Thank you Firyfeline, for being so… fab! Come on the rest of you, please give some feedback, even if you hate it!

As for the late-ish update, I'm justified this time. I went to France on Friday – we left at midnight Friday/Thursday and got back midnight Saturday/Sunday. Ne?

Disclaimer: I don't own Miroku, Sango, Shippou, Kiara, Kagome, Sesshomaru, Rin… in fact, I don't own any of the wonderful Inuyasha characters.

One for sorrow

Two for joy

Three for a girl

Our for a boy

Five for silver

Six for gold


Very well.

He opened his mouth.

"I will not go."

Sango gasped and Kohaku bowed his head. Inuyasha blinked.

"Unless…"

They lifted their heads up again.

Sesshomaru smirked.

This should be interesting.

"Unless you will do something for me."

Inuyasha felt his heart sink slowly into his stomach. He wants tetsusaiga, doesn't he. But if I loose my sealing sword, even if he does help the others, I could just as easily kill them again… unless I go away, maybe with Kikyo?

Alright. I said that I would help them, no matter what it takes.

No matter what.

>

Sango looked at the floor again. She tried hard to stop the tears that were threatening to run down her pale face. Kohaku held his sister's hand tightly, aware of the battle she was fighting.

I won't blame Inuyasha if he doesn't do what his brother asks. After all, they fight every time they see each other… it wouldn't surprise me at all if they never come to an agreement.

>

Kohaku merely looked at his sister worriedly.

This means so much to her. Come on Inuyasha, don't let us down…

"What do you want me to do?"

The reply was cold and curt, and Inuyasha held his head straight, even as Sango tried in vain to hide the gasp that escaped her.

Sesshomaru mentally smirked. This was going perfectly.

"I do not want your fang. Do not fear, little brother. I wish to kill you when you are in control of your mind, not a raging bloodlusting thing." Inuyasha chose not to respond to that one. "I have heard that there is a much better weapon. A dagger that never misses when thrown. Fetch me that and I will do as you bid."

Sango looked Inuyasha directly in the eye. We'll never make it in time! That gaze seemed to say. Inuyasha stared back and Sango understood. You can't. I can.

"Where will I find this dagger of yours, Sesshomaru?"

"You will find it north. But it is a perilous region, filled with dangers. You would risk your life to save those who are dead?"

Inuyasha had no hesitation. "Yes."

He ran off in the general direction of north before he could change his mind.

Sango sucked in her cheeks, held her breath and counted to ten, trying to control the outburst that was threatening to explode anyway. When she released her breath, she felt calmer. A little.

"Why couldn't you give clearer directions?" She asked Sesshomaru angrily. "You must know that Inuyasha can't find your dagger and get back before the full moon."

"I could not give clearer directions," Sesshomaru glared at the girl and Kohaku shuffled behind her.

>

Kikyo let out the breath that she had been unconsciously holding. If there was one think that she had learnt from Inuyasha, it was that inu youkai were notoriously unpredictable, even for those that were close to them. She had suddenly realised what the youkai lord was doing.

>

"Why won't Sesshomaru help them?" Rin asked suddenly. "Rin liked Kagome and Shippou and Miroku and Kiara."

"Shippou's alright," Sango told the girl. "He's still alive."

"I could not give clearer directions," Sesshomaru was quite annoyed.

Stupid humans, don't interrupt me!

"I could not give clearer directions because that dagger does not exist."

Three shocked faces all stared at him. One smirked from behind a tree.

Yup.

"Doesn't exist?" Kohaku forgot his fear at that point. His sister, and the hanyou who could have killed him but chose to save him, had been hoping and praying for Sesshomaru to help. And the stupid youkai had played a joke on them? Kohaku was having none of it.

"What do you mean doesn't exist? You have sent Inuyasha to seek an imaginary item!"

"My brother gives his heart to few. I wanted to see if these humans and the youkai were worth much to him."

"Why didn't you just ask him?"

"Have you not heard the phrase 'actions speak louder than words?' I would have restored them anyway, a debt is a debt, but I wanted to see just how much they meant to Inuyasha, how far he would go."

Sango found her voice. "You mean you'll do it?"

"I do not go back on my word."

"Yey!" Rin jumped up and down, and ran and hugged Kohaku. "Rin knew Sesshomaru was going to help!"

She produced a second bunch of flowers from inside her brightly coloured kimono.

"Thank you fluffy!" Sesshomaru blanched.

Where'd she get them?

"Excuse me, I need to go get my brother back." With that, he patted the girl's head (a very un-Sesshomaru-ish thing to do) took the flowers and sprung after his brother.

Sango chuckled. He really doesn't like flowers, does he!

>

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru appeared back at the small camp the humans had made around half an hour later. Neither seemed to be speaking to each other, though the tension in the air was a lot less than it could have been.

Sango and Kohaku sat together, and Rin curled herself up near the fire. The remains of lunch were still evident in a small pile nearby. The fire was not really necessary on such a summer's day, but the flames gave reassurance to the brother and sister.

Inuyasha was fuming with his brother. They had talked, and he understood his motives, but to be betrayed by family like that…

What have I done to deserve that?

Sesshomaru, meanwhile, was pleased that his test had been passed, and was gently shaking Rin to get her to wake up.

How can she sleep at this hour?

Inuyasha came up behind Sango and Kohaku, and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. He wasn't quite expecting their response though…

"Yaaaagh!" Sango had him on the floor in one fluid motion. Inuyasha found himself looking up at the youkai exterminator with a rather large bump on his head.

"Ooops," remarked Kohaku, the cause of the bump.

"Ooops! That doesn't cover it! Get here squirt, now!" Sango jumped backwards as Kohaku ran for his life around the clearing, crashing into Sesshomaru in the process.

"Inuyasha, I wasted valuable time bringing this human back to life. Please do not kill him again."

Rin sat up, finally awakened by the noise.

"Why is Kohaku being chased by Inuyasha?" she asked, confused, as the hanyou ran after the yelling boy.

"Don't ask, Rin." Sango sighed as her little brother was caught.

"Inuyasha!" She stood up. "Let go!"

"I think we should leave," Sesshomaru hastily imposed.

These humans will ruin my reputation.

He did not mention the fact that they were also quite scary too.

>

The countryside seemed to fly by. What should have been large fields now appeared as small parts of a patchwork quilt, and the clouds seemed surprisingly close. The wind ruffled through Sango's hair and she stifled a yawn. It was so nice to have a breeze.

"Don't even think about going to sleep." Inuyasha turned his head. Sango almost jumped off his back with surprise.

How does he do that without veering off course?

This was one of the rare times that she rode Inuyasha – though one could hardly say 'rode', since he did all the work.

"This is too much fun to sleep." And she meant it. The exhilarating speed they were travelling at, beating even Sesshomaru, who was carrying Kohaku and Rin, made her feel alive and free. Her good spirits were not alone either. Inuyasha was also in a very good mood; he just hid it a lot better than Sango.

The reason? Sesshomaru was coming to Kaede's village to restore Kagome, Kiara and Miroku with the Tensaiga.

Inuyasha looked forwards again.

"Feh."

>

Sesshomaru looked over the still bodies of Kagome, Miroku and Kiara. Sango had tears streaming down her face once more. Though she knew that everything was going to be alright, she still couldn't stop them.

Kohaku stared in disbelief at the cold, lifeless shapes that had once been his sister's best friends, and the small furry lump that was Kiara.

Inuyasha did not look. He did not trust himself to speak.

"I can do this, but I have a little advice."

The three humans looked around (Rin was meeting Kaede.)

"They will remember none of this. It may be wise to leave it at that."

Shippou burst through the door. "Inuyasha! You jerk! You never told me!"

"I didn't want you to get hopeful," Inuyasha said, looking determinedly the other way. "He nearly said no as it was."

"But you got him here! Thank you Sesshomaru!" The little kitsune flung himself upon the surprised youkai.

This one seems to be related to Rin. Must be a child thing.

Sesshomaru shook the fox off his shoulder, and Sango hastily picked him up before four casualties needed to be brought back to life.

Sesshomaru raised the Tensaiga.

One, two, three.

As it was brought down in a sweeping arch, the sword left a dazzling light trail that all had to turn away from.

A gold light trail.

And outside, six magpies sung together on the God tree.

>

Meanwhile, Kikyo ran as fast as she could through the woods.

I need to get back so Inuyasha does not know I've gone!

The dead miko continued to run, stumbling as she went. She could see the gold light and the six magpies from the path.

Nearly there.

The light ceased.

>

>

To the Egyptians, gold signified immortality. It was the metal of the Gods.

>

Uh… some of that was a little OOC, I think. Mind, the situation is pretty OOC too I guess.

Please r 'n' r!

CN.

(one chapter left…)