As hard as I try to update regularly, I never do. For shame upon I….

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In such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, not to be on the side of the executioners.

: Northern towards Dark

How long had they been traveling? They had left to the beginning of the sun but now they were greeted by the moon.

"1 How many thousands of years have you been there?

Why sometimes slender, sometimes full?

How old is the White Rabbit? 2

How many children belong to the Moon-Girl? 3

Why do you circle the purple loneliness of night?

And seldom blush before the sun?

Weary, past midnight, who are you searching for?

Are you in love with these rivers and hills? "

Kagome stared at the moon, willing it to answer her questions.

Sesshomaru stared at the moon as well. What were they hoping to accomplish? Could they expect to win this fight? Should they assume victory? Never, never should victory be assumed, but he was frightened. No, he was not frightened, something…else. What was this unknown emotion bubbling inside him, this need to be answered; this vast oblivion; a void of questions needing answers? What did his intuition want? What did it need for him to say, to do? He knew not, but he was worried so.

When the moon was directly overhead they had decided to stop. Kagome had headed to tranquility located at the hot springs a small distance from their camp. Sesshomaru had begun the fire and Lord Nibori gathered food. Sesshomaru found himself bored as lord Nibori began to cook the food and soon found he beginning to wander of towards the quietness of the night. In a no thought zone, he had ended up being pulled towards the springs Kagome was washing in. But the soft sounds of liquid hitting the still water were different from the sounds of washing. He peered over the edge of guarding rocks to find Kagome with her eyes closed. Silent tears of grief and guilt slowly caressed her cheek, twinkling down her face, reflecting moonlight, before falling down into the water, making ripples upon the ground. Sesshomaru quietly and soundlessly disrobed, keeping only his bottom dress. Gracefully he slipped into the water and glided towards Kagome. Whether or not she noticed him, he did not know as she continued to cry silently. His question was answered as her voice broke throughout his ears.

"Why?" Her soft muted voice rang dead, or dying, her eyes opening after the short word.

"Why what?" He questioned.

Kagome moved regally positioning herself to stand. She was naked and the misty water covered her form. She raised a hand, water slipping backwards down to her shoulders and into the water. She let a water droplet fall to the water, making ripples in its wake.

"Our relationship has always been shaky." Kagome watched another drip fall down. "It was a ripple." Another fell. "The more I wished I could catch it, could take it, the more ripples would be created." Kagome tried to grab the ripples, but they bounced off of her. "The best I could ever get was a soft touch upon my fingers, before the ripples passed and I lay forgotten." Kagome's eyes were lit by the burning of the moon. The empty abyss startled Sesshomaru. He finally noticed how pale she was; rivalry to the moon. The pallor of her face was disturbing and he realized how much she had meant to her, whether or not her sister was cruel to her.

Kagome was frozen with her hand still suspended in the air. Sesshomaru lifted his own hand and brought it to Kagome's. He spread her limp fingers with his own and looked in awe at how small she was, how fragile, how thin. His hands were significantly larger and engulfed hers. He clasped said hand inside his own and brought it to his lips leaving a light kiss upon her knuckles. Her blank eyes focused on him with confusion. He slowly moved around her to her back, where he laid small butterfly kisses upon her neck. He kiss her neck down to her collar bone and up again to her ear.

"She will be safe, we will save her." his quite susurrus breathed out. She visibly relaxed into his arms as he turned her around and laid a delicate kiss on her lips. As he dipped down to kiss her again, he was met half-way by eager lips. He let his lips rest lovingly upon hers. He felt her silent tears and kissed them away. He tasted the salty grief upon his taste buds. Sesshomaru laid another on her waiting lips when suddenly he felt a foreign aura. Jumping out of the hot springs quickly he waited for the attack. A strange man appeared. He had dark purplish hair borderline black hair. It was short and disarrayed. A spider mark was placed in the center of his head. He stood taller than Kagome but shorter than Sesshomaru in a simple male Chinese outfit that tied in the middle. Strapped to his side was a belt with a row of knives and daggers.

"Well, well, you must be the great Lord Sesshomaru. I am Hishumaru 4. Greetings, from Naraku." The demon said apathetically. He then turned to glance at Kagome's still nude form. She covered herself protectively. "Ah, and this lovely maiden must be Kagome. Yes, yes, I can see why Naraku likes her. She seems so innocent…hmmm…I might be tempted to take her for my own." The demon eyed her form and began to imagine what he could not see. Sesshomaru, becoming angry began to sprint towards the spacing demon.

"You're fight is with me." He gritted out. The man turned his attention to the charging demon. He dodged easily as he stared at Sesshomaru with a careless expression. "Oh no, what am I going to do?" Hishumaru said mockingly. "I don't know" he answered himself. He began to charge at Sesshomaru who was surprisingly put on the defensive. Unexpectedly, the dark demon jumped away from Sesshomaru into a tree above. Now, let's see, doku tantou 5." A line of poison daggers were sent Sesshomaru's way as he narrowly avoided the sharp objects. Kagome, who had long ago gotten out of the water and changed into her clothes, had her sword drawn and ready to attack.

"My turn!" Kagome yelled, ready to step in.

"No. You will not fight." Sesshomaru answered stoically as he continued to dodge the rain of dagger.

"I need to! This is the first of many battles I need to face; I need to see where I stand!"

"Now, now, I wouldn't want to fight you yet, you are much too beautiful," Hishumaru said from the tree above as he stopped the doku tantou.

He propelled himself down into a diving tornado at Sesshomaru. Kagome blocked the attack in front of Sesshomaru as she began the offensive towards Hishumaru. The dagger demon took out two stilettos as Kagome took out her sword. She unsheathed it while attacking as he crossed his daggers, blocking her attack. The sharp handles grabbed her sword and threw it away from her body. Then she was put on the defensive. Dagger, upon dagger, upon dagger, came propelling towards her, with extensive force. Kagome struggled to side step and dodge the daggers. She felt the sharp edges graze her skin, leaving small trails of blood droplets. It was slightly painful, she admitted to herself. After all, this was her real first battle, she had only sparred once with someone other than her master and now…she took a large step up.

Grabbing a dagger in midair, she shielded herself from the rest of the onslaught of daggers. She felt one graze her cheek and felt a sharp pain again. This one was deep and she realized she would have a scar once it healed. It would be long, from her eye to her mid cheek. She felt the adrenaline begin to fully take its effect. It numbed the pain and she moved quicker. Her senses heightened and she felt a fire within her soul. She pushed the man back onto his heels as she released a new wave of strikes. She fought him back enough that she could grab her sword and then she had the upper hand. She twisted and turned and watched as she fused her own sword with part of her soul. It glowed white and each time she struck Hishumaru, the wound left behind would burn as if on fire. The cool façade Hishumaru once possessed was fading fast as worry, fear, and other cowardly emotions portrayed on his face.

Sesshomaru on the side lines watched intently. While he struggled to hold himself back each time she was struck, he knew that the moment he stepped in, she would be angry. Not only that, but she needed this lesson. He had a feeling that this was her first real battle. He noticed clearly her faults and mentally noted what they needed to work on. When she began to be pushed onto the defensive he began to worry. But then she got "the Push" which he had named many years ago when he first begun his own real battles. The moment where you grasp everything and began to adjust occurred and she clicked finally. She struck and hit his shoulder and he faltered before jumping behind into a tree limb.

"doku tantou," Hishumaru yelled as he sent another row of poisonous daggers towards her. She deflected them and bounced some off towards him. He in turn dodged and jumped off the branch. Charging towards him she leaned over and met his chin with her fist, the other hand clenching her sword and pushing it into him. He was able to miss his vital organ and pierced his left lung instead. He felt it harder to breathe as the lung collapsed. He had a smirk on his face as he looked down at Kagome's thigh, where one small needle lay pierced through her flesh. Kagome grimaced as she jumped away, taking out the needle as she landed. The pain was much less then it should be, seeing as the adrenaline was overwhelming. She noticed him shouting again, but his words were hazy and unclear. Her vision would blur and then clear as she looked at the end of the needle to see a green liquid drip off. She was poisoned. She looked up to see an onslaught of daggers and was able to deflect and dodged most of them. He threw one lone dagger as she staggered and fell. She managed to grab the dagger as she dropped her sword. She threw back the needle and dagger before passing out.

Where she awoke was beyond her world. It was familiar from its white pillars to its silver lake. Everything was white and pure. It was her homeland. Birds of my beauties lay in the trees above and sung a familiar tune. Later the song became accompanied by a song.

'Kagome, Kagome, little bird flies

Kagome, Kagome, please scream no cries

Little angel, growing, strong

Soon you'll leave to a world you belong'

The song…was the song that was sung to her. She walked around further and stepped into an open room decorated in white banners and curtains. A crib was in the middle. White ribbons and bows decorated the sleeping palace and a sheet hung over it. A hanging arrangement of stars and moons was above it. The song continued and surrounded her. Kagome closed her eyes and smiled at the comforting sounds. She opened them again and pulled away the curtain over the crib. Inside was a heart shaped locket. She reached in and pulled it out. Gazing longingly at the chain, she opened the heart and looked inside. It read 'Kagome' on one side and 'Our little angel' on the other side. Almost as if in a trance, Kagome placed the necklace around her neck.

"It is yours after all." A voice called out. A bright light descended upon Kagome.

"Who are you?" Kagome asked gazing at the similar angel wings and kind face.

"I am your birth mother. This is your home. In order to save your world you live in now, we had to send you there-to earth. To protect. You are a protector; a guardian angel. "Kagome's mother said smiling. Two more lights came down. A young boy around 10 and a strong, handsome looking man appeared. "This is your brother, Souta, and your father."

Kagome felt tears in her eyes and slowly came over to the bright heavenly beings. She threw her arms around them and sobbed into her father's shirt.

"Why! Why did you leave me with her!" Kagome sobbed.

"It was necessary for the survival of your other family, and for your people. Kagome, they need you. Your sister needs you. The poison if acting faster and can only cease when you kill Kairaiseshi.

"How can I do that when I can hardly manage to defeat the foes he sends?" Kagome asked, remembering Hishumaru.

"Go with your brother and father. They will teach you about your powers. Lord Nibori is sleeping so I'll tell him you are alright and what's to occur." Kagome's mother said as she faded off. Kagome followed her family to the coliseum like building.

"First we shall start with your healing powers. You have the basics, now we must refine."

Sesshomaru had worried when Kagome began to struggle with the fight. Then, he became distraught when she got hit with the needle. As she began to waver, he watched as she caught a dagger and sent both that and the needle back before passing out, the unexpected attack killing their enemy. He had lifted her gingerly and ran to Lord Nibori, just as he was waking.

"We ran into a creation by Kairaiseshi. We engaged in battle. Kagome was victorious but has been poisoned." Sesshomaru said betraying none of the fear he felt. Kagome seemed to do that-seemed to make him fear.

"She is fine. Her parents from above are healing her. She will be fine. We will continue on while she rests. I assume you can keep her on your cloud?" he was answered with a quick nod. "Let us leave." Then they were off. Flying north farther by light of the moon.

When Kikyou was little she would play with her younger sister. When she was four and her sister one, she had marveled at the softness of her skin. The sweet scent she omitted and the lovely wings upon her back. She had watched questioningly as to why her mother gave hating glance towards her. She watched as she would mumble things like "evil child" and "demon child" to which Kikyou became scared of her. For surely, her sister could not be her sister if her mother did not love her. So she stayed away. But one day as she was passing by the nursery, she had heard crying, and curious to the sound, traveled to the sound. Inside was her sister who gazed up and ceased it's tears. Kikyou had peered over the edge and felt her thin baby hair upon her head. The little babe had stared up with her large blue eyes and had reached her soul. Kikyou smiled and the fascinated baby began to laugh with joy. Kikyou determined that day, that the child was not evil, but instead very cute and sweet. She visited each day until Kagome was 5. that day, she had left her a present she had found outside, a beautiful flower that still had dew on it. Kagome had been delighted and enjoyed the present. When Kikyou left to go to the lavatory, she came back to see her mother asking her little sister questions.

"Where did you get this flower?" She asked harshly.

"Fr-from Kikyou." Kagome sputtered out. Her mother grabbed her arm.

"You're lying aren't you? You went outside! What have I told you about leaving this room!" Lady Oko raised her hand and slapped Kagome across her face. The flower dropped to the floor and lay broken. When Lady Oko raised her hand to slap her again, Kikyou ran inside and pleaded with her mother.

"No mother! I did give it to her! She didn't do anything wrong!" A slap fell across Kikyou's face. She stared into space, eyes open wide. She gingerly raised her hand to her face. That was the first time her mother ever slapped her.

"You will do nothing with Kagome! She will be your down fall! You are forbidden to be in this room!" At that moment, Kikyou began to hate Kagome. Her mother was displeased with her and it was all Kagome's fault. After that day, Kikyou no longer visited Kagome. She instead thought of the moment when Kikyou's hand fell across her face and the anger on her face. Thinking back to that day, Kikyou wondered what it would be like if Kikyou had never abandoned her sister, or better, if her mother never hated them. She wondered and wished and realized she could do nothing. But in spite of everything she had done, her sister had forgiven her, and more so, was currently risking her life for her. Kikyou felt a cool wash cloth glide across her face collecting the sweat from her visage.

"You'll be okay." Inuyasha whispered soothingly, "She still loves you and when this is over, you can fix your relationship, you can forget what happened"

Unknowingly, she had said her story aloud in her feverish state. She blushed, but Inuyasha could not tell, for her face was red from fever anyway.

"I wish my relationship with my brother was better too." Inuyasha said. "We fight so much, and our lives have chosen such different paths, I wish that we could be close." Inuyasha paused. "Let's make a vow; we will make our relationships with our siblings work, even if we aren't completely their blood family." Kikyou nodded and allowed a small smile across her lips.

"Of course. As soon as this is over, we will mend the relationship that hangs by a string."

1 The title of this poem is "Questions for the Moon" by Ho Xuan Huong

2 In Chinese Mythology a rabbit lives on the moon

3 In Japanese Mythology a princess named "Kaguya" lives on the moon

4 Hishumaru, Hishu meaning dagger, and maru a form of quote unquote fondness (Sesshomaru)

5 Doku Tantou- meaning poison dagger.