A/N: Sorry about the delay in updating. Have been having some serious problems at home and haven't been in the mood to update. Sorry again but here's a cliffie for you!

Chapter 64

Kagome rode on Inuyasha's back, Yasha rode with Miroku on Kirara and, much to Inuyasha's chagrin, Kaori rode on Kouga's back. Before they had left, an interesting confrontation ensued,

"Kaori, you ride with Yasha and Miroku on Kirara.", Inuyasha ordered.

"Kouga offered to carry me. Three people on Kirara is crowded.", Kaori whined.

"You are not riding with Kouga!", Inuyasha ordered.

"Hey, puppy, I won't hurt your daughter. I can protect her and the jewel inside her.", Kouga announced as Inuyasha growled. Kagome soothed Inuyasha's ruffled ego while telling Kouga,

"I know you can protect Kaori. We do trust you with our daughter."

After that, they headed out to the Shrine of Antiquity. Crossing over the northern mountains, they headed to Tohaku, the northernmost region of the main Japanese island of Honshu. But their journey was being watched. Leiko, the evil mountain witch, had some surprises in store for the travelers.

For apparently no reason, Inuyasha and Kouga both stopped and paced nervously. Inuyasha yelled to Kouga to watch out, but Kouga had already leaped into the air as the ground began to shake around them. Inuyasha jumped to a tree, as the world shook with a major earthquake. The ground opened up and trees and rocks began disappearing into the chasm. Miroku and Yasha, on Kirara, were able to stay out of the way, but Inuyasha and Kouga were left bouncing around, trying to find stable ground. Suddenly, a huge mountain of rock pushed up out of the ground, separating the two men. Unfortunately, Inuyasha was not able to call out to Kouga as he hopped from rock to rock, trying maintain his balance.

A crevasse opened in front of Inuyasha, threatening to swallow him and Kagome up. Just in time, Kirara flew down and Inuyasha jumped on her back. He ordered Kirara to look for Kouga. The group searched and called his and Kaori's name, with no response. As the ground settled down, the group landed and looked toward the area where they last saw Kouga and Kaori.

"Damn wimpy wolf. He better have survived that earthquake.", Inuyasha said, obviously worried.

"Inuyasha.", Miroku started, "I doubt that earthquake was natural. It may have been designed to separate us."

"Yea. The orb with Naraku's spirit is with Kouga.", Inuyasha said.

"And Kaori has the jewel inside of her.", Kagome said, "The two things we need at the shrine."

"Let's go. We have to see if we can find Kouga and Kaori before that witch does. I have a feeling she's behind this.", Inuyasha said, as Kagome climbed back onto his back and they took off, with Kirara right behind them.

Kouga and Kaori had survived and had gotten to an area where the ground didn't shake. As soon as Kaori got over her scare of what had happened, she worried about her family. Kouga sniffed the air, but to his amazement and disappointment, he could not smell Inuyasha or any of the rest of the group.

'I didn't think we were that far apart.', he thought. Urging Kaori on his back, he reassured her, "We'll find your family. We're not that far apart. We should be together soon, ok, Kaori?"

They hopped along the rocks and ground, all the while sniffing the air for the others. They were not far north of the northern mountains, when Kouga smelled something familiar,

'Ayame', he thought. As he got closer, he greeted his mate, who appeared in shock. He started to introduce Kaori, when Ayame started to cry.

"Jiro is missing. After the earthquake he disappeared.", she cried to her mate. Kouga consoled his mate while inside he knew what he had to do.

"Kaori, we need to look for my son. Do you mind?", he asked.

"I don't mind. Let's go.", she said.

The two returned to Kouga's den and tried to follow Jiro's scent. Ayame had been so concerned about her other pups, that she wasn't able to leave them and follow Jiro. Luckily, not to many chasms had formed around the den, and searching was easier than expected. Kouga eventually picked up his son's scent and went to him. He was pretty far from the den and badly injured. As Kouga knelt beside him, Kaori just stood and watched. Kouga quietly said,

"I smell death on him. He doesn't have much longer."

Something inside Kaori pushed her forward. She wasn't sure what or who urged her to go and touch Jiro. As Kouga watched in amazement, Kaori placed her hands on Jiro and a bright light emanated from her hands. The light was bright enough that Kouga had to turn his head away. When the light disappeared, Kaori fell over, as if worn out. Kouga caught her and gently laid her down. To his surprise, his son was now awake and responsive. Kaori had healed him! Picking up his son and Kaori, he carried them back to the den. Ayame joyfully hugged her second son as Kouga laid Kaori on the ground. He didn't know what she had done, but he was thankful.

After a while, Kaori woke up. Kouga decided to ask her a few questions.

"So what was all that back there?"

"Huh?", she answered.

"You placed your hands on my son and a bright light shined and then you passed out and my son recovered. I didn't know you were empathic."

"Em ... pathic? What's that?", Kaori asked.

"It's when one person can heal another with their hands. It's a special power. Usually only possessed by witches.", Kouga answered her.

"I didn't know myself. Something told me to put my hands on him and I did. That's all I remember.", she said, quietly.

"Well, we don't have time to worry about it. I'm just grateful you did what you did. Thank you, Kaori.", Kouga responded.

"Yes, thank you from me too.", Ayame chimed in.

"Let's get going. We need to get to that shrine.", Kouga stated, as Kaori climbed on his back. Waving goodbye, they were off again.

Back with Inuyasha and the group, the group decided to stop at a village. The village at first seemed friendly, feeding the hungry bunch. But then a shaman appeared and condemned the half-demons and the demon cat as evil. As if possessed, the villagers began to attack. A group of villagers threw a net over Inuyasha as he struggled to get free.

"Forget it, half-demon.", the shaman said, "These nets are designed for stronger demons than yourself."

"Oh yea? We'll see about that.", Inuyasha yelled back. Inuyasha happened to look at Kagome, who was preparing a spell. Quickly using the spell, the net fell away from Inuyasha. Inuyasha got up and faced the shaman, ready to battle. The shaman was undeterred.

"She is a witch. We burn witches. Tie her to a stake and burn her.", the shaman said.

Before Kagome could react, she was captured. She screamed for Inuyasha, who tried to go after her. But the shaman's staff appeared in front of him, sending him flying in a pool of fire. Kagome was tied to the stake as villagers put wood around her feet. She noticed that Yasha had been overcome by poison that the villagers used. He laid on the ground, his eyes and nose burning. Miroku had been captured and relieved of his staff.

The shaman set off some more poison around Inuyasha. The poison began to overtake him as well. As he tried to get up to get to Kagome, the shaman continuously knocked him down with his staff and dousing him with more poison. Kagome recognized the scent of the poison. Sango used it alot when they were fighting demons that had strong senses of smell and sight. It overpowered them. And it had always overpowered Inuyasha. Inuyasha didn't have many weaknesses but the poison was definitely one of them.

After knocking Inuyasha unconscious, the villages tied him up, spread eagle, between two stakes. The shaman removed the sword and sheath on his hip as Kagome begged him not to.

"You'll be sorry when he wakes up.", Kagome warned, but the shaman paid no heed. Kagome thought, 'How are we going to get ourselves out of this?'