Once again I thank you for waiting for me to update this. It had taken me so long because, as I mention earlier I was working on other fictions, which are coming along awesome and I think you should check them out.

Disclaimer: I do not Inuyasha or any of the characters associated with the series.

Chapter 18: Battling For a Friend Part II

Inuyasha finished wiping the blood and acid from the wound in the stream. To say the least he was pissed. The demon had gotten him. He had been a fool to think that Zane was week. He had been a fool not to except Soshi's help. It was still hard to realize that Inuyasha was not only jeopardizing his own life, but the life of his mate and unborn pup.

When Inuyasha looked at Soshi he noticed the demon was in deep thought as he stared off towards Dayu's castle. Inuyasha wondered what could possibly be going through his mate's father's mind.

'Odd...' Soshi continued to think. 'Still I can find no reason for Zane allowing Inuyasha to go free. Had Dayu ordered him to merely injure the hanyou, or was it something Zane did on his own will.' Soshi plopped down on the ground. Now they would need to wait a little longer for Inuyasha's legs to become fully usable again, which would only take an hour or so, which was fine, since it was still morning. They had all day to kill Dayu.

Meanwhile

Kagome rubbed her thighs. When she had woken they were a little soar and she did not know why, but the pain was quickly going away. She figured she must have slept wrong or something.

Mrs. Higurashi was making breakfast for Kagome, Sango, Shippo, Sota, and gramps. Eggs and bacon, like she had been making for the past few days. Kagome would not have minded just cereal, but since they had visitors and Sango was a lot farther into her pregnancy than Kagome, Sango needed more to eat.

Kagome looked over to her side when she heard a meow. Kirara and Buyo looked to be eating cat food. Kagome had figured the two communicated and made friends with one another. Kirara was originally going to take Inuyasha to Dayu's, but she decided that Sango needed her help, more than Inuyasha right now.

Kagome sighed and looked at her glass of orange juice. She was never hungry when she became depressed and right now she was depressed worrying about Inuyasha. She hoped he came back soon, but figured there battle was only beginning today and that could last a day or more and than it would take another 2 to 3 days for them to come back. So she was looking at, at least another four long days.

She already missed him dearly and she was sure the twins did too. Kagome closed her eyes, wishing the days could past faster, but she knew her hopes were false. The more she wished such a thing, the longer the days would be.

Kagome could see Inuyasha's smiling face before has as he stood with his prized sword in his one hand and used his other to wave. She wished for just once to see him looked so happy and peaceful again, but the last time he looked like that was when he got to hold the twins for the first time.. that's when he knew he had a family. He had a mate and pups. Kagome and Inuyasha both would keep that memory in their minds for all time.

Flashback

It had been three weeks after Kagome and Inuyasha had mated. They were sitting in the sacred tree watching the sunset. Kagome was leaning into Inuyasha's chest, wrapped firmly in his arms.

"Inuyasha will we always be together?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha's grip tightened.

"No matter what!"

"You promise?"

"I swear. Mates don't even leave each other, they stay side by side no matter what the difficulties, no matter what's going wrong., the stay side by side in an unbreakable love!" That causes Kagome to feel this ultimately warm feeling in her heart. She settled and went to sleep in his arms. As she fell asleep she whispered something.

"I love you, Inuyasha."

"I love you too."

End Flashback

Kagome often had a flashback to that moment. She loved it. It made her feel content and calm with the fact that she absolutely knew Inuyasha would come back. 'Mates are forever... mates are forever... me and Inuyasha are forever.' Kagome repeated in her head to keep her calm.

"Kagome?" Kagome looked over at her friend. Sango was giving her a worried glance and Kagome smiled. "Are you alright? You seemed lost in thought?"

"Yeah. I was. Just thinking about happy times." Kagome looked down at the plate her mother had placed before her. She was suddenly feeling hungry again.

Meanwhile

Inuyasha examined his now restored haori pants. He could not longer see the slash that was hidden beneath them. He winced a little as he pushed on the spot where the acid had soaked.

"We've got to keep going." Inuyasha said standing up, his leg feeling slightly better.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Soshi asked. Despite his and Inuyasha's disagreements he found Inuyasha enviable. Inuyasha was strong and had a loving family. He would never part with them and never lose any children like Soshi had. Though, Inuyasha did have a difficult past and Soshi knew that Inuyasha deserved all he had now. Inuyasha had saved many innocent people and he has a good heart. The gods have given him what he wanted most in return. A family.

"I can handle a couple back and leg wounds. This ain't nothing." Inuyasha said as he headed off in the direction of the castle. Soshi nodded and followed his son-in-law.

Later and Meanwhile

Miroku sighed. He was tired and hungry and bored. He was only served water to drink. Soshi needed him alive, because alive bait was the only kind that worked when it came to reeling in a fish like Inuyasha.

Dayu walked in from outside the cave. From the expression on his face things were not going as planned. 'That damn Inuyasha. He has brought Soshi with him and his pups can not be sensed in the area. Where could they possibly be?' Dayu pulled on the hair hanging from his forehead to concentrate more on pain then annoyance.

"So the miko is pregnant again..." Soshi changed his train of thought to what Zane had mention by mistake. "No more partial breeds need exist. I'll kill Inuyasha and his mate and unborn child will die with him. As for the other two... they'll no longer have their parents for protection and they'll be easy to slaughter.

"You'll never kill Inuyasha and even if you did the pups would still have many protecting them."

"Who?"

"Me and Sango and Sesshomaru has also chosen to make sure the pups stay safe."

"I'll kill all of you as well. Don't think I would let any of you live."

"Dayu they're coming." A voice sad from the corner. Dayu looked over and in the shadows he could see Zane leaning against the wall.

"I still don't know why you didn't just dispose of them."

"I decided to leave you some fun." He lied. He did not like lying to his brother, but he knew his brother would not be happy if he said he let them go, because he refused to kill children.

"DAYU!" Inuyasha's loud roar could be heard echoing through the walls. Miroku sighed. 'Finally.' He thought. Now Miroku could finally see Sango again. It gave the monk a warm feeling to know that soon he would be back in the arms of his love waiting for his first child to be born.

Inuyasha smashed right through the wall. Soshi shook his head at how stubborn and straight forward the hanyou could be at times.

Dayu grinned. He looked at Zane.

"Zane you take care of Inuyasha. I've got an old score to settle with Soshi here." Zane nodded and stepped forward. Inuyasha and Soshi stood side by side.

The next thing Inuyasha noticed was Miroku chained up. He growled. Although, Miroku could be annoying at times and a lecher of course he was still Inuyasha's friend and Inuyasha definitely did not approve of his friends being treated in such a manner.

"Miroku!" Inuyasha ran forward and slashed the chains with one swipe of his sword. Miroku was relieved that his arms could finally drop and his wrist were no longer bound tightly. He rubbed his wrists.

"Ha, you act as though unbinding him will help out any. he's only going to die in the midst of our battle and even if not from being killed by my hands, he will die in the poison." Dayu grinned. "And so will you, seeing as you have human blood."

"Poison?" Inuyasha questioned. He looked around and noticed poisoning closing in the area. "Shit." He looked at Miroku. "Miroku can you use the barrier thing you use to keep the poison off you long enough to get out?" Miroku nodded. "Good when no one's looking and get as far away as you can. We'll catch up with you later."

Zane and Miroku were the only ones who heard Inuyasha's plan. Zane knew Miroku was going to be a father and decided to let Dayu figure out what was going to happen on his own.

Soshi and Dayu had already waged in war. It was Inuyasha and Zane's turn.

Inuyasha went forward, rushing at Zane with no thoughts on his mind besides to keep himself safe, for Kagome's life. Zane easily dodged and slammed a fist into Inuyasha. Inuyasha was thrown to the side and realized something different. Zane was holding back.

Inuyasha stood up and wiped some blood from his mouth.

"What's up. Why are you holding back?" Inuyasha asked. Zane bit his lip. He could not tell the truth in front of Dayu.

"I'm not!" Zane said as he jumped forward. Zane's mind swirled and he missed as Inuyasha elbowed him in the back and he went flying into the ground. From the side of Inuyasha's eye he could see Miroku leaving.

That was also when Inuyasha noticed the purple poison was beginning to effect him. Inuyasha covered his mouth with his sleeve. 'Shit. I've got to get out of here.' Inuyasha thought in panic.

I'm going to end it with this cliff hanger. I just wanted to say something. I understand that Sango and Miroku may be suffering as well and that I should put more about them in the chapters, but please don't be angry with me when I tell you I'm not going to. This is an Inuyasha and Kagome fan fiction. I support the Miroku and Sango romance, but I don't really care much for it.