Disclaimers Notice: The only thing I own is the way in which I chose to use the characters and setting (oh, and a few of my own creations…)

Authors Beginning Note: SO sorry for the lateness of this chapter. I've been finding it hard to even fit living in with everything I have to do! Gah!In my self defense, I have never gone as long w/o updating, so you see, I'm not all bad.

Shout it outs!

Yami Chikara: Wow, thats wonderful to hear. Thanx!

Inuyashas hun: nope, but they do know. Sorry if I confused you abotu Kikyo's soul thing. Yah, the idea only struck me when I was thinking-wait, they're going into the mountains, where it will be cold, how are they all going to survive?- and I know a thing or two about Taxadermy so I figured Kohaku would too since his village was so resorceful.

inuyashafanficfan: yes, there will be action but weather it be Kikyo and Kagome, is yet to be determined. I've had so many peopel ask for soem, if I don't in this story I might just make a one-shot of it.

Valeese: Yes, thts Inuyasha, but can you blame him? Its him vs her family. And Kouga has always been forward. He's interesting and easy to write about. Well, most of the time. And yes, Keio's ides is very dangerous, as you will find out. But possibly effective.

feyfaery: I'm glad you like dmy anology. It just seemed to fit, so i said -why not?-if the crown fts, wear it.

MoonKitii: Its a good thing you love logn story b/c even I wonder when I'm going to end it. It's really hard, b/c I have like 5 other stroies moving into one. Gah! So that makes it very unpredictable

AngelnoDarkness: Glad you like it so!

Maroon Goddess: Yes, may theycome outat least mostly whole!

Tanwen-Whitefire: Candy adn chocolate have nothin to do with easter, it was the industries that came up with the fraudulant idea of it. Mass on friday...very busy. I don't like it, but I do love to praise God. Sorry your Easter was a bit of a snooze. Mine went well, but I didn't go to church (sigh) I was out of town anyhoo..-Gertty's death was necessary to help Shurraun to grow up a little and realize a few things abotu pride.

Rayame325: Miroku has been aorund the block a few times (and I'm not talking about w/ the ladies), so I figured he's the perfect figure to go to for deep advice like that.

RiverTam: Yah, i didn't exactly have the luxury of spell checking last time. Srry. I did do better this time!

Chapter 64

Attack

Shurran wandered among the ranks of the injured with barely any bandages to speak of. One on her left leg and another wrapped around her forehead. She wandered around, but not lost and without cause.

Gertty's body had been lost amongst all of the fighting. No body had gone unturned from Shurran, but even she had to accept defeat. All that remained of the poor girl was her doll, and possibly something a little more.

"Kouga." She said stately. Upon hearing her tone Kouga looked stonily at her.

"What do you want?" Shurran looked ready to kick him but instead, did the one thing that she despised the most.

She knelt down in a servant's position with her head leaning into the mud.

"I wish to stay and fight with you and the others." Her knuckles were white from being clenched.

"Get up." Shurran did so quickly. In an irritating way, she had become more docile and obedient than a child. Kouga slapped her and she touched her cheek in surprise.

"I ain't your master so don't treat me like it. It's an insult to think that I would keep any one as a slave. As for stayin, well…I think you proved yourself able enough to fight." Kouga walked off, and Shurran couldn't help but curse in her mind as she stared in the sky.

"You know sis, you look different." She opened her eyes and grinned sadly at Shunran.

The sound of fighting was now just a mear hum to the Youkai and Hanyou. An annoyance, that if you let your guard down, would bring nightmares of the actual happenings of war.

Inuyasha growled in frustration in a tree branch. Kagome let out a worried sigh but shook her head. Sango would jump; ready to fight any possible attackers; at random noises. Miroku looked the face of perfect serenity but the flicker in his eyes told of his nervous tension. Kirara growled and kicked in her sleep, and Shippo was especially clingy.

Needless to say, that all of them were jumpy and on the edge.

A stick crackled in the dim fire. Sango stood up with Hiraikotsu in hand.

"Its just the fire Sango." Kagome said stirring a soup made of odd assortments of foods. How it would taste, would be something to discover. Probably gag worthy, but at least it would be filling and nourishing.

Miroku clasped Sango's hand in his and she gratefully squeezed it.

"I don't know how much more of this we can take. Two days being alone out here."

"But we've covered good ground. It shouldn't be any more than three days if that to reach Naraku's castle." Kagome optomistically chirped.

"Battles have been lost and won in less time than that." Inuyasha grumbled. He split a stick, causing Sango to jump and Miroku to hold her hand tightly to calm her, and he threw the two pieces in the fire.

"Oh shut your mouth Inuyasha. Quite being such a pesamisisist." He tumbled his last word in his tiny mouth as he crossed his arms and stared moodily in the fire. Inuyasha looked ready to jump at any moment, just to snatch that puffy red ball of fuzz and use it as a claw sharpener.

The night wore on in much the same manner. After they had laid down to sleep, occasionally one of them would drift, only to snap to attention at phantom noises. Finally, late in the morning the only two to be awake were Kagome and Inuyasha. Kagome gave up on rest and sat up.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to start the fire back up." She prodded the hot coals. Coaxing the little life to steadily rise out to the kindling she offered. It took and she got a cozy blaze set.

"You should go to sleep." She shook her head, her messy hair bobbing with the motion.

"I get really bad nightmares every time I try to sleep."

"You have to sleep eventually. You'll exhaust yourself." Inuyasha jumped from his perch and sat right next to her. Kagome looked up through the thick wooden canopy and at the gray nothing that was the sky.

"Its so dark. I wonder if we'll even be able to see the sun in the morning."

"Weather we see it or not doesn't mean it ain't morning." Kagome let out a long depressed sigh and leaned up against Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha blushed a deep crimson, Kagome however was already adrift in slumber.

The fire began to diminish once again A small whimper escaped her lips and he in his worry did the only thing possible. He wrapped his arm around her and held her close. Inuyasha found staying awake a hard task and so was lulled to dreaming by the soft sound of Kagome's heart beating.

Keio screamed as another image flickered in his mind. The same one, the one that had been repeating itself over and over again.

I have to…control them…or else I'll go insane…

He swung his arm and killed a giant demon creature that looked like no other, but just as ugly.

A sickle blade of poison…swinging…always swinging…swinging down…swinging through…swinging proud…swinging true…

A sorcerer…of dark powers…a challenger to the one who was thought driven away…a deadly foe…to one who is going to pay…

Always. Always a rhyme. A small voice in his head. When the vision was surpressed, the voice would shout. When the shouting was no more than a mear muffled whisper, than the plague of death rained through his eyes.

He swung a sword down and killed a man.

A lazy mist shrouded the southern area.

"I don't like this." Sango said. It was too quiet. almost enough to make one insane with frayed nerves. Especially with this heavy mist cloaking most things in its misty dew. Every once in a while they would loose sight of Inuyasha and Kagome from below. This would set Shippo at unease.

"Perhaps it would be wise to land for a little while."

"But, we have to hurry…"

"If we loose each other, our chances of defeating Naraku are that much weaker." Sango reluctantly nodded and gently prodded Kirara with her knees. The fire cat gracefully landed in the forest below.

"Where's Kagome and Inuyasha?" Shippo clung to Sango's arm. Miroku slid off from Kirara's back.

"Miroku? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see if I can spot any foot prints Inuyasha may have left. Than we can follow his prints and catch up in no time," was his chipper reply. Miroku took small brooding steps until his form had completely disappeared into the mist.

"Miroku! I don't think it's such a good idea to wander around on your own." However, Miroku was too far gone to hear her voice.

Her image was blurred in the fast beating rain. She looked back.

"I'm running away. Just like a coward." The bitter words rolled like acid through her mouth. It made her sick and ashamed. She slipped in the mud and didn't bother getting back up.

"I don't see why it should bother me now. When I think about it, I've always been running away from something. When I was afraid I went and hid behind Keio. Like a silly little girl. I was so stupid! Great priestess, ha! I don't deserve to live."

"Are you saying than that you wish to die?" A calm voice of frigid water droplets drippimg down the nape of the neck snapped her out of her pity-party and she looked up. There stood a tall aristocratic figure that bore great similarities to the one with great and robust pride.

"Inuyasha?" She whispered confused. His eyes, if possible, flickered a deeper loathing than what was in them already.

"What do you know of him?" Miyako bit her lip must uncharacteristically of her and shook her head, than laughed a bitter laugh.

"That he's a half-demon that travels with possibly the strongest Miko of all time. Maybe even stronger than Midoriko herself."

"Do you wish to die?" He repeated again.

"I have no purpose in living."

"That does not answer my question, do you wish to die? Tell me, so I can either kill you and be on my way or leave you alive to rot." Touran walked up to the woman in hasty anger.

"Get up." Touran pulled the woman roughly to her feet and slapped her cheek hard enough to leave it a blistering red.

A small flicker of an old proud flame shot up and she slapped the blue haired woman back. Touran didn't even flinch. Instead, a small smiled graced the edges of her lips.

"Better? Now, what's your name?" Miyako didn't say a word.

"It's quite rude to not answer someone when they're talking to you." Kauran glared at the woman.

"My name's Miyako."

"What, no title? A proud thing like yourself?" Touran taunted.

"We waste our time here." Sesshoumaru walked forth in the direction Miyako had been coming from.

"Who said I had to be great to be proud?"

"What have you tot be proud of? After all, just a moment ago you were sniveling in the mud. If you ask me you're just stuck up." Kauran accused.

"And you are rude." Kauran took a bow.

"I do what I can." She snickered.

"Kauran! That will be enough."

"But…"

"But nothing. Now, you will come with me." Miyako stood indignantly.

"I will go no where with you. Especially not there."

"Than you are a coward." Miyako looked her in the eyes but didn't look away, nor did she deny it.

"You have no choice. If it weren't for me, you would have died. You owe me your life."

"I owe you nothing. I did not ask for you to help me."

"Well than, I'm sure Lord Sesshoumaru will willingly kill you if asked of it. It's up to you." Miyako glared.

"Very well." She said quietly but no less humbly.

"Good to see you at least have some common sense. Well than, off we go." Miyako walked with the grace and dignity of one of high station. She looked off into the corner of the eye at the pointy eared, long haired demon panther. She glowed with an inner strength of her own light. A small feeling of respect towards her began to grow deep inside.

Maybe…maybe I will die in this war as Keio said…but at least…at least I won't be alive and living like a coward…this woman…she is different…I have learned much…and met many in my travels from home…I think…if I died…it will not be completely unsatisfactory…

She was filled with a subtle calm but her heart still ached.

I wish though…that I could see him…if only a glimpse before I died…

Snow whipped their faces. It was getting harder and harder to see. All of them struggling to move through the thick blizzard. Occasionally Jakan would melt away a few hail pieces with his staff, but that took energy, much of which he was running out of. None of them dared to stop, for if they did, cold would seep into them and they would slumber into an eternally frozen sleep.

"Look out!" Jakan shoved his Nintoujou into the blazing snow and a fountain of boiling fire spat forthright, blocking a deadly ice spear that would have pierced through Kohaku. He nodded his thanks and with drew his Kusarikama from around his belt at his waist that he'd made over his coat. A whistling noise caused Kohaku to toss his weapon into the snow. Ice shattered and they had to cover their faces to keep it from piercing through uncovered skin.

Instinctavely, they gathered into a huddled group with their backs all to each other. They waited. Hearts pounding, and minds going wild.

What happened next was nothing short of pandemonium. Kohaku was on his back, winded. Three glistening spear at his throat. Jakan was weaponless and standing still, tied in a hodgepodge of knots. Rin was held at the throat, unable to fight back. Neelah was on her stomach, both arms forced awkwardly behind her back.

Rin did the only natural thing to her.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!"