt out of the path of the blast and it struck the ground, leaving a big crack. "You've got pretty lousy aim, your majesty," he smirked.

"My, my, my," KooriKisaki taunted, "Such big words from such a little dog."

InuYasha's smirk turned into a smile. "I'll show you what this little dog can do." He ran forwards and swung the Tessaiga up over his head. He then swung it down and unleashed the Scar of the Wind. The blast headed towards its target at great speed and made contact. An explosion. Pieces of the floor were sent in all directions, and the carpet tattered and burned. KooriKisaki was unharmed.

"Are you quite done yet?" she taunted again. "And what about your friends over there?" She pointed to Kagura, Juuroumaru and Jakotsu. "Let's us see what they can do..."

Jakotsu smirked. "Fine by me." He whipped the Jakotsutou at her. It was long enough to stretch the length of the entire room, so he knew she would never be out of his range. The tip of the sword struck her ice shield, but was repelled back. "Dammit," he muttered.

"Amateur," Kagura said as she flipped open her fan. She blew an incredible gust of wind at the ice queen, but she didn't even move. "Heh heh," she laughed weakly, "Um, Juuroumaru? Care to give it a shot?"

"None of my attacks would be of any use," he muttered, "Not with that shield anyway."

"We have to break it somehow," InuYasha growled. Then suddenly, a thick fog engulfed the room. No one could see five feet in front of their noses. Except for...

A ball of ice struck Juuroumaru right across the face. He flew and crashed into the wall. "Shit," he muttered as he struggled back to his feet.

"Kagura," InuYasha called out to nowhere, "Can you blow this fog away?" Her response came from within the haze somewhere. She believed she could. More wind came, blowing away the fog. The room was cleared again. But she was gone. "Dammit," InuYasha growled, "Where the fuck is she?"

Cackling filled the room. Suddenly, a great big pillar of ice jutted down from the ceiling and struck just a few feet away from where Kazan was standing. He jumped out of the way and growled, sending a blast of fire at the ice pillar. It melted, but only a little bit. More ice pillars jutted from the ceiling and even the walls. She was trying to skewer them alive. Kagura used her Dance of Blades to cut the ice pillars up, but more were coming. InuYasha and Juuroumaru slashed at them, breaking them apart. But again, more came.

"Where is she hiding?" InuYasha exclaimed. Her scent. He still smelled her scent. He looked up. She was hovering near the ceiling. He smiled and aimed another Scar of the Wind at her. But he stopped. "No, I think the Bakuryuuha would be better..." She blasted a pillar of ice down directly at him. Perfect. The ice was demonic energy, so he could repel it back at her. He unleashed the Bakuryuuha and sent the entire pillar of ice back at her. It hit her and shattered. Ice fragments rained down upon the entire room. The white mist cleared, revealing nothing. But was she really gone? No. Her scent still loomed. But...

"Everyone," he exclaimed, "We've got company!"

Hyoukoumori. Toukaibutsu. Yukikyuu. Kooriookami. KooriKisaki's forces had joined in to help her in the battle. Now things were about to get really ugly...