A/N: And we're back with Chapter Eighteen! HOORAY! I hope you all enjoyed the previous chapter! And disclaimer goes to…Haru!

Haru: Aki does not own Inuyasha or Naruto as she's been saying all this time. She owns this story and all her characters, except for Reika, who is in fact, mine, seeing that she's my apprentice. And I shall teach her the ways…of the Dark Side of the Force-
Me: As of now, I also do not own Star Wars. That belongs to a friggen awesome dude named George Lucas. Now Haru, I own you, and if I own you, then I own Reika too. Now continue please…
Haru: But as I was saying, since she owns none of the aforementioned things, you have no right to sue her and take away her masterpiece. Also, I am aware that many of you wish to kill me.(Random scene of an angry Dragon Man chibi) But Aki would like to assure you all that in the end, Karma does indeed bite me in the ass. What the hell are you making me read, woman?
Me: JUST READ! I need to start the chapter dammit!
Haru: Anyways, so take comfort in that fact, and at long last, Chapter eighteen.
Me: FINALLY! Now go away before I let Dragon Man's idea of your fate come true…
Haru: And what was that?
Me: Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha castrate you with their swords. I learned from Kyuubi-san in Dragon Man's story NTKH, that if you cut all the blood vessels in IT you can have some massive internal bleeding which'll hurt like hell I'm sure. However, I interpreted it as that Kyuubi-san sliced it off, and didn't seal the wound so that Mizuki would bleed to death from the wound. And I'm sure Dragon Man wishes to give you the latter fate after what you've done to Reika-chan.
Dragon Man: (Appears magically) I DO! I DO! I DO! I DO! I DO! I DO! (Pulls out katana and sharpening stone) PLEASE LET ME SLICE IT OFF!
Haru: (Pales and walks away slowly before running for the hills)

And now Chapter Eighteen…


Chapter Eighteen: Corruption

It had been nearly four months since that day Kyo learned what fate held in store for his beloved. In that time he watched as the love of his life went through many physical and emotional changes. The life within her grew more and more each passing day, and her emotions were a full spectrum of many extremes. Each day was different, a new adventure was in store for him and his mate everyday. It was on a day that Mei Lhi and Kagome, both of whom were quite fat with child, decided to have another girl's only chat as they strolled about the castle. Kyo found himself mentally counting down the time his beloved had left.

"Four months…" he sighed, immediately finding himself biting his lip to prevent his feelings from overwhelming him.

He had only four months left to spare before he would lose her…forever…

-

"Why are you so sad, Kyoshi-kun? What's wrong? Tell me," Mei Lhi said, gently cupping her mate's face in her hands, looking imploringly into his eyes.

"Iie…it's nothing. Just doing some thinking that's all…" Kyo replied passively.

"What kind of thinking?" The girl asked.

"Eh…nothing really important…" he responded. "Besides, you shouldn't worry about me. I should be worrying about you. It won't be long before the child arrives." The young Ryuu said, changing the subject, hoping it would distract his mate and avert her attention. To his luck, it did.

"Oh hai! That's very true, ne? But that day is still quite a while away. Kagome-chan will have had her pup long before mine decides it's time to be born."

Kyo nodded in agreement. "Hai…"

-

"How do you feel?" Toji asked. "Better? Worse? The same as usual?"

"My nightmares…they're…getting stronger…I don't know if…I don't know if I will wake from the next one…" Reika answered, her body involuntarily shuddering.

"Trust me, you will wake from each one and no matter how real they all seem, just know that they won't happen, because what you see is not the true destiny. You can change it. You have that power. You can change it. Remember that, if not anything else."

Reika nodded, silently thanking Toji for his comfort. With a sigh, she turned away from him, staring off into the darkening night sky.

-

"Kagome-chan…" Hana called. "It's time to check on you again…"

The miko-youkai rapped lightly on the door to announce her arrival.

A minute or so passed, and no one answered. Hana sighed.

"Alright, I'm coming in…regardless of what you and Inuyasha may or may not be doing…"

She slid open the door and stepped inside.

"Kagome-chan…?" She called again, looking around the room, finding fear clutch at her heart as she saw the room appeared to be empty.

"Kagome-chan! Where are you? Inuyasha! I'm in no mood for games! Come out now!"

"Geez woman, quiet will you? I'm trying to listen!" Inuyasha said irritably from a dark area of the room.

Hana lit one of the oil lamps in the room, finding Kagome sitting comfortably with Inuyasha, whose ear was pressed against the young miko girl's belly.

"There I found it!" Inuyasha announced proudly with a broad grin.

"You sure you're not getting it confused with mine?" Kagome asked.

"Nope. It's definitely the pup's heart beat. Besides, I know yours well enough." The hanyou replied with a small smirk.

Hana sighed with relief. "Alright you two, break it up…I need to check on you Kagome-chan. You know as well I do that that pup is on its way."

"He kicked me!" Inuyasha yelped in surprise as he pulled his ear away.

"He already misses his poppa, that's why." Kagome said with a smile.

Inuyasha's smirk grew. "I think he likes me more than you."

"Oh don't be silly, Inuyasha!"

"Inuyasha, I need you to leave so I can examine Kagome-chan."

"Yeah, yeah…I'm going…" The hanyou said with a grunt, vacating the room.

"Any back pain, dear?"

"Oh no, not so much…I sit a lot. Inuyasha's been tending my needs. He doesn't want me to move around too much. He says it's for my safety…"

"Well that's good of him to be so concerned for you."

"Hai! It is!"

The two women exchanged smiles.

"Now Kagome-chan, there are some things I believe you should know…firstly, birth is not a very painless event. There will be pain, there will be blood, and there will be sweat and tears. It is a very life-altering moment. For you see, the moment that child is in your arms, you will no longer be the carefree girl you once were. Also, from that moment forward, you will be an official Lady of the West. And your child, be it male or female, will be Inuyasha's successor. So you will then have to raise that child well, and be certain that it is prepared to someday succeed the throne. You are aware of this, correct?"

"Hai, I am."

"Will you be ready to accept all of these things asked of you?"

"Hai, I will, I promise."

-

Sesshoumaru sat in yet another meeting. The men clustered about him all spoke in the same monotonous drone, all of them complaining of political issues and other such things. He glanced at Hana who looked just as bored as he felt.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, do you not agree with this approach?" One of the men asked him.

"Hm? My apologies, what were you proposing again? I seem to find myself mildly confused with all of you speaking at once; I fear I may not have heard your plan clearly." The taiyoukai replied.

"Oh, of course. Sesshoumaru-sama, I was proposing, seeing that the East and North invaded, we should possibly strengthen the north and east gates and double the guards there and send scouts to both regions to spy on the Neko, Tora, and Ryuu clans. That way we can be aware of a conspiracy beforehand and be well-prepared to defend this castle."

"I find that to be a somewhat moderate proposition, however…there is too much risk of scouts being caught. Foreign scouts of another empire being discovered spying on enemies is what starts wars. I have seen many wars in my life time. I wish to keep this land as peaceful as possible. I have pups to look after and it would be ill if there were warfare and my children would end up fatherless. Tsurugi is not yet well trained enough to take over for me. He is far too young to begin with. Rin and Tsukimisou know only of womanly things, nothing of managing an empire. Although Rin probably knows more of the subject having been with me on travels for so long, during the time of Naraku. And I would not wish to place such a heavy burden on my mate. She has enough to worry about as it is. Perhaps revise your plan, and I shall reconsider."

"Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

There was a knock at the door. Hana glanced to Sesshoumaru, who nodded. Hana rose, excusing herself from the council, and crossed the room and opened the door, seeing Jaken and the Tora no Taisho with Haru in tow.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! I couldn't stop them! They just-!" The toad began, only to have himself flattened as the two walked into the room, squishing him.

Hana backed away from the door, fear and anxiety clutching at every fiber of her being. Haru turned to her.

"There, there, don't be so worried, dear Lady. We mean no harm. We simply wish to have a small chat with your husband." The Ryuu said in a very unconvincing tone.

"What is it that you wish to discuss with me?" Sesshoumaru asked the two newcomers.

"Are you in the middle of something? We can always call again. It seems you're busy with something important." The Tora no Taisho said, ignoring the question.

"Iie, I am not." The taiyoukai turned to his advisors sitting at the table with him. "We shall continue this discussion later. But work on revising your proposition in the meantime. You are dismissed."

"Hai Sesshoumaru-sama!" They all chorused, filtering out of the room.

"You may sit if you wish."

"Thank you for allowing us here, Sesshoumaru. Dear Lady, would you mind fetching some tea? I'm afraid that the journey has tired me…" Haru said in an almost kind sounding voice, looking to Hana, who nodded slowly.

The miko-youkai left the room, going as quickly to the kitchens as she could. Something was going to happen. She could tell. As she walked briskly through the halls, movement caught in the corner of her eye. She paused and turned, gasping.

Someone was sneaking into the castle. Haru and the Tora no Taisho were simply a diversion to keep Sesshoumaru occupied.

-

Hana returned with the tea and sent her mate a knowing look, which he returned. As the miko-youkai began to serve the tea, she politely took Haru's cup and poured the hot liquid into it, handing it back to him so she 'accidentally' spilled some of it on his hand.

"Ah, kami-sama!" The Ryuu exclaimed.

"Oh gomen nasai! I must have let my mind wander again. This day has been quite trying for me as well; my deepest felt apologies, Haru-sama. There is a washroom just down the hall from here with a basin of cold water which should help with the burn. I can have one of the servants direct you if you like." Hana replied in perfectly well-acted concern.

"Iie, I shall find it myself. But I thank you for your concern. I shall be back shortly."

With the Ryuuyoukai out of the room and now out of hearing and attacking range, Hana and Sesshoumaru struck, knocking the Tora no Taisho unconscious before the youkai could react.

"Anata, someone is sneaking into the castle, these two are here to keep you busy! We have to find out what they're after, and it will have to be soon. Haru-sama will be back any moment now."

A servant girl ran into the room, pale-faced and jittery.

"Milady! Milord! I-I don't know what happened! I just left for a-for just a moment, a-a-and…" The girl broke out into tears. "THE CHILDREN ARE GONE!" she bawled.

"Nani?" Hana exclaimed, fear clutching at her heart once again.

"Unghhh…" The Tora no Taisho grunted as he began to stir.

Haru returned just as the Tora no Taisho came round.

"Forget the plan! They know! We have to leave immediately!" The Tora no Taisho roared at the Ryuuyoukai.

Haru nodded, his expression unreadable. "We shall begin negotiations now…" he said simply after a long silence.

"Negotiations?" Sesshoumaru repeated, his expression cold.

"Exactly, Sesshoumaru. You give the Tora no Taisho here your lands and give the Neko exactly half, and your children shall be returned to you unharmed." Haru replied a smirk upon his face.

"I will not hand over these lands so easily." The taiyoukai said, his tone level.

Sesshoumaru's face bore no emotion but on the inside, every fiber of his body was filled with worry and anxiety at the possibilities of what could be happening to his children at that very moment. His stomach churned at the thought, giving his head a brief shake to clear his mind.

"You've made a big mistake, Sesshoumaru. Those brats are as good as dead now." The Tora no Taisho snickered.

"Iie!" Hana cried out.

"Hana-chan!" Sesshoumaru said suddenly, giving his mate a firm look. The miko-youkai nodded in understanding.

She knew she could not falter now. She had to stay strong through the end. She couldn't let her emotions overtake her. One wrong move and it could turn everything into the favor of the enemy.

-

Mei Lhi returned to her room, smiling to herself contentedly. For some reason Kagome's company was very welcome to her. The hanyou girl figured it was just because the two of them shared the same situation. As she slid the door shut, turning round and prepared to change into a sleeping kimono, she screamed.

There was a man in her room, and it wasn't Kyo or Inuyasha, or any man that held a familiar face to her.

The unknown man rushed up towards the hanyou girl to attempt to silence her, but Mei Lhi had bolted from the room in an instant.

As the girl rounded a corner, she ran right into her brother who had obviously come up wondering what the screaming was about.

"Oi, what's wrong with you?" The hanyou asked curiously, cocking an eyebrow.

"There's someone in my room! I swear to Kami-sama there's someone there!" Mei Lhi exclaimed, terrified.

"Keh. Are you sure you're not imagining it?"

"Inuyasha no baka!" The hanyou girl yelled fiercely, smacking him on the head. "I'm not joking! Go look for yourself!"

"OW! Quit it! Ok, if I look, will you shut up!" Inuyasha shouted, his voice louder than his sister's.

"YES!" Mei Lhi shrieked into his ear.

Inuyasha growled, a clawed hand clapped to his ear, grumbling as he stomped down the hall, sliding the door to his sister's room open.

The room was empty. Inuyasha was about to leave the room when he noticed a foreign scent.

'Someone was here…eh…? Kuso! I smell Rin and Tsukimisou! Those two weren't even on this floor for the past week! I have to find Kagome. They almost attacked Imouto-chan. She could be in trouble too.'

The hanyou tore out of the room faster than you could blink, grasping his sister's wrist, pulling her along.

"Nii-chan! Don't run so fast! I am carrying a pup you know!"

"Shut up! Kagome's probably in danger! I'm only bringing you along because Kyo's not here to protect you, so now it's my responsibility to make sure you're not killed!"

Mei Lhi rolled her eyes, grumbling under her breath. "You can at least carry me or something, you moron. I don't think my pup appreciates all the stress you're giving him when you round corners and jump to the bottom of stairwells."

"Fine…"

Inuyasha growled irritably and stopped short, crouching down to let his sister climb onto his back.

"Hurry up!" he snapped impatiently.

"Calm down! I'm going as fast as I can!"

And then, he was off again, moving twice as fast.

-

"Kyoshima-sama! There's been an attack at the Western Lands. Youkai have infiltrated the palace. There is no doubt that your wife is in danger. Please, you must hurry." A messenger exclaimed suddenly, bursting into the room where the boy was hard at work.

Kyo's eyes went wide with shock, tearing out of the room, running right smack into the messenger once more.

"Please, you're in my way! I have to get to her! She could be dead already!" The Ryuuyoukai said in a voice that bordered frustration and fear.

"But there is one more message, sir."

"What is it?"

"Come closer…it is a secret…"

"I have no time for this! Inform me when I return."

"It is crucial that you know now."

"I'm sure it can wait."

"Actually, no, it can't…"

The messenger unsheathed a jagged dagger, dripping with horrid miasma and plunged it into the young Ryuuyoukai boy's chest.

"Haru-sama wishes you kind regards and says that he shall see you very soon…"

With those words said, the messenger tore out the dagger and turned and walked away to the boy's anguished yells and cries of pain.

-

At that moment, Mei Lhi felt her heart stop. Kyo was in trouble. Fear and worry overwhelmed the girl. He was hurt!

'No…I-I have to save you!'

"Oi, what's wrong?" Inuyasha asked, obviously already sensed the girl's sudden jolt of terror.

"Kyoshi-kun…" she whispered.

The hanyou seemed to understand. "Don't worry Imouto-chan. He's strong. Once I find Kagome, we'll go as fast as we can. Do you know where he is?"

"He's…in the North. We won't be able to get to him without the help of a Ryuuyoukai."

"Well, you're his mate aren't you? You should be allowed in."

"I'll be killed. And so will you. They're not very fond of youkai not of their kind, and they despise people like us…people that are…hanyou."

At this, Mei Lhi began to sob. Kyo was in pain, and she couldn't get to him. He was going to die alone, without her.

"Hey! Don't cry! That won't solve anything! He'll be fine, Imouto-chan! Someone is bound to find him. Kagome is near, and once I get her, we'll leave and steal Aun. Sesshoumaru won't mind."

"Sesshoumaru-Onii-san's pups are being held hostage. The man that was in my room took Rin-chan and Tsuki-chan. I don't know where Tsurugi is. He could have been captured by someone else, or he could be safe and hiding with Jaken for all I know."

"Keh. That's his problem."

"It's our problem. They're our family, baka! And families help one another."

-

"Milord, we found the two girls, but we can't find the boy. He seems to have fled. Mura is searching the castle for him." A Torayoukai informed the Tora no Taisho.

"Good. I want you to look for the brat as well. Go, and do not come back until you find him!" The Tora no Taisho said in a growl.

"Hai!"

The Torayoukai bowed, excusing himself from the room before running off.

"Such wonderful news for you Sesshoumaru…your son seems to have run off. However, if we find him, he shall be the first to die. Haru will ensure that."

"Tsurugi is not a fool. He will know to stay hidden until the threat has passed. I have taught him well." Sesshoumaru said, his signature smirk in place.

"Our girls are also quite a handful. You may have some problems with them." Hana said, also smirking.

She understood her mate's new approach. Manipulate the enemy into doubting themselves. It always worked. Well, as long as the one they were manipulating wasn't as gullible as the fools who got swayed by it. She had confidence now. She knew that at last the tables were turning and thanks to Sesshoumaru, they were gaining the upper hand.

-

"Ryouji-sama, I have a message for you and one for you as well Megumi-sama." The messenger said.

Ryouji turned to face the messenger, a questioning look on his face. Then he noticed it. The messenger reeked of blood. It wasn't anyone's blood either. It was his son's blood. This was no messenger, but an assassin. He looked to Megumi who nodded, for she sensed it too. He could see her forcing down her worry, to remain calm.

'This assassin is obviously not very smart and very messy. He doesn't even bother to bathe or clean his weapon before he attacks again. Fool. Anyone with youkai senses could smell the blood from a mile off. And seeing that you attacked my son and you're now after me and my mate, well, prepare to face your worst nightmare. No one harms my family and gets away with it.'

"What is your message?" Ryouji asked, playing along for the time being.

"My message is short and simple…"

"Oh? Is that so?"

The messenger unveiled the dagger, still dripping with Kyo's blood, charging at the Suna Ryuuyoukai.

"Haru-sama bids you a fond farewell."

"I bid you one first!"

The messenger's dagger fell to the floor, his eyes wide with shock as he became overwhelmed by the pain. Ryouji had drawn his blade faster than the speed of light and ran the entire length of the blade through the messenger's stomach.

"I hope that this wound causes you equal amount of pain as you did to my son, or better yet, I wish upon you that you suffer more than he ever will. I now have a message for you to deliver to Haru. Tell him that I am not a fool, tell him that I am quite aware of his plans and it will lead to his downfall. Tell him this when he comes to collect your corrupted soul."

Ryouji withdrew his sword, cleaning the blade and sheathing it. "Come, Megumi-chan. We must find Kyo."

Megumi nodded and the two ran, following the blood scent that the messenger had left on his way.

"There! He's there!" Megumi exclaimed, rushing up to him, cradling the boy in her arms. "My dear son, stay strong for your Kaa-chan, ne? Stay strong for Mei-chan too, ne?"

"How is he?" Ryouji asked.

"It just barely missed his heart and lungs. But he's losing a lot of blood, and he's unconscious."

Megumi examined the wound, noticing black blood around it.

"He's poisoned. Miasma…" she muttered.

"We're going to have to move him."

"The poison will spread. I don't know how far it's progressed into his body."

"We will have to take the risk and do it, Megumi-chan or he may not be able to survive it. I'm not sure about you, but I wish for him to live, he has quite a lot to live for."

"Hai…perhaps he would make better recovery if Mei-chan were with him?"

"That would be wise. You will have to go quickly and get her."

"But…what about you?"

"I'm staying here; I've got to move him. I'll look after him. Don't worry Megumi-chan, I can take care of him."

"Where do I go when I come back?"

"You'll know, my love."

He kissed her lightly, embracing her slightly before gently drawing away.

"Now hurry, we don't have much time."

"Hai! I'll be back soon. I promise!"

And then, she was gone.

'Please hurry back, Megumi-chan. May nothing hinder you, and may the heavens watch over you.'

-

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled out.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome exclaimed rushing up to him.

Mei Lhi, now standing leaning against the wall forced a smile, glad that her friend was unharmed.

'I wish I could be at your side now…but please, stay strong and fight whatever it is that is giving you this pain.'

As if someone had read her mind, an emerald colored dragon came streaking down the hallway towards her. Megumi. At that moment, the hanyou girl wanted to cry tears of joy. She would be able to see him.

The woman returned to her human form, her breathing quite heavy from flying a long distance in a very short span of time. Once she stabilized her breathing, she turned to her daughter-in-law. "I'm sure you're aware that Kyo is wounded." Megumi said.

"Hai…I've been worried about him." Mei Lhi replied.

"I'm going to need you to help me."

"How bad is it?" The girl asked, fearing for the worst.

"He's lost a lot of blood, but his major organs weren't harmed. However, the dagger that stabbed him apparently had been enchanted with miasma."

"Who would do this?"

"It was under Haru's orders. An impostor messenger was sent. The same man tried to assassinate Ryouji and myself. However, the impostor was not well-trained and Ryouji was able to see through the act and killed the man before anything could happen."

"I see…"

"Now come, we must go quickly. Ryouji doesn't know much about medicine, but he knows enough to keep Kyo alive long enough for us to get to him."

Mei Lhi turned to her brother. "I'm sorry, I have to go. Please tell Sesshoumaru-Onii-san where I've gone."

Inuyasha nodded. "Be careful, alright? Don't die or anything, 'cause I won't be there."

"The same for you, Nii-chan. I won't be here either."

Inuyasha smirked and nodded again, waving her off as if to say, 'Go and take care of him now. He needs you.'

"Mei-chan, I do hope Sesshoumaru doesn't mind, but I may have broken a door on the way in…" Megumi said sheepishly.

"I'm sure he won't care." Mei Lhi replied.

The Earth Ryuu transformed, and with the assistance of her brother, Mei Lhi got onto her back, and they were off.

'I'll be there soon. Keep fighting for me.'

-

"Nee-chan, will we be ok?" Tsukimisou asked.

"We'll be fine, Tsuki-chan. Don't worry. Hahaue and Chichiue will come and get us, ne?" Rin replied.

"Hai!"

"Silence, brats! What did I say about talking?"

Rin sighed at this.

'At this rate, we'll never see our parents again. I can only give Tsuki-chan a false hope to hold onto…but if these invaders crush even that, I don't know what to do…' The young youkai girl thought sadly.

"We have new orders. The children are to be brought to the conference room."

"Understood."

Their captor kicked at the two girls' heels. "On your feet! We're moving." He ordered in his gruff voice.

Rin stood silently, helping her sister to her feet.

"Omi-san, the elder girl is staring at you." The informant of the new orders said.

The man, Omi nodded. "What are you looking at, brat?" he demanded of Rin, staring at her.

Rin stared back at him coldly, unafraid. "My father will kill you for what you've done. Kami-sama will surely make you pay for your actions." She said in a level voice.

Omi growled and backhanded the girl. "No one speaks to me that way! Learn some manners, brat!"

Tsukimisou looked mortified, observing the bright red mark that now marred her onee-chan's cream-colored face.

"Daijoubu ka Rin-chan?" she asked, near tears.

"Hai, I'm fine, Tsuki-chan." Rin answered, shooting a hateful look at Omi who simply glared back.

"Hiro-san, inform the Dono-sama that I am arriving with the children." Omi said finally after a long period of silence and glaring at Rin.

"Hai, Omi-san!" Hiro replied, bowing and rushing off.

"You brat," Omi said, turning to look at Rin. "You need to learn not to stare and to hold your tongue. Has your mother not taught you better? Now come, we're moving."

Rin said nothing and simply began walking the direction Omi indicated, without a single backward glance.

-

Doors flew open and Hana and Sesshoumaru seemed surprised to see their daughters be brought into the room.

"The children are to commit seppuku, seeing that the negotiations have not gone well." Haru said calmly.

Hana's face immediately went white. Sesshoumaru's eyes also slightly widened. Rin froze with shock and fear.

Omi pushed the two girls onto the floor, ordering them on their knees. He then dropped two identical silver knives before each girl.

"What's seppuku?" Tsukimisou asked.

Hana, Sesshoumaru, and Rin all shared the same pain at once.

"Well, Tsuki-chan…you…you take the knife in front of you and…well, it's a game. You slice your throat and then Chichiue heals you with Tenseiga, but if he's mad or if you don't play the game right, he won't." Rin explained, trying to use the most vague and innocent explanation as possible.

Rin or her parents didn't have the heart to tell the girl that seppuku was a form of ritual suicide that was an honorable way to relieve oneself of their shame or their weakness that was used in the Bushido Code of the samurai.

"One of you go first." Omi commanded.

"I refuse." Rin replied.

"Do you wish to be humiliated? I can decapitate you if you wish it."

"No."

"The young one goes first."

Rin's eyes widened. Tsukimisou looked confused.

"What do I do, Nee-chan?" she asked.

"We're-we're going to play the game now, and you get to go first, since it's your first time playing. It's so that when we play next time you know what to do." Rin said, attempting to bite back tears.

"Is the knife for me?"

"Yes. Now go on…"

"How?"

"You just cut right here." Rin explained, drawing an imaginary line on her neck with her finger, right on the spot where the jugular vein was. "Now pick up the knife, unsheathe it."

"Nee-chan…I'm scared."

"Don't be. Remember, it's just a game."

"But what if I die?"

"Chichiue will revive you. That's what Tenseiga does."

"Okay…will you go next?"

"Of course."

Tsukimisou did as she was instructed, the exposed blade in her tiny hand, she raised it to the spot her sister had shown her and prepared to dig the blade into her flesh and draw it across. As she began to move her hand to cut the skin, she found her arm would not move.

"I can't move my arm Nee-chan."

Everyone looked to Tsukimisou and they saw a girl of about fourteen, her skin a pale whitish color, clad in tattered black clothes standing before the young Inuyoukai, her white hand clasped on Tsukimisou's wrist, stopping her movement.

"Haru…you disgust me…"

"So, I suppose I was not powerful enough to not keep the change from appearing in your book, eh?"

"You sick bastard! It is not their time yet! Forcing them to kill themselves? You are the lowest thing I have ever seen!"

"Reika, let go. Let the girl play the game."

"No. I will not allow her to die. You're going against fate. This is punishable. I will report you."

"You wouldn't report your own master, would you?"

"You have no idea what I will and will not do, Haru. I swear on Kami-sama that you will not come through this unscathed."

"Tora-sama, it seems we cannot proceed. Gather your men, we are leaving." Haru said finally.

"After everything that we've accomplished? You're stepping down? You are a coward!" The Tora no Taisho snarled.

"You should know not to call the one who controls death a coward. I have faced much more fearful things in my lifetime that I cannot even begin to describe to you. Things if you were to see yourself, you would cower with fear and cry for your mother to protect you. And you dare call me a coward?"

"My apologies, Haru-sama. I was angered."

"It matters not anyway. We will still obtain the West. I have a backup plan. That one is successful. Reika, perhaps you should check your dear cousin's current state. Now we must take our leave. Farewell."

Haru faded from view as the Tora no Taisho and all his men came to him, together walking outside before vanishing in a powerful, quick leap.

Reika looked down at Tsukimisou.

"Let go of the knife." She said in a level voice.

Tsukimisou let go, the weapon falling to the floor.

"Reika-sama, do you know where my son is?" Hana asked.

Reika nodded. "He is with Jaken. Jaken is hiding in the servants' quarters. Tsurugi is unharmed."

Hana sighed with relief. Tsukimisou looked to Reika, wondering what her next instructions were.

"Child, you can go to your mother now. The danger has passed." She said quietly, knowing that her voice would not hold up for long.

"Please, my name is Tsukimisou. You can call me Tsuki-chan. Thank you for helping us." The young girl said, getting to her feet, bowing politely.

Reika's response was delayed as she pondered how safe it would be for her to continue speaking.

"It was…my pleasure, Tsuki-chan." She said finally, nodding a farewell before extending her arm and disappearing into ashes.

"Who was that girl, Hahaue?" Tsukimisou asked.

"She's a friend of Mei-oba-san." Hana answered.

"How come we've never met her?"

"She recently met Mei-chan."

"Oh, I see."

Sesshoumaru silently crossed the room and knelt so he was at Rin's level.

"Are you alright, Rin?" he asked.

"Chichiue…I…I…" Rin stuttered, her words failing her.

The taiyoukai took the girl into his arms, who at once began to cry.

-

"Kyoshi-kun! I'm here, it's ok, I'm here!" Mei Lhi exclaimed, worriedly, rushing to her mate's side.

The Ryuuyoukai twitched slightly, turning towards the sound of her voice. However, he still remained unconscious.

"Ryouji-san, how bad is it?" The hanyou asked.

"The poison hasn't spread very far just yet. But I don't think he's going to improve if the miasma is still inside his body." Ryouji replied.

"I see…"

Mei Lhi's eyes looked downward, and she sighed.

'You will pull through this. I know you…you've been through worse than this. We've had harder times than this, ne? Oh Kyoshi-kun…please, don't give in…don't give up…'

Her eyes began to water, but she fought back the tears.

'You've always been here for me. I want to be here for you now. Somehow…whenever you're with me, I always feel better. Maybe it's the same thing for you too?'

She looked upon his face, which appeared distressed. Lightly she took his hand and squeezed gently. Immediately, he seemed to relax.

'I'll be here…I'll stay by your side, always…no matter what happens…'

And then Reika appeared.

It was in that moment that Mei Lhi felt the most fear she had ever felt in her entire lifetime.


A/N: Finally done! Be happy, this chapter's slightly longer than normal. Anyways, I'm really uber-sorry for the long-ass delay. I've been grounded, sick with the flu, and busy trying to do my homework that I've been assigned for Winter Break. Actually, I'm still grounded. Thanks so much to everyone still sticking with me and my oddly timed updates. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and all its randomness. But anyways, hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. I'll work hard to get it up around New Year's. But that may or may not be possible, seeing as I STILL haven't finished my homework, and I have a shit load of it. Fun. Anyways…please review! Ja ne until next time!

PS: I have a New Year's surprise for everyone! Something that Naruto fans will certainly enjoy, but it can be enjoyed by all others as well. XD