A/N: Howdy! I've been working on this for a while now, and I didn't know whether to put it on the site or not. Anyhoo, read it and tell me if I should continue updating or not waste the time. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Curses . . .

Allies

Chapter One: To Brace Against the Wind

The sun rose and brightened the once-dark sky with a brilliant light. It reflected off the water and glistened through the trees, where birds twittered and awoke with the dawning of a new day. A new day promised to bring trouble.

A set of eyes watched this sunrise, and smirked to herself.

"Another day of work."

Looking below her, she searched through the trees and located exactly where she was planning to land. He had to be there. He must.


"TRY AND CATCH ME, LORD JAKEN!"

Rin ran through the bushes as a very disgruntled Jaken panted and tried to keep up.

"You wench! Where do you think you're going?!" he asked her. Right behind him loomed a shadow. He winced and looked up. "L-Lord Sesshomaru!"

The lord of the western lands looked down at his servant with his ever-calm face. "Jaken. Keep Rin occupied."

"B-But me lord-" A silent look made Jaken obey.

Sesshomaru stepped off to the side and looked up at the sky. He could feel her presence. He knew she was there.

"It's nice to see you again, Lord Sesshomaru."

His face kept that same emotionless state as Kagura the wind sorceress landed and stepped off of one of her giant feathers. "I was hoping I could find you here."

"And once again you will turn away unhappy," he replied smoothly. "I give you the same answer as I always have."

Kagura merely chuckled. "I thought so. Will you ever change your mind?"

He looked at her.

"Even if I could grant you anything you ever desired?"

No response.

"Hmph." She moved closer. "You must know my current situation. How I long for freedom. Haven't you wanted something so badly you would do almost anything for it?"

"What concern is it to you?"

Kagura smiled. "I see. It's like that, is it? Fine. I will search for you again soon. That I promise." And with that she flew away upon her feather.

At that precise moment, Rin tumbled out of the bushes, laughing. Jaken, grumbling, came stomping out right after her.

"I will never understand you!" he screeched at Rin. She only giggled and spun around in circles.

Sesshomaru looked on placidly as he turned and walked in the same direction Kagura had left. Jaken was quick to follow.

"Hurry up, you stupid girl!" he bellowed to Rin.

Dizzy, Rin laughed and staggered after Sesshomaru and a not-too-happy Jaken.


"COME BACK HERE!"

A golden streak passed Kagome's eyes as another, smaller red streak followed on hot pursuit.

"You worthless beast! I'll cut your head off!" Inuyasha yelled to a large leopard demon. There was a very small, almost not even worth being called a fragment of the Shikon no Tama, or the Jewel of Four Souls, embedded in a patch of fur in-between the leopard's eyes. It growled at Inuyasha as he advanced with Tetsusaiga.

"That shard is mine!" he shouted before bringing down the sword.

Kagome ran up to the dead body and quickly plucked the shard off of the fur of the leopard. As she examined it, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara in monster form with Shippo on her back came forward.

"It's not very big," she announced, holding it up. Inuyasha looked angry that he went through that just for a puny sliver of the jewel.

"Don't worry Inuyasha, we will find more yet. At least it's better than not finding one at all," the monk assured him before heading towards the north. "You say you can smell Naraku from this direction, yes?"

"Well yeah. I want to follow it and meet him quickly." Inuyasha brandished his claws to add to his threat. "I wanna rip out his sorry throat and-"

"Ok, we get it," Sango said in an annoyed voice. She turned to walk beside Miroku. "Let's just get on with it."

Grumbling, Inuyasha stuck his hands in his haori and walked behind the demon exterminator, followed closely by Kagome. She smiled at him.

"I thought you did a good job," she told him in a cheerful tone.

"Feh. That shrimp was easy to take down. I could have done it with my claws."

"Then why didn't you?" Shippo asked him, now perched on Kagome's shoulder, one of his normal areas to be found.

Inuyasha looked embarrassed and then angry as he tried to bonk Shippo as hard as he could on the head.


Naraku looked on at this picture from inside Kanna's mirror. He chuckled. Soon there would be no more fond memories to be shared once he carried out his final instructions. He needed to get started immediately.