I'm really sorry but in the last chapter I forgot two really important scenes. So I'm posting them for the next chapter so you don't have to reread a whole bunch of crap… I'm reallyreallyreallyreally-a-million-more-times-really-sorry about this, okay? The first is the Sesshomaru scene with more to it, and the next is the ending of the chapter… And the next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it done, okay? I'm REALLY sorry, okay? Ravyn wasn't writing anything and I thought what we had was all for the chapter… And I didn't edit this so there will be a few grammar/spelling things, but I'm sorry about that too! I just want to fix my stupid mistake and get it over with, okay?

DISCLAIMER: We don't own InuYasha…

Sesshomaru scene:

Sesshomaru found it a little too familiar as he walked through the trees he had found himself in. Except last time he had been here he recalled InuYasha following him. If he stopped he heard nothing but the wind. He was definitely alone… But then why did he feel like he was being watched? As far as he could tell there was no other living being around. Yet twice now he had thought he'd saw something out of the corner of his eye. But when he turned to catch it in his full view it had disappeared. Finally he reached his destination. At least, he thought it was his destination. It appeared to be the exact location where Yoshiko had died. This time, however, he didn't see anybody when he stepped out into the clearing. He actually sighed in relief.

'This is stupid,' thought Sesshomaru. 'It can't be real so why am I acting like it is?'

For the fifth time he asked himself this and for the fifth time nobody answered. But suddenly he realized how very alone he was. There was no Rin, no Jaken… and definitely no Yoshiko. It really shouldn't have bothered him. Yet it was. Many times he had just wanted to leave them all somewhere and get away. Then without them he thought he actually… missed them. Strange, yet true. Then again so what if a simple imp, a mortal and a half-demon were gone. Why should he care?

"Looking for your friends," said a familiar voice. Sighing, Sesshomaru turned toward the source and put his hand on his sword's hilt. It was then that he noticed something else was missing as well: the Tokijin. "Because you really won't find them around here."

"Then maybe you won't mind telling me where they are," said Sesshomaru, surprised that he was going along with Hotaka's plan.

"I expected you to be the hardest to deal with," said the young boy, sitting in a tree. "Yet you haven't given me much trouble at all. Are you sick?"

"A demon can't get sick," growled Sesshomaru, trying to show he wasn't as weak as this kid was trying to make him out as.

"Oh, yes, I forgot," laughed Hotaka, jumping out of the tree. "But you see, spending forever in hell makes you forget a lot of things."

"If you have nothing better to say I'm leaving," said Sesshomaru, starting to turn away.

"Oh, but I do have something better to say," said Hotaka, coming closer to Sesshomaru. He didn't exactly like this kid closing the distance away so he turned to glare at Hotaka. He stopped. "You see, your little half-tiger friend is a big problem to me. She knows too much, you see, and Kamatari couldn't seem to kill her properly."

Sesshomaru's hand clenched on the hilt of the Tensaiga. The blade may not be able to cut but he could put on a show and make Hotaka think it was an actual sword. Then again, this boy seemed to know an awful lot about him as well. How did he know that Kamatari had killed Yoshiko? More importantly, why did it matter?

'Damn it, I don't like it,' thought Sesshomaru, glaring down at Hotaka. 'What is it that Yoshiko seems to know a whole lot about?'

"Now, I don't exactly blame Kamatari," Hotaka continued, a smirk starting to cross his face. "He just was a fool… a fool who miscalculated. One, he didn't really think a wench that looked like Yoshiko was going to stop you, did he?"

He paused as if he expected Sesshomaru to answer. But Sesshomaru didn't trust himself to answer so he didn't speak. Hotaka's smile widened and he went on.

"Two, who knew you would go to your little brother for advice," sighed Hotaka. "And to think he actually had good advice for you. A half-demon!"

Yet again he stopped, putting his hands on his hips and turning away from Sesshomaru slightly. Hotaka smiled and glanced at Sesshomaru out of the corner of his eye.

"But more importantly, that sword of yours… Well, I don't think I can allow you to keep it," stated Hotaka. "Can't have you bringing more people back from the dead. It just won't work."

At this Sesshomaru decided he had enough of this kid's crap. He reached out to grab the boy's neck but just when he came within a hair's distance Hotaka seemed to fade away and then reappear a foot away. The boy grinned and cocked his head to side as if expecting Sesshomaru to praise him. This only caused to annoy Sesshomaru further. Before he could try again, though, the Tensaiga flew out of it's sheath and into Hotaka's out stretched hand.

"Since you're being quite impatient I'll get things rolling," sighed Hotaka, holding the sword up in the air as if catching the light. Which was impossible seeing as it was night. Then he brought it down hard on the ground, breaking it cleanly in half, and the tip launched off. "There, now you can't bring her back again."

"What have you done to her?" growled Sesshomaru, cracking his knuckles.

"What I've been trying to do to her since I heard about her," said Hotaka, rolling his eyes. "An old man couldn't kill her and Kamatari couldn't do it right so I guess if you want to get something done right you have to do it yourself."

The old man that had controlled the blue ogre popped into Sesshomaru's head. There had been a lot of dark energy then and the focus had definitely be Yoshiko, though he had not noticed this back then. So it seemed that Hotaka had had a part in their lives long before they realized it. But no sooner had these thoughts gone through his mind, he suddenly became frightened. Lord Sesshomaru was frightened, and not for his own life. No, he was frightened that he may actually lose her, something he hadn't had to worry about because of the Tensaiga. Without it he suddenly felt naked and unprotected.

"Well I have better things to do then watch you drown in misery," said Hotaka, glancing up at the moon as if to check the time. "I'll tell her you were worried. But you realize there is more than one way to lose someone you care about."

Before Sesshomaru could say or do anything Hotaka disappeared in a flash on black flames. Lying in his place was Yoshiko, bleeding and pale.

End of Chapter:

It was like waking from a deep nightmare when she opened her eyes. She found herself floating in a vacuum with no noise to speak of. It felt like pressure was coming in every direction and yet she didn't feel crushed. But slowly the inky blackness changed to a dark purple. This soon became slightly transparent and she could make out the glass container that trapped her and beyond that, a room. But before she could try and make a move to escape, the glass started reflecting her.

Her reflection, at first, resembled her. Then, as Yoshiko watched, the women in the reflection dropped her gaze and shaded her green eyes with her orange hair. At first Yoshiko thought that was it but then she noticed the claws growing longer on the reflection's hands. Before she could think of anything else about it, the reflection looked up, its eyes shining bright red.

Yoshiko gasped and tried to look away. But she felt paralyzed. Soon a cold laugh echoed through her containment causing her blood to chill.

"Look, Yoshiko, at who you are deep inside," laughed Hotaka. "Fall inside yourself and let the demon take over."

She felt tears tickle the corners of her tears and she tried desperately to look away. As she felt herself start to fall again, a large crash brought her attention from her reflection to the room outside. She gasped again, as Sesshomaru burst through the door and looked around. Spotting her inside the purple beam, he started towards her. Hotaka laughed again.

"Careful, Sesshomaru," he said. "Death isn't the only way to lose a person."

Suddenly she had no control over her body. As Sesshomaru broke the seal keeping her in the purple light, she felt her body tense. Falling to her knees, she gripped tightly at the ground as she felt her claws grown and her fangs sharpen. Though she couldn't see herself, she knew that her eyes were red. She heard Sesshomaru call her name but it sounded like he was calling her through ten feet of pure rock. She tried desperately to talk to him, but her mouth wouldn't open. Before she knew that was happening, she was getting to her feet, drawing her sword and slashing Sesshomaru across the chest.

His armor broke and he stepped back, shocked. He tried yet again to call her name but he realized that Yoshiko could hear him. She slashed at him again, causing his chest to start bleeding. Dropping her sword in frustration, she reached out for him with her claws. He evaded her a couple of time before she scratched his chest a few times. Finally he grabbed her wrist and held her eyes level to him. Her toes were just barely scrapping the ground as she glared at him.

Yet again Yoshiko tried to speak, to tell him to move away. But it was too late. Her left hand reached out, and like a spear, struck Sesshomaru right through the chest. A slight spasm of pain crossed his face as he dropped her and she pulled out her hand. She struck out with her right again. Suddenly a flash of black hair jumped between her and Sesshomaru. She felt a fist collide with her jaw and she went flying left. As quickly as it all started, she finally felt control again. Sitting up slowly and gingerly, she looked down at her blood stained hands.

Standing up quickly, she tried her hardest not to look at them as she turned slowly to face Sesshomaru. He stood there silently, Rheda at his side, watching her… almost worriedly. When her eyes widened a slightly smile crossed his face as his eyes closed and he collapsed to the ground. Rheda reached out to grab him, then turned to Yoshiko as if to make sure she was okay. All around, Rheda looked confused. Yoshiko, at first, looked away. Then as the tears swelled in her eyes she turned around rushed forward.

"Get up!" she cried, dropped to her knees and shaking Sesshomaru gently. "Don't die… please don't die… I need you. I need you!"

She dropped her head onto his back and started sobbing harder than she could remember crying in years. She heard people calling out her name but didn't really recognize who they were or care. Finally she felt a hand grab her upper arm and shake her roughly.

"Get a hold of yourself!" snapped her aunt, her blue eyes blazing. "Crying isn't going to solve anything!"

Just then InuYasha, Sueko, Miroku and Sango all entered the room and glanced from Rheda, to Yoshiko to Sesshomaru. As if knowing exactly what happened, InuYasha took Yoshiko gently from Sesshomaru to Sueko.

"Here, go clean up," he muttered distractedly.

Sango and Sueko immediately grabbed Yoshiko's arms and took her off. As they walked out of the room, the underground seemed to melt away and they were back in the forest. They heard rushing water and took her off in that direction. Once there, Yoshiko took off her top layer of clothing and let Sango wash it while she cleaned off her hands. Slowly she lowered her hands into the water and watched as it all washed away. But… she would always remember.