A Tempting Fate

Chapter 7: The Ending

By Kaguya's Chaos

Sesshoumaru walked slowly passed the numerous tropical trees that dotted the shoreline of the island. His thoughts spun with the new information he had received from the strange voice in his head. 'Kagome's a miko? How can I not have sense this? Is she hiding it? Does she knew that we're youkai? Does she know youkai exist?'

His thoughts spiraled on, even as he used all his senses to search for the despicable hanyou in charge of this whole fiasco. His silver hair shifted slightly in the wind. A strange scent reached his nose and, for a wild moment, Sesshoumaru thought it was Naraku. Taking in the scent once again, he quickly deducted it wasn't completely the hanyou's scent.

'Yes, that's the ally I was telling you about.'

The voice once again intruded on Sesshoumaru's mind as the inu-youkai turned in the direction the scent was coming from. 'So the hanyou's reinforcements have arrived.' he stated to the voice more then asked.

'Yes. But I feel that this "ally" will be more of a hindrance then a help to the hanyou.'

'What do you mean?'

'The wind witch hates the hanyou more then you and your fellow survivors do at this moment. Even more then I, myself, do.'

'What do you mean? Why would she hate the hanyou? Who exactly are you?'

'All in due time, Taiyoukai. All in due time.'

'Why can't you just give straight answers?' Sesshoumaru growled out as he searched the skies for the wind witch heading for the island.

'Because the questions you ask cannot be answered with approximate answers. Just yet anyway.'

Sesshoumaru stifled yet another growl for the fourth time in little over an hour and tried to calm down. His golden eyes flashed as he caught sight of a woman on a giant feather flying toward the island. A small predatory smirk stretched his handsome face as he realize the true hunt would begin the minute the woman landed on the island.

'She will lead me to Naraku.'

:Over with Kouga and Inuyasha:

Kouga sighed once again for the twentieth time in the last hour. In front of him, Inuyasha was on all fours trying to sniff out a trail that they hadn't already taken. Kouga crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the tree behind him for a better position.

Why doesn't Kouga help, you ask? Well, lets go back a few minutes after they left the stream, shall we?

:Back an hour:

Kouga jogged after Inuyasha with a gloating smirk on his face. "Admit it, dog-breath! You fell and got stuck in quicksand!" He yelled out to the irate hanyou, who just sped up and tried to ignore the idiot following him. Naturally, the damn wolf's grating voice was getting to him. "How could you be so stupid as to-"

"Shut the hell up, Kouga! At least I wasn't raped by monkeys!" Inuyasha interrupted as he slid to a stop. Kouga stopped as well and flushed.

"They didn't rape me! I escaped before-" he quickly cut himself off and Inuyasha smirked in a demented sort of glee.

"So you were attacked by love-sick monkeys! I knew it!" Inuyasha shouted as he stopped in his tracks and laughed at the angered and embarrassed youkai. Kouga grit his teeth and tried to ignore the laughing insults the hanyou was spewing from his mouth.

"At least I was attacked by something with a brain!" Kouga retorted just as he was at his breaking point. It was now Inuyasha's turn to flush in embarrassed anger.

"You know what, wolf-boy? I don't need you following me around! Go away!" Inuyasha yelled as he tried not to show how much that last comment actually stung his pride.

Kouga frowned and stood up even straighter. "I wasn't following you! I was simply going the same way and you were in front of me!"

"Yeah well, go look in another direction!"

"Make me!"

:present:

And since then, Kouga has been following Inuyasha just to piss him off.

Inuyasha stood from his crouching position and started walking in a random direction. Kouga shook his head and relaxed further into the base of the tree before opening his mouth to, again irritate Inuyasha. "We've already been in that direction, dumb-ass."

Inuyasha let out a slow even breath and tried to keep from jumping at the wolf with his claws. "Well then, Mr. Asshole-That-Won't-Shut-Up. Why don't YOU pick a fucking direction?" Kouga just smirked and stretched. He opened his mouth to retort when a cold voice interrupted them.

"Such language, Inuyasha." Both turned their heads to see one of their targets floating above them with an amused smirk.

"I had really hoped you two would have made this game a little more fun. Unfortunately, you were so loud it was easy to find you. Not to mention you don't cover your tracks and you don't hide either." Michael said with a tone of high disappointment.

Inuyasha snarled at the youkai and Kouga leapt to his feet. Michael grinned once again and slowly descended to the ground. "But, then again, cat and mouse has never been my favorite game. I much rather prefer just coming out a killing my prey. Wouldn't you agree?" He asked in a coldly sensuous voice and darted forward, signaling the start of one of the many battles that would occur on the island.

:Inside Kagome's mind:

Kagome stared at the strange blue light floating in front of her. It radiated warmth like a campfire, but it also called out to her like a long lost friend. 'Is this my inner power?' She asked herself as she stretched her arms out to it. No answer came to her, nor was she expecting one. Just as her arms got near enough to touch the orb of light, a searing pain made itself known on her injured leg and, at the same time, a comforting warmth was spreading through her body toward the pained leg.

'Are my holy powers healing me? Why does it hurt so much?' She again asked into the void that surrounded her. And once again, no answer came. She watched in curiosity as some of the blue light floated away from the ball it seemed to be formed into and weaved around her arms. It slowly danced up her shoulders and twined itself into her hair, wrapping gently around her neck and descending down her body.

Kagome watched as the blue threads swirled about her form, as if seeking something in particular. They then came across the pained area on her leg and stopped their search, trying to force themselves into her very flesh. All at once, Kagome felt the pain recede and the warmth within her body fill her mind as well. Just as she was finally used to the gentle waves of comfort, they were ruthlessly torn from her and the black void once again took precedence.

A short time later, unknown to Kagome for however long it really was, light and color started to swirl about her and painted the lovely meadow where Kagome had first met Midoriko at. Kagome gazed about her with a small sense of relief and sighed as she sat down, surprised she had been standing in the first place. 'I could have sworn I was lying down!' Kagome snapped out of her thoughts as the sound of footsteps walking toward her made her turn to see the ever familiar form of Midoriko.

"It is good to see you again, Kagome. How do you feel?" She asked Kagome smiled and stood. Midoriko smiled as well and hugged Kagome then proceeded to sit down next to her. Kagome grinned and reclined in the grass. "Much better now that that leg wound is healed. It is healed, right?" She asked sitting up again as the thought that that was all just an illusion filled her mind.

Midoriko laughed and nodded her head. "Yes, your leg has healed, among other things." She answered and stared off around the field. Kagome frowned and tilted her head to the side. "Other things?" She questioned and Midoriko turned to her with a confused expression on her face.

"The poison, dear. The one that damn hanyou, Naraku, injected into you?"

Kagome turned away from the miko and stared into space. 'The man Naraku was a hanyou and he had injected me with poison.' She thought to herself as another thought also occurred. 'No one told me I was poisoned! They let me believe that it was a damn pressure point incident that cause all the weird symptoms! Oooo! When I wake up I am going to kill them for lying to me!'

"...it really was a good thing your body pushed it out, because there really wasn't any cure. You see, the boys are being lead on a wild goose-chase." Midoriko continued, not realizing that Kagome was lost in her murderous thoughts. Kagome snapped out of her daze as she heard the last sentence come out of the miko's mouth.

"There's no cure! I'm going to die?" She shouted as she shot to her feet and Midoriko gave her a puzzled/exasperated look.

"No, Kagome. Your body already reacted to the poison and pushed it out of your system through the cut on your leg. Then your holy powers healed the cut when it was done." Midoriko again explained and Kagome calmed down enough to apologize sheepishly. 'That must have been when I touched my inner power...'

"Now then, shall we finish the story where we last left off?" Midoriko asked and was pleased when Kagome nodded her head vigorously, effectively snapped out of her wondering thoughts. "I believe we last left off with Damien, Davis, Subaki and I heading out toward the center of the island..."

:Midoriko's story:

Midoriko felt a chill go up her spine and tried to hide it from the other three people with her. Subaki was oblivious to anything around her, other then the fact that there were two, unwanted mind you, males walking behind her, thinking about her sister.

Damien stared at the surrounding trees, trying to remember the way they came so they could go back with ease. Davis, however, was staring at Midoriko, not at all thinking about anything to do with trees. Subaki turned and glared at the Captain as she felt him bump into her. Her eyes widened incredulously as he then walked passed her and closer to Midoriko. 'What the hell?' Both Subaki and Damien thought at the same time.

Midoriko, however, was concentrating on the deep feeling of evil around her, not noticing the drama building up. She unconsciously wrung her hands and looked about her in a nervous way. 'Calm down 'Riko...nothing bad is going to happen...we're just walking into the uncharted, possibly youkai infested jungle on a remote island in the middle of nowhere. Nothing bad is going to happen.' She said to herself slightly snorting at her wry sense of humor.

"Lovely island, is it not?" Davis whispered into Midoriko's ear and Midoriko jumped and whirled to face the handsome captain. "Y-yes it is!" She squeaked out and then coughed to cover up the nervous giggle about to follow it. 'Good Lord! He scared me! Where did he pop out from? Why is he so close?' She thought as she smiled slightly and looked away, pretending to concentrate on where she was going.

Without meaning to, both Davis and Midoriko had sped up and were now farther from a fuming Damien and furious Subaki. It was Damien that noticed the distance first. His eyes widened and he quickened his pace. Subaki did likewise, not seeing the tree root waiting to snag her foot. She felt the traitorous plant catch her foot and her face rapidly descending to pay homage to the slightly damp soil. However, her descent was stopped by a strong, muscular arm wrapped firmly around her waist. Subaki looked up into the slightly annoyed dark eyes of Damien and tried not to grin like an idiot.

"Oh, uh, thank you!" Subaki squeaked out and tried to push down the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach and the blush screaming to cover her face. Damien nodded and let go of her, making sure she was stable first. He then stood away from her and rushed after the rapidly disappearing Midoriko and Davis. Subaki watched him go for a second, not noticing the goofy grin attached to her flushed face.

'I never noticed that Damien had such strong arms! Or that he looks so delicious in those tight pants!' Subaki thought as she tried, in vain, to control her blush. Her middle still tingled where his arms had wrapped around her and her mind was whirling with the new sensations she was feeling. 'Do I like him?' She asked herself as she tried to race after the three leaving her in the dust. 'I...I think so...'

:I'll end it here for now:

KC: Don't I just make you mad sometimes?

:With Hojo and Kikyou:

Hojo looked across the desk at the woman almost identical to his Kagome. Kikyou looked up from the papers she was currently reading and watched as the business man looked down at his own papers. 'Hmm, he's not as handsome as Inuyasha, but I bet he's just as rich. Besides, he OWNS his own company. So he has to be richer the Inuyasha.' Kikyou debated within her mind as she tried to decide whether a fling with Hojo would be beneficial or not.

Just as she was coming up with a plan to get the man in bed with her, a sharp knock sounded on the door, followed by the said door swinging open wildly, banging rather harshly on the wall behind it. Hojo looked up in slight anger to see a very pissed off Onigumo Price panting in front of his desk.

"We have a problem." He said in a low voice and Hojo sighed. He turned to the angry female sitting in the chair beside a fuming Onigumo and tried to smile politely. "I apologize, Miss. Kikyou. It seems I have business to take care of. Here is my home phone number, please call me if you need anything else." He said with an oily overcast to his normally over-sugary voice.

Onigumo glanced at the overdone female slightly behind him and raised an eyebrow. 'Not a bad looking whore he's got here...' He thought to himself as he watched her butt sway out the door, shutting it quietly. A slightly twisted smile curved his lips as he though of all the things he'd like to do to that petite piece of work. With a slight shake of his head, Onigumo looked back over at Hojo and allowed his expression to show his anger.

"Well? What the hell is it, Price?" Hojo snarled as he sat back down in his chair. Onigumo clenched his teeth and flung himself down into the nearest chair. "That damn Myojin bailed out on us!" He nearly shouted as he glared at his current employer. Hojo froze in his seat and sat up straight.

"What?" He asked quietly and Onigumo felt his rage, along with his blood, freeze in his veins. Hojo narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "What do you mean 'he bailed'?"

Onigumo felt a slight trickle of sweat shift down his neck and strained from wiping it away. Because, to move means to draw attention to him from the predator before him, and to do that would mean certain death.

"Uh...Myojin, as well as Taisho Industries says they aren't working with us anymore and have switched to aide that damn chick investigating for Shikon Inc." Onigumo said trying to keep the nervousness out of his voice. Hojo frowned and leaned back in his chair. His normally chocolate eyes were a cold black and his handsome face looked deadly with rage.

"I want you to get someone to tail the bitch, then. There is nothing we can do about Taisho Industries. After all, we didn't sign a contract saying we would work together. I do, however, want a spy placed inside Taisho Industries, just in case. I want a report if anything new or unusual is found, do I make myself clear, Price?" Hojo finished his orders and Onigumo leapt to his feet. "Yes, of course." He said and nearly ran out the door.

Sure, Onigumo was a fearless man, but the look in Hojo Masaru's eyes was anything but sane, and Onigumo rather liked his life. No matter how dull it used to be and probably will be once this case is over with. After all, mercenaries like him don't get much work these days.

Hojo sighed out a breath and leaned back in his chair as he watched the scared man run out of his office. His coal-like eyes turned to stare at the wall in front of his oak desk. "So, Higurashi wants to play it that way, eh?" He said out loud to himself as the image of the black-haired man with violet eyes quickly came to mind. "Two can play that game."

:With Myoga and Jaken, before they told Onigumo their decision:

Myoga sat at the back table in his favorite bar and watched the people coming and going. No one bothered him, and that's the way he liked it. He was social, he had to admit, just not in this place. A waitress came up and asked his order. Quickly telling her "The Usual" and he watched as she walked off to get him a Bloody Mary.

It wasn't long after he got his drink that Jaken came slithering in, looking like a sea-sick toad. Myoga pointedly ignored the sour looking shorty and took another sip of his drink. Jaken frowned even more-so and thumped his walking stick on the floor, trying to gain the flea youkai's attention. Myoga looked up at Mr. Grumpy-Pants and smirked a little. "Impatient, aren't we?" He asked and immediately felt the toad stiffen.

"Listen here, you old fool! I came here because you said you had better information on where Sesshoumaru-sama is! So stop messing around and get to the point of this ridiculous meeting!" Jaken took in a deep breath, as if preparing to say more when Myoga held up his hands in a show of defeat. "Alright, alright. You know that Shikon Inc.'s President, Miss Higurashi, was on that plane crash, do you not?" He asked and watched as Jaken rolled his bulbous eyes. "Yes, yes!"

Myoga took a deep breath and began his brief report. "Well, her company has sent out their own search party, and it seems they are a lot farther along in discovering where the survivors of the crash are. The lead detective, Miss Timbre, has already deducted what, or shall I say who, brought down the plane."

Jaken frowned and leaned in closer. Myoga frowned and sat back, trying to get the toads smell out of his nose. "Well? What brought down the plane?" Jaken nearly screeched, causing some of the bar's patrons to turn to them sharply in curiosity. Myoga sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Unfortunately, she said she could not disclose anymore information because we are working with the slime ball who works for that fake bastard, Masaru." Myoga finished as he again lifted his drink to quench his thirst. Of course, despite the beverage's name, it had no blood in it and, therefore, left the flea a bit disappointed.

Jaken hissed and sat back as well. Myoga watched the toad and grinned. He had him where he wanted him. The whole past week, the two of them had been fighting. Myoga had not wanted to work with Masaru or his lead detective, Price. But Jaken, momentary guardian of the company, called the shots and said the team up would be a great help. Why the little toad was in charge of the company was beyond him. He was just glad he wasn't the one in charge. Lord knows how Sesshoumaru will react once he comes back to find out that his hard earned company was reduced to shambles because of this smelly idiot.

Anyway, back to the issue at hand. Now that Miss Timbre had stepped forward, it gave Myoga a great chance to ditch the sly human and his insane employer and actually get somewhere in finding his Lord Inuyasha and Lord Sesshoumaru. Jaken also knew that siding with the company, Shikon Inc., would be a great asset. Not only in the search for the survivors, but also for future dealings. If they cooperated with them, they might be able to form a sort of business deal in the future. After all Shikon Inc and Taisho Industries were the most powerful companies today.

Jaken sighed and pretended defeat. He leaned on his walking stick and turned a wary stare on the flea detective. "Alright, alright! You win! We will join up with Shikon Inc. This time we will sign a contract, and make sure they do as well!" Jaken said as he stood and hobbled out of the bar. Myoga grinned then turned to the two moving potted plants behind him.

"You can come out now." He said in an amused voice as the two naked gumshoes from before sheepishly stood up from their hiding places. "Well, well, well. What have we here?" Myoga asked out loud as he watched the two fidget. He indicated the two seats in front of him and the two boys sat down.

"What is your business in this case?" Myoga asked as he again lifted his drink for a sip, only to realize it was all gone. Placing it back down he sighed in mourning of the empty drink. The younger looking one sighed as well and looked the old detective in the eye. "Our brother, who was on the force, was one of the survivors from the crash." He stated and Myoga nodded his head wisely.

"Ah yes, a Mr. Kouga Wolf, I do believe?" He asked and both nodded.

"Well, you see, sir, the captain refused to send anyone out to search for Kouga. So, me and Hakkaku went out on our own. It all went down-hill from there, sir." Myoga nodded and then leaned forward. "Boys? Do you want a job?" He asked and both ex-police officers exchanged wary glances.

"If it means finding our brother, we'd do anything." The younger one said and Myoga smiled at them. "Welcome to the team." He said as he stood and motioned for both boys to follow him. "We have some work to do." He finished as the three of them headed out the door. Myoga grinned at the nearly tangible excitement pouring off the two boys. Ideas were already filling his head with what work to put them to.

:With Miroku and Sango, after Myoga joins up:

Miroku rubbed at the headache pounding at his poor temples. Sango had ranted and raved for hours over the fact that poor, innocent Kagome was trapped on a deserted island during the youkai mating season. With two, or possibly more, horny youkai. Miroku groaned again as he still heard her echoing screech as she demanded to know why youkai had a mating season.

He had tried to explain that he himself wasn't an expert on this sort of thing, but she would hear nothing of it. She had yelled out things like he was supposed to know cause he was a pervert, or something like that. Finally, after more then an hour of trying to convince her that he knew just as much as she did now, she had left his office with watery eyes and muttering about mating seasons.

Sighing again, Miroku was just about to pack his suitcase up for the night when a loud buzzing sound came from the intercom on his desk. Jumping a foot in the air and then answering it, Miroku asked Hachi what he wanted.

"Mr. Higurashi, there is a Miss Timbre and a Mr. Myojin here to see you." His secretary nearly stuttered and Miroku sighed. "Send them in." He replied and sat back down in his chair, his briefcase still only half-packed. Before Miroku could scoot himself and the chair back into his desk the door to his office swung open and the two detectives entered.

Miroku indicated them to sit in the chairs before him and awaited for someone to start talking. Ayame was the first to say anything. "Hello again, Mr. Higurashi." She said politely and took in the serious face the pervert had donned, instead of the goofy lecherous look he usually wore. This was indeed time for seriousness.

"Hello, to you as well, Ayame. And I presume you are Myoga Myojin, the leading detective for Taisho Industries?" Miroku asked as he looked the older man in the eye. Myoga instantly could tell this man, as young as he was, was indeed an honest individual. He nodded his head and smiled. "I am indeed he." He said and was pleased when the young man smiled back.

"He has agreed to join up with us and leave the joint effort with Price and Masaru." Ayame said and Myoga watched as Miroku's eyes flashed at the mention of Hojo's last name. 'There is something else going on, other then competitive companies.' Myoga thought as he nodded to this statement. He brought his briefcase onto his lap and pulled out the contract that Jaken and himself had drawn up in preparation for this meeting.

Miroku looked over the contract and nodded his head. He did not take out a pen to sign it with though. He looked up sheepishly and pressed on the intercom. "Hachi? Could you send for Sango?" He asked and looked away from Ayame's amused expression. Myoga looked slightly confused as to what was going on and raised a bushy eyebrow.

Miroku coughed and tried to smile as he summed up the courage to explain. "My wife, er, needs to read over the contract as well. She is also in charge of the company while Miss Higurashi is away."

"And a good thing too! You would have sunk the company on the first day if Kagome hadn't put me in charge!" Sango declared as she sailed in through the open doors and up to the side of his desk. Miroku cringed slightly and tried to keep a dignified air.

Myoga hid his grin behind his hand and coughed slightly. Sango turned to look at him and smiled slightly. "I'm Sango Higurashi, Kagome Higurashi's personal assistant." She introduced herself and reached for the document Miroku was handing to her. Reading over it quickly she nodded her head in an assenting way.

"Sounds good to me." She said to Miroku and he nodded in agreement. "One thing though. We would like to be told where our cousin is when you find her. We want to be with the team to go and find her." Miroku said as Sango watched the old man cautiously.

Myoga grinned and nodded his head. "Of course." He said and they made the minor adjustment on the contract. Both parties signed, as did Ayame and Myoga went on his way to tell Jaken the transaction was a success.

Ayame followed shortly after and prepared to fill him in on what her team had found. She stepped into the elevator with Myoga and nearly jumped out of her skin when her cell phone went off. She flipped it open and answered in her usual sweet way. "What the hell do you want?"

"M-miss Timbre? Uh, I have the results for the testing. I know where Miss Higurashi is."

:With Ginta and Hakkaku:

Ginta heaved a sigh as he tried to follow the rapidly disappearing Onigumo Price. Beside him, Hakkaku was grumbling to himself about having to follow a stupid human around all sneaky like. Ginta sighed again and shook his head. "Doesn't do any good to get all angry about it now. At least we're getting paid for tailing this guy." He whispered to his brother and Hakkaku immediately shut up. It was true. They were getting paid by Taisho Industries to follow around Price and report back what they find.

Their first paycheck went to clothes, of course, and Myoga had treated them to a sort of dinner/lunch thing. So they were good to go. Hakkaku let out a hiss of pain as his knee connected with the wall they were currently hiding behind. Ginta glanced at him from his position at the corner and glared.

"Shh! Keep it down! He might hear you!" Ginta hissed at him and turned to look again only to stare into a broad chest covered in a black shirt. He slowly looked up, already afraid of what he would find. Onigumo Price stared down at the boys before him and tried to hide his amusement.

"Now why, would you want to follow me?" He asked in a low voice with his eyebrow raised. Hakkaku swiveled his head to stare in horror at the man they had been tailing since this morning. Ginta, the brains of the operation, swallowed his fear and put his hands up. "We weren't following you, sir." He said hastily and looked over at the man in a trench coat that had been walking behind Price the whole time.

"We were following him." He said and looked up into Onigumo's eyes with an innocent twinkle in them. Onigumo frowned and leaned forward. "And why are you following him?" He asked as he too glanced at the man in the trench coat slowly sliding from view. Ginta watched as well and let out an exasperated sigh. "There goes another one." He said in a slightly angry tone. He turned his head and glared into Onigumo's face.

"Happy? You made us miss another one! How are we gonna eat tonight!" He said, allowing his voice to slowly slide into a more street talk tone. Onigumo raised an eyebrow, falling for the act completely. "You're pick-pockets." He said as a statement as he stood away from the scraggly looking boys and looked them over in thought.

They did, indeed, look like street thieves. Their hair was not tamed at all, their clothes looked like something from a bargain-bin at Goodwill, and they had a stench about them that spoke of not bathing in weeks. Onigumo leaned back even further as he finally picked up the smell of them and reached into his pocket. He took out a twenty and handed it to the boy.

"Here. For making you lose your target." he said simply as he walked away. Ginta looked after him and tried to keep his face neutral. Hakkaku, however was near having a fit. When they were sure Price was far enough away that they could talk without being heard, Hakkaku let it rip. "How the HELL did you do that? How did you make him believe that we were just your average thieves?"

Ginta smirked and huffed on his nails, rubbing them on the front of his cheap shirt. "It's skills, my friend. Skills." He answered and ignored Hakkaku's annoyed expression. "We won't be able to tail him anymore today, but I should say the information we have is pretty good." Ginta continued as he remembered the conversation him and Hakkaku had over-heard in Hojo Masaru's office. (They had climbed into the air ducts.)

Hakkaku shook his head and decided to drop it. He was tired and was sure he smelled like an old dumpster. "Come on, Hakkaku. Mr. Myojin said we could have a room at the Wolf's Den Inn." Ginta said as if reading his mind. Hakkaku stood up straight and grinned again. "Yeah! Lets go!"

:With Rin and Shippo:

Shippo let out a soft grunt as he once again lifted Kagome's head and Rin lifted her legs. They had been trying to move her to the back of the cave and away from the puddle of blood and poison for over fifteen minutes and so far they had made it halfway to the very back. Rin sighed and plopped down after they had moved Kagome a grand total of three feet.

"This is fine right here, Shippo. I don't think we haveta move her ALL the way to the back." Rin huffed as she leaned back on her hands and tried not to collapse. 'Don't get me wrong!' She thought, 'I love Kagome to death. It's just that she's so heavy!' Shippo nodded his head, agreeing with her thoughts as he too collapsed beside their friend's motionless body.

"Hey, Rin? Do you feel like someone is watching us?" Shippo asked into the comfortable silence and Rin shook her head. "No...why?"

"Cause I feel like someone is watching me."

In the very back of the cave, sitting against the wall, the dark haired sailor watched over the three with a small smile.

:Back inside Midoriko's story:

Midoriko sat down with a huff and leaned against the tree behind her. They had walked on for a while before finally stopping at a quaint little pond with a waterfall. The clear cool water invited her feet to relax as she took refuge from the sweltering heat and humidity that accompanied most tropical islands.

Subaki sat beside her with her shoes off and her skirt rolled up so she could comfortably rest her aching feet in the water. Midoriko watched as her little sister kept stealing glances at Damien from under her lashes. 'Does...does Subaki have a crush on Damien?' Midoriko asked herself as she tried to keep the jealousy rising in her down.

'No...must be my imagination.' She thought, putting the unsettling notion out of her mind. "Alright, Subaki. Lets start off by meditating." Midoriko said as she crossed her legs and sat up straight. Subaki sighed and did likewise, both instantly closing their eyes and trying to reach inner peace. Neither achieving it due to their troubled thoughts.

(Inside Midoriko's mind)

'She can't like Damien. The whole time we've been in their acquaintances she has shown nothing but disdain. Maybe...it was just a ruse? Maybe she has been hiding her feelings for Damien? Does...Damien like her? Maybe I should step aside and let them...' Midoriko trailed off at this thought and the nasty little voice in her head reared its head.

'I liked Damien first! It's not fair! Why should I step aside when all Subaki does is treat him like the ground she walks upon?'

'That's not right. Even though she does treat him like dirt, it does not mean that's the way she feels about him. Maybe she just has trouble showing her true emotions.'

'So? Why should we allow that shallow little-'

'Enough! I'll not have you talking that way about our sister.'

'You know that's how you really feel...'

'Is not. I'm supposed to be meditating, not quarrelling with myself.'

'Now who's fault is that?'

'Just shut up.'

(Inside Subaki's mind)

'But Midoriko likes him! I-I can't like him! It's not fair to 'Riko if I steal him from under her nose.'

'Steal him from under her nose? She's not moving in on him! She just acts like a shy little girl! It's a wasted opportunity if we just try to forget about him.'

'But...but...'Riko...'

'Won't mind. She doesn't need a guy anyway! They'll just steal her kindness and attention away from us. We won't have OUR 'Riko anymore.'

Subaki let an evil smile curve her lips as she realized that this was most definitely true. No guy could ever be good enough for Midoriko. But that in no way meant that she couldn't move in on them herself.

Damien watched as the girls slid into their meditation and tried to stifle a sigh at the sight of Midoriko's soft lips parted slightly and her cheeks slightly flushed. Beside him, he felt Davis shift and turned to look at him.

Davis and Damien were brothers, looking nearly alike. If it hadn't been for the scar that delicately curved the side of Davis' forehead, they could have been twins. But Davis was a full year older then Damien and they both usually got along quite well, except for now.

They had never liked the same girl before and both were attracted to different things, but this time was different. "What are you playing at, Davis?" Damien asked under his breath as he caught his brothers green eyes in his own. Davis lifted an eyebrow and frowned. "One could ask the same of you, little brother." He whispered back and Damien scowled at him.

He nodded his head to the side, silently asking for them to go a little farther away so they wouldn't be heard. Both men stood and walked out of hearing range but both could still see the girls in case trouble arose.

"Back off, Davis. Midoriko isn't the type of girl to woo, bed and then leave behind." Damien threatened as he stared his brother down. Davis frowned and straightened to his full height.

"Then why are you after her, Damien?" He asked in a low voice and Damien scowled back. Both of them stared into the others forest green eyes, looking for a weakness in the other. Damien looked away first, his eyes settling on the green fern growing by his foot. "I...I think I love her, Davis." he said hesitatingly, slowly gaining courage as he spoke, "And I won't give her up to you so easily." He finished with a challenge and Davis raised an eyebrow, silently accepting.

Both men were again drawn from a battle of wills by the sweet sound of the woman who had caught their hearts. "Damien-san? Davis-san? We're ready to head back now..." Midoriko trailed off as she watched the two sailors walk out of the surrounding wild life and into the small clearing. Subaki stood beside her, silently regarding Damien through veiled eyes.

All four began their trek back to the ship, not aware of the destruction and devastation they would confront at their destination.

:XP:

KC: Ladies and gentlemen, I must pause here, cause I am about HALF way through the chapter and I have no idea if the whole thing will load...I seriously debated whether or not I should cut the chapter in half...but I won't.

Anyway, continue on!

:XP:

:Up in the sky:

Kagura sighed for the hundredth time that morning. Dawn had just shifted into late morning and already she wished for a caramel latte with whip cream and chocolate syrup. 'Dammit Starbucks! Where are you when I need you! Oh yeah...in civilization! Damn remote island. Damn evil Naraku. Damn stupid curse! May you all rot in He-'

'My, my. Temper, temper. Hurry up, Kagura. I do not need to hear any excuses or anything of the sort. You are late and I do not accept tardiness.' Naraku's voice seeped into Kagura's mind, effectively making her inner rant run dry.

'Yeah, yeah. Keep your monkey suit on.' She thought back as she sped up just a tiny bit.

She didn't notice the silver blur racing underneath her. She did, however, catch sight of a pack of monkeys holding onto a strange white piece of cloth as if it were a gold necklace. (Kouga's no doubt...) She cocked an eyebrow and tried not to snicker. 'So it seems the monkeys have chosen a new male to worship...unless Naraku got a white silk shirt...' She thought, distinctly remembering the way the monkeys had held a lock of Naraku's hair in almost the exact same way. 'No wonder he's in such a bad mood...his fan club ditched him!' She cackled to herself as she slowly drifted to concealed ritual grounds.

The very same one's that Kouga had found before this whole thing became disastrous.

:Back inside Midoriko's story:

Midoriko and Subaki walked side by side as they tried to act normal even with all the weird thought's floating through their heads. Damien and Davis walked behind the two distracted females in much the same way. Each was thinking of the other and all were thinking of their feelings.

Subaki tried to conceal the wicked gleam in her eye from her sister and hid the small darkness growing in her aura. 'What 'Riko don't know can't hurt her!' She thought happy, but dementedly so. Midoriko knew her sister was hiding something from her but thought it was just something as innocent as her crush on Damien. 'I knew it! She does like him!'

Damien glanced at a somber looking Davis every now and again. His emerald eyes glinted in slight suspicion as he tried to read his brothers expression. 'Will he leave Midoriko-san alone?' He asked himself as he desperately hoped the answer was yes. 'I do not want to fight with him over a girl, but if it comes down to it, I will.'

Davis meanwhile was pulled from his own thoughts on the current situation when he realized that, even though they were now really close to the beach, he could not hear the sound of hammering, or of his men's voices. Slight confusion and a bit of panic rolled over him as he quickened his pace. He debated whether or not if he should tell the women to stay here while he went to check it out, or if he was just paranoid.

Unfortunately for him, the decision was made when they broke through the tree line to stare in horror at the scene before them. Mutilated bodies lay all around. Blood splatters covered the ship in a grotesque fashion and decorated the beach showing that some of the sailors and men had tried to escape whatever had attacked them. Decapitated bodies blindly reached for their still bleeding heads in a morbid sprawled look. Random arms and legs were scattered about as well, making it seem like there weren't any whole bodies left out there.

Subaki quickly whirled around and immediately began to vomit into the nearest bush. Midoriko felt her eyes water and her mouth grow dry in shock and panic. Damien could only stare in horrified confusion and Davis looked about the carnage with rage. Someone had killed his crew. Someone was going to die.

Midoriko, Damien and Davis all turned their attention to Subaki as she let out an earth-shattering scream and tumbled to the ground at their feet. Right above the bush Subaki had used as a toilet, pinned to the tree, was the only whole body from the apparent massacre. The sailors eyes had been pulled out, rather roughly if the torn and shattered sockets showed anything. His mouth hung open in a perpetual look of horror. His clothes had been torn from him and showed his mutilated flesh for all to see.

His right hand had no fingers left and his left hand didn't have a thumb. His left leg was missing all of it's toes and his right leg was missing his big toe. His knees were bent the wrong way and looked like the caps had been ripped out. Midoriko looked away as she realized the poor man had also been castrated.

But what had really stood out was the fact that a bloodied message had been cut into the man's chest. "And then there were four..."

:I'll end the story there for now:

KC: I was writing that part at 3 in the morning and I got a little creeped out...thinking about zombie movies and such...

:With Sango and Miroku:

Sango watched as the two detectives marched out of their office and into the hall beyond. Hope and anticipation sizzled through her at the thought of finding her dear "sister" after all. Miroku felt much the same, now that Taisho Industries had indeed decided to team up with them. Both were lost in their thoughts when Hachi decided to bust into the room.

"Mr. Higurashi! Ms. Timbre is back!"

Miroku stared at his secretary for a while and blinked. "What? Why?" He asked in slight confusion. Hachi shrugged and moved out of the way, just in time for a frantic Ayame and startled Myoga to burst through the doorway. Ayame ran up to the desk and tried to catch her breath.

"We know where Miss Higurashi is!" She shrieked and Sango dropped the papers in her hands. Miroku felt his stomach bottom out even as he stood up to face the panting wolf youkai. Myoga also turned to Ayame in surprise. She hadn't said why they were suddenly going back to the executives office, she just grabbed his arm and pressed the elevator buttons wildly.

"Where?" Miroku demanded as Sango grabbed a hold of his arm to keep herself steady.

"She's on an island in the Atlantic ocean, near the tropic of Cancer!" She stated as she grabbed a hold of the two CEO's and dragged them out of the office toward the waiting elevators. Myoga's mouth shut quickly and he whipped out his cell phone.

"Hello, Jaken? We know their location."

:With Jaken:

Jaken slammed the phone down and ran toward the door to the office he was sulking in. Papers and other important documents were strewn about in a haphazard way. Jaken flew out the doors to the office and nearly ran into his newly hired secretary, Bankotsu. He jumped out of the little toads way and tried to look thoroughly shocked.

"Where are you going so fast?" He asked smoothly and the harried Jaken answered without thought. "They found out where Sesshoumaru-sama is!" He shouted after him as he leapt down the stairs as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Bankotsu waited till he was out of sight before calmly walking over to the nearest phone and picking it up. He dialed a remembered number quickly and waited for the person on the other end to pick up.

"Hello, Price?"

He heard confirmation and quickly finished the report.

"Yes, they have found them. They are on their way to the lab."

:With Onigumo:

Onigumo grinned as he set the phone down and tapped his fingers on the counter top before him. He then picked up another phone and dialed his bosses phone number.

"Masaru? They found them. They're all heading toward the lab. Meet you there in ten minutes." He said shortly and placed the phone back on the receiver. He slowly stood and got his coat heading out the door of his apartment.

:With Hojo:

Hojo groaned in pleasure as the woman before him worked her magic. He heard his phone ring and gave a short growl of annoyance. Picking it up quickly, he stifled another groan. "What?" He rasped out and coughed to clear his throat.

As the person on the other line answered, Hojo sat up straight and pushed Kikyou off of him. "Right." He said and hung up the phone after the man's long narrative. Kikyou looked up at the man sitting before her and wiped her mouth.

"What is it?" She asked as she stood and straightened her clothes. Hojo glanced at her and set his own clothes to rights. "They found them." he said shortly as he gathered his things and left the office. Kikyou watched after him for a while then smirked. Her Inuyasha had been found.

:With Ginta and Hakkaku:

Ginta shoved his elbow into Hakkaku's abdomen for the third time since they had been cooped up in the damn vents of Onigumo's apartment. Hakkaku stifled his pain-filled moan and glared at his brother. He opened his mouth to, once again, complain. Ginta glared back and prepared to hit him again. Both were distracted as the phone rang in the apartment. They listened as Onigumo picked up his phone and spoke to someone, a creepy grin stretching his features. "Well done Bank." he said as he hung up the phone.

Ginta watched as a small chuckle came from the evil man and watched in rapt attention as he picked up the phone again and called someone they were aware that he worked for. Hojo Masaru. Hakkaku tried to stop his cry of triumph as Onigumo announced that the survivors had been found...or almost.

Onigumo hung up the phone and walked out the door of his apartment, whistling the whole way. Ginta let out a sigh, and as he did, the vent broke and both wolves came crashing down to the floor, covered in a thick layer of dust. Hakkaku jumped up and did his version of a sprained ankle happy dance. Ginta stood as well, grinning brightly.

"Come on, Hakkaku! We've got a lab to get to!"

:Inside the Midoriko story:

Midoriko, Subaki and Davis sat in a small camp on a cleaner part of the beach. Damien was off collecting small pieces of anything that would burn. He was close to the camp fire so they could see him if anything happened. Subaki clung to Midoriko, both girls slightly wishing it were Damien they were holding.

Davis stared into the fire with a solemn look. Determination set into every line of his body. Someone had killed off his crew. 'A monster? In both senses of the word...he is. Don't worry...I'll avenger your spirits...' He thought with a fire in his eyes that seemed hotter then the actual flame before him.

Damien piled the sticks together and sat down next to Midoriko. Subaki watched him with an intense look and Midoriko tried not to blush as she stared into the fire. 'People just died 'Riko! It is not time to start thinking about things like that!' Midoriko chastised herself and sighed. Subaki meanwhile was thinking the exact opposite.

'Mmmm. Look at those muscles! Kami, he's so hot!' She thought as she stared at the bare chest-ed man to her right. 'His body just seems to ripple!'

:With Kagome:

"We stayed up all that night, afraid of what might happen if we fell asleep. Damien kept urging Subaki and I to sleep for a while, but we wouldn't allow ourselves to. Davis was off in his own thoughts. I don't even think he realized dawn had come when we had all decided to go back and bury the dead sailors...or rather the pieces we could find of them.

"Davis refused to leave their graves for a while, said he wanted to pay his last respects. Damien said he wanted to go and make sure that no one else was hidden anywhere on the ship, in case we missed someone. Subaki said she wanted to go with...and I let her go. Alone. With the man I was falling in love with.

"I later realized what a mistake that would be. But for the moment I stayed behind Davis and watched as he muttered nonsense under his breath. At the time I thought that it was merely prayer of the American sort. This too was a mistake to assume this. He was steadily losing his mind, but that comes in later.

"We packed our stuff and got ready to set out. Where? I had no idea. Damien said it was unsafe to stay in the same place and I had silently agreed. Subaki had said it was a great plan to leave and Davis followed without saying anything."

:Back into the story:

Midoriko sat down as they stopped once again for the night. Two nights and three days on this island already and there were only four of them left. She felt drained, angry and sad all together. Her chocolate eyes slid over to a sight that made her stomach turn over. Subaki was clinging to Damien shrieking about being terrified of the night.

Midoriko felt her ire rise and shoved it down. She didn't really notice the struggle the poor man was putting up to get the clingy girl off of him. Davis sat with his eyes once again focused on the fire, plotting a way to get back at whoever had killed his men. 'We don't even know who or what did it.' He thought irritably and sighed. Midoriko looked over at him and frowned.

His eyes looked far away and Midoriko recognized the look as depression. Slightly worried about the man, Midoriko stood and made her way to his side. She sat down beside him and tried to catch his eyes. Once he glanced over to her, she smiled softly and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. Everything...will turn out ok...I hope." She whispered and Davis smiled lopsidedly. "I know." He said with a double meaning as he placed his own hand on hers. Subaki and Damien had stopped their little charade as they witnessed the touching display. Both eyes narrowed as both shot to their feet to interfere.

"Midoriko-sama!"

"'Riko!"

Both shouted the girls name and leapt over to where she was sitting. Davis scowled at them and Midoriko looked at them with confusion. 'What is their problem? I can't comfort anyone? They're practically hanging over each other and yet I can't lend a comforting hand to another person?' Midoriko ranted into her head as she tried to calm down.

Damien had situated himself between Davis and Midoriko and Subaki was trying to sit on his lap. Damien growled in annoyance as he tried to shove the woman off of him. Davis watched this with a smirk as a small plan formed in his head. 'It appears that the lady miko's sister is enamored of Damien. Now to get the two of them together, which leaves me with Midoriko.'

Damien saw the look in his brothers eyes and tried to keep his own from narrowing. The bastard was planning something...

Subaki realized that Damien had stopped struggling and was now staring at the captain. 'Well, ex-captain. He doesn't have a ship anymore and all his servants are dead...how sad.' She preened in her head as she snuggled closer to the stiff man behind her. Midoriko watched her sister with thinly veiled disgust and astonishment. 'I never realized she was so...'

'Loose? Bitchy? Free with her attentions? Whore-ish?'

'Yes...' Midoriko thought with a sad sigh and it seemed her self-conscious was surprised at her easy agreement.

'So you've finally come around, eh?'

'I guess I can no longer lie to myself anymore...her aura is slowly turning a dark red...some parts of it are already black and purple.'

'Glad you noticed. Now, how are we gonna get her sticky hands off of our man?'

'He is not ours. If he...wants...her, then I will step aside.'

'Are you kidding! Look at the way he's trying to get the wench off of him!'

'He probably feels embarrassed with public displays of affection.'

'Keep telling yourself that and you'll lose him before you even try.'

Midoriko felt a strange determination fill her being and almost smiled in the way it lit her whole body up with happiness. She glanced over at Subaki and reached over, pulling her shocked sister off of the relieved man.

"Behave yourself, Subaki." She whispered and Subaki stared at her in shock.

Never had Midoriko ever done anything like this. 'She actually pulled me off the guy and told me to behave!'

'See? It's already begun! It's all because of the man we are both attracted to.'

Subaki frowned and examined her sister. Midoriko glanced at Damien and then quickly looked away, fighting a blush at the appreciative glance he had sent back. Subaki narrowed her eyes and stifled a growl. 'She's moving in on him!' She asked herself incredulously and was surprised when she got an answer. But, the voice that answered was not her own.

'Of course she is moving in on the man. She is going to take him away from you ...you wouldn't like that...would you?'

The voice was low and melodious, holding a deeper seductive tone that made her shiver, despite the warmth from the fire. Subaki contemplated these words for a while then shook her head in a negative. 'No, but I do not think she will do anything about it. She wouldn't do that once she knew I liked him. And by now I'm sure she knows...'

'Are you positive of this?'

Subaki didn't answer the voice as she stared at her sister in slight question. 'You wouldn't do that...would you, 'Riko?'

:On the Island in the present:

Sesshoumaru stared at the wind witch floating above him as she entered the barrier erected around the place where Naraku was probably hidden. 'The coward!' He mentally scowled while on the outside he was just as stoic as ever. He glanced up at the sky and realized it was near dusk. Memorizing where he was, he sped off to where they had placed Kagome for safe keeping. His heart nearly leapt into his throat at the thought of the human girl dying in the cave.

'She will be fine.' He kept telling himself as he zipped through the trees as fast as he could go, silently marking where everything was.

:With Inuyasha and Kouga:

Inuyasha let out a grunt of pain as he slid down the trunk he had previously slammed into. Blood ran down the side of his face where he had been clonked already. Beside him Kouga also groaned as he too tried to stand from the hole shaped like himself. Before them floated Michael, staring at them in all seriousness. He himself had not escaped the fight without wounds. One of his black wings lay a little limp from an attack by Kouga and his once smirking face was bleed profusely from the claw marks done by Inuyasha himself.

Letting out a slight growl, Kouga leapt at the winged youkai the same time Inuyasha did. All three of them had red tinting the corners of their eyes. Before anyone could land another hit, a silver streak knocked the winged youkai back. Inuyasha and Kouga blinked in confusion as Sesshoumaru stood before them staring down at Michael.

Michael looked up at the Taiyoukai and blinked. 'Where's Gabe? I know he didn't kill him, I can still feel he is alive and well, if somewhat frustrated... why isn't he with the Taiyoukai!' Michael slowly stood and cocked an eyebrow. "Where is you brother?" Sesshoumaru asked as he tried to sense if the other youkai was hiding. Michael's eyebrow shot up even further and his mouth went down in a frown.

"He...he wasn't with you?" Michael asked slowly and watched as the Taiyoukai lifted his own eyebrow. "No." He said simply and al four youkai thought over this strange occurrence. Inuyasha let out a slight snicker and looked over at Michael.

"So, you lost you brother?" He asked with a slight laugh, but stopped when he realized that no one else shared his amusement. Sesshoumaru turned his steely gaze to Inuyasha and frowned. "If he is lost, Inuyasha, then that means he could be doing anything..."

"Do you know where he'd go?" Kouga asked and felt like flinching at the slightly civil tone he held with the youkai they had been ready to kill just minutes before. Michael thought for a moment and then felt his face pale. Gabriel had been acting strange since he had first laid eyes on the dying human girl...what if...

"Kagome." Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Inuyasha said at the same time while Michael muttered out "The Girl." All four youkai looked to each other and then shot off in the direction of the waterfall. Michael followed closely behind, not knowing where the girl was.

:With Gabriel:

Gabriel let out a frustrated sigh and tried not to show his annoyance. The girls scent was very faint here, but it wasn't anywhere else. He was currently in a clearing just beside the waterfall and was trying to understand where they could have taken her. His eyes were slightly red in his rage and frustration and his white wings were apparent and ruffled. His platinum blonde hair swung around wildly as he paced, finally deciding to head toward the pond with the waterfall.

He sat down on the bank of the pond and breathed in deep, trying to calm his raging emotions. Not to mention his inner beast, that was trying to break free to search for the woman he was attracted to. As he took in another deep breath a familiar scent reached his nose. It was the small male kitsune pup's scent. It was on the bank of this pond and extremely close.

'Where the pup is, the girl is sure to be.' He thought to himself as he stood and searched the small pond. After finding no other leads he sat down to glare at the beautiful water cascading over the rocks. As he stared at it, his thoughts clicked and his face split into a grin. 'Clever little brats.' He thought to himself as he stood and approached the waterfall in a predator sort of way.

Just as he was reaching the falling water, a body connected with his side, throwing both into the shallow water of the pond. Silver hair swirled around under the surface as Sesshoumaru, Kouga and Michael watched on in indifference and anger. Inuyasha came to the surface first and sucked in as much air as he could. Beside him, Gabriel did the same.

Michael hauled Gabriel out of the water as he floated above him. He shook him hard and glared into his brothers cold black eyes. "What the hell are you doing?" He shouted as the other three youkai watched with shocked and confused faces.

Gabriel wrenched himself free and glared back. Michael waited impatiently for a response, but, after not getting one, he began his rant again. "We were told to hunt down the stupid youkai over there, not some damn dying human wench!" Gabriel looked away from his twin and smirked. he didn't answer as his eyes strayed over to the waterfall.

"So she is in there..." He whispered and turned a steely look to Michael. The dark youkai stiffened as he realized his brother's gaze was turning red. It was, after all, close to mating season...and the girl was the only grown female on the island...that they knew of anyway. This same thought ran through all of their minds as they narrowed their eyes on the fidgeting Gabriel.

Sesshoumaru growled lowly and went to stand in front of the waterfall, his bare chest and dress pants getting wet as the mist from the water washed over him. Kouga went to stand by his side and Inuyasha stood next to Kouga. They made it clear to the two brothers...they were willing to kill any who dared o get any closer, and Gabriel was daring.

:With Kagome and Midoriko:

Kagome listened as Midoriko trailed off and felt her heart ache for the older miko. She had fallen in love with the man her sister was also falling for and, in that respect, was going to let the younger bitch have him! 'It's so tragic!' She thought as she watched the meadow shift slightly to early summer.

"I'm afraid we must stop the story there my dear...you must wake up." Midoriko said as she stood up. Kagome frowned and shot to her feet as well.

"What? Why?" She demanded as she allowed her disappointment to show.

Midoriko smiled and shook her head. "Trouble is brewing my dear, and you must awaken to stop a needless battle from breaking out." Kagome sighed and nodded her head. She then looked up in an almost pleading manner. "Will...will I be able to hear the rest later?" She asked in a nervous like manner.

Midoriko smiled again at the young woman and nodded. "I will visit you when you next go to sleep. There I will tell you the conclusion to the story. And about the responsibility you will have to uptake in order to ensure the world order."

Kagome sighed and nodded her head. Even as she felt her eyes close, she knew she had left the meadow with Midoriko and was now close to waking up. Terrified squeaks and the drone of male voices in the background filled her sensitive ears. It all sounded kind of echo-y. 'Where am I? What happened?' She asked herself disoriented as she opened her eyes and looked around the darkened cave she was in.

Her eyes first lit upon the translucent form of the ghost that fit the description of the two brothers Damien and Davis. He smiled slightly then disappeared. 'Which one was that?' She thought dazedly as she turned her head to see Rin and Shippo huddling by the entrance of the cave, apparently watching something outside the waterfall.

Dark shapes were all she could see, passed the white cascade and she gave up trying to pick out something she recognized. She instead focused on standing up and nearly cried out in joy as she did so. She stiffly walked over to where Rin and Shippo were, neatly side stepping the poison puddle and gaining her balance as she went.

As she placed a hand on both of the children's shoulders she felt the tale-tell feel of youki come off of them. 'They're youkai.' She thought in amazement as they both turned and let out quiet yips of joy when they realized she was awake. Hugging them back, Kagome looked down at them sternly and whispered into their ears. "You've all got a lot of explaining to do."

Rin and Shippo looked up to her with tears in their eyes and nodded as she pushed them back behind her. She told them to keep quiet as she slid out on the ledge from the side of the waterfall and gasped in amazement at the beautiful people before her. 'Kouga? Inuyasha? Sesshoumaru? They...they're youkai...who are the other two!' Kagome slowly slid herself down the side of the waterfall, still half hidden from view and went to stand on the shore. Now on solid ground with the setting sun behind her, Kagome placed her hands on her hips and opened her mouth for the second time in a day.

"What the hell is going on!" She demanded as she watched all of their cat-like eyes shoot over to where she stood. A small prickle of fear slid up her spine but was crushed by her growing temper.

:POV Change:

Sesshoumaru heard her bell-like voice and all quickly turned to look at her. Her mouth was moving, but Sesshoumaru, nor any of the others could hear what she was saying. Her sapphire eyes flashed with an inner fire and her hair glinted in the fading sunlight. It haloed her body, outlining her lean legs and tiny waist, showing off her bust and hips to perfection.

Sesshoumaru felt his body react and tried to squash the feelings down. He glanced around to see the others equally entranced. Trying to keep a growl from rising in his chest, he breathed in just as the wind shifted and carried her scent toward them. It immediately caused his hormones to go into overdrive and he felt his eyes redden.

Meanwhile, the full moon began to climb into the sky announcing to all of what had come. Mating season had finally arrived. And there, on that remote little island, were five horny youkai staring at the only grown female within a thousand mile radius. (heh... I kinda dissed Kagura there...) Let the "courting" begin...

:XD:

KC: Holy Moly! That was a long-ass chapter! I had better get some reviews for this one or you won't get the rest!

PLEASE REVIEW!