Disclaimer: I don't own it, but maybe Santa Clause'll give it to me if I ask nicely?

"…" – speech

'…' – thoughts

--- - change in scenery or time

x-x

-- Previously, on The Sealed Garden:

-Sombre, golden eyes glanced up to find the two humans looking at him expectantly.

He schooled his face carefully.

"He has no pulse."-


Chapter TWENTY:

Fang of Healing

x-x

There was a pause.

Sango and Miroku stared at the solemn-faced demon, disbelief echoing in their wide eyes. From where she had been thrown, Kirara padded over in her small form, limping slightly from the wound in one of her hind legs. The cat quietly lay down next to the humans, curling into a ball.

"What?" The woman's voice was barely above a whisper.

Sesshoumaru's gaze sharpened, eyes narrowing slightly. "He's dead." He looked down at his brother's body.

Inuyasha's eyes were half lidded, his lips slightly parted. His face was paler than usual, bringing out the darkness of his hair. The half-demon's own blood was splattered over his clothes, face, and hair. Most of it was already drying, turning a dark blackish red colour.

"No." Miroku shook his head, fists clenched. "It can't be. Inuyasha can't- he can't die." He glanced at Sesshoumaru, then at his girlfriend, who seemed just as shocked as he was. "He-… he-" The monk's words faded away, his lips moving soundlessly for a moment. "It's not… fair!" His form shook from the emotion building up within. He had experience in comforting others with their lost, but none of his training had ever prepared him for this.

The demon turned away, partly from the fact that he hated the weakness the humans were showing, and partly from anger at the way he himself was feeling.

His golden eyes hardened at the weakness in himself as they surveyed the dark horizon. Each breath drew in the stench of poison, blood, and most prominently, death. He was almost tempted to breathe in through his mouth instead, but reminded himself that that would be a show of weakness.

"Can't you do something?" The female's voice lulled him to turn back. "Don't you have any ideas? Please?"

Sesshoumaru paused, his gaze straying towards the two swords tied at his hip. As soon as his thoughts brushed over the sword of healing, it pulsed, but was not the only one to do so. On the floor, its brother blade, the Tetsusaiga, throbbed as well.

Noticing this, Miroku gasped. "Tenseiga!" He stood up too quickly, and wobbled. "It's a sword of healing, isn't it?" He stood now, in front of the demon lord. "Heal Inuyasha!"

The slightest frown crossed the dog demon's face as he paused. "Are you giving me orders, human?"

This reply sparked a sudden ferocity in Sango. She stood, glowering at the demon, her fists clenched. "He's your brother! Don't you care about him? You have some way to heal him, and all you say is…" Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Why don't you forget about your damned pride for once and help somebody?"

And just as suddenly as it had started, the tirade stopped, and Sango's eyes widened as she realised what she'd done. Her hand flew to her mouth and she took a step back.

"I didn't mean… I… I… Oh…" Face crumpling, the normally strong woman collapsed to the ground, her shoulders shaking. Miroku sighed, his face heavy, laden with care and grief. He knelt down next to her, whispering soft words of assurance in her ear that were, as they both knew, empty.

For his part, Sesshoumaru's expression hadn't changed in the slightest, but the stiffness in his stance spoke volumes. He could understand the girl's uncontrolled outburst, but certainly didn't have to like it. But then, his gaze was drawn almost irresistibly over to his brother's body, and a clawed hand gripped hard at the hilt of Tenseiga.

The silence stretched.

"Get him to a safe place."

The humans looked up, surprise in their eyes. Miroku managed to unstick his throat. "What?"

The demon didn't look at them. His gaze rested on Inuyasha's body. "Naraku could be back at any moment. Get Inuyasha to a stronghold."

The other two exchanged slightly confused glances. Thinking was slow, with the overload of grief in their hearts. "There's the…" Miroku began slowly. "The garden?"

And with that, Sango's reddened eyes widened. "Oh gods. The garden!" Her gaze shot north. "What's going to happen when Kagome-chan finds out?"

The thought seemed to have just struck her boyfriend as well as his expression became worried. He thought for a moment, before giving a tired, humourless laugh. "At least she can't die again." Violet eyes focused on the dog demon. "Let's go to the garden." He shook his head. "I can place ofuda spells around it, and if comes to the worse, Kagome-sama can provide her assistance."

Sesshoumaru inclined his head slightly.

"Okay, then." Breathing deeply, Miroku helped Sango to her feet and walked over the stand above Inuyasha. His eyes closed painfully, and he swallowed thickly before bending down. The monk hooked his arms under his friend's body, a sudden chill spreading through his body. "Sango… the feet…"

The woman headed over heavily and slowly bent down to take hold of the hanyou's legs. She nodded to Miroku, and together, they heaved upwards, lifting Inuyasha's body. She was surprised by its lightness, considering the half-demon's strength and agility.

Giving a tired mew, Kirara stood up from the ground and transformed, offering to carry the half-demon. Hesitating only slightly, the man nodded and guided them to her. Gently, he lay his friend's upper torso on the fire-cat's warm back. When Sango let go of Inuyasha's legs, they dangled over Kirara's side, as did his head. His back was arched over Kirara's back, his head bobbing with every step she took.

Miroku closed his eyes at the awkward position, reminding himself that Inuyasha could no longer feel pain.

But it did nothing to quell the pain in his own chest.

Sighing heavily, he bent down to pick up his staff, its rings jingling softly from the movement.

Kirara took a step forward and stumbled slightly. But when the two humans moved to remove her load, she growled, pushing onward.

The demon lord followed the procession, his expression completely unreadable. His gait was deceptively smooth and slow as they walked along the side of the building towards the back. Sesshoumaru's gaze strayed to the ground, his lip curling slightly at the dark miasma that was slowly dissolving the grass.

Gradually, the silent group made its way up the path. The space suddenly widened as they cleared the sides of the door. A large stone structure stood at the opposite end of the yard, drawing the dog demon's eyes to it. He stared at it unemotionally, eyes reflecting what little light there was.

The darkness hid many things from the humans' eyes, but Kirara could see, and she led them to the bridge that spanned across the narrow river.

They crossed it safely, one by one, until all stood in front of the great wooden doors that barred entrance into the garden. They stayed there for a while, unsure of how they would confront the spirit within.

Miroku paused for a second, before breathing deeply and opening one of the doors with a gentle push.

A cool, clean wind blew from inside, refreshing the air of its heavy stench. For a moment, the company paused, the breeze blowing away their cares and fatigue, before it wore away, and the ailments returned. They hesitated before the monk slowly led the way inside.

When all four were safely within the garden walls, the door closed on its own, guided by an unforeseen force. They stopped at the mouth of the area, lowering Inuyasha gently to the soft, grass-covered ground. As soon as her load was gone, Kirara transformed back to her usual self, mewing tiredly and licking the wound on her leg. After a while, she closer her eyes and fell into a light slumber.

Her companions glanced around, noting Kagome's absence.

"She'll be here." Miroku shook out his clothes and leaned over Inuyasha. "We should ease Kagome-sama into knowing…"

Sango nodded quietly, and everybody settled to wait.

It was silent in the garden, but unlike the utter stillness of death outside, this was peaceful and calming.

Sesshoumaru's gazed lazily over the grounds, only slightly interested by the power that was hidden on its grounds. He could feel the light hum that hung over the garden, and traced its source to the forest. But that was the peak of his interest, as the dog demon brushed the object out of his mind; he didn't need any objects of power.

But then, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and the demon lord turned his head slightly to face the forest. Something was approaching, its scent alerting him far sooner than his eyes spotted the soft shimmer coming from the trees.

As the person drew closer, he found that it was a girl, but although she smelled human, human she was not.

Not exactly, at least.

The dog demon wasn't surprised, having already been told of the presence of the spirit. Instead of pointing her out to the humans, who were trying to rub the blood off his brother's arms and face, he gazed at the girl silently.

She noticed him, and for a moment, confusion spread into her expression, but then her gaze shot to the two huddled over something on the floor. Then, the confusion deepened in Kagome's eyes as they made a cursory sweep over the group, and found no half-demon.

And then she spotted his feet.

Blue eyes widening, Kagome glided quickly over to the humans. "What happened to you?" She swept past Sesshoumaru without any questions, or even a second glance.

Sango and Miroku both unexpectedly shot up and spun around, surprise and guilt in their expressions

"I didn't hear you coming, Kagome-sama." Miroku managed a slight bow and an awkward smile, his violet eyes trained on the miko's face. "Nor did I feel your aura."

The woman next to him attempted to smile as well but failing horribly. "We've gotten into a little fight, as you can see." She spread out her arms, revealing the dried blood covering her form-fitting clothes.

The girl frowned. "A fight?"

Nodding, the monk gestured a hand to Sesshoumaru, obviously trying to keep the spirit from finding the hanyou. "This is Inuyasha's brother, the Sesshoumaru." He stopped, before hurriedly adding, "-sama."

Kagome's eyes slid to her right and took in the demon lord. He looked so much like his brother, but Sesshoumaru was more delicate-looking, his cheekbones higher, his eyes more narrowed. An air of proper self-confidence and dignity surrounded him, further separating from Inuyasha.

The girl turned and bowed respectively.

He nodded at her.

She returned her attention to the others, head cocked to the side curiously, her forehead creased. Ocean-blue eyes shone with worry as she asked quite bluntly, "Why are you hiding Inuyasha from me?" Her eyes widened slightly as she suddenly noticed something. "And why is his aura so faint?"

The humans blinked, guilty looks flashing over their faces before sorrow overtook them. Sango bit her lip and turned away, unable to stare her friend in the eyes.

Sighing heavily, Miroku took a small step forward. "Please, Kagome-sama. We were trying to think of some way to tell you, but…" Violet eyes looked to his lover, and found tears trickling slowing down her cheeks. "…but perhaps it is best if you saw for yourself."

The monk turned around and gently eased Sango from in front of the hanyou's body.

When Kagome first laid eyes on the hanyou, she thought he was sleeping. His eyes were closed, lips slightly parted as if drawing breath.

But then she noticed the obscene amount of blood covering him.

And her heart grew cold.

His blood.

Inuyasha's.

Completely disregarding the fact that there were some blatant changes in his appearance, Kagome could only focus on the fact that he wasn't moving.

"Oh gods." Shaking her head frantically, the girl flung herself to his side, her hands moving to hover inches away from his chest. "No." Her wide, azure eyes began to fill with tears, and darted over his body, looking desperately from something- some sign that Inuyasha was still alive.

"Naraku came after we left…" The monk closed his eyes. "And the new moon is when Inuyasha…"

"Turns human." Kagome whispered, almost to herself as she reached out for his wounds. "Gods…"

The others stayed silent, knowing the miko would need the quiet.

Kagome's eyes closed painfully, tears rolling down her smooth cheeks and flowing off her face to fall through Inuyasha's body and the ground below. "It can't be." She began to sob. "Not after what I told him…" She leaned back, her face contorted in pain as she tilted it down. "Not after what I said…" her voice was barely above a whisper. Her shoulders began to shake.

Sango shivered from a cold that could not be cured by physical heat. Moving away from her boyfriend, she took unsteady steps to the distraught spirit. The woman was unable to place a hand on her shoulder, so she settled for speaking in a calm voice that bellied the storm within.

"Kagome-chan…" The spirit didn't move, her form still shaking uncontrollably. "Don't…" She paused, searching for words. "It- it's going to be okay…" However, she knew her words were empty.

The miko shook her head, and spoke in a voice that was punctuated by sadness. "No it's not." Her head shook again. "No it's not…"

The exterminator closed her eyes, looking for any words that she could say.

She came up with none.

Nothing would be able to quell the grief in Kagome's heart until she herself allowed it. After all, all Sango had to do was to imagine Miroku dead, and the thought alone was too much to bear. She couldn't even begin to imagine how her friend was feeling.

The woman sighed and stepped back into the embrace of her lover.

"You tried." His voice whispered into her ear. "We can't help her. Not now."

She nodded.

All the while, Sesshoumaru had watched with a blank face. His eyes were cold and emotionless, though he did not feel entirely that way. The strange feeling in his chest had grown, and he didn't like it one bit. Emotions were supposed to be foreign to him, and yet here was this feeling of… sorrow he had for his brother.

The demon frowned and turned away from the sight of the crying girl.

The palm of his hand itched to hold Tenseiga; to wield it. He had never intentionally used the fang of healing before, finding its properties useless, but now it seemed as though its time had come. Sesshoumaru thought back to when he had first acquired the katana from his father, and remembered the resent he had held. However, he begrudgingly carried it with him as a reminder of the strength and power of his ancestors.

Did he want to heal his brother?

Surprisingly enough, the answer came easily and quickly: Yes.

Despite himself, the demon lord did indeed, want to restore life to Inuyasha. In the many years that had flown by, he had grown considerably. The hanyou had developed his maturity and had dropped most of his childish antics, if their last meeting was anything to go by. His insecurity had lessened, as he'd grown more self-assured and more confident.

And, in any case, Inuyasha had accepted him as brother.

But why? How? Why had the half-demon changed in such a way?

Golden eyes strayed to the girl who still kneeled over the half-demon's body, and an unexpected answer presented itself.

'Her? The woman?'

It went almost against everything that Sesshoumaru spoke for, but somehow, this girl had obviously made a difference in Inuyasha's life. True, she possessed no true body. But once before, he'd been told that that didn't matter.

Of course, the demon had brushed it away.

But now, the truth of the fact was, quite literally, before his eyes.

Although Sesshoumaru did want to heal his brother, the question was, would he be able to?

He'd never doubted himself before, but the dog-demon had never actually used the Tenseiga for healing purposes. The few times he'd actually drawn the fang were to scare his retainer Jaken, to death.

The dog-demon had been told how the katana worked to bring back the dead- it allowed its wielder to see the pall bearer-imps that came to escort the deceased one's soul to the other world. Then, he could eliminate those demons by cutting through them cleanly. Thus, the escorts would be destroyed, and the soul would not be taken away.

It was all sounded good in theory.

But the problem was actually performing the act.

Well, it looked now was the time to find out.

Sesshoumaru shook himself from his thoughts and refocused his eyes to the outside world.

The ghost-girl was still floating over his brother's body in a kneeling position. Her head remained bowed, her hands were still clenched. She had stopped crying.

Golden eyes flashed and flickered over to the monk as he slowly moved to her. He kneeled beside her, and the girl's head tilted slightly as he began to speak.

"Kagome-sama, maybe…" He paused. "I don't want to sound rude, or anything, but since you're… technically… well… not alive," Miroku chose his words carefully, "then can't you… find him? Talk to him?"

Kagome's head rose slightly as if considering the idea. But then it drooped again. "They'll have gotten him already."

He frowned. "Who?"

"The Wardens." She sighed. Her voice was soft, dead. "Those who guide souls without a body to the other world. Once they take hold of a soul, they do not release it. They're probably preparing him for judgement right now."

Both fell silent.

But then, soft footfalls from behind caused Miroku to turn his head around. The man's eyes widened as he noticed Sesshoumaru approaching with his right hand at his hip, grasping Tenseiga's hilt.

"Move."

Too surprised to object, he moved aside obligingly, allowing Sesshoumaru to get closer to the half-demon. He stopped walking when directly behind the girl

"Move aside." His voice was unusually soft and lacking in edge.

"Walk around me." Kagome responded defiantly. "I'm not moving."

For a moment, the dog-demon paused, his eyes becoming hard and narrow. But then, to the surprise of both humans who were watching, he turned to his right and walked around the spirit.

Sesshoumaru stopped at Inuyasha's head and in one smooth motion, he drew the Tenseiga.

Kagome's head spun around in astonishment as she felt the pure power that emanated from the blade. Her senses began to prickle, and somehow, she knew that if were Sesshoumaru were so inclined, he could cut through her soul right then and there.

For although Tenseiga was a sword of healing in the physical world, it was also a blade of destruction in the land beyond death.

The dog-demon paused, the tip of the blade hovering inches away from the hanyou's neck. It seemed to glow with an unearthly light, and throbbed with energy. His eyes narrowed, flicking over Inuyasha's body for any sign of movement; any hint of the Wardens. Then, suddenly, his hand twitched, but something made him hold back from swinging the katana.

The others watched anxiously, and a new hope grew in Kagome's heart. The seconds trickled away, but still, Sesshoumaru did not react. Then, suddenly, the demon's face twitched and a frown grew over his eyes. His arm dropped to his side, and the glow of Tenseiga was suddenly extinguished.

They didn't dare breathe, not knowing why Sesshoumaru hadn't done anything. His form was ridged, and surprisingly enough, his hand shook with some emotion, be it anger or other.

"I cannot heal him."

The words were like a blow, as Kagome flinched and turned away, her hope abruptly shattered.

Sango and Miroku stared uncomprehendingly.

"What?" The monk shook his head. "Why?"

The lord stepped back, his hand still gripping Tenseiga forcefully. "I cannot heal him as he is now."

This only served to confuse the others even more, as they tried to make sense of his words. "What do you mean, 'as he is now'? Does… does that mean you can still heal him?" At Sango's words, Kagome's head rose slightly, but she didn't speak. Her long, dark bangs hid her eyes.

"Tenseiga heals by destroying the Wardens." Sesshoumaru paused for a second.

"And?"

Golden eyes flashed. "And I saw them."

Miroku frowned, not seeing what the problem was. "So why didn't you kill them?"

The dog-demon didn't answer for a while, choosing to study his brother's body instead. "They seem to be having trouble locating Inuyasha's soul."

The human blinked, still not quite understanding. "They can't find his soul? Then why not just kill them so he can come back? How is that a bad thing?"

"It will do nothing." Sesshoumaru turned slightly, his eyes sweeping over the confused man. "His soul has gone to a place that is not accessible by the living, or those who have entered the land beyond death." He spoke almost as if he were being told what to say by another person. "It is… a neutral land of sorts, where he cannot be claimed by either world; where he is safe until he makes his decision." The demon paused, drawing in a breath. "However, by doing this, he has limited Tenseiga's properties. I can only restore him to life when he concedes to the Wardens."

"He has to succumb to death before he can live again." Miroku gave out a dry laugh. "How ironic."

"And," Sesshoumaru glanced around at the humans. "Inuyasha has to want to live. I cannot heal him if he is unwilling."

Sango sighed. "So many rules." She shook her head. "This is way too complicated. But there is a chance that Inuyasha can be saved, right?" A slight smile grew on her lips. "Isn't that good news, Kagome-chan?" She turned to the spirit.

The miko seemed to have become frozen, lines on her forehead. Azure eyes were narrowed in deep thought, and suddenly, Kagome's form began to shake.

"Kagome-chan?" The exterminator's tone was worried as she got up and moved towards the other. "What's wr—"

"I know where he is." When she looked up, Kagome's eyes were unusually bright. "He's- The idiot!" She shook her head, almost not believing what she had realised. "But why…?"

The other three stared curiously at the woman. "What do you mean?" Miroku began slowly. "Do you… know where this place is?"

The miko shook her head absently, her thoughts still swirling. "Yes… I've been there…" Her voice was breathy, "before I came… back…" Her eyes narrowed a little. "But why he'd chose to do that… I don't…" She glanced up again and tried to explain some of the thoughts. Her tone became stronger."Very few people choose that path. Most just… move on."

A glint of realisation sparked in Miroku's mind as he caught on to what Kagome was thinking. "You mean… Inuyasha's like… you?"

She didn't respond, her mind seemingly elsewhere.

Abruptly, Kagome stood upright, an expression of determination on her face. "I'm going back." She glanced at her friends. "I'll be back soon." And with nothing more than that, the girl vanished purely into thin air.

Miroku and Sango gaped at where she had last been, while Sesshoumaru seemed merely to be only mildly surprised and curious.

He stared at the area for a while before turning around and moving below the eaves of a tall tree, slowly setting himself down onto the ground. The demon glanced up, watching as the stars twinkled brightly above him. For a moment, he was distracted by the intensity of them, never having had the opportunity to watch them since he had been young. The city's lights and pollution shielded too much of the sky from view.

It began to lightly drizzle.

The humans seemed to suddenly notice Sesshoumaru's departure. They watched him for a moment, and then turned simultaneously towards each other.

"Where is she?" Sango demanded of her boyfriend. "Where did she go?"

Miroku paused, collecting his thoughts. "I think, perhaps, she went to where Inuyasha is."

The woman frowned. "That doesn't help."

"Well…" He sighed and sat down on the damp grass. "Most of the time, when a person dies, their soul moves onto the afterlife, where they are judged." He leaned tipped his head back, a slight smile tipping his lips as the cool water fell onto his face.

Sango dropped down beside him. "Judged?"

"If they have led truly evil lives, then the soul is sent to the hells for punishment. If not, then there are two roads they will travel." The monk thought for a moment. "If they have led pure lives, and have fulfilled the terms, they are allowed into Nirvana. But, if they have not, then they are sent back to the physical world in the form of a new life with no memory of any past lives."

"Reincarnation."

The smile grew. "Exactly."

"But what does this have to do with Inuyasha… and where he is?"

"I'm getting to that."

"…Then get to it already."

Miroku glanced over, violet eyes peaceful and calming. "Get to what?"

"Miroku…" She smacked him lightly. "How can you be like this when somebody's died?"

He shrugged. "There's nothing we can do now, except to wait."

She sighed. "Just start explaining."

"Sometimes, very rarely, a person chooses not to move on. They do not allow themselves to be captured by the Wardens, and go to the neutral land- just as Sesshoumaru mentioned. Then, after some time, they may choose to come back to the physical world to roam as a spirit… a 'ghost', I guess."

Sango drew in a soft breath. "Like Kagome-chan?"

"Yeah. However, there is a price for the extra time." Miroku sighed. "The soul is sent back to the area where their body died, but they don't know where the body itself is. They can sense it, and they have to find it in order to be taken by the Wardens. Until then, their doomed to wander."

"But…" her expression saddened slightly. "Why would a person want to wander?" She looked over to the man.

His expression became slightly vacant. "I guess sometimes, it's unresolved issues… and sometimes, it's a because of a strong surge of emotion when the person died… like Kagome-sama."

The woman nodded absently. "What about Inuyasha, though? What would make him want to stay?" She played with the grass. "What do you think happened?"

Miroku frowned a little before the corner of his mouth tipped upwards. "What do you think?"

"I'm not a mind reader." She rolled her eyes. "Humour me."

"What has affected Inuyasha's life these past… weeks? Can't you guess anything?"

She smiled slightly. "I have my own thoughts. I want to know yours."

He laughed, the earlier gloom dissipating. "And…" He leaned over and threw his arms over her. "And what if my thoughts are the same as yours?"

The smile widened into a grin. "Would you be thinking about Kagome-chan?"

"Mm." He nuzzled her neck.

"Then you'd be right." She sighed. "Imagine how hard that relationship must be…" She suddenly felt guilty at how she was taking things so lightly at the moment. Her smile faded.

Noticing her reserve, Miroku backed off and exhaled deeply. "Yeah, but it wasn't exactly easy for us either." He pulled her close to him. "And we worked out."

"You're right, I guess." A soft smile lifted the corners of her mouth. "We'll just have to see what happens."

"Indeed." The man grinned and stood up, a hand slipping into a pant pocket.

She pouted slightly. "Where are you going?"

He flashed some pieces of white paper in the air. "I'm going to put up the ofuda spells. We wouldn't want Naraku dropping in on us now, would we?"

Sango sighed and mumbled. "And we were having a moment…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing." She turned her back to him. "Go and play with your spells."

Miroku hesistated, torn. On the one hand, if he didn't leave and put up the spells, and Naraku came back, the small group would most likely be at a disadvantage.

But on the other hand, if he did leave, then Sango was likely to ignore, and or, hurt him.

It was either everybody or himself.

The monk sighed.

He really didn't have a choice, now did he?


Review Responses:

-- tsuki
Re: Sesshomaru's boa is not a boa; it is his tail. He has to wear it; it is connected

Yes, well, I've used it as both, and both times, I've been corrected. -.-;; In this story, it's going to be a boa, but in other stories, it'll probably be a tail. Personally, I'd like it better if it were a tail (kawaii!), and in any case, his father has one that splits into two (confusing?). For now, I think I'll refer to it as 'the Fluffy'. ;)

-- sapphire pink
Re: --Wow this is so sad
If Inuyasha dies, I will refuse u Pocky XD
No please let sesshy heal him with Tenseiga
please?
And I bet Sesshy cares about Inu
Wat else is the foreign feeling--

Re: --Wow this is so sadIf Inuyasha dies, I will refuse u Pocky XDNo please let sesshy heal him with Tenseigaplease?And I bet Sesshy cares about InuWat else is the foreign feeling--

No! Refuse me pocky? ::puppy eyes:: Oooh… but Sesshoumaru can't heal him… yet. Does he care for Inuyasha? Probably. J

-- Elfin Kagome
Re: --Watch out, those "flame-resistant" things have a habit of backfiring. Well, I'm very happy you updated! Hmm...is this going to be one of those "die for 5 minutes then come back to life situations"? Or maybe Tenseiga? Or maybe you're leaving him dead...Oh well, guess I'll find out when you next update! Sayonara!--

Well, thankfully, I didn't have to use it. You guys are awesome. 'Die for 5 minutes then come back to life'? Well… I'd estimate that Inuyasha's been dead for a lot longer than 5 minutes, no? And Tenseiga can't work at the moment. Shall I leave him dead? Well, that depends on what Kagome says to Inuyasha… Can't you just sense the impending fluff?

-- Kamako
Re: --...I am afraid I am going to have to yell at you now.
...No! How mean! You killed Inuyasha!
starts crying
wa!
stops suddenly
Hey...is Sesshoumaru gonna bring Inuyasha back to life with Tenseiga?--

Re: --...I am afraid I am going to have to yell at you now....No! How mean! You killed Inuyasha!starts cryingwa!stops suddenlyHey...is Sesshoumaru gonna bring Inuyasha back to life with Tenseiga?--

Yell at me? Because I killed Inuyasha? Aww… but you know I'm going to have a happy ending, right? Right? Or… can I make it bittersweet? … I shall decide later.

-- ILOVEINUS589
Re: --AH! I have two things in mind...but I won't say because I don't want you changing it around now that I said it...I LOVE THIS STORY! so much detail...but will Kagome and Inuyasha ever be together?--

Will they ever be together? Perhaps. You know how stubborn they both are. Conflicting personalities, no? But hey, miracles can happen… ;)

-- Lluvia the Immortal Wolfgirl
Re: --(steals flame resistant jacket) Muhahahaha!
(goes off to kill and torture Naraku)
Hey! is Kagome gonna be able to save Inuyasha, cause she's a priestess, or using the Shikon jewel?--

No! My protection! Come back! Will Kagome save Inuyasha? In some way, probably. Or will she let him stay that way so they can be together and have a family of little ghost kids. … Oooh… Too weird for words.

-- Mizu no Mitsukai
Re: --Hello! I'm quite new here, and I'd just read your story (and I really like it!). I'm just a guest in this web page, but I intend on making my own first fanfic and...well...on with what I wanted to say, I have a question, have you considered to revive Kagome with the Tenseiga? I mean Sessho only needs her body (better say its remains) to do that. What am I saying! You are the author and you probably have already think of that. well, it's kinda late so I will be waiting for your update. Ja ne!-- I'm glad you like it, and good luck on your writing prospects! To revive Kagome with Tenseiga? That could work, but I'm sure I'm going to find some way to botch that up. …whoops. Shouldn't have said that. J I'll see you next time, ne?

--

Many Thanks to:

NordicaVB

SilverStarWing- (Shh! ;))

InusAkane

ever free

Izayoi

snappy8000

humble-bumble

AnimeAngelz

Mini Nicka

Lily Thorn

DragonLover7

Kagome1015

cool-chick-rae

M.M -(surprisingly enough, you're the first person to mention the jewel… XD)

animemistress419

kitty

KaNaGi

kirara goddess

Ryuu no Taiyo -(but if you kill me, I can't very well update, now can I? ;))

Mystic-Soul

Do a DAMN GOOGLE SEARCH –(love your name. May I ask why you chose it? ;))

ineXpressible

Midnight echo


--Thanks for the reviews; I love you guys. ;) And even when I killed off Inuyasha! My readers are so understanding!

Well, you still don't know Inuyasha's fate yet. Am I evil or what? But, to ward off flames that may come, I shall tell you this: There will most likely be fluff in the next chapter! And, I'm predicting at least 4, maybe 6 or 7 more chapters left before the story ends. I never imagined it'd be this long.

The chapter was a little slow…

Okay, I've kept you for long enough…

Till next time…

Ja!—