Shel sighs. "Okay…I got Resurrection done…and I'm almost done with Ghost of You…and Challenge is still underway. So let's see…"

Lai coughs. "Only 237 chapters to go before you reach the age of 20." Shel melts to the floor.

Ghost of You

Chapter 19

The Last Shard

"I'm tired…" Shippo whined.

"What did I tell you about complaining?" InuYasha snapped at the kit. Shippo plopped down on his fury little tail. "InuYasha, we've been walking to no where for hours now…where do you plan to go, anyway?"

"Where else? I'm gonna go find Sesshomaru."

Shippo squeaked. "W-why him?-! What's he got to do with anything?"

Now, InuYasha being the 'smart' one he is…hadn't thought about this. "I…don't…know…" And hating to be wrong or have his mistakes pointed out, he clobbered Shippo over the head.

Sango looked back every now and then to make sure the houshi was back ten feet and not a centimeter closer. "Houshi-sama-a-a-a…" she warned if he got too close. Miroku ignored her for the last time and she reached for her boomerang. Step back…step back…

"If Kirara was here it would be much easier to keep you in line…" She trailed off. "And Shippo's gone too. I'm worried."

"Don't worry, Sango, I'm sure they're both with InuYasha." Miroku said happily but frowned when he saw Sango's worried face. "That's what I'm worried about!"

Shippo was in a tree, sitting on a tree branch. "Shippo…if you don't get your tail down here, I'm gonna leave you up there for the vultures!" InuYasha threatened. Shippo gave up on the whining, jumped into the nearest tree and plopped his fury little butt on a branch.

He swung his short little legs. "I told you I was tired InuYasha." Kirara mewed and started to jump but InuYasha caught her in mid-air. "Don't…even…thing about it." He hissed. Kirara growled. "See? This is what I was talking about it!"

Shippo looked down. "Eh?"

InuYasha dropped Kirara. "You would complain, then I would delay in getting those damn shards. "

Shippo jumped down one branch. "If we don't get the shards…will Kagome stay dead?"

InuYasha didn't reply. Kirara shook her head as if trying to get water off of her. Shippo sighed then jumped to the ground. "Alright, alright, I'm ready."

"Good." InuYasha turned around and continued in the direction they were going. Shippo followed close behind with Kirara brining up the rear. Then the hanyou stopped.

"InuYasha?" Shippo asked then became mad. "Are you going to lecture me about being slow then be slow yourself?-!"

InuYasha growled. "I smell Ren."

The grass was matted down as if there was a building there. Sango examined the grass more closely. "A…shrine….was here, maybe?"

Miroku flinched. "Wrong, Sango. This is where Naraku's castle was last." Sango looked up. "Houshi-sama, are you sure?"

Miroku nodded. "No doubt. It left behind an evil aura. And I still don't like it."

"Hey, Houshi-sama. If Naraku is dead…then that means that Kohaku-kun is safe again, right?" Sango looked hopeful. Miroku nodded once again. "Yes, I suppose so."

Sango smiled, a real genuine smile for the first time for…a while. Then…it disappeared. "And if InuYasha wants all the shards for Kagome's sake then—."

She didn't even want to think about it. Removing the shard from Kohaku would kill him for sure. But maybe there…had to be some way out of it. Maybe if she had survived so easily, then Kohaku could be nursed back to health after the shard was removed. She doubted it.

She doubted it more than she doubted flying pigs or some sort of bizarre creature.

And here, speak of the devil, a small boy dressed in ninja clothing came from the trees only to stop in his tracks at the site of the demon slayer and the houshi. "San—go?"

Sango stood up straight. "Kohaku-kun…" Miroku turned his head. It didn't seem that Kohaku was being controlled. Maybe…for a few precious moments he was free.

Tick tock, precious moments were up! Out of the sky, Ren appeared grabbing the boy around the neck. "Kohaku my boy…there you are." She smirked.

Sango furrowed her brow. "Hey…get your filthy demon hands off my brother."

Kohaku grabbed one of those ninja things (oh yeah, like I know what ninja weapons are called! Who do I look like…Naruto?-!) and tried to thrust it into Ren. Ren grabbed it with her hand and tossed it. Kohaku struggled. "Let me go, demon!"

Heroic music time! Something shiny flashed behind Ren and Kohaku and the familiar shape of Tetsusaiga was seen. Ren, keeping her hostage with her, disappeared then reappeared further away. "So it's true! You are alive!"

InuYasha growled. Shippo appeared behind him on top of the transformed Kirara. "Let the boy go."

Ren messed up Kohaku's hair a little. "Hmmmn…no. He's really the only reminder of Naraku that I have left." She smirked again. "Other than…you know…Kagome."

If Kirara hadn't snatched InuYasha's sleeve with her teeth, that hanyou be kickin' ass.

"Know what, InuYasha? I think I'll be nice. Kagura has all the jewel shards except one. Can you guess where it is?"

Shippo gasped. "It's in Kohaku still." Ren nodded. "Mhmm. Good job. Now, if you can find Kagura you'll have all the jewel shards right?"

No one answered. Ren grinned. "Right. Except one. In Kohaku." she titled the boys neck so that the jewel shard glow shown through the thin skin. "But I'm feeling generous…InuYasha…you want your precious miko back? Just say the word…"

She but a sharp, slender, icy blue fingernail to Kohaku's throat. (A/N: Lai: How rude…he gets like three minutes of fiction time and he's already getting ready to sign his death warrant) "And Kohaku's dead, and the shards are yours."

DONE! FINI! FINISHED! AREN'T YOU ALL SO HAPPY!

Well...my computer has a pretty virus soI can only update at school or at the library.I know, I know...stupid...Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter…which may I remind you was 3 pages long! Aren't you proud?