Loving Thru the Trials of Love Chapter 19: War, Uncertainties, Price of Betrayal, an inuyasha fanfic

Loving Thru the Trials of Love

Hiya! Ok, after two weeks in the most beautiful place in the world, (Alaska,) a weekend at a camp my church runs, and half a week at my grandfather's house riding mopeds, eating awesome food, downloading InuYasha episodes, and helping him out around the house, acting as a crew leader for my church's Vacation Bible School for another week, and babysitting for a weekend for my cousin's two toddlers, (sent especially from hell just for me,) I am officially ready to get back to this story!

Ok, this chapter took a bit out of me, mostly because I had nothing inspiring me at the time. Ok, not nothing, I have a song sung by Ken Narita, (Japanese voice actor of Sesshoumaru,) with the voice actors of Rin and Jaken singing in the background on repeat constantly. That was pretty inspiring, since they are singing about Sesshoumaru in the song, and it's got a pretty good beat to it...and quality singing of course... And I've got a recording of the song Rin sings in the series about Sesshoumaru...in Japanese...it's soooo cute...

Ok, so I was inspired...but just to write the Hekele/Sesshoumaru one-shot that one of my darling readers, asked for as a birthday present...this chapter was so friggin' hard to write that I actually had to make an outline for it. I, Hekele Adams, actually made up a general outline. The world has ended. Seriously. I hate making outlines...

I've got a new contest for you all! If you can guess which episode of InuYasha is my personal favorite, I'll write a one-shot song-fic for you with the couple of your choice!

Onto the disclaimer!

Lawyers- (yawn) Wow...it's been a while since we bothered this authoress...let's see what we can piss her off about now...OMIGOD YOU KILLED OFF ALL THE CHARACTERS, BROUGHT THEM BACK TO LIFE, AND THEN TRIED TO KILL THEM AGAIN IN THIS STORY! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!

Me- (cough, cough) Eeewwwwy, you've got stinky breath...when was the last time you morons brushed your teeth? I swear, you'd think that if I froze you in time for the past two years, that you'd have had better breath...

Lawyers- (gaping expressions) YOU FROZE US IN TIME? WHAT ABOUT OUR FAMILIES? OUR LIVES?

Me- Oh...you guys have families? I'm sorry...I didn't know. The thank-you cards I kept receiving for getting rid of you by the said family members didn't give it away...much...

Lawyers- (blank faces) ...We're gonna go cry now...leave us alone you horrible person...

Me- (waves good-bye) Oh, and I don't own anything...including any songs I may or may not use...

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War, Uncertainties, and the Price of Betrayal

Ariel's army of crystal warriors marched towards the Western Palace as silently and gracefully as a soft breeze in the wind. Ariel herself led the ranks, a look of determination plastered on her face as her long obsidian locks swayed with her every ethereal movement. Her pale face showed no trace of the many emotions and thoughts running through her mind. She had been betrayed by the man acting as her catalyst, and she had been out-witted by all of her enemies. Her level of annoyance had risen to a whole new height, and she decided that it was high time something went her way.

The Western Palace came into view far in the distance, and Ariel stopped walking. She growled to herself lightly before turning her head roughly to face her entourage. "We will prepare for battle here; be ready to strike the enemy in one hour!" She turned to face them entirely, the power flowing through her veins quivering in thrill and anticipation. Her hair billowed majestically around her as the wind picked up its speed, almost as if sensing the impending battle. The fallen's eyes flared as she spoke, "We will destroy them! Leave none breathing!"

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A few hours before:

Kagome ran her fingers through her hair in a panicked manner. "No...no, no, no...this cannot be happening..." Inuyasha put a shocked arm around the miko and pulled her tightly to him in confusion and comfort.

"Why...did the Shikon reform? It should have been impossible..." Miroku said, bewildered. He was still trying to get accustomed to the fact that he was human, even though he had been for an hour already. Sango placed her head on his shoulder, and his hand grasped hers firmly.

Sesshoumaru, who had been pacing the hut in thought, stopped short, "It only makes sense that the wish be undone when the Shikon revives itself. Obviously, its higher power within us felt we needed it to fight this evil, and so sought to reform. Ariel's spell merely provided the best opportunity for it to do so, as there was magic in the air about us in large quantities for long periods of time."

Kotaro, who had joined them in Kaede's hut after a long exhausting walk with Kagura from the well, (as he was still a bit drained from transporting the group,) sighed, "I hate to say it, but I think he's right. However, Sesshoumaru, this should be the least of your concerns as of now." Sesshoumaru turned his head slightly to regard the worn out human.

"And what is what this Sesshoumaru should worry about?" he asked testily. Kotaro put his head in his hands and shook it absently.

"That bitch...Ariel will have seen what occurred here with the orbs, and will know of your current hindrances. This is the time she'll organize her army of crystal people to strike at your palace. She would wait until now...when we're here, me too drained to transport you back in time..." he lifted his head slightly, true remorse and complete regret swimming in eyes, "...and when the children are there, alone and quite defenseless..."

Kagome's eyes widened considerably in horror, "Oh dear God no..." Hekele, who was sitting near her, visibly shook at the thought of what may happen to her little Rin and the others.

"We have to get back there, now," she said, choking down her fearful tears. Sesshoumaru strode over to her purposefully, his blank expression barely giving away the deep concern lacing his very soul.

"And so we shall, and we shall stay as close together as possible. You will accompany me on my cloud, Kagura will take Kotaro on her feather, and Kirara can carry Sango and Miroku." He looked at Koga and Kachie for a moment hesitantly, "Are you capable of travel Koga?" After an affirmative nod from the wolf prince, he continued, "Would you be willing to lend your pack to this fight?"

Koga nodded once more, "I had already planned on it; I'll take Kachie with me and we'll round them up. It may take a day or so though, unfortunately..." Sesshoumaru grimaced.

"It will have to do," he then turned to Inuyasha and Kagome, only to find Kagome already seated on her old place upon Inuyasha's back.

Inuyasha grinned a bit, "You pompous bastard; think we can't figure this out on our own? We traveled like this for over two years, y'know."

Sesshoumaru only offered his younger half-brother a glare before gently taking Hekele's hand and pulling her outside. The group followed swiftly, their bodies on automatic. Koga took off with Kachie instantly, followed closely by Inuyasha and Kagome. After a few seconds, Kirara, Sango, and Miroku were in the air, with Kagura and Kotaro not far behind.

Sesshoumaru turned to Hekele, and as he wrapped one arm securely around her for support, he gently wiped away the few worried tears that had rolled down her cheeks. "We shall make it in time; do not fret."

When Hekele felt them leave the ground, she wrapped her arms tightly around Sesshoumaru's middle, never having been too fond of heights to begin with. As if realizing this, Sesshoumaru lightly tightened his hold on her and gently pecked her forehead before abruptly taking off in a large burst of speed in the direction that everyone else had gone.

Hekele looked up at his face, which was as expressionless as the day she had met him. Hekele knew him well enough to know this was his 'troubled' look, and that meant that he was as concerned as she. Kids...hold on...we're coming for you...just stay safe until we arrive...

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"Assemble the front guard! The enemy approaches!" cried a soldier from his post along the palace gates. The army of crystal had just marched into view, and the soldiers protecting the palace became alert instantly.

They had been informed by their lord and his half-brother that the crystal warriors they were likely to face held powers of purification, and this fact did not sit well with the demons on guard. It worried them deeply, in fact.

"Prepare for battle!"

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Two sets of rapid footsteps echoed through the halls of the beautiful, yet bustling, palace. Kohaku pulled Kanna roughly through the halls as the two searched for Rin and Shippo, who hadn't been in Rin's chambers where they had left them.

The young demonslayer had heard the shouts of the soldiers protecting the palace and had rushed to the nearest window to see the enemy for himself. The army of crystal warriors was immense, and Kohaku had then run to retrieve Kanna and the other two younger children. They didn't know how, but soon after Rin and Kohaku had mysteriously turned into humans, the crystal army had been sighted far into the distance. Now, however, they were beginning to bear down on the palace, and Kohaku was determined to keep everyone together. If he could manage it, he'd also keep them safe; his sudden lack of demonic powers worried him greatly though.

"Kohaku-kun? Where could they be? They aren't in Shippo's room either!" Kanna said dejectedly as they opened Shippo's door. Kohaku tightened his hold on her hand and continued to all but drag Kanna to and down the main stairwell.

"They might be in the library; they might be looking for more information..." he replied. Kanna looked at him oddly as they rounded a corner.

"But, I thought we found all there was to find...I doubt they'd be able to find out the creature...there are no clues other than that there is only one of them..." she stated. Kohaku shrugged as they came to the door they were heading for.

"Trying is better than doing nothing..." he said, pushing the door open with more effort than he cared to use. Not having the demonic strength he was now accustomed to was rather bothersome...especially at a time like this.

When the two entered the vast main room of the library, they immediately found Rin and Shippo pouring over a small stack of books, much to their relief. Rin and Shippo looked up when they heard the two older kids approach, and upon realizing whom had caused the sounds returned to their respective books. Kanna swept Rin into a huge hug.

"Don't worry us like that you two! Ariel's crystal army is practically at the gates and we couldn't find you anywhere!" she said, releasing Rin in favor of crushing Shippo in her embrace instead. Kohaku smiled a stressed smile, a bit calmer knowing that the two were safe.

"Find anything?" he asked hopefully. Shippo shook his head.

"No...nothing..." he replied sadly. Kohaku ruffled his hair.

"Ok...grab the book from Kagome's era and come with us...we're going to try to find somewhere safe to stay..."

Kanna looked at Kohaku incredulously, "We're not going to fight?" Shippo looked equally disappointed, but Kohaku still shook his head.

"No, in case you hadn't noticed, two of us are human again. I'm still having trouble adjusting to the sudden change...it's different from when we go through the well...Instead of being hidden and suppressed, it feels like the strength was ripped right out of me...I won't be of much use, you still haven't discovered what powers you possess besides using your mirror, and Rin is probably as weak as I am..." Kohaku looked down at Shippo and grinned tiredly, "Just because you can still be of use doesn't mean that you can take them all yourself...it's better we stick together, and somewhere as far away from battle as possible..."

No one disputed his answer, and as soon as Shippo had grabbed Kagome's book the four were off. Shippo was on Kohaku's shoulder while the young slayer once again began to drag Kanna by the hand towards another hall; Rin in turn was clutching Kanna's hand and moving her legs as swiftly as physically possible to keep up. Like Kohaku, she was severely drained from the sudden transformation, and was finding it difficult to move at all...

"Kohaku-kun...where are we going?" Kanna asked, aware of Rin's fatigue. She could also feel Kohaku's, and it was beginning to worry her.

Kohaku grimaced, "...To the dungeons...they won't look for us there...and if we're lucky, they won't be able to sniff us out either...we'll still have to hide ourselves though..." He trailed off, not wanting to say what he knew to be true.

They're attacking the palace now...they know we're here alone...and I know they're here for us...I've gotta keep these three safe...

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Koga looked up at Kachie uncertainly; he could tell by her scent that she was tired...and weak. He carefully adjusted her on his back as he ran towards his den, and grimaced at how she seemed to have paled slightly.

"Kachie-chan...are you all right?" he asked worriedly. Kachie smiled at him a bit, but shook her head.

"I...think the sudden loss of strength took more out of me than I thought it did...I feel really drowsy..." she admitted, laying her head on Koga's. Concerned even more, Koga quickened his pace, wanting to get her to the den as soon as possible so that she may rest a while.

"What does it feel like? Describe it to me..." he asked, wanting to keep Kachie awake. The girl complied.

"Like the power was stolen from my body...ripped away...when we usually turn human...it just feels suppressed...but now...it's completely gone...and my body has yet to adjust to the feeling..." she explained. Koga nodded; a good rest would certainly help. He would situate her first, and then begin talks with his pack after. Time may be of the essence, but it would take at least a day to convince his pack to join the battle. After all, there were no formal alliances made with the western lands as of yet, (though there would be in the future,) and the pack had no real reason to go...and Koga couldn't dispute that.

Feeling Kachie's hold on him slacken a bit, Koga noticed that she had fallen asleep and tightened his grip on her even more. He sniffed out the air and continued on his way, hoping he would make it back to the western palace without too much delay. He also hoped that his pack would be easy to convince...

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Like Koga had noticed a change in Kachie, Sesshoumaru too noted one in Hekele. She was slumped against him, and it looked as though it took all the energy she had to simply remain standing. Forcing his face not to betray his worry, he scooped her up into his arms and forced his cloud closer to the ground, where Kirara was flying.

Hekele looked up tiredly at Sesshoumaru, not knowing what else to do. She could barely move, and had felt as though a huge weight was lifted from her when he had begun carrying her. She relayed her gratitude through a slight nuzzle to his shoulder and closed her eyes. It had to be because of that damn jewel reforming...

Sesshoumaru looked down at Hekele, only to find her eyes closed and her head rested against his chest. He grimaced slightly and looked to Sango and Miroku, who appeared just as weak as she did. "Are you both all right?" he called to them. Miroku shook his head a bit.

"I suppose the sudden loss of strength has taken a toll on our physical bodies. We are no longer accustomed to not having power flowing beneath the surface. Even in our human forms in the other era, it was simply suppressed, as I'm sure you realized..." he said tiredly. Sango only nodded to agree with him, not wanting to break the concentration required to stay atop Kirara.

Sesshoumaru nodded to himself as his palace finally came into view on the horizon. It was why I saw red...that day her father appeared...in my anger, my demonic power showed through briefly. It was always there, but now it's apparently been completely stolen from them. It was then that the massive army that Ariel had created became visible, attacking the palace. He growled in silent realization; if Hekele, Sango, and Miroku were weakened, then it stood to reason that everyone else that had originally been human was as well. He thought of Rin and Kohaku briefly, and cursed their luck. Hopefully the children had time enough to hide themselves before the castle had come under siege...

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Kanna stroked Rin's hair as the girl slept fitfully with her head in Kanna's lap. As soon as the four had made it to the dungeons, she had all but collapsed, and Kanna was worried about her. Kohaku sat next to her quietly, trying desperately not to succumb to sleep himself. Shippo was still perched on Kohaku's shoulder, watching the boy warily.

"Kohaku, maybe you should rest some..." he suggested, though he did so a bit timidly. Kohaku shook his head.

"I need to stay awake in case I need to help you guys; I'm the oldest and it's my job to protect you as best I can," he said, his voice full of conviction. Kanna shook her head.

"That doesn't matter, Kohaku-kun; I can always use my mirror. You should get some rest..." she said in an almost motherly tone. Kohaku declined his head.

"Kanna...have you used your mirror since you got your soul back?" he asked. Kanna narrowed her eyes in a quizzical manner.

"No...I haven't...why?" she asked, curious.

Kohaku sighed softly, more to himself than anyone else. "...What if, when you use it, your soul gets sucked inside? It could...and how would we get it safely out?" he asked. Kanna's lips parted slightly in surprise; she had never thought of that...

"Well...you could break the mirror...and I suppose it would come back out...but...I'm not certain. Whenever the mirror got to close to bursting, I would always release the souls myself..." she thought aloud. Kohaku shook his head.

"And what if it didn't work? Without Naraku's magic, you'd die without your soul...It's not worth the risk; I'll stay awake and on guard, " he stated in a final tone. Kanna bit the inside of her lip uncertainly, not knowing what to say or do now.

Kohaku-kun...thank you for watching out for me... she thought, leaning on him slightly to show her gratitude. Blushing deeply at her gesture, Kohaku put an arm around her and gave her a supportive hug.

"We'll be ok...ne? Sango and the others will get here in time to save us...no worries..." he said calmly. Kanna only nodded as she continued to stroke Rin's hair; the younger girl sleeping in her lap still. Shippo only looked at Kohaku and Kanna with raised eyebrows.

Not to take away from the seriousness or desperation of our situation...but I think these two like each other...

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It took Kachie a good five minutes from when her brain woke up to when she was able to sit up and survey her surroundings. She was in a cave...it appeared...and wrapped up in furs...why? The last thing she remembered was riding on Koga's back to rally his pack and...

Dear God...I fell asleep...I'm probably in his den... she thought to herself, standing up slowly. She turned to look around once more when she heard a voice behind her.

"You ok, Runt?" Kachie jumped, startled, and turned around to face Koga with a slight smile.

"Yeah...I'm doing a little better...well enough to move and stay awake anyway...are we at your den?" she asked. Koga nodded as he walked up to her and felt her head.

"Not warm...I guess it really must have been the jewel's fault...you had me worried there...and still do...you didn't yell at me for calling you Runt..." he joked lightly. Kachie growled.

"It didn't register...don't call me that! It's degrading!" she exclaimed. Koga grinned a bit and pecked her forehead.

"There's the Kachie I love...snippy as ever, and just as slow too..." he replied. Kachie only glared at him in response until Koga decided to resume speaking.

"Well, so far, everything is as well as we could have hoped; most of the pack jumped right on board, but there are some that want nothing to do with the battle." Kachie sighed at this.

"Of course...nothing is as easy as it could be, is it? So what are we going to do?" she asked. Koga shook his head.

"I'll take one more hour to try to change their minds; if they won't budge then we'll have to leave them. I'm not sure we even have that hour to spare though..." he said dejectedly. Kachie nodded.

"Let's hope they can hold down the fort until we can get there..."

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Inuyasha snarled as he slashed through one of the crystal soldiers and leapt towards another. He was trying to break a path to Ariel and face her head on, but the waves of war were not on his side. With every enemy he struck down two charged forth to replace their fallen comrade, and Ariel made certain to stay away from the more fierce fighters. She still had no way of knowing that they had yet to discover how to harm her, and she didn't want to risk finding out.

Hiraikotsu flew through the air as a tired Sango tried to clear a path to the palace; her brother and the other children were in there, and Sango wanted to find them and know that they were still safe. An enemy slashed at her side, but a purification arrow disintegrated it before the blade made contact. Sango caught her boomerang and looked briefly towards Kagome, who nodded at her. She then saw Kotaro, Kagura, and Hekele make their way through the palace doors stealthily and grinned to herself, despite her fatigue. Now she could concentrate more on the battle...

Miroku appeared at her back a second later just as Sesshoumaru transformed into his giant dog form. The crystal creatures seemed frightened at first, but then began their onslaught anew. Miroku grimaced when they attempted to purify the demon lord, and nearly succeeded.

"We are getting nowhere with this...there has to be something else that can be done!" he yelled as he sliced the head off of a soldier with the monk's spade that Sango had given him; the weapon was heavier than he would have liked, however, since he was no longer a demon. He would have liked to test out its abilities using his lightning powers, but that would have to wait until a different time.

Sango nodded, unleashing one of her hidden knives and stabbing a soldier where his heart should reside. "Don't you die Miroku...you still have to marry me you know!" The monk allowed himself a chuckle at her comment before replying.

"I wouldn't dream of it my dear..."

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Kagura sniffed the air lightly and took off down a hallway, Hekele and Kotaro close in tow. She heard a slashing noise behind her and turned in time to see Hekele take out a crystal creature with her sais. The girl slouched from the expended effort, still not fully recovered from being drained, but kept moving towards her friend.

"Where do you think they went Kagura?" she asked, breathing deeply. Kagura bit her lip.

"I think they're down in the dungeons...but I can't be certain...something's making my nose fuzzy..." she replied. Kotaro grimaced.

"Ariel must be using magic to dull your senses...she wants the children to be killed before we can find them..." he stated reproachfully. Kagura looked him over critically.

"She would...wouldn't she?" she asked tentatively as she began to resume her search, now heading for the dungeons. Kotaro sighed, glancing back briefly to make sure that Hekele was still following them.

"Yes, she would I'm afraid," he responded, noting the other girl's fatigue, "Are you ok back there?" Hekele only nodded at him and straightened her back a bit, not wishing to show any more weakness than she already had. She wanted desperately to find the children, and worrying others would only slow down the process.

Rin...please be safe...

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Kanna smiled softly as Rin opened her eyes and began to look around at her surroundings. Apparently, she had been so tired earlier that she wasn't fully aware of where she was now that she was awake; the clueless expression worn on her face somehow comforted Kanna.

"Rin...are you feeling better?" she asked quietly, barely above a whisper. Rin nodded, her mind catching up to her.

"Yes...Rin is doing better...how are you doing Kanna-chan?" she returned, just as silently. Kanna only smiled and winked in reply, trying to cheer the younger girl.

The former demon of the void then looked over at where Kohaku was seated against a wall. His eyes were barely open, and he appeared to be struggling to remain awake. Unlike Rin, he hadn't gotten a wink of rest, and so was still severely weakened. Kanna bit her lip uncertainly.

"Kohaku-kun...you need some rest. I don't care what you say about needing to protect us; you still need to look after yourself as well. I'll stay awake and watch over everyone..." she tried, worrying deeply for him. Kohaku shook his head firmly.

"No, I've been awake for the past few hours, so I can handle a little while longer..." he replied shortly. Kanna only shook her head and scooted over to her friend.

"Kohaku-kun...please rest...even if you're only resting your eyes...it'd make me feel better..." she said honestly. After giving their surroundings a quick once over to satisfy himself, Kohaku gave Kanna a slight nod.

"I'm only going to rest my eyes though...if I fall asleep, wake me up Kanna..." he requested. Kanna crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping he would in fact fall asleep, and nodded her consent. Kohaku gave her a sharp look and closed his eyes. Luckily for Kanna, his fatigue was worse than Kohaku had anticipated, and he had fallen asleep almost instantaneously.

Rin observed the exchange with curiosity, and smiled to herself a secretive smile. She could see the feelings that the two had for one another, and it made her happy to see it as well. Kanna and Kohaku, in her opinion, would be perfect for one another when they got older.

Rin turned her head when she heard pages turning, and found herself staring at Shippo, who was flipping through the book Kagome had brought from her time. She crept closer to her friend and looked at the book over his shoulder. This went on for a few minutes before she spoke in hushed tones.

"Shippo, what are you looking for? This is Ariel's story...right?" she asked, examining the text. Shippo nodded.

"I don't know...I'm just waiting for something to jump out at me...some sort of clue that maybe we didn't think about before..." he admitted. Rin nodded solemnly, glancing at the story sadly. Ariel had lived a hard existence, and it wasn't fair. There was nothing wrong with falling in love with someone, no matter who they were, and yet Ariel had been taken away from everything she had cared for as part of her punishment. Her love...her child...and because of it she had turned bitter, and eventually evil as well. Rin idly wondered if maybe it was acceptable now, or if maybe it was in the future, to fall in love with someone that wasn't exactly like you? She couldn't see it not being so...it wouldn't be right...

What happened next was rather strange. The book in Shippo's tiny hands suddenly began to glow. It was much like, in fact, the glow that the Shikon no Tama had admitted as it reformed, (though the children still had no knowledge of this fact,) only smaller. Rin quickly flipped the pages of the book resting in Shippo's hands until she came to a blank one which had not been there before. After a few seconds, writing began to appear, flowing across the page first in glowing golden light and then settling into black ink. Rin and Shippo were amazed, and a concerned Kanna had crept closer to them to see what was happening. When the words were finished writing themselves, the three children stared at the page with expressions ranging from shock to glee.

"When the world stops turning, it will be time for my second to fulfill her destiny and discover her truth. Truth will become power and power will once more set the world in motion; if my second is strong..." Kanna read carefully. Rin in Shippo grinned to themselves.

"A clue! The book gave us a clue! Now we just have to figure out what it means..." Shippo exclaimed happily. Rin was about to say something when Kanna swiftly covered the girl's mouth with her hand, giving her a warning look.

Footsteps were then heard coming towards the room. Shippo gave the girls apologetic looks as Kanna released Rin and silently made her way over to where Kohaku had fallen asleep. She shook him cautiously and the boy, despite his fatigue, woke almost instantly. Upon seeing Kanna, he opened his mouth to scold her for allowing him to fall asleep, when her hand flew over his lips to quiet him. He gave her a questioning look and she nodded to the door, removing her hand as she did so. It was then that Kohaku heard the footsteps and nodded silently to her. He stood up and glanced around the room for somewhere to hide. There was a small cabinet in the room, and Rin and Shippo had already squeezed inside to conceal themselves. There was also a larger cabinet where weapons were normally kept; Kohaku opened it and found that it had been emptied for the battle, and was just large enough to hide Kanna and himself. He lightly pushed Kanna off into one side and climbed inside himself, closing the door behind him.

They waited no more than a few scant seconds before they heard the door into the room open abruptly, and Kohaku silently readied his scythe. He could just barely see out of a crack in the door, and he focused on where Rin and Shippo were hiding, just in case he needed to intervene. He listened carefully, at first not hearing anything. Voices soon flooded his ears and he grimaced as he noted that they were approaching Kanna and himself.

The cabinet door swung open abruptly and Kohaku plunged his scythe into the creature standing in front of him. It fell to the ground with an undignified cry and another came in its place, brandishing a crystal sword. Kohaku grabbed Kanna and ducked under as the crystal soldier swiped the sword into the cabinet. Kohaku jumped and slammed the soldier in the gut, buying himself the time required to dislodge his weapon and cut down his enemy. The soldier glared at Kohaku a final time as he fell and Kohaku ripped his scythe out of its corpse. Rapid footsteps could be heard approaching the room and Kohaku readied himself to attack. Fortune was on the children's side, however, for the people who emerged hurriedly into the room were none other than Hekele, Kagura, and Kotaro.

"Kohaku! Are you all right? Where're the others?" Hekele asked, exasperated. She wrapped Kohaku in a small hug as Kanna, Rin, and Shippo emerged from their hiding places. As soon as she saw Rin, Hekele let Kohaku go and held the young girl protectively. After a moment, she yanked Shippo into her embrace as well.

Kagura belayed her worry for her sister in a more refined way by simply ruffling her hair. "You four had us worried...is everyone in one piece?" she asked. Kanna nodded to her and gave the older looking girl a hug around the waist, surprising her.

Kohaku and Kotaro stared at one another for a moment, neither knowing what to say or do. Kotaro finally looked away and proceeded towards the door. He was glad that the young slayer was safe, but felt as though he shouldn't say anything. He had done the boy a terrible wrong by killing his sister in the future, and would never do such an evil again, but still he felt the guilt. He knew that Kohaku wouldn't want to hear his words of concern anyway.

"Hey..." Kotaro, surprised, turned back and looked at Kohaku, who was staring at him rather intently.

"...Thanks, for coming to find us...despite what you did in your time...you're not so bad after all," he admitted, offering the stunned man a sliver of a grin. Kotaro returned the gesture.

"Thanks."

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I've dreamed about this,
Sixteen days away
Now you're here,

Ariel snarled to herself when Inuyasha got too close to her for comfort and unleashed a small wave of pure energy at him. He flew back a few feet, only to have Sesshoumaru take his place on the offensive. Ariel jumped back to avoid confrontation and slashed at another of the demon lord's soldiers. Just a few more... she thought to herself as her face contorted into a sadistic grin. It was almost time to unleash her greatest weapon.

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And my head lays beside your body,
Pillowed under mine
You were poison,
Spinning round my mind

"You mean to say that the book gave another clue! It did something? Well, what!" Kagura exclaimed, the urgency of the situation belayed in her tone. Kotaro walked up behind her and looked at Rin and Shippo over her shoulder.

"What does it say now?" he asked, only slightly calmer. Hekele let go of the two children long enough for Shippo to open the book and turn to the new page. Kotaro, Hekele, and Kagura huddled around the book to read the print, and all was silent as they mulled over its meaning.

"My...second...I don't think this 'creature' is a creature at all...I think it's a descendent of Midoriko...a woman..." Kagura thought aloud. Kotaro nodded a bit, deep in thought himself.

"But where would we begin looking to find her? And we need her here, now...there's no time..." he said quietly. Hekele wrapped Rin back up in a hug and sighed.

"We need to find the kids somewhere better to hide, so that we can go and help out there..." she said, standing up tiredly. Kagura nodded.

"Are you capable of fighting Hekele? You're still pretty weak," she commented in a concerned voice. Hekele waved her off as she picked up Rin and began heading for the door.

Welcome to my world
She said, do you feel
Alive she said

"Right now, it doesn't matter how tired any of us are...we need to fight and win this battle...there's no room for rest...besides, I've got a gut feeling that the answer to this stupid riddle is right in front of us...like it should be obvious..." Kotaro raised an eyebrow.

"And you think that fighting will bring the answers to you?" he asked. Hekele shook her head.

"I just feel like we all need to be there when whatever is going to happen actually happens...whether the answer slaps us in face in the nick of time, or not."

8888888

It's all a bad dream,
Spinning in your lonely head,

Koga had Kachie securely on his back as he sped ahead of his pack; time was of the essence, and that time was quickly slipping away. They had dallied too long trying to convince the remaining uncertain members of Koga's pack, and it had been nearly fruitless as well. Only a few of the cautious wolves had dared to change their minds, and Koga was beyond grateful that they had.

"We'll be there soon Kachie; just a little further...how're you holding up?" he asked. Kachie gave him a small squeeze around the shoulders.

"I'm doing all right; I'll be able to hold my own against the bad guys at least..." she replied. Koga sighed.

"You promise me you're not lying?" he asked seriously, not wanting her to do battle unless she was capable of surviving it. Kachie nodded against him, glancing at the battle axe that was strapped to her back.

"I promise; I'll be all right..." she said sincerely. Koga gave her leg an affectionate squeeze as the battle field came into view. The crystal army was vast, and it surrounded the palace. Kachie prayed that all her friends were still all right.

Koga prayed that they still had a chance...

88888888

Welcome to my world,
She said, separated world,
She said, separated,

Kagome let a miko's arrow fly at Ariel, who dodged it and hissed at the girl in return before firing a blast of energy at her. She, in turn, dodged the attack as well, and it hit a crystal warrior that had snuck up behind her. Ariel snarled at the girl's luck and formed a barrier around herself, one she knew was too powerful for Inuyasha's Backlash Wave to penetrate, and began scanning the area for her pawn.

Kotaro was fighting alongside Kagura near the palace doors, trying to keep as many soldiers outside as possible. Both had been fighting for a few hours now, and both were getting tired. Kotaro had done a good job keeping up with Kagura's body count, and the wind witch had noticed.

Down poison,
Down poison

"You do this often magic boy?" she asked, breathing heavily as she slugged a soldier that had gotten too close to safely use her fan on. Kotaro grinned a bit, despite himself.

"You could say that; I've had to train to keep up with you all you know..." he admitted. Kagura chuckled as she used her Dance of the Dragon and blew away a chunk of enemies.

"Have we ever fought?" she questioned curiously. Kotaro shrugged.

"More or less; you and I tend to insult one another back and forth more than actually damage each other. Between my magic and your fan, we're pretty much evenly matched..." he replied.

Kagura grinned, "Then, when this is all over, you and I are going to have to have a sparring match to determine who's better." Kotaro smiled as he let out a small blast of energy at a soldier, sending it flying into Kagura's path as she unleashed her attack once more.

Body withered,
Body died,
Time to take away this life

"And after that...we'll go out to a good sushi bar...my treat..." he said. Kagura gave him a slightly confused look, but instead smirked to herself as she readied herself for another attack.

"Sounds good, so long as I get to wear a nice dress and tease the other girls about going on an actual date..." she joked. Kotaro merely shrugged once more, his smile turning into a grin. His reply was as serious as the desperate situation they were fighting in.

"It's a date then; don't you forget it, Kagura."

88888

Bad enough to die from one,
Not to mention
Four or five

Ariel mentally began the required chant to access the power sealed in Kotaro's body. It would take a little time, but her barrier would hold. She could feel Inuyasha hammering at her barrier, as well as a few others, but with her eyes closed, she wasn't certain who. It didn't matter.

She felt no guilt for what she was about to do; even if Kotaro were to die, she couldn't care any less. He had been there when she had needed him, he had loved her when she needed to feel loved, he had provided for her whatever she had desired, but then he had betrayed her. She would have shared her throne with him had he remained loyal, even if she would never love him. Ariel knew she could never love him, for Ariel knew that she could no longer love anything. Despite this, betrayal still stung.

Never mind that she had been lying to and planning to betray him since the beginning...

Welcome to my world

She said, do you feel

Alive, she said

Any demon foolish enough to actually touch Ariel's barrier was instantly purified. Inuyasha's Backlash Wave was continuously repelled, Kagome's arrows were dissolved, and even Sesshoumaru's Dragon Strike was deflected. Nothing was working, and that could only spell disaster. Kotaro knew that Ariel was about to unleash a spell capable of great destruction simply based upon the look of intense concentration upon her face, but where was she going to get the power? He knew that Ariel didn't have the immediate power to stop time, knew that the power required was so vast that no one being could be born with it, and Kotaro knew that Ariel hadn't the time to acquire such power since he turned sides...so, where would she take the power from? Where would she steal it?

It's all a bad dream,
Spinning in your lonely head

Hekele thrust her sais into a crystal soldier and ripped them out swiftly as she moved to block another that was fast approaching her from behind. Before it reached her, however, a battle-axe cut down the charging enemy. After blinking in confusion, Hekele saw Kachie cross in front of her on her way towards where Sango and Kagome looked to be having difficulty with a group of soldiers. Hekele grinned at her friend's appearance and at the wolf demons that she and Koga had brought with them. There weren't many...but reinforcements were reinforcements.

The wolves dived into the fray brilliantly, relieving the weary warriors, even if only a tiny bit. Everyone was tired, and Ariel was still chanting whatever spell she had been before. No one knew what exactly it was for, and all they could do was continue to pound on the pure barrier, (which for demons like Koga, who didn't use weapons, was rather painful,) in hopes of destroying it. Nothing was working, and the group was getting desperate.

Welcome to my world she said,
Separated world,
She stayed separated

Inuyasha's cries of 'Kaze no Kizu' continued to penetrate the heavy air that was beginning to befall the group even as fatigue made it nearly impossible to do so for much longer. He panted heavily, and Kagome slumped over to him, sighing.

"I can't get through with my holy powers...Miroku can't either. We're out of ideas..." she said, trying to catch her breath even as one of the last of the crystal warriors charged at her. She shot it with an arrow, her last, and watched it fall to the ground and disappear. It was then that she felt more than saw it. Felt something moving that shouldn't. She felt an...essence moving. She turned and looked towards Kotaro sharply, it was to him that the essence was traveling. He was completely unaware as whatever it was merged with his body, and Kagome's lips parted in confusion. How could he not feel his body being invaded?

"Kotaro! Their essences...the remnants of their souls; they're flowing into you!" she cried, and he looked at her sharply. He could feel no such thing, but he didn't doubt her abilities either.

"What essences!" he called, trying to get nearer to her. Kagome's eyes widened when she felt more essences flowing towards him...they felt like...

"They're ours! Our soldiers! It's like their souls can't go anywhere else! More are merging with you!" she yelled back, effectively gaining everyone else's attention. Kotaro's own eyes widened in realization then.

Down poison...

That's it...isn't it? Everyone that dies by her hand...and the hands of her henchmen...their powers flow into me...I'm...her catalyst... Kotaro thought dejectedly. He had seen that spell once in the great tomb he had once given to her...he had never dreamed that she had ever used it on anyone, much less himself...

You weren't there for me, I was there for you

He couldn't believe it. His entire world seemed to shatter right in front of him. This had to have taken time, years in fact, to accomplish...long before he had betrayed her...long before he had learned of her secret...

You weren't there for me, I was there for you

She had been using him from the very beginning, hadn't she? There had never been any love, or even fondness, on her part. Kotaro had given everything for her...killed for her...and yet...

You wouldn't die for me, I've died for you
You wouldn't die for me, I've died for you

"Kotaro! What's happening? You know don't you!" Kagome called, getting closer. Kotaro looked to be in a state of massive shock, his entire body had gone rigid and his face pale. Something was wrong.

Kagura looked toward her new friend and saw the sudden change. Worried, she gripped her fan and blew away the few soldiers in her way and ran to his side.

You wouldn't die for me, I've already died for you

"Kotaro! Snap outta it!" she yelled shaking him. Everyone had stopped fighting; there were no more enemies left, save for Ariel. They all came running towards the two.

Kagome got there first, "Kagura, what's wrong with him?" Kagura shook her head.

"I have no idea...Hey Kotaro, talk to me here!" she tried again. When he still didn't respond, Kagura slapped him across the face, so hard it'd make Sango proud.

Jolted to reality, Kotaro blinked a few times, shocked. He slowly turned his head and saw two worried girls staring at him. Kagura tried again.

"What's going on? Why'd you space out like that!" she questioned, concern leaking into her voice more than she would have liked. Kotaro merely shook his head.

"All this time...Ariel hasn't got the power she needs to do whatever it is that is going to stop time...no one does...so she's been taking it and storing it..." he said slowly, watching Ariel through her barrier. She was grinning at him even as she chanted...

"How is that possible? We would have sensed it if all that power was in her, even if it was only dormant," Sesshoumaru asked tensely. Hekele was slumped against him tiredly, too tired to stand on her own. Sesshoumaru too was barely standing, just as everyone else was...

"She...did a spell...one I was unaware of...one that whenever she killed someone, their powers flowed into a catalyst, where they were completely undetectable to everyone. When the catalyst is full, she does a chant...like she is now...and transfers it into herself. If she does it correctly, the catalyst reacts violently and the power becomes immeasurable...if not...then she still gets whatever power was sealed in the catalyst to begin with. At this stage, with everyone she's killed...it almost doesn't make a different..." he replied quietly. Kagome looked at him seriously.

"What's the catalyst? Maybe we could do something..."

You wouldn't die, you wouldn't die, you wouldn't die!

"The catalyst..." Kotaro said, looking down painfully, "...is me..." Everyone's faces took on a sobering look, and any hope they had was gone.

"There's no time to find the creature either...is there..." Kagome said sadly. Kotaro shook his head.

"Even with that last clue...we're out of time...she'll be done chanting any minute now...and we never made sense of it..." he replied darkly, angry. Kagome gave a questioning look at the mention of another clue and Kagura elaborated.

Welcome to my world she said, do
you feel alive she said

Kotaro's eyes suddenly held light again. It wasn't too late after all... "She's meant to stop time..." Everyone stared at him as though he had sprouted a second head.

"What! How is she meant to-" Kotaro interrupted Inuyasha's rant.

"Listen to the clue...this 'second' is revealed when time stops...she'll still be here to defeat Ariel...even after..." he trailed off, not bothering to finish his sentence. Kagura gave him a semi-frantic look.

"There's gotta be something we can do! We have no idea who or where she is, or even if she's strong enough to beat Ariel! The clue leaves room for doubt you know!" she yelled at him. Everyone stared at her in shock. Kagura had never shown this much emotion before...except for hate...and that had been for Naraku...

"Nah...it's okay...I promise it'll all be fine in the end..." Kotaro could feel something welling in his body...he felt as though he were about to explode; it was beginning...

Ariel's chanting suddenly became louder, and everyone knew that she was almost finished. Her barrier had proven impossible to penetrate, and everyone had been completely helpless. Kagome became almost as frantic as Kagura.

"...What if I used the Jewel! I could wish that Ariel's barrier didn't exist, or that she was defeated, and then everything would be back to normal!" she tried; Kotaro shook his head.

"Then the future would change; you wouldn't be together in the future. Everything would change...and then Ariel might win in the future...remember, this is the result of you foiling us then. The only way to stop everything from happening is for all that to stay the same...and for you to stop me from summoning her in my time. May 25, 2010, that's the day I did it. If you can stop that, then all this will mean something. But if you use the Jewel now, and you destroy her this way, all that might still happen, and where would you be then?" It was then that Kotaro doubled over in pain, blood spilling out from the corners of his mouth. It was almost done now...

It's all a bad dream,
Spinning in your lonely head

"Everyone...get away from me...there's no telling what kind of shockwave this'll create..." Kotaro stated painfully. Ariel's grin was even wilder than before. She knew she was winning...but she didn't know what he did...

"Kagome, promise me that no matter what happens, you won't use the Jewel. Got it?" he ground out. Kagome nodded.

"I promise Kotaro..." He nodded to her in thanks.

"Now get back!" he yelled, clenching his teeth in agony. Everyone did as told; Kagome and Sango had to pull Kagura back. She wasn't fighting them, but she wasn't moving willingly either...

Why...does this hurt? I guess he was right when he said that we were kindred spirits...we understand each other...and...he doesn't deserve this... she thought to herself, shocked when she felt tears begin to roll down her face, though silently. Kotaro seemed to notice, however.

Down poison, down poison

"Kagura!" Kotaro yelled to her. He wouldn't continue until he knew she was looking right at him and he had her eyes locked with his own. He offered her a soft smile, "Don't you forget Kagura!" He could see a sad smile form on her face, and it was enough.

Down poison...

Before Kagura could say anything, a wave of power exploded from Kotaro, and he began to glow a bright red. In mere seconds, his body exploded into a bright red light, causing a shockwave that sent everyone flying apart. Kagura felt an intense pain, almost as though she were being burned alive, and looked down at herself. She wasn't flying through the air anymore...she was floating in place. Time had stopped.

The intense pain brought her to reality, and she saw that her body was dissolving into nothingness. It was burning away...

The world turned into darkness all around the group; the palace disappeared, the trees, the land, and the sky...it all vanished into black. The entire world was gone...

Everyone was painfully fading away...no one was spared the agonizing burn. Sesshoumaru held Hekele in his protective arms, Kachie kissed Koga's cheek, Sango and Miroku held hands, and Inuyasha was fondly stroking Kagome's cheek in a silent farewell. If Kotaro was wrong...they at least had been together this time...

Kagura shed a final tear as she too turned into nothing like the world around her. Her last thought brought a smile to her face. No...Kotaro, I won't forget... And she was gone, along with everyone and everything else that had ever made up the world. All that was left was nothingness.

Ariel stood, angry and disturbed, though not because of what she had done. This was not what was supposed to happen...how had it? How was it even possible?

"You! What is the meaning of this! What are you doing here!" she shouted. Everything had gone as planned, so how had this occurred? No matter, she would finish the job easily enough. She just wanted to know why...

Silently crying for all that was lost...her friends...the children that had still been in the palace...her love...her world...and all of time both present and decimated future, Kagome raised her tear-stained face to that of her bitter enemy.

"I...I don't know..."

Down...

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Me- Not the last chapter...one more and the epilogue have yet to come...oh, and the song was 'Down Poison' by 3 Doors Down...

I am so sorry that this too so long. I had a lot happening over on this end...besides all I've listed at the beginning, (which I haven't altered since first starting this chapter weeks upon weeks ago,) I've had a very pressing family issue on my shoulders. It has now been resolved, for the best thankfully, and I should be better at updating these last few chapters...but don't hold your breath...School starts next Tuesday...as I stated in other chapters: I will NOT abandon this story..especially when so close to its conclusion. No matter how long it takes...I will update this...so don't lose hope in me...please?

I have a deviant art account now...it's at: http/synthetic-rose. Please check it out! It'd make my day! That and Review to this story! PLEASE!