Kagome knelt in silence, breathing in the smell of damp earth. There were no tears for after the passed weeks there were none left to cry. Slowly, very slowly, the school girl got to her feet. Her eyes shown with a fierceness that threatened madness. Shippou, already distraught, cowered at Kagome's wrath. Sango watched with wide eyes, a thoroughly hysterical expression swathed across her face.

The school girl spun on the spot to face Kagura's wind demon. 'Let me at least know the name of the demon to die at my hands.'

'Hakudoshi,' he replied. 'Though, I will not be the one dying.'

Kagome advanced on the wisp of a youkai that stood in a barely audible human form. The glare on her face was hardly something to laugh at, yet Hakudoshi ignored this thought completely. With graceful fingers he pulled at the threads of cloud about him, winding it into small spools of darkness. With a flick of the wrist, the demon let go the gloom like a whip. The furious school girl dodged the attacks at first, then she simply ignored them, resulting in several gashes along her legs and considerably shorter hair, dishevelled and frayed.

'Eventually, this will kill you,' Hakudoshi stated, completely unconcerned with the girl's closeness. Kagome staggered. 'See, the poison-'

'I don't care,' she cut in. Kagome stooped to pick up Tetsusaiga which had fallen to the dust in the midst of everything.

A grin appeared on the wind demon's face. 'I see. You are... in love with this weakling they call Inuyasha.'

'I am not!' she screamed as she stabbed at Hakudoshi with the rusted sword. Her efforts did not prevail; the wind will forever remain intangible. 'I want you to die!' the school girl shrieked, before all words were lost in the demonic blood that flowed through her, invading her body, seeping into her soul.

'Hakudoshi, shi-ne!' A tall inu-youkai arrived on the site, claws raised to strike.

Sango blinked at what she saw, then blinked again when Sesshoumaru made his appearance. Inuyasha has another brother? I'm seeing things. Sango hid her head away in her arms and lay down in the dirt pretending there was nothing left. I still have Kohaku, she thought. Kohaku... I can't give up. The demon slayer stood, determination flooding through her, and found Hiraikotsu, along with Miroku's staff. She slung the oversized boomerang across her back and joined Kagome in her frenzy.

'What have you done with my son?' Inutaishou demanded of the wind demon.

'Oh, behold the all powerful lord of dogs,' Hakudoshi mocked. 'Filthy creatures. Disgusting, diseased-'

Inutaishou grabbed the confident demon by the throat and snarled but an inch from his face.

'O- o-kay,' he spluttered. 'He's there.' Hakudoshi pointed to the nearby sky where a red figure had begun its descent back to earth, a mass of black hair floated in the breeze. 'Who knew you were so touchy,' the demon started again when he found he was safe from the inu-youkai.

Inutaishou approached his fallen son with a look of utter disgust painted on his face. Disgust at Hakudoshi with his demented mind and disgust at Sesshoumaru for being so emotionally cold. 'Is this how you treat your brother? I died to this child and your apathy is a disgrace to my memory! Sesshoumaru-'

'Father, you don't understand. I have been-'

Inuyasha stirred. 'You don't think I can fend for myself. I know what I'm doing.'

Kagome emerged from her trance and, suddenly overcome with weakness, collapsed into Sango's arms. Both girls fell to the ground in a heap. 'Ow,' the school girl muttered. Sango tapped Kagome on the shoulder and when she looked up she pointed over to where the three demons were arguing amongst themselves.

'You might be able to fend for yourself, but these humans you seem so intent on protecting aren't doing too well. I suppose, though, in another fifty years you can just try again.' It was the longest speech the youkai had ever given and he nearly regretted his sudden affection for the human race.

Inuyasha glared, then steadily got to his feet. 'I ought to kill you right here, right now.' Inuyasha lunged, but met a hard block from the annoying someone who had found the time toenjoy their little argument. 'Who the hell are you? Get out of my way.'

Sesshoumaru stood back with a small shake of his head. 'Only a half-breed could be so ignorant as to not recognise his own father.'

Inuyasha blinked. 'What? What are you pullin' Sesshoumaru? I don't have time for this. YOU!' he pointed at Hakudoshi. 'I still have you to deal with.'

'Inuyasha.' The taiyoukai spoke in quiet, but stern tones. Inuyasha twisted around to face him, an annoyed expression on his face. 'Izayoi would be ashamed.'

'You don't know what she would be because you were never there!'

Inutaishou sighed. One cannot predict one's death.

'The real Inutaishou was a great demon andwouldn't let a human kill him!'

Sango closed her eyes a moment, then made her way to Inuyasha. 'I know how it feels to lose someone,' she told him. 'But you still have something left to fight for. I have no one and I'm not strong enough. Take this,' she said, thrusting Miroku's staff towards him. 'I don't think I could bear the memories. Good bye.' Sango slung Hiraikotsu over her shoulder once more and plodded off away from Kagome who still sat dumbfounded, from Shippou who cowered behind Kirara, and from the Hakudoshi who had killed what remained of her love.

About a mile into the surrounding forest, Sango happened across a child. This particular child was sitting with an expression of utmost despair. She held a small flower in her hand and with each passing second it wilted just a bit more. Sango overlooked the girl and kept walking before, 'Your Kagome's friend aren't you?' Sango froze, then nodded. 'Tell me. Are they alright?'

'They'll be fine,' she whispered, for her voice had vanished with all emotion.

Rin watched as Sango disappeared into the shadow. 'Yama no naka. Mori no naka. Kaze no naka. Yume no naka. Sesshoumaru-sama doko ni iru. Jaken-sama o shita niete. Watashi wa hitori de matchi mashio. Sesshoumaru-sama omo dorio.'

'I don't have time for you!' Inuyasha shouted, then crossed to where Kagome sat immobile.

'I can't stand up,' she informed him.

'Never mind. Stay here. I'll deal with him.'

'Here.' Kagome handed him Tetsusaiga with a weak smile.

'You're going down, damn it!' Inuyasha raced at Hakudoshi screaming whatever cruel thoughts came to mind.

'No, you are.' Hakudoshi raised an arm and drove it through the hanyou's middle.

'I think he'll be easy to defeat now,' came Kagura's voice.

'Where did that blasted wench come from?' Sesshoumaru muttered.

Kagura smirked. 'It's the demon with the beautiful face.'

Sesshoumaru growled.

'Whilst you all bickered amongst each other, Hakudoshi took it upon himself to revive me... something he neglected to do sooner.' She muttered the last part under her breath. Regaining her composure again, she shouted. 'Sing with me Hakudoshi,' and they did. 'Ventus crescere! Ventus! Ventus crescere, crescere!' (This is Latin.)

Hakudoshi left Inuyasha for the dust. Inutaishou joined him by his side. 'Inuyasha, my son. That you both will know I am your father, I depart, leaving you in my grace.'

The wind rose more brilliant than ever under Kagura's command, whipping the youkai's hair about his face, bringing up dirt like waves on a vast sea. When all settled, but Hakudoshi's malicious laugh, Inutaishou had vanished. Inuyasha opened his eyes and twitched his ears involuntarily against the wind demon's cackle. His white hair lay thick against the red of his haori. Kagome gave one last smile, then fell unconscious against the dying grass. He'll be okay now, she thought before the swell of darkness came.

I am evil aren't I? Evil cliffies. How dare you invade my fanficiton.Well, at least I posted the next chapter with in a few days. This one was a pretty good length too. Um... yea. So... um... review! -grins- Just you wait until the last chapter. You'll love it! At least I hope you will. By the way, Inuyasha's half-demon again. That was Inutaishou's sacrifice, in case I was too vague. Well, ja matta.

COMING SOON: Chapter Nineteen: The Power of Tenseiga... which means I'll have to change the name of one of my other chapters. This title is so much more fitting here.